A fresh wave of anger flared inside her, burning away the numbness, and she almost levitated off her chair from the contained rage. The only thing that kept her from leaping across the desk and doing major damage to Barney’s smarmy, stupid face was the clear glee in his expression. He wanted to upset her, wanted her to lose it, and she couldn’t give him the satisfaction. With a huge effort of will, she smoothed her expression and sat back in her chair, fighting for a show of indifference.

“It doesn’t matter.” It did, it really did, but she somehow managed to say the words anyway. “You won’t be taking the house. To forfeit her bail, she’d have to miss her next court date, and she always makes her court dates.” Even though Jane found it impossible to stay on the right side of the law, she’d never skipped before.

“She’s never missed a court date yet,” Barney corrected, although the unpleasant joy in his eyes had faded. “Jane’s only done petty stuff before. She’s in a whole other world now, one that could get her twenty years or more in prison. I’m betting she’s already halfway through New Mexico, never to return.”

Although Molly had known that stealing the necklace was a more serious crime than her mom had ever committed before, she hadn’t allowed herself to consider what that meant as far as sentencing went. Up until that point, Jane had done quite a few short stints in the county jail, paid a boatload of fines, and was almost constantly on probation. As much as Molly hated to admit it, Barney was right in this case. Jane had committed a crime that could easily put her in prison for the rest of her life.

Pushing away the mountain of anxiety that this thought brought on, she tried to focus on the most immediate need—making sure Barney didn’t yank their house away from them.

“This is all speculation until her court date arrives. Personally, I believe that she’ll show.” Molly tried to hide her doubts. “The house is simply collateral right now, so you can’t touch it.”

His smile was more a baring of his teeth. “The law is that the bond is forfeited if she doesn’t appear…or if she flees.” He gave her a knowing look. “Have you seen her since her hearing yesterday?”

“No, but that’s not surprising.” Molly’s heart was firing in quick strokes that echoed in her head, and she hoped he didn’t see the worry building inside her. “She burned her bridges with us. Speaking of that, you don’t happen to be holding my car as collateral as well?” When he hesitated, she narrowed her eyes and fixed him with her best basilisk glare. “For your sake, I hope not, since it’s stolen and I know that title is under my name.”

“Jane didn’t bring me any car.” There was a stiltedness to his phrasing, as if he was carefully avoiding a lie. Molly didn’t know why he bothered trying to stay truthful. It wasn’t like she believed a word out of his mouth anyway.