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“You do not have to buy into Mr Grant’s motive in order to convict him But in the face of all this death, destruction, and traumatic injury, we do want to understand why this defendant did what he did And he told us

“Here’s why Connor Grant blew Sci-Tron into smithereens Because he wanted to do it And ill prove to you that he could and that he did

“At the end of this trial, ill ask you, the jury, to find the defendant guilty of ree in the deaths of twenty-five innocent people, to guarantee that this man”—Len pointed at Connor Grant—“can never harain”

Len thanked the jury, and if Yuki could have applauded him, she would have done so

Instead, she scrawled on her notepad, “Great job, Len”

“Tremendous”

CHAPTER 30

JUDGE HOFFMAN PEERED over his bench and exchanged a feords with the bailiff as Len Parisi returned to the prosecution table Then he looked across his courtroom at attorney Elise Antonelli, as seated at the defense table beside her client, Connor Grant

Hoff statement?”

Elise Antonelli stood and said, “Sidebar, Your Honor?”

Yuki almost said, What?

What was defense counsel up to?

Hoffnaled to the lawyers to approach, and the three of them walked across the well to the bench

“What is it, Ms Antonelli?” said Hoffman “I can’t wait to hear”

Antonelli said, “Mr Grant just fired me He says that he wants to represent himself”