More gasps, mumblings, and another slam of the gavel brought the courtroom to silence Ryan strolled back to the stand. "You're one in a million, Mrs. Houser." He reached for her hand again, and then took a seat.

"Mrs. Houser," the prosecutor began as he stepped forward. "After this alleged rape, did you go home and tell anyone what happened?"

"...No." Her eyes were focused on her lap.

"So no one else knows this rape took place?"

"No."

"But... why would you wait until now?"

She shook her head. "I-I don't know."

"Tell me something. You're under oath now, so think carefully. Did you ever have a fight at school?"

"Pardon?" She glanced up.

"Just what I said. Were you ever in a fight at school?"

"Su-sure, a couple of times."

"When you got home that night, did you tell your mother, or your sister, or anyone else about the fight?"

"Probably. But..."

"Uh, uh. Remember? Only what you're asked?"

She was obviously offended and kept her eyes on him now.

"You know what's got me puzzled, Melanie? I'm just trying to figure out, why when someone rapes you, you decide that it's not important enough to tell even one person. And yet you show up twenty some years later and say that very same thing in front of a crowd of people. I don't buy it. There's something you're not telling us. Is it notoriety? That's it. It's notoriety, isn't it." He glowered at her for a moment and then stepped to the bench to have a chat with the judge.

A minute later, the judge called Ryan forward.

Ryan looked discouraged as he returned to the table.

"That's it for today, Emily. He wants time for discovery, so court will be adjourned until day after tomorrow."

He turned to watch Melanie walk down the aisle. "I don't know what he thinks he'll find that makes a difference. What in the world does he think she would gain by making up a story like that?"

When Emily walked in the courtroom two days later, she saw her father sitting next to Rose. Just knowing he was there gave her courage.

The prosecutor was up first. "I want to bring Melanie Houser to the stand."

Ryan pulled out his hanky and wiped his forehead as he watched Melanie take her oath, and sit. Her head was bent again.

"You mentioned the other day that your father and Claude Thorn were friends at one time, isn't that true?"

"Yes."

"So then will you please tell the court what happened the last time they were together. Didn't your father pull out a shotgun?"

Her eyes shot up, turning from shock, to anger, and then fear. "Well...They... they were..."

"They were in an argument, now, weren't they?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"It wasn't about you. So, what was it?"

"I... I don't know all the details."

"I understand. It's been a while so let me refresh your memory. The fact is that Claude convinced your father to put his life savings into some sort of investment and he lost it all? Isn't that right?"

"Sort of yes, but..."

"Weren't you all angry at Claude?"

"Yes, but..."

"And even to date, isn't your father trying to get his money back, claiming since Claude was part of the Rezell clan, that he should be able to extract money from them? Isn't this all true?"

Melanie's eyes filled with tears, and she dropped her head.

"That will be all."

"Does the defense care to question the witness?" the judge asked Ryan.

"Yes, I do Your Honor," Ryan said, stepping to the floor.

"I'd like you to think back very carefully, Melanie, to the time the alleged rape took place." He moved so that he could rest an elbow on the stand. "What a traumatic time this must've been for you. Something like that would be very difficult to go through alone. I realize that it's been a long while, so I want you to consider whether you might've mentioned something. Anything at all? Even that you'd seen Claude down by the water that day? Did you mention even the slightest thing to anyone?"

"No."

"No one?"

She looked at him, for a moment seeming ready with something more, but then she shook her head.

Ryan's shoulders slumped as he turned away. "You're free to go."

Melanie stepped down, picked up her bag from her seat, and hurried from the courtroom.

After a break, Ryan called Samuel Dimsmoore to the stand.

"Mr. Dimsmoore. What was your relationship with Mr. Thorn?"

"Well, we worked together on Rupert Rezell's farm. Never really socialized."

"And how long did you work with the deceased?"

"I'd say, a little over a year."

"So you must have spent many hours with him."

"Mostly in the field, sir."

"Did you know Mr. Thorn before you started working for Rupert Rezell?"

"I'd only seen him at one of the farms where I stopped to look for work. So no, I didn't know him prior to my employment at the Rezell farm."

"But you must've been around him long enough to notice any behavioral problems he might've had."

