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In just a little while, she d be all alone back at her house, where she could break down and have a
good cry if she wanted, or maybe throw on some sweats and go for a jog. She couldn t figure out at
the moment which she d prefer.
Probably the jog, since it would burn more calories than tears would. Besides, she d been too
sedentary lately, and a jog would tucker her out. True, she might well pass out in the first five minutes
because it had been so long since she d run. For a short time during her year with Jesse she d been on
a fitness quest, and that was probably the only reason she d been able to make it to her car and escape
him.
He d allowed her to jog only in certain locations and only while he was there to ensure that she didn t
speak to any other men, but she d been happy with the activity. It had given her a few moments of
peace. He d liked the result of her being in such great shape  her body was able to take more of his
abuse.
The thought of running outside among so many strangers was a bit daunting, but she wasn t going to let
her old fears  heck, her new fears, her constant fears  hold her back. She d already made that
decision and she was sticking to it.
If she chickened out on the very first activity she decided upon after giving her deposition, she was
once again letting Jesse win. So, yes, a jog it was, she thought emphatically. Exercise saved lives.
She and Bryson arrived at her house and she didn t even try to argue when he insisted on walking her
inside. This time, though, he brought his briefcase with him, and she wondered what he had planned.
With the silent treatment he d been giving her, she figured he d want to be in and out of there as
quickly as possible.
Once he d checked all the rooms, he moved to her kitchen table and set down the briefcase.  I know
you re tired, Misty, but I want you to look at some stills taken from surveillance footage. If you can
identify any of the people with Jesse in these photos, that would help us. I know you won t remember
dates, but if you can tell us if these people were ever inside Jesse s apartment and if you saw
anything, we can strengthen the case even more.
She didn t really want to continue diving back into that world, but how could she say no? The more
help she gave, the more chance this would all end. Maybe sooner than everyone hoped.
 Why didn t you have me do this sooner?
 Because we wanted your testimony first, so it was from you alone, and not from something we d
placed in front of you, planted in your brain. The prosecuting attorney will look for anything to
weaken our case, and if he thinks we in any way tried to persuade you of anything, lead you to any
conclusion, he can make the jury believe that. We have to do each of these steps in a certain order.
 I understand, she said, though she didn t really. None of this made a lot of sense to her; at least the
process behind it all didn t. What she did fully understand is there was a possibility of Jesse s going
to prison, and if he did, he could never touch her again.
 Drink this, he said, placing a cup of water in front of her.
Without thought, she gripped it and sipped as she began flipping through the hundreds of images. Then
her world tilted, taking her back to that hellhole of an apartment. When she saw him going up the
stairs with a small, dark-haired girl, the picture dated a few months after Misty had left, she felt
sympathy for the woman.
 I wonder if she s still alive, Misty whispered, and Bryson leaned over the back of her chair to see
which picture she was looking at.
 No. Sadly, she isn t alive. Though he took up with her after you, I m hoping that maybe you will
have some information on her. Did you ever see her around?
More fear shot through her. She could have been this woman, one of the ones whom Jesse killed when
he was done with her. Every day she was thankful to have escaped.
 I don t remember her. There were several women, as you know, that he brought in while we were
still together, but her face isn t one I remember. And I don t think I would forget. I don t think I ll
forget a single thing from that time in my life.
 No, I don t think you will, either. I only hope that over time, you will start to heal, and eventually it
will all be nothing but a vague recollection, without any measurable sting. Bryson laid a gentle hand
on her shoulder.
She focused back on the picture.  She s so pretty here. Why does he do this? Why does it make him
feel like a man? I just can t understand it, she said. She d received broken bones, been raped,
violated, and chained  and she d been one of the lucky ones. How could this man get away with so
much, ruin so many lives?
 She was loved by her parents, and missed greatly. I don t know why he does what he does, but he
won t ever touch you again, Misty. That time is over  it s in the past. If we didn t have to dredge up
the past, making you go through this day after day, you d be so much closer to healing. I m so sorry.
Bryson took his other hand and clutched her other shoulder, letting her know he was right there.
Needing the contact, needing some sort of connection, Misty placed her fingers over his. She was
closer to tears at this moment than she d been while giving a detailed account of her own torture.
Seeing another victim made it all so much more real.
He hadn t stopped torturing women after Misty had gotten away. He would never stop. And he would
eventually get her. She didn t know how or when, but he would. She d tried to think otherwise, but
she knew that now. Still, she d made the right choice in giving her deposition, and she had no regrets.
 Come here, Bryson said, pulling her from the chair she felt glued to. Before she even thought of
stopping him, he drew her against his hard chest, wrapping his strong, comforting arms around her
back and holding her close.
She couldn t help but take what he was offering. There wasn t a price attached to this gift he was
giving her. No expectations. He was just trying to make her feel as if there was another person in this
huge universe who was with her, if only for this tiny moment in time. She allowed herself to feel
something other than fear and sorrow, and she melted against him.
Sighing when his hands moved slowly up and down her back, soothing, gentle, letting her know he
was there to help  a friend, in fact  Misty found herself sinking further and further down a path
she shouldn t take. But isn t that what she wanted? Didn t she need a friend? Still, how would she
know? She d never, ever had one.
There had never been anyone in her life she could lean on. No one to comfort her and make her feel
better when life was at its darkest, no best friend to giggle with and tell her secrets to, no person to
cry with when it felt as if the world were ending.
So, yes, she wanted a friend, but as Bryson s hands skimmed over her shoulders and ran gently [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]