A Reasonable Doubt, Susan Sloan [books for 7th graders .txt] 📗

thank for that, too, you know,” he told her.  “Well, you and Parker, and I guess, in a way, my mother.”

“Then maybe it all happened for a reason,” she suggested.

“You think?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem to have done you any harm.  As far as I can tell, you’re the toast of the town these days.”

“Yeah, well, I guess life is funny sometimes,” he conceded.

“It certainly is.”  She eyed him thoughtfully for a long moment.  “When did you remember?” she asked finally, her voice deliberately soft enough so that only he could hear.

He looked at her sharply, and then he chuckled, because it didn’t matter.  She had told him it didn’t matter.  She had as good as told him he could shout it from the middle of upper Broad Street, if he wanted to, and it wouldn’t matter.  And now he knew why she had come.

“In the mountains,” he said, because he guessed he owed her at least that much.  “Somethin’ about breathin’ in all that fresh air -- it really does clear the brain.”  He sighed.  “I didn’t wanna kill him.  I just wanted him to shut up, so I could sleep.  But he was screamin’ and actin’ all crazy like.  When I saw how bad he was hurt, I just wanted to help.  But, when I tried, that’s when he pulled his gun on me -- and then what was I supposed to do?  He was outta control.  I knew it was gonna be me or him, and I guess I didn’t want it to be me.”

The attorney nodded slowly, because it had gone down pretty much the way she figured it had.

Jason cocked his head.  “How’d you know?”

Lily shrugged and then she smiled, because true honor was indeed a rare thing in this world.

“You came back,” she said.