Page 77 of Second Start: Family
“Yes, Judge. As I was saying, in the brief time since … Mr. Morton chose to share this information with the court, we have found further coverage of the situation. My office has taken the liberty of forwarding these further articles to you, Judge, and to Mr. Morton’s office. For the moment, I will say only that they reflect that Ms. Smith was exonerated.”
Morton said, “First day of law school we all learned not guilty is not the same as innocent and to take any chance with the welfare of this young man while exposing him to this sort of—”
“Your Honor—” Eric started.
“Enough, both of you. You have twenty-four hours to send me material on this matter. We will reconvene the day after tomorrow.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Despite his old truck and the few minutes he’d taken at the courthouse to call Lori Felton and ask if she could look after the three younger kids until he could pick them up, Hall was in the lead over Eric’s on the way to the Mason school only because he knew every curve and pitch of this road.
But Vicky Otter passed Eric, then him.
Once in front of him, she slowed.
His phone rang. He answered hands-free on speaker. “Get out of the way, Vick.”
“No. I’m not going to let you and Dan get splattered on the highway.”
“I won’t wreck—”
“No, you won’t if you slow down. Now, tell me what Eric said about Pauline finding out how Naomi’s attorney got that filth.”
“He told me Evan found something, though why Prentiss Kevery told Naomi … Bragging, probably. And she’s not stupid. But—”
“It was me.”
Hall automatically responded to his son sitting next to him, “It was you what?”
“It wasn’t Evan. He can barely find football scores on his own. It was me. I found an article saying Ms. Smith was investigated about a student’s claims that — you know.”
“But—”
“Evan was there. He saw the article, too, about what she did.”
“She didn’t do it.” Hall and Vicky said together. He continued, “You know this isn’t true, Dan.”
“I … I know Mr. Larkin found articles that said she wasn’t guilty.”
“Yeah, he did. But you alsoknowit isn’t true. If I thought there was any chance … but there isn’t. Kenzie Smith did not do this.”
“How do you know that? How can you possibly know that?”
“Because I know her.”
Skidding from mockery to misery, Dan threw at him, “What, like you’re going to say youloveher?”
The words slammed into Hall. Despite Dan’s effort to twist them, they stood, maybe not yet fully formed, but with the promise of being straight and true.
It wasn’t what he’d felt for Annie in those early, heady days before he’d recognized her manipulations.
It was deeper and wider and different.
It was knowing Kenzie had his back and longing for nothing more in this world than having hers.
Vicky was right. They needed to find out if this was what Hall thought it was.
Right after these strangers decided his son’s future.
