"I think this is fair and balanced," Harrison told Spring. "And about proportionate to the sentiments being expressed.

She sighed. "I just think we should include a few more letters from victims." She rifled through the pages of printouts. "Here, this one."

"From a case eight years ago," he said, "before Pritchard even moved to special victims." He gave her a level look. "We've weeded out the criminals as well as anyone who might have a vendetta. I think we've been more than fair. Perhaps even a little biased."

How could they be biased? Several of the letters they were including were positively vitriolic. She pointed to one in particular. "This woman writes in all the time. Do we really have to give her copy space?"

"She's well-respected in the community," Harrison pointed out.

Spring snickered.

"Okay, amongst the more religious members of the community."

"The zealots, you mean. She's led the group trying to get the bible included in the curriculum and have evolution removed. This is the twenty-first century, for crying out loud."

"If I take out her comment then I have to include another one expressing the same perspective."

"At least pick one which isn't quoting scripture about an eye for an eye," Spring asked.

Harrison went back through the papers. He shuffled until he came to one and pointed it out. Spring read it and sighed.

"Better," he asked.

"Better," she said. "And I really appreciate you doing this."

"You were the one who wrote yesterday's article. I offered to get someone else."

Spring shook her head. "It had to be me. I was the one who received the documentation, so I had to write it."

"Any word from the source?"

Again, she shook her head. "No, but I've discovered who the victim is."

Harrison's lips pursed. "And you're not going to tell me because even if you did, we can't print it."

"Pretty much."

"Are you going to approach her?"

"Not yet," Spring said. "First, I want to find out who sent the package. I don't know if it was her."

"Any more quotes from Pritchard or his lawyer?"

"Aside from 'I've fired my lawyer'? No, nothing."

"And you didn't tell me this because...?"

"Because she refused to be fired."

Harrison smiled. "Man, Chantale Byrne has a set of brass balls."

"Hey," Spring exclaimed, "that's unbelievably sexist."

"But true," Harrison pointed out. "And it's not like I'm going to print that in the paper. I'm just admiring her from afar. Somehow I don't think the mild mannered professor would be so mild mannered if he knew what I was thinking about his wife."

Spring's brow shot up. "Lustful, are we?"

"She's a beautiful woman," Harrison said. "As is her sister, the doctor. Very different in appearances, but both beautiful."

"And Jocelyne's husband? Seth is a constable with the RCMP. Don't know what he would think about you fantasizing about his wife."

"Speaking of Seth Jacobs, he's been awfully quiet. So has Dorrie Duhamel. Isn't she Pritchard's partner?"

Spring nodded. "And I'm on my way to her place as soon as we're finished."

"Do you think you can get her on the record?"

"I doubt it. The blue wall of silence, you know?"

"The blue wall of solidarity, you mean."

Again, Spring nodded. "Same thing. Just like Hawk and Rafe support each other because they served together over in Afghanistan." She faltered.

Harrison looked at her quizzically. "What is it?"

"They aren't in agreement of how to handle this," Spring said honestly. "I know it won't affect their friendship...at least I hope it won't."

"I wondered about your family."

Spring waved him off. "I'm not even going to go there. Look, I'm off to Dorrie's okay?"

"Yes," Harrison said, waving her off. "But then I want you to consider talking to the alleged victim. What if she is your source?"

A question Spring continued to contemplate as she pulled up to Dorrie's little cottage. It was quaint, white with yellow trim. The complete opposite of Colton's concrete monstrosity. Spring also lived in a condo, but that was by necessity, not choice. As soon as she could afford it, she was buying a house. But her condo was so different from Colton's. He preferred black, grey and white with no coloured accents while Spring's condo was bright and airy with bold and bright splashes of colour.

As Spring walked up Dorrie's front steps, she felt a little pang. This was the kind of place where she wanted to live. She knocked and waited. Then knocked again and waited. Dorrie's car was in the driveway, so Spring knew the cop must be home. She was just about to knock again when the door opened.

