“Then let’s take Annie with us.”

Annie claps her hands with relief and excitement. At last we’ve arrived at the simple solution she proposed in the beginning.

“Boo, go help Rusty find the sandwiches.”

She starts to argue, but today my look is enough to propel her into the kitchen. As she vanishes, Mom says, “Penn, what is John Kaiser doing here?”

“It’s nothing to do with Dad’s trial. Now, you need to brace yourself for the next session. Based on what Shad has done so far, I expect him to recall Cora Revels to the stand, or else he’ll call Lincoln. And they’ll dive straight into the issue of motive. We’re going to hear all about Dad and Viola’s relationship. All about it.”

My mother’s jaw clamps shut, and her eyes glaze over with suppressed rage. But at whom? Shad Johnson? Or my father?

“All right,” she says in surrender. “You stay here.”

I hit speed dial for Quentin’s cell and wait for the automated voice-mail message, but the sound of repeated ringing rocks me back on my heels. I hold up my left hand sharply, and the resulting silence brings Rusty and Annie back from the kitchen.

“Hello?” says Doris Avery.

I feel an alarming pressure in my chest, like something’s trying to burst out of it through my constricted throat, but I force myself to be calm. “Doris, this is Penn. Could I please speak to Quentin?”

“He’s trying to eat lunch. It took us forever just to get to Edelweiss.”

Edelweiss is only four blocks from the courthouse, but they probably had a harder time getting clear of the courthouse than my crew did. Still, they could easily have answered the phone while stuck in Quentin’s converted van.

“I really need to speak to him, Doris. You must know that, after what happened in court this morning.”

Mom’s eyes blaze. She’s about two seconds from snatching the phone out of my hand and reminding Doris who’s paying her husband’s fee.

“Are you calling to ruin my lunch?” Quentin growls in my ear. “I hope not, ’cause I ain’t got much time to eat before the afternoon session.”

It’s a shock to finally have Quentin on the phone, but I recover quickly. “Quentin, I’ve got my mother and sister here, and we’re more than a little concerned about your courtroom tactics thus far.”

Rusty pokes his head through the door and makes a horrified face.

“Or your lack of them, rather,” I clarify.

“What are you talking about?” Quentin asks as he noisily chews what sounds like a salad.

I hit the speakerphone button so that everyone can hear. “The fact that you haven’t made a single objection or cross-examined a single witness.”

“Don’t worry about that. Everything’s going according to plan.”