Tough As They Come

In an usual twist of fate, a man on trial, for murdering the police chief's wife, is given his temporary freedom. The evidence against Bart appears to be compelling, but he is innocent. Obviously, her husband killed her and is framing him for her murder. But how do prove that when the police chief controls all aspects of the investigation? You don't. You go on the run. With a nation-wide manhunt closing in on him, Bart is determined to find a woman he was told had died twenty years earlier. She may not be able to save him from the gas chamber again, but she can sure explain why she never came back for him.A short story, approximately 8000 words. Excerpts included after end of story.