Dorrie was wearing an oversized t-shirt and boxer shorts. Her long blonde hair was ruffled and her blue eyes were red-rimmed. Spring cringed.

"You were sleeping."

"I was," Dorrie confirmed. "Because I'm working the night shift this week. I don't suppose you would have the courtesy to get the hell out of here and leave me alone, would you?"

Spring merely lifted an eyebrow.

Dorrie sighed and opened the door so Spring could come in. Then a thought occurred. "I, um, didn't interrupt something, did I?"

"If I answered yes, would you be more likely to leave?"

An answer to a question with a question. Yes, this was definitely Colton's partner. "No," Spring answered honestly. "Not really."

"Then let me put on some coffee because I get the feeling you're going to be sticking around."

"That's a safe assumption," Spring said to Dorrie's back as the other woman disappeared into what Spring presumed was the kitchen. "Nice place you have here."

"It's home," came the disembodied response. "Somewhere to hang up my hat." She poked her head back into the living room. "Have a seat, I'm going to get dressed."

"You don't have to on my account."

Dorrie waved her off. "I was due to get up in just over an hour and obviously I won't be going back to sleep. I like to work out and then shower before I go on shift, so you have one hour, although I suspect this will be a lot shorter than that."

Didn't sound promising to Spring, but she held her tongue as Dorrie padded down the hallway. Spring sat on the couch and looked around. She picked up the photograph of Dorrie with her brother and sister and cringed. How could she have forgotten that Hawk and Dorrie were brother and sister? Dorrie was soon going to be Sunshine's sister-in-law, which meant she would be enfolded into the Dixon family as they made her one of their own.

Hawk and Dorrie looked so different, and both looked nothing like their sister Raven. Then Spring remembered the three siblings were adopted. That concept had always fascinated her because she knew only about growing up with blood relatives. What must it be like to know there were people out there who had given you away?

She turned when she saw Dorrie coming back.

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Like a latté," Spring replied.

Dorrie shook her head. "Coffee isn't coffee if you have to add something to it. Lucky for you I bought milk on my way home last night, otherwise you would be SOL."

"Well, I appreciate it," Spring said.

Then she was startled because Dorrie's front door opened. Dorrie had said there wasn't a man-

"You."

"You," came Colton's terse reply. "What are you doing here?"

"Tenacious," Spring reminded him. "I came to talk to your partner. Alone."

Dorrie breezed in with two mugs of coffee. She handed on to Spring and one to Colton. "Let me get my own and then we can start this little confab."

Spring frowned. "It's not a confab, it's an interview."

Breezing right back in, Dorrie sat on her recliner, tucking her legs under her. Colton joined Spring on the couch, towering over her and taking up more than his fair share of space.

"I don't suppose I could pull out my recorder?"

"No," was the succinct answer from the other two parties.

"I didn't think so, but you can't blame a girl for trying."

"And you are a girl," Colton said.

"I'm twenty-six," she reminded him.

"And trying to play with the big boys," he said sarcastically. "You're way out of your league here."

Spring wasn't sure what he meant. "I'm a reporter," she said, "and this is a story."

"Whatever," Colton muttered.

She turned to Dorrie. "Have you spoken to Hawk?"

Dorrie looked confused. "Why would I talk to Hawk? My mother told me when to show up for the wedding and what to wear. Why, am I missing something?"

Spring was surprised. She never went more than a day or so without talking to one or even all of her sisters.

"I spoke to Hawk," Colton volunteered. Then he said nothing.

"So you know he and Sunshine are supporting you," Spring said.

Colton rolled his eyes. "Your family is certifiable. But I've put an end to it."

Intrigued, Spring asked, "how?"

"By telling Torah I'm guilty."

Spring's gut twisted and Dorrie sighed.

"Why," Spring managed to ask.

"Because it was the only way to protect Sunshine and Autumn and every other Dixon and relative who might be in danger by backing the wrong horse." He gave her dark look. "I'm going down, Spring, and I don't want to bring anyone with me. Can you get that through your thick skull?"

