Epilogue

The three of them walked abreast along a narrow road consisting of no more than two bare strips of dirt in the grass. What they had witnessed in the last hour required the silence of personal reflection. Their lives were now entwined with the two people they left alone in that building. Each of them had contributed in some way to that relationship. Each had walked away with something.

Officer Quint had gained four new friends. Protect and Serve took on a new perspective. To his right, walked the woman he might marry - Connie Spencer. To his left, her brother, Howard walked in reflective silence. Each still held the final pieces to the puzzle they left behind. For Quint, those pieces were essential to wrapping up his case. Yet it was Spencer who broke the silence first.

"I've got to hand it to you Len; I had it figured completely different. How did you unravel all that?"

"Sleuthing mostly, but it didn't take me long to realize that most people give a lot away if you listen and observe profoundly." Quint paused and eyed the young lawyer respectfully. "You were a lot harder to read. There is one thing I still don't understand - it's out of character. Lisa said that when she was choking, you stood by and did nothing."

Spencer colored and shook his head. "She was having a hard time of it, but she was breathing. I was keeping my eye on Allen. He went straight to the driver's side of his vehicle. When he opened the glove box, I was sure he'd come out with a gun, but he had a little tablet instead. By the time he got in his car and left, Lisa was recovering." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know why I kissed her. Well, yes I do, but I don't know why I gave in to temptation at a time like that."