Ichabod sat staring at the clock above the television. It was 4:30 pm on a Wednesday afternoon. Abbie had gone to visit Jenny at the institution and Crane had elected to stay at their apartment. Lacey was suppose to meet him there at 3:30 after school. Crane glanced down at his cellphone. I should try her again. Miss Thomas has never been late to one of our meetings. Especially one of this much importance.

The last week had flown by. Abbie had spent most of her time trying to figure out how to fix the situation with Jenny. Crane had split his time between seeking ways to free Katrina and helping Lacey practice her magic. She was a talented young witch and had learned to control her power in an expedient fashion. They had spent the last few days memorizing the spell that the prophecy book said would kill whatever Headless was planning on resurrecting. They couldn't be sure that the spell would work. But as Abbie had said, it was all they had.

Crane looked to the clock again. 4:33 pm. He let out a heavy sigh and jammed the number 5 speed dial again. The front door flew open as he listened to Lacey's now familiar voicemail. "This is Lacey! I can't come to the phone right now, you know what to do!"

Abbie slammed the door shut behind her. Crane watched as she angrily flung her shoes, keys, and jacket about the entranceway. He cleared his throat. "Miss Mills, it would seem that something is….amiss." Crane found it worked better to address her anger indirectly. It allowed her to share her feelings on her own terms. Or, at least that's what she believed was happening. And that's what is important. Crane thought.

"He was there. He was there in her room. And he acted like it was nothing. Like he belonged there." Abbie's eyes looked wild, her breathing heavy and forced. "The Horseman was in Miss Jenny's room? Am I to believe that-" Crane was interrupted by Abbie's eye roll and unladylike snort.

"No." She snapped. "Not Headless. My father. My father was there." Abbie had moved over to the kitchen to get a bottle of water.

Crane stood and followed her into the room. "Miss Mills, I am no stranger to complicated familial relationships, but at such a difficult time, why aren't you pleased by your father's presence?" Crane asked, pulling a chair out at the dining room table.

"Why am I not pleased?!" Abbie growled. "He left us Crane. My mother was put in that institution and he just got up and left us. No note, nothing. Jenny and I lived alone in that house for weeks before one of our neighbors came by." The anger was slowly transforming itself into tears. "I was a kid. I did the best I could, but…" Abbie let out an anguished sound, "I wasn't equipped to take care of us. Our neighbor let us stay with her for a few days, but even she knew, he wasn't coming back. We were placed in the foster care system the next week." Abbie shook the tears from her eyes.

"Everything that has happened, it was all his fault. If he had just stayed, things would have been better. None of it would have happened. Jenny never would have gone to that stupid institution. None of it." Abbie dropped to the chair next to Crane.

"Miss Mills, I am of the firm conviction that everything happens for a reason. Every moment, every second has led to this. I'd imagine that even if he hadn't left, we would have ended up in the same situation." Crane reached out and covered her small hand with his own. "I couldn't being to imagine his reasons for leaving, but I know it must have been devastating to leave his two little girls behind."

Abbie shook her head vehemently. "No. No. Don't you dare defend him. You don't know that he was devastated. If he was, he would have come back. He would have come back for us."

"Miss Mills, I never even knew my son, and everyday I feel as though I have failed him for not being there to help guide him through this world. For your father to have known and loved you, I can imagine he feels nothing but pain and regret." Crane looked down at their hands, refusing to meet Abbie's gaze.

Abbie sat quietly as she contemplated his words.

"Did you ask him why he left?" Crane asked.

Abbie shook her head. "No, I um…," Abbie pulled her hand from beneath Crane's and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, "I just spoke to Jenny and then left. But she said that her attorney might be able to have a mistrial declared."

"A mistrial? How is that possible?" Crane asked incredulously. "Well, Jenny couldn't tell me, because that would violate the attorney-client privilege. But I did a little snooping. The DNA evidence is corrupted. The DNA they found under Lilah's fingernails was accidently contaminated by the lab in London." Abbie said. "Somebody will lose their job over this mistake, but Jenny won't be convicted of murder."

"But what of the fingerprints they found?" Crane asked. Abbie shook her head. "The fingerprints don't prove the murder, all they had were partials. Which means they could be Jenny's, but they might also not be."

"So when will they release Miss Jenny?" Crane inquired.

"Yea, well, that's the thing. They still have her on video in the airport and in the hotel common areas. Which was a violation of her original release from the institution." Abbie looked over at the clock. It was 5:15 pm. "So she still has to answer for that."

"Where the hell is Lacey?" She asked.

"Ah," Crane said, "I am unsure as to where the young witch is. I have called her mobile numerous times with no response. I fear if I leave her another voicemail her box will be full."

Abbie pushed herself to her feet. "Let's go swing by her house."