Atherton, time to leave! Macks voice boomed from the head of the stairwell. A blanket-wrapped bundle tucked under his arm, he looked as if hed overheard them. And didnt approve of what hed heard.

Atherton, Rollins murmured. About a dozen years ago there was a sad story in the Atlanta Journal Const.i.tution about a family named Atherton. A real tragedy Chloe stood up so quickly she tipped her chair over. Rollins righted it.

Can we get going? Mack asked impatiently.

Yes. Please.

She shot a wave at Rollins, then headed for the stairs.

I dont like you pumping my coworkers for information about me, Mack growled as he pushed her outside. In fact, I dont like you poking around in my personal life, period.

She knew how he felt, but she said, Is that why Im back to Atherton?

He fairly threw the bundle he carried into the trunk.

What is that? she asked.

A delivery Nash needs me to make.

To whom?

He leveled that cold-eyed gaze on her again. To a family badly affected by the storm. Youll forgive me, he said acidly, if I protect their pride by not divulging their ident.i.ty.

Her nostrils flared on a sharp intake of breath. When Claire had died, the newspaper wasnt supposed to have printed Chloes name because shed been a minor. Only twelve years old. But someone got it wrong. Transposed the number to twenty-one. Printed her name. And unleashed even more grief on an already shattered family.

Clutching the cruisers armrest until her knuckles went white, Chloe was grateful that Mack was brooding. She needed the silence to compose herself.

At the courthouse she followed Mack into the formidable brick building. What are processes? she made herself ask.

Civil summonses. Criminal summonses. Domestic violence orders. Drivers license pickup orders. Eviction notices. Subpoenas. Mechanically he reeled off the list. Make an appointment with Judge Franklin. Sh.e.l.l be glad to answer any of your questions. She makes the decrees. I just serve em.

Well, if he wasnt going to give her even this cut-and-dried information, shed have to keep her eyes and ears open. Maybe the deputy wasnt capable of thawing out. At least not in a weeks time. Maybe she didnt want him to. If the department had to be the star of her article, after all, there was nothing wrong with a well-written civics lesson.

She followed Mack as he checked in, signed a ream of papers, then picked up the processes. He didnt introduce her to anyone. Back in the patrol car, he began sorting the legal forms.

What are you doing? she asked to keep her thoughts on work.

Im putting these in a delivery order. No need to waste gas running back and forth across the county. He came to one doc.u.ment and froze. d.a.m.n! Hes not going to get away with this.

What?

Mack slammed the car into gear and backed up, narrowly missing the big silver BMW in the spot marked Judge Esther Franklin.

As the deputy switched on the overhead flashing lights and charged out of the parking lot, the process hed been reading slid onto the floor at Chloes feet. She picked it up. An eviction notice. It stated that one landlord, Frank Hudson, had begun proceedings to evict one tenant, Tanya Donahue, from his property.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

M ACK COULDNT BELIEVE Frank would do this.

Turning off Main Street onto Williams, he pulled to a stop in front of the Hudsons tidy bungalow. He left the lights flashing. He wanted Frankand Franks neighborsto take notice. The man, dressed impeccably as usual in khakis and logoed golf shirt, was clearing the front yard of minor debris from the storm. He looked up at the commotion. And looked downright chagrined when he saw it was Mack getting out of the cruiser.

Im well within my rights, he protested as Mack strode across the lawn. Shes three months behind on the rent.

Are we talking letter of the law or spirit? Mack asked, planting himself in front of Frank and trying to keep his anger in check. Have a heart. The womans a war widow. With four kids. And no job.

Frank kept his rake between the two of them. Although his perfectly styled silver hair didnt budge in the breeze, the man himself looked ruffled. And military benefits, I presume.

Mack clenched his fists at his side. You can shove those so-called military benefits. They dont cover squat.

Well, I have to look after me and mine, Frank said, glancing over his shoulder to where Lara Hudsons face appeared in an upstairs window. My company downsized, and I was let go.

