“That is what you meant by restraints,” Cayn observed.
“Exactly.”
“Is he going to have to remain like that from now on?” Juda hesitantly inquired.
“It’s only temporary, until I find out what the next step will be. Come on.” The sheriff waved for them to exit the cells. They returned to the man’s office as the deputies cleaned and cleared the front area.
“What will happen now?” Juda asked as Conroy took his seat behind his desk.
“Do you mean, what happens to Goen next? That’s a very good question. I need to contact the state police and see what they suggest.” Conroy narrowed his eyes at them. “And you’re dead certain he won’t jump forward in time and maybe lie in wait for you to show up?”
Cayn glanced at Juda before replying. “That is always a possibility. But if we travel somewhere else before jumping, he will not know our last known location.”
“But he can still search us out,” Juda countered. “If we cross his stream, he will know it and come after us.”
The sheriff cleared his throat to get their attention. “Has it ever occurred to you to remain right here in Tuckerville?”
Cayn shook his head. “We cannot take that risk, putting the lives of everyone here in danger from that man.”
“But what if he does jump forward? What if he’s made to believe you two jumped, and he jumps to go after you?”
“It will not work,” Juda insisted. “He will know we are still here. He will sense our presence. That is how he is able to hunt us down and seek us out, no matter where we land.”
“All right. So what about you throwing yourself and Miss Plesh back into the past? You said you could do that, right?”
“I tried. It does not work on ourselves, unfortunately,” Cayn admitted.
The sheriff pointed to Juda. “It doesn’t work on her?”
“Yes, it does. It does not work on me,” he clarified.
Conroy sighed loudly and stared at his desk for a moment before looking at Cayn. “Earlier, I asked you why you didn’t out-and-out kill the man and be done with him. You didn’t get the chance to answer me. But out there I watched you use that telephone to knock him unconscious. You deliberately held back so as not to kill him. So, again, I’m asking you. Why not kill him?”
“It is not for lack of trying,” Cayn admitted softly.
Juda laid a hand on his chest and stepped forward. “We cannot bring ourselves to such barbarism. The majority of Nomads are peace-loving. We would rather flee than fight.”
“And Goen and his right-hand man are the exceptions,” Conroy observed.
A shout from outside the office put them all on edge. The sheriff drew his gun as he jumped up from his chair. Cayn pressed Juda behind him and stepped aside to let the lawman go by.
They were relieved to see Cora standing at the counter. When she spotted Cayn and Juda, she pointed to them, then waved for them to come closer. “There you are! Sheriff, those two haven’t had their breakfasts or morning coffee. I’m here to escort them over to the diner for both. You’re welcome to join us. Abe makes the best damn flapjacks in the county, bar none!”
Conroy addressed the couple. “Maybe it would be better if Cora brought your breakfast over here. It would be safer, in case that other man shows up.”
“Perhaps,” Cayn replied. “But to be honest, I would rather go to the diner. Put some distance between us and Goen. If his man shows up, I believe we will have a better chance escaping him from there.”
“You’re sure?” Conroy asked, and the both of them nodded. He waved them on. “All right. You’ve been doing this way longer to know what you’re doing.”
“Are you sure?” Juda questioned Cayn. He replied by smiling and patting her hand where it rested on his arm.
The sheriff grunted. “Take your time. When you’re done, come back here in case I have a few more questions to ask.” He winked at Cayn. “Enjoy your respite.”
Juda slipped her hand in his, and they followed the waitress out the door and into the bright mid-morning sunlight.
Confession
Juda clung to Cayn’s hand as they followed Cora to the diner. When they entered, she noticed there were only two other customers and realized everyone had gone on to their workplaces. All except for her.
