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Each time she left the prison, Winona berated herself for her poor judgment and vowed not to return, and every week she broke that promise

She couldn’t pinpoint the source of her obsession Perhaps it was the mysterious tattoo (surely Vivi Ann waselse seereed to take this ridiculous case, or the way Dallas had asked about Vivi Ann and his son Or maybe it hat Vivi Ann hadn’t said and should have: I asked you to help hio

Whatever it was, she knew that she couldn’t let go of this until he gave her an answer That was all she needed, just a simple, No way, Win A DNA test doesn’t make much sense to me You knohy

She’d iined that exact answer from hiht thinking he’d actually said it to her

“Okay,” she said aloud, “it’s tilanced at the clock It was 4:20 on Thursday afternoon Mark would be here in ninety ot out a piece of her special Winona Elizabeth Grey, Esquire, stationery Beneath her ian to write

Dear Dallas:

You win I have no doubt that you could continue this little game of ours forever Surely you cannot believe that I would atteain after all these years on a lark Obviously I have business of a serious nature to discuss with you That being said, I will only put forth some feel like a fool It is in both of our interests—and certainly your son’s as well—that you acceptthe 4–6 visiting hours for your cell block It will be my final attempt to see or speak to you

Sincerely,

Winona Grey

She folded up the letter, sealed it in an envelope, stamped it, and carried it immediately out to the blue mail drop on the corner

She was done now It was in Dallas’s hands

On Wednesday, Winona carefully packed up her desk, put everything away, and went out to tell Lisa that she’d be gone for the rest of the day “If anyone calls, I’ in the ht, will you water the plants in the sunroo a little wilted”

“Sure”

Winona went to her car and drove out of town

It lightened soht that it would finally end today She had just recently realized how h, she would be out from under its pressure Whatever sin she may have committed by omission at the first trial, she’d atoned for it in the past six weeks Six ti today—she’d driven to the prison, waited for a one home Each sojourn took up at least six hours of her time