said, âI want another lawyer.â
She looked at Parley. âWhy wonât you do what I want? Itâs my life, isnât it?â
âDid Bobby abuse you in some way?â
âNo!â
âDid he abuse the kids?â
â No! Stop this! Stop it, I want another lawyer.â
âWell, thatâs certainly your right. But any lawyer worth a damn will ask these same questions. This stuff wonât just go away, Laura. And the truth has a way of getting out, no matter what you want.â
âIâve told you the truth.â
âYeah, well, I donât think so. Youâre lying right now, I can see it in your face. And I canât think of anybody youâd lie for except the kids.â
She shook her head.
âWas it Jerry?â
The room turned suddenly hot. Her face was flushed.
âWas it Jerry, Laura? Did Jerry shoot Bobby?â
âYou must be mad. Heâs a child. For Godâs sake, heâs only eleven years old!â
âHow old do you have to be to pick up a gun?â
âIâm not listening to this. I want to see Erin.â
âWell, Iâll do my best to get her here. Maybe she can talk sense to you.â
He looked to me, I thought for support. I said, âHeâs right, Mrs. Marshall. Erin would ask exactly the same questions.â
âIf Jerry did this, youâve got to tell me,â Parley said.
âStop saying that!â
âAs I was about to say, heâs a minor. That would make it an entirely different ball game with its own set of rules. With a kid that young, they look at treatment rather than punishment. If the circumstancesââ
âMr. McNamara,â she said icily, âI think Iâm going to ask you to leave.â
âI might as well leave, for all the good Iâm doing you. If you come to your senses, you call me.â
He pressed the buzzer and stood near the door. I pushed back my chair. But suddenly Mrs. Marshall reached over to me and said, âCan you stay?â
âYouâd better ask your lawyer. Parley?â
âWhat have we got to lose? Talk some sense to her. Get her to listen.â
The sheriff arrived. Parley said, âMr. Janeway will remain for a while and talk to Mrs. Marshall as Ms. DâAngeloâs representative. Attorney privilege still applies.â
âSure, I guess so,â the sheriff said. âOn that other matter, Iâve got a deal for you.â
âNo deals. I want that citation dismissed. No fine, no points: I want it taken clear off his record.â
âLetâs go downstairs and talk it over.â
âTalk your damn heads off. Iâm goinâ out and get us some more witnesses.â
The door closed. I could hear them arguing their way down the hall. The room became quiet as Laura and I waited for the other to speak. She looked to be on the verge of tears again. I smiled at her, half in sadness, half in hope.
âI looked at your books,â I said.
âMore junk Iâll have to get rid of.â
âDonât do that. Not yet.â
âAre you telling me theyâre worth something?â
âTheyâre worth something.â
âBobby always said they were. I never believed him, even though he spent enough money on them. I thought he was just justifying his habit.â
âI could make you a rough appraisal if you want one.â
She looked as if she wanted to laugh but couldnât. âWhat good will money do me now?â
âYouâll have legal expenses to cover.â
âOf course. Of course, what can I be thinking of?â
âI think you could get some real money for those books.â
Her eyes opened wide as the first realization came over her. âHow much money? Are you saying I could pay my legal expenses with them?â
âMaybe.â
âWhatâs so special? They look like ordinary books to me.â
âMay I ask where they