Upper management, werent you? When Mack took another step forward, Frank dropped the rake and took two steps back. I bet you walked away with a nice settlement.

Thats none of your business. Nervously Frank fiddled with his wedding ring. Tanyas not the only one with a family to raise. Right now mine needs the income from my rental properties. Im willing to forgive Tanya those three months, but I want her out so I can put someone in who can pay.

Youre going to throw her out on the street, Mack snapped, finding it more and more difficult to hold on to what scant patience he had left.

Once the notice is served, shes got ten days, Frank offered in defense as he glanced toward the street. Traffic on Williams was slowing as people paused to look at the patrol car and its flashing lights. The confrontation on the lawn. She has family, Frank insisted. Her parents are here in town. Along with her sister. Her brothers in Brevard. And what about the Donahues? They should be helping her.

For whatever reason, they hadnt so far. Mack had heard rumors the Donahues were struggling, too.

Who is she? Frank suddenly asked, pointing over Macks shoulder.

Mack turned to see Chloe standing nearby and scribbling in her notepad. Hed totally forgotten about her. But why not use her to histo Tanyasadvantage?

Chloe Atherton, he declared, gesturing her closer, is a member of the press.

Why the h.e.l.l did you have to bring the media into this? Frank bellowed, waving his arms and finally disturbing his hair.

Shes here for the week. Doing an article on the department. You happened to be part of my job today.

I shouldnt have been, Frank said directly to Chloe. You make sure you take this down. Once the judge signs off on the eviction, the sheriff is sworn to deliver the notice to the tenant. He swung round to glower at Mack again. The landlord isnt supposed to be hara.s.sed.

Im not hara.s.sing you, Frank, Mack replied, lowering his voice. Aiming, if not for conciliatory, then for sane. I thought we could talk, man to man. Although what kind of man could so easily toss a struggling family out of their home? Maybe work something out that would show compa.s.sion to a widow and her fatherless children.

Lara Hudson stepped out of the house onto the front steps. Holding tightly to a hand towel, she didnt make an effort to come down into the yard.

Thats a low blow, and you know it, Frank fumed. Tanya Donahue is going to be okay. If n.o.body else sees to it, you will.

Mack cut a sideways look at Chloe, who was recording this whole interaction. I shouldnt have to see to it. Her problem wasnt a department issue until you made it one. Write that down, he said to Chloe.

Write this down, Lara called out from the porch. Deputy Whittaker is crazy.

Mack recoiled.

He wont stop until hes personally saved every down-and-out soul in Colum County, Lara continued loudly as she hurried down the front steps to stand protectively in front of her husband. She spoke to Chloe, but turned a righteous glare on Mack. Hes making himself a long list. Started with the sheriff as a boy. Moved on to those illegal-alien kids at the high school. Then Burt Jones. Now hes added Tanya Donahue and her lot. But for all his so-called charity, Mack Whittaker sure has had a devil of a time saving himself.

Because what Lara said was more truth than lie, Mack bit his lip to keep from saying something hed regret.

Now, Lara continued, having come out of his alcoholic haze, our deputys forgotten hes supposed to execute the duties of his office on behalf of law-abiding citizens.

Hush! Frank growled, pulling Lara back.

Stop! Chloe stepped smack in the middle of the threesome. Right now. She leveled a warning look first at Frank, then at Lara, then at Mack. Is it true what Mr. Hudson said earlier? she asked Whittaker. That the landlord shouldnt be involved in the eviction process after the judge has signed off on it?

You bet it is! Frank crowed. Im no liar.

I asked the deputy. Chloe turned to him.

Technically, Mack said. But Then I wont be party to this. She stuffed her notebook in her pocket. Whittaker, if youre not in the cruiser in two seconds, Im calling for backup. She stalked down the walkway.

Mack saw red. Who the h.e.l.l did she think she was?

