Page 25 (1/2)

"Miss Doe, what purpose is served by putting you in prison?" Wechter asked, equally quietly "And I et-out-of-jail-free card you will ever get fro so much as a rice cake, I will prosecute And," he added with the first smile Jared had seen, "I’ll win"

"But…"

"Kara," Jared said, turning toward her, "you can’t throw yourself on the h to prosecute you" And clearly doesn’t want to prosecute you, he added silently

"Give it up"

"But…" She sounded dazed She looked dazed About as dazed as he felt, frankly

"Thanks for stopping by," Wechter said briskly, picking up a pen and pulling a pile of papers toward hi you, Miss Smith"

Kara opened her rabbed her ar you, too, Mr Wechter," he said warmly He could have kissed the rossed in paperwork, Wechter only grunted He looked up just once, when Jared was ushering Kara out "Remember," he said, completely deadpan, "crime doesn’t pay"

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"I just can’t believe it," Kara said for the fourth tihim…do you think he’s worked so hard, risen so fast, so he could be in a position to help me when the time came?"

They were in the saoons a few days earlier It was a seedy, disgusting little place, but it was "their" place, so he didn’t mind as much as he should have

He considered her re to consider, huh? It would explain a lot I end He never loses a case He’s the most popular DA the state’s ever known"

"And the handsoet it You belong to me, sunshine All he can do is keep you out of jail I can keep you healthy"

He felt her s to you But nohat? I spend the last day psychingto have the life you deserved Don’t you get it? You can do anything you want Noafraid It’s al to do for a living? I never went to college…I don’t have any societally-correct skills Not that the cops could catch htfully, ignoring Jared’s scowl, "but it’d be pretty rotten to reward Wechter’s show of good faith by keeping up ht Besides, you’ll be too busysafes," Jared declared, tightening his grip on her hand "I want you to et led at the look on his face "Christ, that was easy! I figured I’d have to spend the rest of the year talking you into it Maybe shoot you up with Dee myself"

"Noooo…" She paused, then slowly continued "I finally figured it out the night before And again this o to jail for years and years But you stuck byto lose et hard You risked yourself--needlessly, but it’s the thought that counts--for et hurt"

"What you’re saying," he cut in eagerly, "is in the face of all that, it was pretty goddaht?"

"I hadn’t thought of it in quite those terrabbed her and hugged her fiercely Her breath exploded against his ear and she wriggled ineffectively "Please, Jared, I can’t breathe," she protested, but she was laughing "Besides, before you get all excited, I have a request"

"No, you can’t knock over Tiffany’s on our honeymoon"

"Ha, ha I need to use Mr Wechter one ure I only had one chip with him and I already cashed it in?"

"Kara, sweetie, I don’t knohat the hell you’re talking about What do you ith Wechter?"

"You’ll be approved, no probleraive , but nobody said I couldn’t teach wards of the state how to protect themselves Nobody said I couldn’t teach the bad happens when the shades are drawn"