It was a long day for Sarah too. She spent her time as she always did, pouring over notes and files, but the day crawled. Even her trip to the jail to interview Jimmy Joe about his involvement with Shemmy Williams and Clifton Stephson failed to speed up the clock. When she returned, Tim was watching the door as though he'd been waiting for her to come back and her heart jumped up into her mouth and stayed there until the end of the workday.
She stopped to talk to Rachel that afternoon on her way out to meet Tim by the elevator. She could see him standing by, waiting patiently.
"Look at him out there, cool as a cucumber," Rachel observed,"except that he keeps checking his watch." It had taken her three whole hours to recognize Sarah's interest in Tim. She'd kept quiet about it, but Sarah had sensed a sisterly approval ever since Rachel caught her peeking at him from across the office.
"He may be the only person I know who still wears a watch," Sarah observed. Then she turned to Rachel, concern clear on her face, "He's not going to turn into a drill instructor, is he? I've never fired a gun in my life."
"That boy has got stars in his eyes. You are going to walk all over him."
"I hope you're right," She walked out to meet him feeling like a girl on prom night whose date has finally arrived.
Raylan watched Sarah and Tim get into the elevator. As soon as they were out of sight he asked, "Are they finally-"
"Yes," Rachel interrupted.
"Took long enough," he replied. He glanced over to see if Art had noticed them leaving together. Art was looking right back at him and waved him into the office.
"You heard anything on Nathan Mitchell yet?" Art asked when Raylan stuck his head in.
"Nothing to write home about. He's got a list of assault charges that Sarah either doesn't know about or doesn't want to acknowledge, but they all happened after the divorce date so it might just be that she isn't aware."
"Are they all assaults on women?"
"There are seven and they are all women that he was in some kind of relationship with."
Art sighed. He'd felt quite a bit of unease on the subject of Nathan Mitchell ever since Sarah had refused his offer of protection, and though he'd made it clear in the following days that it was a standing offer, she'd made no move to accept it. "Has she left yet?"
"Yeah." He tried to keep his face neutral and wasn't sure if he succeeded or not. Art gave him a weird look and he suspected he'd failed so he scooted out of the office as quickly as he could.
"What was that about?" Rachel asked when he sat back down at his desk. She was signing off of her computer and sorting her paperwork to be ready for the next morning.
"Sarah's ex."
"Do you think that he will try to kill her again?"
"Yes," he answered without hesitation.
Rachel paused for a moment, "There's not really anything that we can do, is there?"
"Not unless she accepts federal protection."
"I'll bet she and Tim spend a lot more time together than they have been. Maybe that will make a difference," she reasoned
"I hope so. I'd hate to see what would happen to Art if that girl got herself killed."
Rachel didn't say it, but she was more worried about what might happen to Tim. She thought of how easily he'd handed his gun over to Sarah the day before. If something happened to Dr. Snow it would turn Tim into someone none of them would recognize. It would send him to a place from which he may never return. Rachel closed her eyes and prayed that Nathan Mitchell would never show his face in Lexington ever again.