“There’s a holding cell in the courthouse,” Rusty says softly, “but if I know Billy Byrd, Doc’s back in his cell.”

Annie’s standing by the television, taking in every word. Few things disturb children more than frightened adults, and Annie was upset before anyone got here. I go over and put an arm around her, telling her softly that things are going to be all right, that everybody’s just upset by a mistake Mr. Avery made. But I can feel her shivering against me.

“Let’s all calm down,” I say firmly. “There’s got to be some rational reason Quentin is doing what he’s doing. We’ve got three lawyers in this room. Let’s figure it out.”

Mom suddenly realizes that she’s let herself go in front of her granddaughter. She gets up and leads Annie over to the love seat in the corner, murmuring so softly I can’t make out her words.

Rusty is watching me expectantly, but it’s Miriam I turn to first. She may be a glorified corporate accountant in her normal life, but she graduated fourth in her class at Stanford Law School, and she did two years in the public defender’s office in San Francisco.

“What do you think?” I ask.

She sucks in her lips and shakes her head, obviously as bewildered as the rest of us. “Penn, I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Rusty? You ever see any backwoods Clarence Darrow try something like this?”

Rusty shakes his head in a perfect imitation of Miriam. “I kept wondering, ‘Is this like a slowdown offense in basketball? Where it looks like the coach is an idiot and the team is shit, even though they’re playing smart?’ But this ain’t no basketball game, bubba. Quentin hasn’t invoked the rule to keep his witnesses sequestered. He didn’t even file for discovery. I’ve never seen that happen in a murder trial. The guy even deferred his opening statement, and let Shad have all the momentum from the word go! I’ve seen that maybe once in my career. He hasn’t made one objection or cross-examined a single witness. And every time Quentin lets some trademark Shad Johnson bullshit pass without objecting, that’s one more thing that’ll never be reversed on appeal.”

“Bingo,” says Miriam. “That jury has already heard things it never should have heard. Those images will never leave their minds, no matter what instructions the judge gives. I can’t believe Judge Elder isn’t worried about getting reversed based on ineffective assistance of counsel.”

“It’s Quentin Avery,” Rusty says, stating the obvious. “Lawyers don’t come any more experienced than that. Not in these parts. Not anywhere.”

“Maybe that’s the problem,” Miriam says, voicing our common fear.