Page 51 of The Prey (The Hillers of Barratt County #6)

She had been in this corridor a few times before.

George had shown her the first time, when she’d been all of eighteen and had told him she was going to go to law school like he had.

He’d gotten special permission to show her all the secrets the one hundred plus year old building hid.

This back hallway from the fourth floor to the narrow winding spiral staircase was a secret very few knew about.

But she’d had a great-grandfather who had practiced law here.

And he had hidden in that hallway when train robbers had stormed the courthouse to free one of their brothers.

He’d hidden for hours with an assistant court clerk he’d been pursuing.

He’d already been in love with her by then.

When they’d emerged, the judge in the courthouse that day had willingly performed the ceremony.

They’d been married for sixty-seven years before he’d died in the nineteen fifties.

There had been Hillers in legal practice almost every generation since then.

She just kept going down the stairs, praying that the door on the other end would be unlocked. It was one of the only ways back to people. To Hudson.

She just kept going.

The door was there. She could just see the light at the bottom where the door wasn’t perfectly aligned. Of course it wasn’t, this building had settled through the years. It still stood strong on its foundation, but the Barratt County Courthouse had its own little quirks and foibles.

Her fingers wrapped around the antique knob.

She pushed the door open and ran into the open room. And came face to face with Judge Collins, in her quarters.

The woman’s gray eyes widened. “Counselor Hiller? What on earth?—”

Jason shoved Giavonna from behind. Or maybe he tripped. She didn’t know.

All she knew was that she fell to her knees, at the judge’s feet. She cried out as she landed on her dislocated shoulder hard.

“What is going on here?” Judge Collins stepped over her, almost deliberately. Protectively. “Mr. Clarke, explain yourself now. What are you two doing ?”