She put her hand up. “No, Charlotte. You and Iris are two of us now, and it is our responsibility to take care of each other. We might not be able to change what happens in court, but we can shape what happens in the court of public opinion, and I think we all know that, in a town this small, it’s usually the same thing.”

“That’s the truest thing I’ve ever heard,” Alice said. She looked at me pointedly. “She’s right, Charlotte. They’ll get jurors who aren’t close to the case and all that, but, come on. Is that true? How do we know that some of those jurors aren’t lying? Aren’t planted? We have to change people’s minds about Bill.”

“Well, great,” I said sarcastically. “Fan-freaking-tastic. Let me just hop right out and do that.”

Grace said, “Julie, apologies, but what does this have to do with the kids?”

“If all of you would let me finish, I would tell you.”

Alice made a motion like she was zipping her lips.

“First, I need to write an article in the paper about Bill’s innocence. I want to interview him—and, Charlotte, I know I promised, but I hope you too—and his lawyer and his staff and everyone who can sing from the rafters that he is good and honest and has been framed.”

“I don’t know, Julie…” I said.

She charged ahead: “Then, Alice, we’ll need you to write an anonymous letter to the editor about some tip or lead or something that hopefully will be real, but even if it isn’t, it will get published because it will sell papers, and it’s a letter to the editor so it’s opinion.”

“Sure,” Alice said. “Whatever you need.”

“Grace, I know this isn’t really your speed, but we’ve got to come up with some way to work Bill’s innocence into your massive online following. Maybe you do a special segment with Charlotte and Iris, and it somehow comes up or something.”

Grace nodded. “Anything to help.”

“I still don’t see how this affects us,” Merit said.

Julie smiled. “Ah, well, that’s where you’re wrong, because I’ve dissected Juniper Shores Socialite’s content thus far, and the six of us around this circle are her prime fodder. So at first, I thought maybe we should conduct an investigation, find out who she is—”

“Ohhhh!” Iris said. “We should do that!”

“Too slow,” Julie said. “Instead, we’re going to make sure that everything we do, everywhere we go, we are preaching the gospel of an innocent Bill. She’s everywhere we are, watching our every move. That can’t help but make it onto her page.”

Honestly, I was impressed. So, no, this wasn’t going to get Bill out of jail or prove his innocence, but it was something. Julie was right that the court of public opinion could affect Bill’s future enormously.

I nodded and said, “Kids, you just live your lives and—”