“Why not?”

“I don’t know.”

“Sure you do.”

“Objection,” said Keller. “Argumentative.”

“Overruled,” said the judge. “But let’s stick to questions, Mr. Kimoe.”

“Yes, Your Honor. Is it fair to say you didn’t ask where the prisoners went, Mr. Bagley, because you didn’t want to know?”

“I guess.”

“Did you ever find out? Hear anybody talk about it?”

“No.”

“Not even the driver? Who worked for the same company as you?”

“He said he couldn’t talk about it. And then they transferred him the next week.”

“He got a promotion, from bus driver to vice president, and a big raise. I guess he was a really good driver.”

“Is that a question?”

“No. But this is. Did you inspect the bus after it returned?”

“Yes.”

“Was it clean?”

“Not really.”

“What was wrong with it?”

“There was some blood.”

“How much blood?”

“I wouldn’t know how to measure it.”

“Try.”

Bagley looked at the judge.

“Go ahead, Mr. Bagley,” she said.

Bagley looked back at Donny. “A lot,” he said, almost looking like he wished it was Donny’s.

Donny glanced at the judge, and wondered if that was enough blood for her to rule in his favor. Then he looked at the clock.

“Pass the witness,” he said.

“Ms. Keller,” said the judge, turning to Karen.

“No questions,” she replied.

Donny wanted to give the bailiff a high five when he heard that, but instead looked back to make sure the reporters were still there.

“All right then,” said the judge.

Bagley began to stand, but the judge stopped him. “Hang on, Mr. Bagley,” she said. “I have just a couple of questions for you, if you don’t mind.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Bagley. He didn’t expect the judge to ask her own questions.

“I want to know more about how these special passengers were picked. The ones who went on the buses to nowhere. Or took trips to the pool or whatever euphemisms were used. You said they gave you a list?”

“Just names for the manifest.”

“But they had a list, didn’t they? There’s always a list.”

“I don’t know, ma’am.”

“Really?” said the judge. “Do you understand the oath you just took? Did you ever hear anyone talk about such a list?”

“There was some talk.”

“I bet. Did the list have a name?”

Bagley nodded. “They called them Code Yellows.”

“Why yellow?”

“I guess because of the kind of people they were.”

The judge nodded, putting together pieces Donny was missing.

“People who hadn’t committed acts of what the government considered terrorism, but who it suspected would in the future,” she said. “Do I have that right?”

Bagley shifted.

“Answer the question, please,” said the judge.

“That’s not how they put it,” said Bagley.

“How did they put it?”