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Back Legacy of Lies Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. PART TWO
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. PART THREE
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. PART FOUR
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. 73
  82. 74
  83. 75
  84. 76
  85. 77
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  88. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mandy said nothing and continued to look at the carpet. After hugging Mandy’s shoulder, Lona mouthed another thank you to Helen and opened the door. Once it shut behind her, Helen reached forward and took Mandy’s hand.

“Look at me,” Helen said.

Mandy did as she was told, but her eyes appeared vacant.

“Are you all right?”

Mandy shrugged. “Just nervous.”

Helen gave her hand a squeeze and let go. “Me too.”

Mandy raised her eyebrows.

“I am,” Helen said. “But nerves can be good. They create energy and will keep us on our toes. We have to use that, you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Her eyes had drifted to the floor again, and her voice was so quiet that Helen barely heard her.

“Sit up straight with your eyes on me,” Helen snapped.

Startled, Mandy pressed her back against the chair and peered at Helen. “I’m sorry, I’m just—”

“You’re anxious. You’re scared. You’re doing something that a teenage girl should never ever have to do. I get it, Mandy. I understand, and I think a jury will too.” Helen paused. “But you have to be strong. Do you understand?”

Mandy nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” she squeaked.

“I didn’t hear you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Mandy barked, and her face had wrinkled into a defiant scowl.

Perfect, Helen thought again. Innocent. Vulnerable. But determined when her story is challenged. That was the dance they were about to do. The jury must sympathize with Mandy Burks, but they also, most importantly, must believe her.

“Good girl,” Helen said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs. “Now let’s run through it one last time.”

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The rape itself had taken less than two minutes.

Mandy went to a party at a mansion off Highway 31, just a mile or so from the high school. She’d been invited by her boyfriend, Jason Lightfoot, a senior at Giles County High and a starting linebacker on the football team. Jason had heard about the event from a friend of his who was a freshman at Martin Methodist.

Mandy hadn’t even known who owned the house when she and Jason arrived at around two o’clock in the afternoon. The attendees were a mixture of college kids and grad students. There were kegs of free beer, and a couple of guys were passing around plates of green Jell-O laced with vodka.