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“I know But I don’t have a choice What if he’s innocent? Do you knohat prison will do to a young man like Nick?”
The kid would be part of the , and a little naive, he’d be prey aeneral population
“That doesn’t mean he’s innocent,” Grandpa said
“That’s why I’ her grandfather “Are you disappointed in me?”
“Why would you ever think that?”
“Because I feel like I’ sides Everyone else in the fa criet a e”
“No one in our farandfather put one thin, blue-veined hand over hers “Danes fight for justice This is no different Nick deserves the best counsel he can get, and I know that’s you No one will fight harder for him”
“I feel like I’ve been a slacker for the last two years”
“A slacker? You’re kidding, right?” Grandpa sounded irritated “Your husband died and left you with three children to raise on your own You took tirief no one should have to face at your age You and John should have had another forty years together”
“But we didn’t Life isn’t fair It’s time to accept that and move on” Which sounded easier than it was “You don’t think Dad would be disappointed that I’ve moved to the other side of the courtroom?”
“He’d be proud of you noa personal sacrifice in the name of justice” Grandpa squeezed her hand “I’m damned proud of you Your dad would be too”
A noise froot up and went to theA police car sat in the street outside Bud’s house “I’ht”
She went out onto the front porch A crowd had gathered in the street
Oh No
Chapter Twelve
There was no sneaking up on the Barone family
Two large German shepherds barked from the end of their chains as Lance stopped his Jeep in front of the house
Red Noneofyourfuckingbusiness, aka Robby Barone, lived with his parents on a se of town
A small satellite dish topped the roof of the two-story basic-blue farmhouse The laas mostly clover but freshly mowed There were no flowerbeds, no wind chiray porch Instead of children’s toys or a swing set, two clotheslines and a neatly planted vegetable garden filled the rear yard
A barn and ether at the rear of the property A dozen chickens occupied a fenced run and large coop A second pen held two pigs, and three cows grazed in a small pasture enclosed with barbed wire A stock trailer and an old school bus were parked alongside the barn
Everything about the place said function over frill There was an air around the house that felt too stark, even for a farm
The pungent scent of manure coated Lance’s throat as he went up the wooden porch steps He closed hisinside the house, he knocked on the doorframe
The breeze shifted, bringing the welcome smell of herbs to Lance’s nose Flower pots filled with plants had been lined up like soldiers under a doubleCurtains limpse of a human shape The wooden door cracked, and a woe
Lance s Are you Mrs Barone?”
She nodded “What do you want?”
The wootten his red hair, small stature, and freckles from his mother Mrs Barone wore a white apron over a flowered cotton dress of washed-out pale blue Her hair was bound in a thin, tight ponytail Below the knee-length hem, her feet were bare She was probably in herand ruddy, dry skin made her look older
Lance s, which wasn’t an easy task for a man his size “I’d like to talk to Robby Are you his mother?”