Sam said, "Those things that happened to her, with her father. That's so terrible. I had no idea."
Linda continued to read. Then she looked up. "They want to kill him, you know."
"What?"
"They're not going to give Daniel a chance."
Sam didn't respond. She was still hoping Rebecca would return, hoping she wouldn't.
With an edge to her voice Linda said, "He can be saved. He's not hopeless. But they want to gun him down on sight. Be rid of him."
Of course they do, Sam thought. As to the question of his redemption, that was unanswerable in her mind.
"That Rebecca . . . Just like I remember her." Linda grunted.
Sam said, "What're you reading?"
Linda asked, "Would you know if I told you the chapter and verse?"
"No."
"So." Linda started to read but then she looked up from the holy book again. "She was wrong. What Rebecca said. It wasn't a nest of self-deception, or whatever she thinks."
Sam was silent.
Okay, she told herself. Go ahead. Now's the time.
"I know she was wrong about one thing."
"What's that?"
Sam exhaled long. "I wasn't a mouse all the time."
"Oh, that. Don't take it seriously. I never said you were."
"I stood up to him once. I told him no." She gave a laugh. "Ought to get a T-shirt printed up: 'I told Daniel Pell no.' "
Linda's lips pressed together. The attempt at humor fell leaden between them.
Walking to the TV, Sam shut it off. Sat down in an armchair, leaning forward. Linda's voice was wary as she said, "This is going somewhere. I can tell. But I'm not in the mood to get beat up again."
"It's about beating me up, not you."
"What?"
A few deep breaths. "About the time I said no to Daniel."
"Sam--"
"Do you know why I came down here?"
A grimace. "To help capture the evil escapee. To save lives. You felt guilty. You wanted a nice drive in the country. I don't have any idea, Sam. Why did you come?"
"I came because Kathryn said you'd be here, and I wanted to see you."
"You've had eight years. Why now?"
"I thought about tracking you down before. I almost did once. But I couldn't. I needed an excuse, some motivation."