"You're the one with the thick skull, Colton Pritchard, if you think Sun is just going to sit back and watch you go down. She's going to fight tooth and nail for you."

Colton turned to Dorrie. "Can't you get your brother to get her under control?"

Spring gasped in outrage and Dorrie merely rolled her eyes.

"You know I have no sway over Hawk and even if I did, he's not going to cow your ex-wife," Dorrie said pragmatically. "So stop saying things you don't really mean." She turned to Spring. "He's not sexist. He's hoping to get enough of a rise out of you so you'll leave. Of course if that would get you out of here faster, then by all means, Colton, do your best."

"I'm not leaving," Spring said.

"I could make you leave," Colton threatened.

"But you won't," Dorrie shot back. "So stop being an ass."

"Look," Spring began, "as much as I appreciate this...relationship the two of you have, I have some questions." She turned to Dorrie. "You said Colton's not a sexist. How do you know that?"

"Because I don't think I've ever met a man more respectful of women." She hesitated. "Okay, except my brother who served with women in the army and never questioned their ability."

"Or Seth," Colton said quietly.

Dorrie sighed. "Okay, there are several men who parallel Colton, but they're still head and shoulders above many of the men I know. There are still cops who rail against reporting to a woman. There is still sexual harassment in the force. I wish I could say otherwise, but I can't."

"Were you ever harassed?"

Right in front of Spring, Dorrie closed up. "We're not talking about me."

Spring shelved that little nugget for future use. Maybe she could write a story about it. "Okay," she said. "So you're sure Colton's not sexist. Since I'm pretty sure Sun would agree, I'll grant you that."

"This is off the record, right," Colton asked.

"I won't use any quotes since you won't give me any," Spring pointed out. "Now, if you tell me something I can independently verify, then that's a different story."

"I don't like this," Colton said.

Spring began to ignore him, but then thought better of it. "See, Dorrie says you're not sexist. Now, if I find that there are no sexual harassment complaints against you then I can verify that fact."

"And if there are?"

She turned sharply to him. "Are there?"

"No," Dorrie said quickly. "Colton, you're not helping."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but he held his tongue.

"So why Belinda Oliphant? What happened?"

Dorrie's eyes widened. "You didn't," she began.

"Of course I didn't," Colton shot back. "Chantale said the name 'Belinda' and wouldn't it just figure the intrepid reporter went to school with...her."

What had Colton been about to say?

"You know you can't-"

"Use her name," Spring finished. "Yes, I get that. Everyone's told me that as if I was some idiot who didn't know better."

"Well, you're dropping her name very casually," Dorrie said defensively.

"Only in this room," Spring assured her. "I would never say anything beyond these walls."

"But Chantale did?"

Colton cringed. "I know she didn't mean to. Isn't there something called pregnancy brain? All the more reason for me to dump her as my lawyer. It's bad enough she's putting herself at risk, but an unborn child? I don't want to be responsible."

Dorrie murmured, "understandable."

Spring said, "unbelievable."

Colton and Dorrie turned to look at her. "I'm pretty sure she's having sex with her husband," Colton said, "so it's not so unbelievable she would become pregnant."

"It's like a virus," Spring said, turning to Dorrie. "Be careful or you might catch it."

"Catch what," Dorrie asked. "Pregnancy?" She scoffed. "Not bloody likely."

Something in her tone brought Spring up short. She made another mental note. Then she said, "first Zephyra, now Kennedy, Sunshine, and Chantale? Next it will be Rainbow and Torah and god knows who else."

"Sunshine's pregnant?" Colton's voice was very soft with a slightly menacing tone.

For someone who was supposed to be able to protect sources, Spring sure wasn't doing a good job at keeping her sisters' secrets. She sighed, "yes, Sun's pregnant. But they're not telling people so you have to keep it quiet, okay?"

"And Kennedy's pregnant," Dorrie asked.

"Well, kind of."

Dorrie's brow raised. "How is someone 'kind of' pregnant?"

"Well, she is," Spring admitted. "But they're not telling people either."

"Anything else you care to share," Dorrie asked.

