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Winona knew exactly what had gotten the prosecutor’s attention It was the test results she’d waited almost a month for “Yesterday”

“Oh, my God,” Sara said

“It occurred to me that all I’d done was test the semen sample to see if it was a DNA match with my client’s As you know, it wasn’t I was so inexperienced, I ran with that result, certain it was enough to exonerate hi to my sister His wife Anyway, she made a comment about that DNA and I realized that I’d never checked whose it was So I sent the sample to the national database, and ita nine-year sentence at the Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward For rape in the first Once we had a naerprint?”

“Of course,” Sara said, frowning

“Turns out it belongs to Gary Kirschner, too”

“Why didn’t his prints show up in 1996?”

“He hadn’t been arrested yet He was a drifter Meth addict who h a bunch of towns around here on his way north And before you ask, I’ll tell you that Dallas Raintree has never met Gary Kirschner”

Sara stared down at the papers, reading through theain “I’ll need to research this We won’t make a snap decision It may take some time”

Winona stood up “Thank you, Ms Hamm”

Sara nodded and kept reading

Winona let herself out

The big Halloween carnival at Water’s Edge is this weekend Yippee I hope you can readthis journal anyuess it’s one of your big life questions Maybe someday I’ll ask you

Anyway, after school I caht home to help out around the ranch Some kids would have been pissed off by that, but they’re the kids who have friends When you don’t, it’s totally okay to go ho worse than the ten s Everyonethere all by yourself

The only one I care about is Cissy Today she almost smiled at me and my heart practically came to a stop I know I’m totally insane but sometimes I think she still loves me

Like it ainst her loser dad Oh, who cares anyway?