Page 101 of Second Start: Family
It wasn’t fair. He should have the right to protect himself from that charge — but fairness came in a distant second to Hall keeping the connection with Dan.
“That’s where Annie wanted to live,” Gramps said.
“I don’t believe it.He’sresponsible. He—”
“You better believe it, girl. They’re all living the life Annie wanted. And if you don’t think that’s so, you didn’t know your sister.”
“That’s ridiculous—”
“Gramps is right.”
It took a second to realize the words came from Dan.
“It’s what Mom wanted, Aunt Naomi.”
“But this hearing — discussion,” Naomi’s lawyer slid in quickly, “is to determine whatyouwant, Daniel. And end this woman’s dangerous presence this man — your father — has allowed—”
Voices came from all over.
Bexley on one side of her gasped. On her other side Vicky started, “That’s ridiculous—”
But Kenzie knew Hall was focused on the sound Dan made — a kind of choking gasp.
“It is time we clear up this matter,” the judge said authoritatively.
Kenzie heard the words that took control of the proceedings once more, but she no longer looked toward the judge’s desk. The door behind her was opening.
*
A stir behind him had Hall turning to find its cause.
It stemmed from the opening of the far door in the anteroom, the one from the hallway.
Enroute to looking at the door he caught sight of Kenzie, three rows behind him.
She was already looking toward the door and was clearly stunned.
He shifted his attention to what drew that reaction from her.
Cully Grainger, the Shakespeare County sheriff and Bodie Smith’s good friend, accompanied a distinguished, gray-haired man and was saying something quietly but not-to-be-denied firmly to the deputy at the door.
Hall had never seen the gray-haired man before in his life, but Kenzie had to know him. There was no other explanation for her reaction of shock.
And then Bodie Smith came in after those first two, stepping to one side to lean against the back wall. Unobtrusive, but with an air that said he wasn’t leaving.
To Hall’s way of thinking it was obvious Bodie was responsible for getting this guy here. But why?
It had to mean the guy was good for Kenzie or Bodie wouldn’t have acted. Did that mean it was good for Hall, too?
The judge said something sharp, reclaiming the disrupted attention.
“Sorry, Judge,” Cully said. “We got here as fast as we could with lights and sirens, after the airlines did their best to mess us up.”
As Hall turned back toward the front, he tried to catch Eric’s eyes and failed, because the lawyer was leaning forward to address the judge.
Eric must have sensed his questions, however, because he patted the air in front of him with his nearer hand in what Hall took as a message to hold on.
Also, he’d swear there was triumph in Eric’s voice as he spoke to the judge.
