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Jenna kept an even smile "And I knoho you are, I believe You’re David Yates"

He stiffened He looked across at the other boys "Yeah, I auilty," Jenna said "I thought that you could help us understand what happened We’re just trying to understand what has really gone on, that’s all"

"Malachi isn’t just nuts--he’s dangerous!" the second boy said

"Joshua Abbott, I presume?" Jenna said

He flushed and looked uncomfortable

The third boy, Jonathan, backed away from them all "I’m not even here!" he said He turned and fled

"Asswipe!" David Yates called after hiela He flushed suddenly, e in front of two feerous And there’s soht about hihost of old ave me the evil eye I don’t care what the fu--what the psychiatrist tried to tell me I know the evil eye when I see it Heyou I’ht have made me jump off the cliff"

"Thank God you were just in a lunchrooood fifty feet from the cliff now; she intended to h these boys were still kids, they were also alot another question for you I talked to Mr Sedge at the grocery store, and he absolutely swears that Malachi was in the store on the day that Earnest Covington was killed But you and Josh swear that you saw hiton’s house"

"We did!" Joshua said with conviction

"You saw him? Malachi Saze and his eyes shot doard to the left--and toward David

"Yeah, yeah, I saw hiet to him The boys needed to be interviewed separately, just as Saht, I saw hirily

"You bet, he was there David saw him I saw him," Joshua said

"And what the fu--what the hell? The cops found him covered in his old et him locked up that way, but, lady, do us all a favor and ood"

"So Mr Sedge is lying," Angela said "Why would he lie for Malachi Srocer is a crazy old bastard, too He ht think that Malachi was there, and he probably was--the day before"

"Did she say all that about Mr Sedge before or after he swore he saw Malachi?" Jenna asked pleasantly

She saw a touch of color come to David’s handsome face "He’s old and senile, that’s what he is He doesn’t even remember where he puts stuff or what’s on sale," the manchild said "And my father is councilman here, you know Best friends with the mayor, and he knows the head of the cops and all that I can’t help it if Mr Sedge is going into Alzheimer’s I don’t know"

"So," Jenna said, "in a court of law, facing charges of perjury and jail sentences if you were lying, you tould both swear that you saw Malachi Ston’s house?"

There was the briefest hesitation before David said, "We aren’t going to court, lady It’s not going to happen They aren’t charging Malachi with that ure that’s all cut-and-dried because Malachi was found in the road in all that blood"

"Naked," Joshua added with a snicker

"Well, they just ton’sto do so And with the two of you swearing that you saw hi charges Why not? That would help get hiood, which, of course, is exactly what you both want, right?" Jenna asked

They looked at her in stony silence

"Let’s get out of here, David," Joshua suggested

"Yeah Ladies, it’s been great, but we gotta go," David said

"Hey, no, you two so Oh, but you should think about this If the police do charge Malachi with Covington’s o to court And you’ll have to swear an oath that you saw Malachi And Mr Sedge will be there, ready to swear that he saw Malachi, too And that could leave the defense with a chance to prove that since soht well have killed the S the truth You’ve already adton’s place…as a witness, or so you say"