Spring realized she was losing her audience. "But, getting back to my original question, what happened with Belinda Oliphant?"

"How much does she know," Dorrie asked Colton.

He shrugged.

"I know she came to Colton after she was date raped," Spring said.

Colton swore.

"It was in the recording," Spring said. "Am I supposed to pretend the tape doesn't exist?"

"What recording," Dorrie demanded. "I want to hear this tape."

Spring shook her head. "I can't. What I can tell you is that it's a recording of a woman recounting being raped by Colton. She's pretty graphic and, well, specific."

"I thought you said-"

"Dorothy Anne Duhamel, do not finish that statement."

Both women turned to Colton. Spring hadn't known Dorrie's full name, but that wasn't what was most shocking. No, it was that she had never heard Colton use that tone with anyone before, least of all a woman.

"Don't you talk to me like that, Colton Pritchard." She turned to Spring. "It wasn't rape."

Colton growled.

Spring looked over at him. "But it was sex."

"No," Colton said. "If she's saying it was rape, then it was rape."

"How the hell does that work," Spring asked, echoing Dorrie's previous confusion over sort of being pregnant.

"He's equating possible coercion with rape," Dorrie said, ignoring Colton's glare. "But it was neither. Was it ill advised? Oh hell yes. But did he use his position to coerce her into bed? Oh hell no."

"So it wasn't rape," Spring said quietly.

"It's a razor's edge he's walking," Dorrie said. "And the optics are horrific, but he's not guilty of anything other than really bad judgement."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Colton said to Dorrie.

Dorrie refused to back down. "You're going to bring down a lot of good people if you continue this self-flagellation. There are a lot of people who believe in you, who depend on you. I won't let you let them down."

"Then if you didn't do it, why say you did," Spring asked.

"Because he doesn't want her to have to testify,"

Spring's eyes widened. "That's the reason?" She didn't try to keep the disbelief from her voice. "You're doing this to protect her? After she falsely accused you of rape?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Dorrie said, again completely ignoring Colton. "But he hasn't thought this through. If she's not forced to confront her lies then she's just going to go on deluding herself."

Colton shot off the sofa. "I swear to God, Dorrie-"

But Dorrie unfolded herself and stepped towards him. It wasn't really a fair fight since Dorrie was barely over five feet and Colton was well past six. "Or what, Colton? This is off the record, but you know it needs to come out." She turned to Spring. "Belinda has a serious mental illness. Colton doesn't want this to go to trial because he's afraid that will be brought to light."

"But what about the next guy?"

"She was raped," Colton said.

"And she probably was," Dorrie conceded. "But she's also got delusions. She's not completely living in the same reality as you and I."

Spring looked back and forth between the two partners who were still standing toe-to-toe.

"You can't prove that," Colton said. "And even if it were true, it doesn't excuse what I did."

"You were snowed by her," Dorrie began.

"I took advantage of a vulnerable victim, Dorrie, and there will never be a justification for that."

"So take a god damn suspension without pay and agree to get psychological counselling. Ask to be reassigned to homicide or bank robberies or even back to traffic-"

"I was never in traffic-"

"Well maybe you should be. You've been on the verge of burnout for a really long time, Colton, and I think you've gone over the edge. Six years is a hell of a long time. It cost you your marriage, how much more are you willing to sacrifice?"

Spring rose her hand gingerly. "I don't think it was Colton's job which ended the marriage," she began. "Now him not believing in Sun's gift-"

Colton rounded on her. "You were just a kid and you still have no idea what you're talking about."

Trying not to feel the sting of his words, Spring rose from the couch. "I'm going to talk to Chantale."

He actually stepped in front of her. "You said you wouldn't say anything. You promised."

"And I won't...about Belinda and her mental state, but Chantale needs to know the rest. You don't need to go to prison, Colton, especially for a crime you didn't commit. Look, maybe it won't even come down to a trial. Maybe Chantale can talk to the prosecutor-"

"Cat the Rat," Colton supplied.

Dorrie groaned.

