"I meant with the lawyer."

Why was she concerned about that when her life was still in danger?

He frowned at the interruption and the news "Not so good."

One hand on his arm, she drew Graham to the side "Why?"

she pressed.

He hadn't been prepared for that question.

Maybe that was why he answered, he thought.

"He said my chances a the outset are less than fifty-fifty."

It was probably worse than that and he just wasn't tellin her.

She'd hoped that the lawyer would have had some sort of strategy

planned.

"There has to be something," she insisted.

"Isn't the anything he thought that you could do?"

"Yeah."

Graham laughed shortly as he ran a hand over the back of his neck.

"Get married between now and the meeting in the judge's chambers."

Graham paused as h recalled the wording the'lawyer had used.

"He said if I could show the court that I could provide a stable life for Jake-for some reason, that means having a wife take care of him instead of just my mother-then the odds would probably lean in my favor, since we're both adoptive parents and Celia did give up custody once."

The lawyer might as well have suggested that he become an astronaut.

Who the hell was he supposed to marry on a moment's notice?

He looked at Caitlin.

For just the tiniest second she thought he was going to say something

to her.

But then the pregnant moment passed.

Graham dug into his pocket and laid the photograph on the counter.

He had to get his mind back on his work and not on his problems.

It was making him think ridiculous things.

He tapped a finger at the corner of the photo.

"Recogniie him?"

Reluctantly she looked down at the photograph.

They had been on the edge of something.

She had felt sure- But then, when had she ever felt sure with Gray?

Caitlin pressed her lips together, stopping the involuntary gasp that

rose in her throat as the face on the photograph penetrated her

thoughts.

"Oh, God, it's him."' He'd thought so, too, but he had to ask." Are you sure?

A white-hot chill sliced through her.

She'd seen that face over and over again last night, every- time she closed her eyes.

Her voice was flat, quiet.

"I'm sure."

Graham nodded, slipping the photograph back into his pocket.

"We're trying to locate him now. When we do, you're going to have to come down and pick him out of a lineup.") He was making it sound so grim. She tried to smile." I know.

I've watched reruns of Hill Street Blues.

" But knowing what was in store for her didn't make it any easier for

her to face. She forced the prospect of what lay ahead from her mind. They'd left the first subject hanging and she wanted to get back to it.

" What are you going to do about Jake?

He'd been going over that in his mind the entire trip from the lawyer's

office.

The one thing that had suggested itself he had discarded almost immediately.

It wouldn't be right.

Or fair.

"I don't know. What can I do?"

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"It's not like I can go to the local supermarket and pick out a wife on

aisle three."

She was treading on a very thin path and there was quicksand on either side of her. "Not for a' lifelong commitment. But you're just looking for a temporary stopgap-" That much was true.

He didn't want to enter into any sort of a long-term relationship.

Or any relationship at all, for that matter.

As far as he was concerned, relationships presented problems and never

evolved the way he hoped.

He glanced at Caitlin.

At least when he had married Celia he had entered with no illusions.

He had expected nothing and had gotten nothing.

There had been no disappointments.

Not like with Caitlin.

"Yeah," Graham agreed absently, thinking.

His mother's suggestion the other day about returning to the

reservation was beginning to have its merits.

He and Jake could get lost thereGraham stopped before the thought took off. There was too much of the cop in him to resort to doing something like that.

Running away.

Eluding the law.

There had to be another way.

He frowned.

Maybe .

maybe he might be able to enter into an arrangement with one of the

women on the reservationIt was worth a shot.

He turned abruptly on his heel to look at his partner.

"Jeffers."

Ben left Kerry hanging midword and crossed to Graham.

"Yes?"

"Could you take over detail for me for a couple of days?"

The question caught both Caitlin and the younger detective by