Jarrod, who stood outside the jail cell, looked at Barbara-or Barbary Red as most people called her-as Fred opened the cell door and stepped aside. Jarrod thanked him and then stepped inside, listening as Fred shut the door behind Jarrod. That sound, the locking of the cell door, always made Jarrod inwardly cringe, even if he wasn't the prisoner. Though, he didn't dwell on that, all he was thinking about now was how to help Barbara-who the sheriff had said almost didn't accept his visit, said he was almost to the door that separated the cells from his office when she called out and told him she'd changed her mind.
"I had a brother once." Barbara brought Jarrod out of his thoughts when she began speaking. "Used to do everything with him, even went fishing with him when I was eight."
Jarrod couldn't help but smile just a little as he remembered how Audra would want to tag along on some of the fishing trips he and his brothers would go on. However, he leaned against the bars and said nothing as he could see Barbara still had more to say.
"Jimmy wasn't my only brother, but he seemed to be my daddy's favorite." Barbara sighed as she turned her head and looked at Jarrod. "Jimmy died saving me from a mine when I was ten. It had a cave in, but the men who were looking for us could only get me out. I never should have been in it only I was curious, even if my father had told me to stay out of the place."
"All children are curious, and accidents happen. No one to blame," Jarrod said in a sympathetic tone of voice.
"That's not what my daddy thought." Barbara took a deep breath. "He let me know each and every day. Well; maybe, not that often, but close enough." She shuddered as an angry look appeared in her eyes. "He was the first of many men to use me, said maybe I could give him back what I killed."
Jarrod felt sick to his stomach. That man deserved to be hung, shot and then killed. "You didn't deserve that."
"I didn't deserve a lot of things." Barbara sighed as she stood up and walked to the window in her cell. After a moment she turned around and looked at Jarrod. "I was angry at you at first, lying to me the way you did. Only, when the sheriff turned away and started for the door, I found myself thinking of Jimmy and how I'd do anything for him if he were alive. Then I heard you saying 'my brother's in there'." Barbara sighed again. "After everything is said and done, I finally admitted that-while others have wronged me in many ways-I've got only myself to blame when it comes to being in here. After all, the only thing that kept me from leaving Jack, the only thing that kept me from being honest with you was the fact that I chose to hold onto the lie that I had no real choice in my life." She paused and then looked questionably at Jarrod. "Your brother is safe now. You don't have any reason to lie to me, do you?"
While Jarrod wasn't sure what she getting at, he shook his head. "No, I don't."
Barbara bit her lower lip and then asked quietly, "Do you think you can really help me? I promise not to ask you to bribe the judge. I need a good lawyer."
Jarrod smiled from ear to ear. "All I can promise is to do my best."
Barbara smiled back and replied, "I hear that you're the best there is."