Spring looked confused, then she shook her head. "You know, there's probably a story there, but I don't have time right now. Colton, get out of my way."

He didn't move.

She took a breath. "Look, I know you're not going to hurt me." At least she hoped he wouldn't. No, she told herself, he would never lay a finger on her.

Still, he didn't move.

"Fine," she said with more bravado than she felt. "Dorrie, I assume there's a backdoor?" She didn't wait to find out, simply grabbed her bag and headed to the kitchen.

She was shocked when Colton's hand gripped her upper arm. She turned to face him.

But where she had expected anger, there was only panic. "Please, Spring, don't do this. I'm begging you."

Spring tried to focus on his words. Because if she didn't then she would think about how his hand was warm, even through her shirt. She would think about how strong he was and yet how gently he was holding her. She would think that she could get lost in the depths of those dark chocolate brown eyes.

All those thoughts shook her to the core. This was Colton. Colton, for god's sake. Her nemesis. Her beloved sister's ex-husband. The persecutor of another sister. The man who just wouldn't – or couldn't – leave the Dixon sisters alone. But, in that moment, all of that fell away. It was just him and her in some weird and intoxicating battle of wills. Suddenly, she wasn't as eager to win as she once had been.

She sighed and, as if realizing himself, he let her go.

"I'm sorry," he stammered.

"As am I," she said. "I won't leave here and go to Chantale's, okay?"

"I have your word?"

"You do."

He stepped aside. "Then you might as well leave out the front door. The path from Dorrie's backyard is uneven and you might twist an ankle."

His solicitousness after such hostility took her off-guard and she swallowed convulsively. She nodded to Dorrie, who was looking a little stunned, and she left.

"What the hell just happened?"

Colton sat heavily on the couch. "I think we were just taken for a ride. By a Dixon sister, no less."

"She said she wouldn't go to Chantale."

"No, she said she wouldn't go to Chantale's from here."

"Oh," Dorrie said, sitting back on her recliner. "I was just so relieved I missed the semantics."

Colton sighed. "I continuously underestimate her. I just see her as she was six years ago, not as she is today."

"You mean skinny like a bean pole with acne?"

He laughed. The sound was so foreign to him that he started. "Oh, Spring Dixon was never a bean pole. No, from day one she had curves and breasts and an attitude."

"Really? How is it I never heard about this?"

"I went to school with Torah who was constantly fretting about the overly friendly sister. Even as a precocious preteen, Spring would flirt shamelessly."

Dorrie was still frowning. "Well, I went to school with Zephyra and I never heard any of this."

"Zephyra is more laid-back," Colton said. "And Torah is more uptight. It doesn't surprise me Zephyra didn't have the same concerns."

"I wonder what Kennedy made of all this?"

"I honestly don't know. I know when I was married to Sunshine, Kennedy was incredibly protective of all of the sisters."

"And now she's married with two step-children and baby on the way."

Colton shrugged. "I guess she's putting all the practice to good use. She didn't meddle in my marriage to Sunshine, but I'm pretty sure Sunshine confided in her."

"That's what sisters are supposed to do," Dorrie said.

He didn't miss the wistful tone in her voice. "When was the last time you spoke to Raven?"

Dorrie waved him off. "I'm going to see her at the wedding next week, so that's soon enough." She hesitated. "Is it weird that Sunshine is remarrying?"

"Truthfully, I hadn't given it much thought. Hawk's your brother and I know he's a good guy and they seem to make each other happy, so it's not even on my radar screen."

"Fair enough," Dorrie said. "Now, can we talk about what's really going on?"

"I don't want to talk," Colton said, just a touch of churlishness in his tone. "I think we did enough talking when Spring was here."

"Fine," Dorrie said and Colton felt a moment's relief. "I talk and you listen."

He should have seen that one coming. This was something which often happened.

"If you want to throw away your career because of one idiotic decision, I'm not going to stand in your way. As for the rest of it? I'm not going to be a bystander in this farce. You know Belinda is mentally ill and you're not helping her. She needs psychiatric help, Colton."

