"Her note just says she wants to talk to me at the hotel before she leaves town. She thinks she's going to get out of her sickbed and drive a wagon. The woman doesn't have the sense God gave her. "

"She's got the determination, though, " Cole said. "I've got the feeling she could pull it off if we let her."

"We aren't going to let her go anywhere alone, " Daniel countered.

"Cooper's going to stick to both women until every member of the Blackwater gang has been captured."

"That could take a hell of a long time."

"I don't think so, " Daniel said. "If the gang finds out about Rebecca, they'll be coming after her, and, God willing, we'll get every last one of them."

"You're going to use her as bait, aren't you? " "I'm going to get her to Blackwater alive." Cole nodded agreement. "I thought Rebecca was the witness, but it was just a guess. Nothat isn't true. I hoped it wasn't Jessica."

"I can understand why. She's got enough on her plate now, raising that baby on her own." Cole was staring out the front window. "Didn't you tell me Grace wanted you to see her at the hotel? " "That's what her note said, " Daniel answered.

"She's crossing the street with Sloan hot on her trail."

"Son of a .

. . " Daniel ran out the doorway just as Grace came hurrying down the boardwalk. He grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her inside the office.

"What in God's name are you doing out of bed? " His concern for her well-being was evident in his expression. He thought she looked like the walking dead, and he fully expected her to faint at any moment.

The left side of her face was still slightly swollen. Daniel wanted to pick her up and carry her back to the hotel. He pulled her to his side and looked out at the street beyond.

Sloan was lounging against the hitching post.

"I had to see you, " she explained. "The sheriff was eating his breakfast in the dining room, so I slipped out the side door."

"I saw her going down the steps out of the corner of my eye, " Sloan interjected. "I had to leave a full plate of food to chase after her.

" Grace was trying to hold on to her patience. "Daniel, I must speak to you. I'm sorry if it isn't convenient, but it's terribly important.

She looked around the office and then asked, "Isn't Jessica here yet?

You did tell us to be here this morning."

"York walked her over to Dr. Lawrence's house to look in on Tilly, "

Sloan said. "She took the boy with her."

"What in thunder are you women thinking? " Cole snapped. "Three potential witnesses strolling around town without a care in the world.

It's enough to make the saints scream. I'm going over to Lawrence's house and take Jessica back to the hotel." He glared at Sloan when he added, "And if I have to drag her, by God I will." The sheriff backed out of Cole's way and watched him cross the street.

Daniel slammed the door in Sloan's face then, giving Grace privacy for their talk.

"Why is Cole so upset? " "He's upset because you and Rebecca and Jessica are making it impossible for us to protect you."

"You don't think in broad daylight that someone might try . . . " He interrupted her. "I'm taking you back to the hotel."

"No, " she insisted. "I need to tell you something. It's important, Daniel." She tried to make herself let go of his hand, since she felt it was a sign of weakness for her to cling to the lawman, but she couldn't pull away.

She was so scared, she could barely gather her thoughts. What she was about to do was going to changeher future irrevocably, and all of her dreams were going to be crushed.

There wasn't any other choice, though. She had to do the right thing.

He gave in. "All right, Grace. What did you want to tell me? " "I'm your witness, " she blurted out. "I was the one hiding in the kneehole." Aside from the muscle in his clenched jaw twitching, Daniel didn't show any reaction to her announcement.

"You're the witness? " he demanded.

"Yes. I'm so sorry I didn't have the courage to come forward sooner, but I was frightened. Jessica and Rebecca had already left the bank.

They were telling you the truth. I wasn't, and now I've caused them all sorts of trouble. You'll let them leave now, won't you? " Daniel didn't answer her. His gut was telling him she was lying. The longer he stood there the angrier he became.

"How many were there? " Without a pause, she answered, "Seven. "

Tears brimmed in her eyes, and Daniel suddenly had the urge to comfort her and shake her at the same time. He didn't give in to either inclination. "All right, I'm taking you back to the hotel, and you can tell me everything."

"But I'm worried about Jessica and Rebecca, " she cried. "I believe I've found a way to make certain that they'll be left alone." Daniel guessed what was coming and let out a loud groan.

"Ah, hell, you didn't talk to the reporter, did you? " The question surprised her, for she had only just come up with the idea. "No, but I want to, " she said. "I thought I would go to the newspaper office and ask the gentleman there to print the truth in tomorrow's paper. I'm sure the reporter will be happy to listen to what I have to say. "

"You are not going to talk to the reporter." He snapped the command and squeezed her hand to let her know he meant what he said.

She was stunned by his burst of anger. He was furious, she realized, for his blue eyes had turned as cold as winter. She bowed her head.

"I thought you would be pleased with my confession. I don't understand your anger, Daniel." He took a deep breath. "Grace, " he began.

"Are you telling the truth? " She jerked her hand away from his and tried to get around him. "There's something else you should know. "

"Yes? " Daniel asked.

"The fire . . . it wasn't an accident, " she blurted out. "I remember what happened, and I remember . . . apples."

"Apples? " he repeated, clearly not understanding.

She nodded. "I was having trouble sleeping. That isn't unusual, " she thought to add. "I never sleep through the night. I thought I heard a peculiar noise coming from downstairs. It sounded like glasses tinkling."

"I don't understand."

"You know . . . when you toast someone and your glass clinks against another glass . . . It was that sound that I thought I heard."

"So what did you do? " "Tilly wasn't feeling very well, and I didn't want to disturb her, so I put on my robe and my slippers and went downstairs to investigate. If someone was knocking on the front door, I wasn't going to open it, of course.

I was going to tell whoever it was to come back in the morning.

When I reached the foyer, I noticed the dining room window was wide open. The wind was making the curtains billow into the room. I became alarmed because I remembered closing it before I went up to bed, and I was the last one to go up the stairs."

"What did you do then? " Daniel asked.

"I went into the dining room to shut the window, and that's when I smelled coal oil."