Who the h.e.l.l do you think you are? she shouted at him when he slid behind the wheel. You used me! And for something illegal.

He quickly pulled away from the curb before Frank and Lara could dig out lawn chairs to watch the new show.

I wasnt doing anything outside the law. I was trying to talk to Frank as a concerned citizen. Not as a deputy.

Funny, but youre wearing a uniform and a badge. And your entrance, lights flashing and all, sure looked official.

You cant begin to understand.

Then tell me. She smacked the dashboard with the flat of her hand. When I catch a glimpse of some truth, you shut down. Shut me out.

Staring straight at the road, he tried to shut her out now.

Who is Tanya Donahue? d.a.m.n, the reporter in her was relentless.

Nate Donahues widow.

Come on, Whittaker. Dont make this like pulling teeth. Nate Donahue is?

A reservist killed in Iraq.

A buddy?

From high school, yeah.

In your unit?

Right again. Without coming to a full stop, he pulled sharply out of Williams onto Main Street.

You came home, she said, and he didnt, and now youre trying to look out for his widow.

Something like that. But nothing like that.

She crossed her arms and slid down in her seat. Thinking about your friends wife and kids thrown out of their home, I can see why youd fly off the handle. But the guns-ablazing act was over the top.

Are you going to write it up?

I dont know yet. Something about her seemed deflated.

When will you know?

Can you let me off at Junes? she asked, her voice tired and flat. I dont have the stomach to be there when you issue Tanya the eviction notice.

Sure. Royally p.i.s.sed off at himself, he pulled in front of the bed-and-breakfast. He hadnt realized he appreciated the reportersno, the womansChloesrespect until it appeared hed lost it.

C HLOE HAD SPENT MOST of the afternoon soaking in her rooms enormous claw-foot tub while shed gone over her notes and tried to decide whether to pursue the unfolding saga of Deputy Whittaker. Eventually shed given up and headed to Rachels Diner for supper.

She wished she hadnt. The diner, unlike during the day, was filled with families. Laughing. Joking. Catching a bite before Little League practice. Or ballet cla.s.ses. Or just giving Mom a midweek break from cooking. Chloe withdrew into herself.

Is something wrong with that chicken pot pie? Coffeepot in hand, the diner owner stood over her.

No. Chloe stopped pushing chunks of the entree around in its ramekin. Its delicious. But I dont have much of an appet.i.te tonight.

Rachel looked skeptical, yet she moved on to the next table.

Chloe knew Mack didnt want her prying into his personal lifewhich, she noted, included another reference to alcoholism. But by confronting the landlord when he should have been serving the eviction notice to the tenantall in front of a member of the pressMack had blurred the lines between his own interests and those of the department, and had publicly opened the door for her to investigate.

And what about those interests? Was Tanya more than a friend in need?

Not digging into this whole side story might prove Chloe was indeed a lightweight in the news industry. Destined to forever cover weddings and garden parties. She did have something to prove. Not only to her editor, but to herself. Having confronted the truths in her own life, surely she could handle those of others. She didnt need to be ruthless, only thorough.

Paying her supper bill, she headed for her Yugo. And Tanya Donahues house.

There was no mistaking the Donahue residence. In the fading evening light, Tanya Donahue sat on the front porch in an aluminum folding chair, holding a sleepy toddler while two elementary-school-age children ran around the front yard.

Chloe hadnt counted on the kids being up.

Putting aside her discomfort, she parked, climbed out and stood at the edge of the yard. Hi. She waved as she hoisted one backpack strap over her shoulder. Im from the Western Carolina Sun. Could I talk to you?

News travels fast, Tanya replied, her voice a worn-out rasp. Come on up.

When Chloe drew closer, she could see tear streaks in the womans makeup. Sorry. I only have this one porch chair, and Wayans has just settled down.

Thats okay, Chloe replied, noting Wayans was about the same age Claire had been. She quickly turned her attention to Tanya. I can sit on the step.

So you heard about the eviction notice.