Joey Abbott, of Joey’s Pawnshop, asked that the security detail be moved away so the town could see the accused, but Victoria declined the request. A visible barrier between the accused and the people who hated him forced an extra step for someone in the room who might want to settle matters with their own bullet. She knew without doubt that if someone did do such a thing, it would be considered a heroic act, and that there’d be no tolerance for bringing that perpetrator to justice.

It was amazing, Victoria thought, just how fragile a concept justice was.

After declining Joey’s request, she granted a request from Rory to have all the witnesses who were scheduled to testify removed from the room to be called back one at a time when it was their turn to address the court. Victoria felt more than a little embarrassed that she had not thought of that precaution on her own.

The witness list was cobbled together via sign-up sheet. Victoria figured that by giving every person who wanted to be heard a chance to do so, she’d have the best chance at keeping the train on the tracks.

The witnesses testified from a chair on Victoria’s left. Joey Abbott and George Simmons each testified that the items that had been taken from their stores were the same as those recovered from the woods near Ryan Hamilton’s truck. They testified that Mr. Hamilton was a fine father, friend and community member. They testified that he would be sorely missed.

And they testified that Brandon-Lee May should hang or be shot for the murder of such a fine man.

Through it all, Brandon-Lee sat stone still, his eyes focused on the witnesses as he listened to them condemn him. His face showed nothing, just as Victoria had counseled him should be the case during the trial.

“Listen to me carefully, Brandon-Lee,” she’d told him the night before in his cell. “You know what the town wants to do with you, right?”

No response. He was a hard one.

“Okay, fine. Just hear my words. What happens to you tomorrow is only partially dependent on what the evidence shows you have done. It’s at least equally determined by what you do while you’re in the courtroom.”

“They can’t prove a goddamn thing against me,” Brandon-Lee said.

“Stop. That right there is the attitude that can get you killed.”

“But I did nothing wrong.”

“Don’t tell me that,” Victoria said, pointing at his nose. “After tomorrow, it won’t matter what actually did or did not happen up there on the road. What matters is what the town thinks happened up there on the road.”

“So this is a beauty contest? I thought your job was to make sure everything is fair.”