There was a clatter as the front door flew open. A man rushed up the aisle, handed the prosecutor some papers, and then took a seat at the table.

Ryan waited for the commotion to stop, and then turned back to Samuel. "Okay, so... What I was trying get at was that if during the year or so that you worked with Claude, if there was anything you witnessed that would make you believe he was capable of rape?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"And, what's that?"

"It was a fight I heard between Rachael and Claude, mostly what she told me later."

"What did she tell you?"

"Well, when I heard her tell Claude she hadn't forgotten what he'd done to her, and he'd better straighten up or she'd tell her father, I asked her about it. She told me not to worry because she'd taken care of everything. I didn't want to think the worst, and so I let it go, until...well, until this whole thing with... with my daughter. I believe Claude not only raped Emily, but he also raped Rachael, and who knows how many others."

"Liar!" Grandfather hollered, jumping to his feet. "He's the one that raped Rachael. And he could've stabbed her with a knife and been no less guilty than how he killed her."

The judge picked up his gavel and gave it one good strike. "You, over there! Sit and keep your mouth shut."

Ryan thanked Samuel and took a seat.

Then the prosecutor stepped forward. He looked pleased as he strolled over to stand in front of the witness stand. "You ever hear of Retributive Justice? Karma? Poetic Justice?"

"I-I'm not sure what you're asking, sir?"

The prosecutor folded his hands, took a short turn in front of the stand, and then faced the witness again. "Well, then let me ask you this."

He took his time seeming to enjoy the long drown-out silence.

"Did you rape Rachael Rezell, Samuel? Did you force yourself on her?"

"No, sir. No, I didn't."

"Your Honor," Ryan said, raising from his chair. "Let me remind you that Mr. Dimsmoore is not on trial here."

"Overruled. Go on," the judge said, nodding to the prosecutor. "I'd like to hear more."

"Thank you, Your Honor."

"So, Mr. Dimsmoore. You can't deny that you had sex with Rachael, now can you?"

"Sir, I-I..."

"Did you have sex with Rachael?"

"Yes... we had consensual sex."

The prosecutor stepped to the table, picked up the papers he'd been given earlier, and then walked back to the stand. He slipped on a pair of glasses and looked them over. "You say it was consensual sex, but I have court records from... let's see." He looked harder at the print. "Auh, February of 1940." He yanked off his glasses and glared at Samuel, shaking the papers. "This is a warrant for your arrest. It says you raped Rachael Rezell. Hm..."

"But it's not true. We were in love."

"In love? Is that why you... fled when you found out she was pregnant with your child?" He glanced back at Emily, pointing. "Right over there. She's sitting right there. Living proof!"

"No. No, you've got it wrong."

"You fled, Samuel Tyler Dimsmoore, because you raped Rachael Rezell and you realized you'd finally have to pay for your sins."

Ryan pulled himself to his feet, leaning on the table. "Please, Your Honor. This is nonsense. Samuel Dimsmoore is not on trial!"

The judge nodded to the prosecutor. "Go on, wrap it up. Then bring me that warrant."

Ryan sighed and slumped to his seat.

The prosecutor rolled the court papers in his palm, shaking his head. "My, my this is not a good day for you, is it, Mr. Dimsmoore? From the looks of it, trying to escape the law runs in the family..." He strolled over to the bench and slapped the papers in front of the judge.

The judge read them over, and then looked to the defendant's table. "Mr. Dillard, will you approach the bench, please?"

After a heated discussion, Ryan barreled back to his seat. He pulled out his hanky, wiped his face, and then folded his hands across the table, shaking his head.

Emily clutched his arm. "What is it? They aren't going to arrest my father, are they?"

"Auh boy, I'm sorry, Emily..." He gave his brow a quick swipe, and then leaned so that their shoulders touched. "When your grandfather found out that your mother was pregnant, he pressed rape charges against your father. Rachael signed the papers."

"I don't believe it. They forced her to sign them."

"That may be true, but..."

There was a clatter and a clank, and some shuffling as the side door opened and two officers came in and stood until the judge motioned to them.

Tears ran down Emily's face as they handcuffed her father and took him from the courtroom.

The judge handed the warrant over to the clerk, and then dismissed court and walked out.

Emily looked back and saw Rose shaking with sobs.