“I’m thinking you three had a more exciting day than I did, so why don’t you start.”

“I tried to buy the Judas Grove this morning, but Cyrus King tried to hold me up for more money. I took my offer off the table. We thought it would be simple to buy it, then we could do what we wanted, which was to cut down the grass, dump the signs and the fencing in the pond, which we did anyway. Unfortunately, we got caught, and Mr. Denville, who listens to a police scanner, caught up with us just as we were being grilled by your friend Boomer. We then had to call our attorney, who happens to be Peter Danson. That’s the end of our story.”

Cady’s jaw dropped. “You did…what?”

“We told a few lies, and I’m the one who did all the work,” Anthony beamed. “You should have seen Lola and Mandy sliding down the embankment on that plastic fencing. I was sorry I didn’t have a camera with me.”

“You slid down the embankment! With bones that look like Swiss cheese!”

“Why do you think we’re drinking ourselves silly? It was such an adventure,” Lola said. “I am having a really good day, Cady, so please don’t rain on my parade.”

“You’re like a minimob,” Cady said. “What would you have done if they’d hauled you off to the slammer?”

“That’s why we called Peter. How’s that going to look in the papers? They never arrest old people. They chalk us up as being eccentric. You’d be surprised what you can get away with when you’re old.”

Cady shrugged. Lola had a point. “What did you accomplish, if anything?”

“We decided all your friends lied about not being at the Judas Grove the day of the accident. We all believe they were there that day, and we believe they were the ones pitching rocks at you and the boy. We just aren’t sure if they panicked or not. We played out different scenarios. Anthony played director. I played a role, in my head, of course, and Mandy viewed it all from a stuntwoman’s perspective.”

Cady sat back and hugged her knees as she stared at her grandmother. “Why would they lie? Does that mean Boomer was there, too?”

Anthony nodded. “They were all there. I’d stake my life on it. But to answer your question, fear would be my response. Children are fearful. You were all doing something you weren’t supposed to do, hence the fear. I’m sure the parents of the children stepped in and wouldn’t allow the authorities to question their kids, so the kids got away with their lies. After all, they were only ten years old at the time, more or less babies. One of them had the good sense to call the police. That’s on the record. Your coming back to town has upset their safe, secure lives. It’s not that they can be blamed for anything, they can’t. But, in the court of public opinion, they might as well kiss good-bye those safe, secure lives they’ve been leading for the last twenty years.”