He blew out a long breath. "You're not wrong," he offered. "But no one is going to believe either of us. Obviously I'm trying to discredit the victim and you're my partner of six years so you must be covering my ass."

Dorrie gave him a long level look. "From the first time we met her, we knew, Colton. We knew and we did nothing."

"Because we believed she'd been raped and we didn't want her mental health to be an issue," he argued.

"But you still haven't levelled with me."

He knew what she was saying. He sighed. "She was waiting for me when I came home one night a couple of weeks ago."

"How did she get your address?"

"I don't know."

"Why didn't you send her away? Why didn't you call me?"

"I don't know," he repeated. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

Dorrie held up her hands.

Colton sighed. "She said she was scared and that Ross had been harassing her, threatening her."

"Darryl Ross? The man she accused?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I tried to talk her into going down to the detachment with me and making a statement, but she said she was too frightened and she just needed to feel safe. I offered to take her back to her place and to arrange for patrol cars to drive by, but then I was asking her in and, well, you know the rest."

Dorrie actually snickered. "It's a long way from 'I asked her in' to 'he raped me'."

"I know," Colton said. "I was getting her a glass of water and she cornered me in the kitchen. She came on to me, Dorrie."

"And you, being a man, couldn't exercise restraint?"

"Something inside of me snapped," he said, searching for the words to explain the unexplainable. To justify the unjustifiable. "She was all over me and then her hands were in my jeans and things just sort of went from there."

"Wait," Dorrie said, holding up her hand. "You did it in the kitchen without a condom? Not only is that unhygienic, it's completely out of character."

Colton hesitated.

"Oh no," Dorrie said. "Really?"

"Chantale," Colton confirmed. "But we always used a condom. God, Dorrie, it was the first time since my marriage that I did it without a condom. One moment her hands are inside my jeans and the next I was inside of her."

"Hence the DNA," she said. "But what about the bruises?"

"When we were, uh, finished, she went crazy. I mean she starts hitting me and grabbing my crotch and it's all I can do to hold her off of me. I didn't think I grabbed her that hard, but I guess I did."

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"I managed to untangle myself and she was out of there."

"How did she manage that?"

"Because my jeans were down around my ankles," Colton said, "and she'd come in a dress with no underwear."

Dorrie's eyes closed. "And that didn't set off alarm bells?"

"Now I hear myself saying the words, of course it does." He looked at her. "Haven't you ever been carried away? You know, just gotten swept up in the moment?"

In front of his eyes, she shut down. "No, Colton. I try to exercise self-control. And you, of all the people in this town, should be able to do the same. How many times have we heard perps say 'oh, she wanted it', and 'she was asking for it', or how about, 'I couldn't help myself'?"

"Too many," he acknowledged. "Too damn many. Why do you think...I mean I know it was wrong and I'm willing to pay the price for that."

"Whoa," Dorrie said, "just hold on a second. It's a far cry from 'I should have known better but she was coming on to me', to 'I raped her'."

"But-"

"You said you used coercion with her, Colton, but clearly you didn't."

"Dorrie, these things are always 'he said, she said', and when we're faced with that, we're trained to look at the victim and believe her. Especially if there's physical evidence."

"I know," she said slowly, "and we also know that most women don't report rape and that most women aren't simply having regrets about saying yes when they come down to the detachment."

"She went straight from my place to the hospital," he said. "That's what we always wish women would do because it provides us with the best forensic evidence."

"Which she knew because we told her that," Dorrie said quietly. "We were the ones who had to tell her it would be a challenge to convict Ross because we didn't have a blood sample or other evidence."

"But we were still going to charge him," Colton said. "We just needed more time."

Dorrie slapped her hands on her thighs. "Well, I think Spring's right – you need to come clean with Chantale. Then you need to come clean with Cat the Rat. She deserves to know the truth."

"But whose truth? In Belinda's mind, I raped her."

"Sounds more like she attacked you."

Colton hung his head. "There's just no excuse."

"So don't try to make one. Just be brutally honest." She hesitated. "Oh, what did you leave out?"

