Page 33 of Homecoming

“It’s nice to see you,” Bertha said. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it’s been too long,” Judith said. “Life gets busy, and the days go flying by.”

“Indeed,” Bertha said.

Watching the family dynamics at play was fascinating for Dan, who knew for a fact that Kara wouldn’t let a single day pass without seeing Bertha if she still lived nearby. He couldalmost feel her judging her mother for letting so much time go by between visits with Bertha.

“Is Buster here?” Judith asked.

“He is.”

“I’ll have to say hello before we go.”

“He’d like that.”

After an awkward moment of silence, Judith said, “We’ve just come from seeing the boys at the police station.”

“How are they?” Bertha asked.

“Keith is his usual defiant self,” Chuck said, his expression grim, “while Kirby is scared shitless.”

“Did you talk to Keith about pulling his head out of his ass and letting Dan represent him?” Bertha asked.

Dan bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud at the way she said that. This was the first time he’d seen them together, and the contrast between her and her daughter couldn’t be more pronounced.

“We tried,” Chuck said, “but he’s not budging. He’s asked Matt to come by in the morning.”

“Matt?” Kara asked, astounded. “What does he know about defending a capital murder case?”

“He is a lawyer,” Judith said.

“Not all lawyers are created equal,” Bertha said, “and you may as well be sending a used-car salesman in to defend him.”

Dan choked back a laugh at the idea of Kara’s ex defending Keith. “No skin off my chin. I’ve submitted a motion to dismiss the charges against Kirby, which I’m hoping will be taken up during the arraignment tomorrow.”

“So he might be released?” Judith asked, perking up considerably.

“I don’t think it’ll be that simple. They have an eyewitness that puts him and Keith with the victim shortly before she wasfound dead. That may be enough to keep them held without bail while the details are sorted out.”

“They didn’t do it!” Judith said. “She was alive when they left her. How can they possibly accuse them of such a heinous crime with no evidence they were involved?”

“I know it’s a horrible situation, but we have to be patient while the system does its thing.”

“While my sons rot in jail, their reputations destroyed, over something they had nothing to do with.”

“I know you don’t want to hear this, Judith,” Bertha said, “but we’re all painfully aware that Keith could be capable of something like this. We know it, and the cops know it, too.”

Judith recoiled. “How can you say such a thing about your own grandson?”

Dan reached for Kara’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Because it’s true. Take your head out of the clouds for once, will you? That kid has been trouble since the day he was born.”

Judith crossed her arms and gave her mother a defiant look. “I’m sure you blame us for that, when we did the best we could like all parents do.”

Kara gasped.

The others glanced her way.

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