Mark grasped her hand and squeezed it. “He received’t be alone. I do know my child brother. Jake will keep by his aspect till Rodney’s begging for privateness. That child will stick like glue. You will have my phrase.”

Bridget smiled on the thought. She doubted Rodney would ever need Jacob to depart. She’d seen the way in which they checked out one another. Although Rodney insisted he and the youngest James brother had been nothing greater than pals, Bridget knew there was one thing deeper there, ready to emerge.

Mark put the truck in drive and turned it round. “We have to get to the airport or we’re by no means going to make our flight.”

Bridget suppressed a shiver as they drove by the wrecked car. “What about him?”

Matt seemed out the passenger’s window on the dying flames. “There’s nothing we are able to do for him now. Jacob mentioned he’d ship the police out right here. Rodney is aware of who he was, so he can fill within the native regulation authorities. Aside from that, they’ll simply have to attend till we get again to Saratoga after the trial to reply any extra questions in regards to the particulars of the crash.”

Bridget sat up and buckled her seat belt. She caught sight of her reflection within the rearview mirror. There have been scratches on her face. She reached as much as contact them.

Mark caught her movement. “Some bullets broke the bricks on the aspect of the financial institution.” He held up his left arm, exhibiting her his scratches. “I caught a few of these little shattered bits too.”

She shivered, partially due to the chilly from the damaged rear window and partially from worry.

They’d come so near dying. So very, very shut.

They sat in silence as Mark drove. There have been no extra phrases left to say.

They’d discovered the flash drive.

Rodney had been shot.

They’d nearly been killed.

She was going residence.

1,000,000 completely different ideas flashed by her thoughts, none of them touchdown for lengthy. She was bored with being scared, of being chilly. If she might merely stroll the previous couple of steps—testify on the trial—her months-long nightmare can be over. It will all be over. Matt and Mark would return to Wyoming and she or he can be free to return to her regular life.

She was shut. So very, very shut.

However to what?

Chapter 11

Bridget walked out of the courtroom and pulled her winter coat round her extra tightly. It was a vivid, sunny day in March, however she couldn’t inform it by the temperature. The weatherman had reported this morning they might count on a bone-chilling day. He’d been proper. She suspected the crimson dial wouldn’t contact the twenty-degree mark.

Nevertheless, even the chilly couldn’t freeze the heat radiating inside her. The jury had deliberated lower than 4 hours. They’d discovered Lucian Thompson responsible of first-degree homicide. The crooked decide was going through life in jail for his crime, and Lyle’s homicide trial was simply the primary of a protracted line of courtroom appearances the person confronted. Because of the data her good friend had found, the decide was additionally going through a number of expenses of bribery, corruption and coercion. Arrest warrants had been issued for almost three dozen extra criminals as nicely. Justice had eventually been served.

Her solitude solely lasted a second as a number of folks caught sight of her and swarmed. The primary to achieve her was the Commissioner of the New York Metropolis police drive. “You and Rodney did an enormous service for this metropolis. Inform him once you speak to him, his job is ready for him.”

She nodded. Whereas the supply was great and all the things Rodney had hoped for, she wished it hadn’t come at so excessive a worth. “I’ll inform him.”

A number of reporters surrounded her, however just one acquainted face stood out. Bridget’s editor in chief at The Reporter walked as much as her. “You probably did an incredible job along with your testimony. I’m certain that’s what prompted the quick choice. Hear, I used to be pondering, what in case you wrote up a multi-article unique on this case from starting to finish for the paper? We’ll run it on the entrance web page over the following few weeks.”

“Entrance-page articles?” she requested.

“Yeah, you’ve earned them. And Bridget, I’m selling you from the weekend woman to the information staff. You’ll be able to clear out your cubicle on Monday and transfer your stuff upstairs to an actual workplace. I’ll even throw in a pleasant increase.”

She was shocked. She’d landed the promotion she’d wished for years, however surprisingly it didn’t make her as completely satisfied as she’d anticipated it will. “Thanks.” Clearly, she simply wanted time to course of. Too many unimaginable issues had been coming at her too rapidly.

A number of different reporters from bigger papers, together with the Occasions and the Submit, struggled to get nearer, all of them yelling questions at her. Cameras started flashing.

“Bridget,” a well-recognized voice shouted. Seeking to her left, she noticed Matt in his cowboy hat waving at her. “Over right here, sweetheart. We’ve bought the automobile.”

She fought her means by the pack, merely saying the phrases “no remark” time and again till she reached Matt. He tucked her securely by his aspect, utilizing his dimension and power to battle the remainder of the way in which to the automobile. Mark was ready on the curb with the engine operating as Matt opened the again door, helped her in after which crawled in beside her.

As he slammed the door, extra cameras flashed and extra reporters descended.

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