The nights were the hardest, when she was by herself with her demons. She'd wake up sometimes in a sweat and now being in an unfamiliar place. She had to get out of here and start thinking about what she had to do with Brock.

She couldn't face him if she saw him in town not after what he'd tried to do. He definitely didn't want her walking around and possibly telling Ethan or anyone else what had happened back in San Francisco.

But Ethan knew she was holding back on him and she didn't know what to do about that. Damn he could be so persistent, that's what made him such a great marshal. He'd go after the truth no matter what until he drove a person crazy enough to just spill it to him whether it was a confession to a murder or a secret pouring out that had been buried so deep. The longer the secret had been buried the better he proved to be at ferreting it out. She remembered the bully who'd been killed right out of her doorstep not long after Ethan had gone home rather than joined her inside her house for the night. Back when the bully had disrupted their romantic dinner and made some crude comment about her and her husband, sending Ethan at him ramming him against the wall.

People thought that Ethan had done it, brought the reign of the bully to its end but she knew he'd been innocent. She'd chastised him when he seemed content to let others people believe he did it when the real killer lurked free among them.

Ethan had solved that murder by ferreting out a secret kept by Scotty and his wife and it had remained as such. He chose to protect a murderer to prevent what might have proven a greater tragedy. Damn it was tough being the marshal even when you held that title by default.

She paced her room unable to sleep looking at the darkness outside the window. She felt safe here, it wasn't that but she couldn't live this way. Always wondering whether Burke would come after her again and she'd have to protect herself. She didn't want to look over her shoulder not just after she'd made the hard journey back home including back with the man she loved. It was hard enough trying to find their way back to what they'd shared being different people now. She knew that he loved her fiercely but would that be enough?

The scenery outside her window looked so peaceful; nary had an animal scurried around in the brush. Dinner had gone nicely with Ethan joining them before she sent him home to his family. Claire could only run the household so long and they needed him back. She assured him she'd be just fine, that after all it'd been an accident so why wouldn't she be safe?

Damn Ethan though, he looked at her as if he didn't believe her but he obviously decided not to push her at least for a while. She knew it'd only be a matter of time and didn't know what she'd do then. If he went after Burke…he'd find him a dangerous foe and she didn't want anything to happen to him and the children.

She didn't trust the Wyatts either especially Darrin.

After leaving the window, she slipped beneath the covers and tried to sleep. If only she didn't dream but she didn't think it'd be long before morning arrived.

When Ethan finally ran into Burke, it took him by surprise at first. He had just ridden into town behind Claire who had driven the boys to school in the wagon. They dashed off to school while she went to stop at Axelrod's to tell him she'd be working at Bella's ranch later that day. Ethan figured he wouldn't be too pleased about that but Claire knew how to handle herself real well with others. Must have gotten that from her mama who'd been an entertainer…and not from her daddy who had disappeared once again after nearly killing Ethan.

Dakota had told him last night that he'd be seeing him later after riding out to talk to Clancy again. He'd asked if Amelia was doing okay and Ethan just nodded. He couldn't tell anyone where she was lest the wrong person found out.

He had a feeling that person had just turned the corner coming out of a store and nearly bumped into him.

"Ethan Cord…"

If Burke felt startled he sure didn't show it and Ethan didn't either. The two men just stared at each other for a moment as people walked around them paying no notice.

"Burke…I've been looking for you."

The other man smiled.

"You know my boss…he's been keeping me real busy," he said, "I'm all over the place."

Ethan didn't return his smile.

"You're here in front of me now…got some questions to ask you."

Burke sighed.

"That reporter just hit me up but I'll tell you what I told him, I got nothing to say about anything…ask my boss."

Ethan folded his arms.

"I did and his response was to keep you hidden away out of sight so no one could find you."

Burke chuckled.

"Now Ethan, that just sounds like paranoia to me," he said, "I'm here to do a job that is all. Trevor and I just picked the guy up…okay it got rough because he struggled but then we took him to jail. Turned over custody of him to your two deputies, Dakota and Charlie…"

Ethan couldn't deny the truth of that part of it.

"Hey, if the guy wound up dead and it was foul play," Burke continued, "Then I'd be taking a closer look at your two men…Dakota in particular looks like a rough character with an unsavory past if half of what I heard is true."

Ethan gritted his teeth.

"Well that's interesting because I know next to nothing about you," he said, "except that you were in San Francisco for a spell when another man showed up dead."

Burke just looked at him and Ethan knew he was playing ignorant about it.

"Maybe…but it's a big city filled with many people," he said, "One of whom might have been a killer but I don't anything about that."

"You sure about that?"

Burke nodded.

"I've got nothing to hide marshal; I'm just here to do a job to help the merchants feel safer."

That rubbed Ethan because it seemed to him that the rash of recent crimes began after Darrin and his security men arrived in Paradise.

"So am I…and I've got more questions about what happened to Walton."

Burke shrugged.

"Not much to say…he was an unrepentant bandit and well, you know full well what happens to outlaws sometimes."

"Where were you when Dakota and Charlie were out of the office that night?"

Burke just looked straight at him.

"I was…out doing a perimeter check around the businesses…"

"They saw you with Trevor earlier," Ethan countered, "not long before they took that call."

Burke smiled.

"Then they saw two men talking before taking off to do their best to keep this town safe…where were you Mr. Cord that night? I heard you were out at that outlaw Bella's ranch eating it up with her and the other women."

Ethan couldn't deny that.

"Where were you the other day?"

Burke just blinked his eyes.

"Why?"

"You know why…Amelia Lawson's been missing…"

"I…I don't know anything about that," Burke said, "Maybe she took off and left town again. I heard she does that every once in a while."

"She was last seen in town," Ethan said, "before she disappeared."

"You've been out looking for her all this time?"

Ethan just looked at him. Then looked up to see Dakota heading towards him, in a rush.

"I see you found Burke," Dakota said, "Darrin's out looking for him…he's got more investors getting ready to come here for Founder's Day."

Ethan just sighed not wanting to be reminded of that holiday and the Wyatts' plans for it this year. Something nagged at him that there was something he was missing here.

"I told him I was looking for Amelia…"

Dakota just looked at him a moment and then he nodded.

"You find her yet? I told you she probably left town again to go do some more traveling."

Ethan looked back at Burke.

"I just told him she was missing," he said, "I'm going to go out and do some looking. Maybe you're right, maybe she did leave but I just want to be sure."

Martha walked up looking a bit irritated.

"Burke…Mr. Axelrod is looking for you," she said, "He had a break in last night…but nothing was taken."

Ethan and Dakota looked at each other and then back at the others. Burke nodded curtly.

"I'll get right to it," he said, "It's been good talking to you."

They all watched Burke go and Ethan didn't trust the man an inch. But his suspicions were taking places that he didn't want to go. He had his own feelings about what might have happened but he kept them to himself…for now.

He had some more investigating to do as he left Dakota and Martha and headed back to the wire office.