Sarah was not sure what Stephanie was talking about but was not about to disappoint her hostess, "However you wish, Stephanie, I am just very grateful for the offer of accommodation tonight". The men came and unstrapped her, and unfastened the fetters from the floor. Then they helped her, still gagged and handcuffed and now fettered as well, to climb down from the van. They were in an ill-lit basement, with plenty of room for the van. They went through a doorway into a much better-lit room, where a policewoman sat behind a desk.

Oh yes, my girl. This is just the beginning. You're going to be very sorry that you came to work for me, very sorry indeed!" Sarah was embarrassed at being found out. "No, not at all. In fact, I think you are terrific," and struggling to find something to compliment her on, blurted out, "And I think your scarf and cravat suit you perfectly." No it's not OK; it's not OK at all." Stephanie's voice had suddenly taken on a workmanlike and frightening new edge. "That's the last gardening you are going to be doing for a very long time." I, on the other hand, hated Brian's travel. I loved him with all my heart and I was reluctant to see him leave the house. I was lonely without him and I would always go to Cindy's place and stay with her during our husband's weeklong trips. I needed someone to cheer me up and Cindy was the one I turned to. It was during one of these business trips when my story began. The white robber's eyes glowed with delight. "She's definitely the hottest sheriff I've ever seen."

PART ONE

Kat realized she wouldn't stand a chance at pulling out her weapon before he pulled the trigger. She had obviously stumbled into a robbery in progress and guessed the real cashier was probably out of the way behind that closed door. Though Kat had vowed to remain calm, frustration eventually won out. She had jerked and thrashed gamely against the ropes, hoping to break free by some miracle. Of course she had failed miserably. Like the cashier, Kat had only succeeded in tiring herself out. After twenty minutes of desperate struggling and grunting, the young sheriff lay exhausted, panting wildly, and still securely bound. Perspiration covered her forehead and streamed down the sides of her face. At a forces storehouse in the sixties, a WREN tries ot cover up her mistake - and then falls foul of a gang of tobacco thieves... She raised her hands behind her head and carefully untied the knot holding the silk square in place, allowing the exotic material to fall forward and frame her perfect face. Her long natural blond hair, unbound from the confines of the rich silk, fell freely about her shoulders. Drawing the scarf off her head she handed the white silk to Sarah.

I'm sorry honey. Their assignment got more complicated all of a sudden. They'll have to stay until everything is done. He said it could be another week or more before they return." When I got inside I shook off my umbrella in the foyer and then went to get out of my heels and hose. But the doorbell rang. I looked through the peephole and there was a well-dressed Latina woman standing at the door. I opened the door as far as the chain allowed and said, "May I help you?" She said she was the realtor who was selling the townhouse next door. She told me her cell phone had died, she didn't have her charger with her and she that she urgently needed to make a phone call. She asked if she could come in to use my phone. Brent fumed. That man had been one of his strongest supporters. Had the little tart offered to sleep with him or something? Kat swallowed. "Look, give yourselves up," she said sincerely. "This is crazy. You get the death penalty for killing a law enforcement officer."Sarah shuddered in horror at the implications of what Stephanie was saying. If she thought her situation was bad now, it was clearly about to become much worse. Her previous thrashing around on the bed had greatly tightened the ropes around her body, just as Stephanie had said they would, and she was starting to feel faint from the effort of breathing through the silk gag and hood, and the constriction of the ropes around her body. The Hispanic robber stared at the young woman's breasts, mesmerized by their fullness and the swaying motion brought about by the girl's writhing. Please don´t commit a breach of the peace, Miss Peters. Now we´re not racially prejudiced, you know. We don´t assume that all terrorists are coloured or all coloured people are terrorists. Please would you get into the van.’ Kat nodded, impressed by the professionalism of the thirty-one-year-old detective. When Rachel Graham had applied for the job of detective shortly after Kat took over as sheriff she found the woman to be standoffish and a bit too rigid for. Her record, however, was impressive. She had served as a sheriff's deputy in Arizona for ten years before being promoted to detective. She had solved a number of crimes ranging from murder, rape, and robberies. Though their relationship was cordial, Kat and Rachel were not exactly best friends.