Panic tightens my throat. “You said we wouldn’t have to do that. We talked about this. You told Beau that you wouldn’t put me on the witness stand.”

“That was before.”

“Before what?”

She sighs, but it’s a different sound than the one she made for Brian. That one had been full of feminine attitude. This one’s a soul-deep weariness. “The interview Causey did is having an impact.”

My skin feels prickly. “People are believing him?”

“Yes, but that’s not really the problem. The court of public opinion isn’t supposed to matter when the jurors are sequestered. But someone leaked the video to them. I’ll give you one guess as to who, but we can’t prove it. And it’s swaying them. I know juries, and this one’s sympathetic.”

“But even if what he said is true, that his father was abusive, that doesn’t make it okay for him to be a dirty cop, for him to steal and launder money and kill Rhys Rochester.”

“I know that. And you know that. But a very expensive defense attorney is doing his best to convince the jury otherwise. There’s a reason he owns a yacht, for God’s sake.”

I run a hand over my face. The joy from the admissions letter hasn’t gone away. It’s still there, mixing with my nerves about Causey’s trial, creating an unstable chemistry inside me. I feel like throwing up. “How is me testifying going to help anything?”

“I’m going to use you to establish a pattern of corruption and violence. Causey claims he killed Rhys to protect his sister. Claims that she got afraid when she saw it happen, but that he never would have actually hurt her. If we can show that he continued to be corrupt after that, then it will help the jury see him for what he is.”

“Beau’s not going to like it.”

She gives me a small smile. “I think if anyone can manage him, you can.”

“I’m not sure I like it, either.”

Her smile disappears. “It won’t be easy. His defense attorney will tear into you. I’ll have to prepare you to be on the stand, do some practice sessions. Causey will stare you down.”

I look down at the acceptance letter. It’s crumpled a little bit in my fist, but that’s okay. It will still work. I’ll still go to Mainland College and become a social worker.

Except how can I really stand up for the community if I can’t testify against Causey?

This is the terrifying work. It’s also the crucial work.

Social work is not only about smiling at children and wishing them the best. It’s facing down abusive parents. It’s standing up to the courts. It’s fighting for what’s right. That doesn’t just start when I graduate. Apparently, it starts right now.