Well, he'd come this far, he reasoned. "Only that before we, uh, had sex, she was down on her knees and giving me a-"

Dorrie propelled herself off of her chair. She stalked over to him and began to rain down blows on his chest. "Jesus Christ, Colton Pritchard, where the hell was your brain?"

He knew she could stop her, should stop her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it because she was right. So he hung his head and waited for her to run out of steam.

And since Dorrie Duhamel was a little powerhouse who kept in exceptional shape, it took a long time.

As Spring sat in Kennedy's office, she knew she was going to be in trouble. Well, technically, she hadn't broken her word to Colton. She had not gone directly to Chantale's home. Instead she'd come out here to the ranch and called Chantale to let her know she was here. If Chantale happened to show up at the ranch, how could that be Spring's fault?

Splitting hairs, Spring told herself. And when she did stuff like this, it never ended well.

It was Friday and the ranch was quiet. Friday and Sunday were the two days of the week where clients did not visit. The rest of the time, Kennedy and her staff had patients coming through. Kennedy believed in equine and canine therapy, had even done her PhD in psychology with a doctoral dissertation about using animals in therapy. She had been running Healing Horses for almost ten years now and a lot of people had been helped. Kennedy had a drawer of letters from former patients, thanking her. Many of her patients had arrived broken and had left whole. Or as whole as someone could be after undergoing a trauma.

The door opened and Kennedy stepped through with both Chantale and Tiffany. The dog made a beeline to Spring and rubbed her nose against her jeans.

"Loyal," Chantale said.

"So how is Helena," Kennedy asked. "She's almost a year now, right?"

Helena had come from Tiffany's previous litter. "She's adorable," Chantale said. "And well trained thanks to Torah. That woman has a talent."

"A calling," Kennedy said. "She has a way of communicating with animals that I will never understand." She gave Spring a quick nod. "I'll leave you be." With that, she was gone, closing the door behind her.

"Neutral territory," Chantale asked.

"Something like that," Spring replied. The two women sat in the matching oversized stuffed chairs. "I promised Colton I wouldn't go to your house."

Chantale smiled. "And he bought it?"

"Well I wasn't lying."

"But he knows, doesn't he?"

Spring didn't even bother to try to lie. "Yes, it's a safe bet he knows."

"When did you talk to him?"

"Actually, I went to Dorrie's. Behind my back, she texted him and before I was able to ask a single question, he came barrelling through the door."

"I bet that went over well."

Spring cringed. "Yes, well I should have seen that coming, but I thought she and I could have an honest conversation."

Nodding, Chantale asked, "is there anything you can tell me? I mean, that's why I'm here, right?"

"Colton didn't rape her."

Chantale nodded. "That I already knew."

"But I think you need to talk to Belinda."

"I'll depose her, of course, but that's a long way off."

"I don't think it can wait."

A delicate brow rose. "What is it you can't tell me?"

"Well, Chantale, that's a pretty dumb question, isn't it?"

Chantale bent over to pet Tiffany who had settled between the two chairs. Suddenly, she straightened. "Was Belinda ever a patient here?"

And this was why Chantale Byrne was the best, Spring thought. But she had to play it cool. "I don't think so. You would have to check with Kennedy, but then doctor/patient privilege would apply."

"But she could have been a patient here," Chantale hedged. "Should have been a patient here."

"I think," Spring began carefully, "that a woman doesn't say she was raped by a decorated veteran of the RCMP without, well, something going on. We both know Colton didn't do this."

Chantale hesitated.

Spring's jaw dropped. "You don't-"

"No, of course not." Yet still, she paused. "I'm maybe not the best person to have this conversation with."

"Because...?"

"Because I had a sexual relationship with him."

Spring rolled her eyes. "I know that. Everyone knows that."

"Yes, but not everyone knows what he's like...in bed."

Eyes wide, Spring gaped. "Did you guys, like, do, um, bondage and stuff?"

