“Hey, it’s about time the two of you showed up, I was beginning to think you didn’t live here.  Can we go inside and talk?”  Jo asked smiling a hello at Shane who nodded and walked over to the door, unlocking it and with the wave of a hand, ushered both Sam and Jo into the house.

            “What now?”  Shane asked going over to the fridge and digging around for a cold candy bar.  She found one, tearing the wrapped off and biting into the hard candy.  At least she was going to get something sweet one way or the other.

            “Well, where do I start?  Seems that Shane‘s mom isn’t going to be sentenced anytime soon.  She was released today.  On a technicality one that I made.”  Both Sam and Shane yelled,

            “What?!?”  Jo had known that they would react to the information.  It had been a long shot, but her confession had been recanted.

            “She had a good lawyer, one of the best…”  Sam sighed, throwing herself onto the over stuffed couch and Jo sat down on one of the lounge chairs.  Shane sat down with Sam, her eyes sad and suddenly mistrustful. 

            “How did it happen?”  Sam asked her voice steady and quiet.  Jo made a face; rubbing her hands together and deciding to delve into this head first.

            “You told me to protect Shane and by creating the technicality I made sure to keep her out of it.  Look.  Fiona concocted a whole story revolving around Shane and this man’s son.  Something about a rape and retribution.”  Jo took a long breath, letting it out slowly as she watched the two women’s reactions.  Then she continued.  “I checked into it, and Shane, you did file a charge of rape against unknown assailants when you were 15 or so.  She drew a rather decent picture and then she said Shane did the deed and not her.  I had a choice, I could either haul Shane in, and we go to court.  Or let her go; and watch her, see if she makes any mistakes or tries a con on anyone else.  I accidentally on purpose lost the only copy of the confession and her lawyer pounced on it.  I opted for the former and not the latter.”  Jo said, seeing the pain in Shane‘s eyes.  She could understand that pain much more keenly than Shane could imagine.