Page 3 of Yesterday's Tomorrows

I studied the thick, ivory business card he presented me. "Ahh. So you got stuck with babysitting duty, hmm?"

A dark eyebrow lifted. "Your sarcasm is exceeded only by your perception."

Point for Mr. Moody.

I shrugged it off. "If Mr. McCloskey sent you, I suppose I'll have to trust you."

He stared back at me, purposefully shifted his eyes to the building behind me, then back to me. "I'd say we're both in that position, Ms. Stone."

His words might as well have been a slap in my face. I'd been 'free' for less than ten minutes, and already my previous status was tossed in my face. I couldn't blame him, however. He probably didn't know me or my circumstances other than I'd served time. In no world would that not raise a yellow, if not red, flag.

My face grew warm. I looked away, mostly so he wouldn't be able to see the tears that gathered in my eyes. How quickly my exhilaration faded in the face of my new reality. I blinked rapidly. I'd fought for the past six years not to show any weaknesses; now was not the time to start.

My escort didn't apologize, but his tone did soften. "My car is parked over there along the curb. If you follow me, I'll take you home."

Home.

I wasn't sure that's what I'd call whatever my living arrangement was, but it still sent a little thrill through me. It gave me a goal, a beginning. It gave me hope.

"Madelyn Stone?" called a voice from behind my shoulder.

Well, didn’t that just beat all! I should have known the weather wasn't the only thing that would rain on my day.

2

Holt

I felt the woman at my side stiffen before slowly turning toward the voice that called from our side. Irritated by yet another delay in getting back to my office, I glanced over my shoulder to see a well-dressed woman, probably in her thirties, with two young girls standing slightly behind her. If I had to guess, they were probably sisters around eight or nine years old, the same age as my sister’s twins.

"You filthy whore!" the woman shrieked. "You killed my husband and the father of these girls. You should be rotting behind bars, you evil bitch!" Her face was contorted with hatred as she moved closer. Her girls remained behind with wide eyes set in their pale faces and hands clasped together.

I froze. That's why this bit of female beside me had been serving time? I'd known that she had been imprisoned on a charge of murder two. I'd assumed it had been some kind of drunken car accident or cheating boyfriend, not that she'd killed a family man. Unless, of course, he was the cheating ‘boyfriend.’

I took a step forward and held my arm in front of Ms. Stone, half as a shield from the hostile woman in front of us, half to hold the feisty, newly released prisoner back. At any moment, I expected the mother of all girl-fights to erupt. To my surprise, Madelyn didn't say a word. She simply stood there with a solemn expression.

"Trying to steal my husband wasn't enough for you. Oh, no. You murdered him in cold blood when he rejected you." The widow took a step forward. "I lost everything, thanks to you. You dragged our good name through the mud. We lost our house, our club memberships…everything." Her voice rose in pitch with each sentence until it was almost an ear-piercing shriek. "You murdering bitch. I'll see to it you still pay for what you did!"

I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows as I took a step forward. "Are you threatening Ms. Stone?"

The woman in front of me faltered as if she only just noticed me. I watched as she took in my size and hard expression. Her shoulders bent, and she made a show of wiping her eyes. "She lied to get her charges reduced. She shouldn't ever walk the streets again. She should have been sentenced to life in prison," she sniffled. "My poor girls..."

"The justice system obviously disagreed with you, Mrs. --"

"Regis. Mrs. Paul Regis, or at least," tears leaked from her eyes, "his widow." The way she batted her eyelashes and pursed her lips seemed more worthy of a stage performance than a truly grieving widow. I suspected she might have missed the club memberships more than her beloved spouse.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs. Regis, but if you continue to stand here and threaten Ms. Stone, I'll have no choice but to press harassment charges against you."

"Harassment? She killed my husband, and you're threatening me?"

"Look --"

I stopped as fingers wrapped around my arm and gently pulled me back. I stared down at the petite woman who stepped up beside me. Her eyes gazed wearily back at me, and I caught the look of defeat and sadness in her eyes before they dropped to the ground.

"It's okay," Madelyn said quietly. "She has every right to be angry." She took a breath and straightened her shoulders before looking into the eyes of her accuser. "Please, for the sake of your girls, I'm begging you not to do this here."

"I'll see you in Hell first," she threatened, her lips curling into a snarl as she leaned toward us. Her voice was so full of derision it nearly dripped from her lips. I felt a tremor run through Madelyn, who was still holding my arm, but to her credit she remained calm.

"Enough," I demanded. "I recommend you leave now, Mrs. Regis, or I'll call the police and have them arrest you for making threa