Chantale sputtered. "No, nothing like that." She stood and began to pace. Then she stopped to look out the windows, even though there was nothing to be seen because of the dark. "Colton is...an enthusiastic lover."

Spring was confused, but kept her silence.

"He likes it rough."

Okay, this was not going where Spring had expected this conversation to go. "Rough," she managed to say, pleased her voice came out so even.

"Yes," Chantale said. "And we were well matched. He has a high sex drive and so do I. I think I shocked Declan with just how not staid I am."

"But it was always consensual, right?"

Chantale turned back. "Of course, never a question of that. And it was mutual." She sat back down and dropped her head into her hands. "Okay, I'm just going to say it...a few times I got bruised. A few times, he got scratched. There weren't any trips to the ER, but I did get winded a time or two."

Spring's mouth was still gaping open. "Did he...oh, God, tell me he wasn't like that with Sunshine."

Chantale's head popped up, her eyes wide, her expression stricken. "I never should have said something. Not to you, especially not to you."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Because I can't. Hell, I didn't even know Colton had been married. We talked about your sister exactly zero times. Hell, we didn't do a lot of talking."

Which Spring so didn't need to know.

"But he never forced you," she persisted. "Never hurt you intentionally."

"No," Chantale said adamantly. "I would have dropped him on his ass."

Spring believed her.

"But he was so gentle with Autumn," she found herself saying. "How can I reconcile this?"

"The two have nothing to do with each other," Chantale argued. "Or maybe they do. Maybe he needs to let off steam and he does it in bed. What he sees, it would bring a lesser man to his knees. Colton has never shied away from doing the really tough jobs."

"So where does Belinda fit into this?"

"Maybe she doesn't," Chantale said. "Maybe she's an outlier."

"But he didn't rape her," Spring said. "He tried to suggest it was coercion which was the same as rape because he was in a position of authority, but Dorrie was adamant this wasn't true."

"You think he believes he's guilty."

"I think he knows he did something wrong," Spring said. "It would be like me sleeping with a source or you sleeping with a client."

Chantale flushed.

"Oh, Chantale, that was tactless of me."

Chantale waved her off. "But absolutely true. I was Declan's lawyer when I went to bed with him. I risked my career because I was falling in love."

"Colton doesn't love her, nor do I think he even had feelings for her. Except maybe pity."

"So I should ask about her mental health?"

Spring tried not to cringe. "Well, wouldn't you do that anyway," she hedged.

"Of course," Chantale assured her. "But medical records are privileged."

Which Spring hadn't thought of. "When you question her, though, she can't lie, right?"

"Yes, but in order to discredit her, I have to find a witness who can prove she's mentally ill." Chantale let out a short breath. "Regardless, there was a breach of trust. Colton was responsible for her well-being and he didn't do that."

"So maybe he should lose his job, but go to jail? That's too harsh, no matter how guilty he feels."

She was about to say more when the door opened. Both Chantale and Spring stood. "Sorry to interrupt," Kennedy said. "But I wanted to ask if you were both staying for dinner. We've got lots."

Spring and Chantale exchanged looks. Chantale shrugged. "Declan's teaching tonight and I was going to reheat last night's Eggplant Parmesan."

"I'll stay as well," Spring said.

"But before you go, Kennedy, can you help us out?"

Kennedy nodded, coming in at Chantale's behest. "What can I do?"

"Can you profile a woman who claims she's been raped when she hasn't? Is it possible she's mentally ill?"

"That's a loaded question," Kennedy replied. "Suicide is often a cry for help and attention."

Spring wondered where her sister was going with this.

"There are other unproductive ways to try to get attention, and claiming to be a victim of some kind is possible. So is claiming you're ill when you're not. These are very rare, though, and not always indicative of a mental disorder." She looked back and forth between the two women. "You know I can't give you a concrete diagnosis without meeting the patient, nor would I repeat any of that on the witness stand."

"Wasn't looking for a diagnosis," Chantale assured her. "Just trying to look at this from all different angles."

"If she is trying to get attention in this way, it could escalate, especially if she doesn't get the attention she craves."