Kanesha introduced herself and Bates to Justin, then motioned for him to have a seat. “I’d like to speak to Justin alone,” Kanesha said.

“No.” Julia shook her head. “No, I need to be with him.”

Kanesha frowned. “How old are you, Justin?”

“Eighteen,” he said.

Kanesha nodded. “In that case, Mrs. Wardlaw, I have to insist I talk to Justin without you. Justin is an adult.”

Julia bridled at that. She looked like a lioness about to attack. “That’s ridiculous. If you’re not going to let me stay with him, then I don’t think he should talk to you.”

Kanesha opened her mouth, but I spoke first.

“Julia, Deputy Berry is right. Justin is an adult now, and I think it’s best to let her talk to him now. Otherwise, I imagine he might end up doing it down at the sheriff’s department. Wouldn’t you rather avoid that?”

Kanesha shot me a severe look. She wasn’t happy with my interference, but I thought I’d better do something before Julia got really riled up.

“Very well. You’re right. I don’t want that.” Julia let go of Justin after a moment. “I’ll be close by if you need me.” She smiled at her son.

Justin nodded. He might be eighteen, and therefore an adult in the eyes of the law, but when I looked at him, I saw a tired, frightened boy. I hoped Kanesha would handle him gently. He’d had a very difficult day.

I offered Julia my arm and escorted her across the front hall into the living room. She sank into an armchair and covered her face with her hands.

At the moment I wasn’t sure how to comfort her, other than by patting her shoulder a few times.

I pulled a chair close to hers and sat down. “Julia, it’s going to be okay.” I hoped I sounded convincing.

Julia let her hands fall to her lap. Her face was wet with tears. “Oh Lord, what are we going to do?”

“They won’t arrest Justin,” I said, to myself adding, at least not tonight, I hope.

“Please, Lord, no,” Julia said, her voice soft. She leaned back in the chair, looking suddenly older than her fifty years. “Ezra will be so upset when he finds out about all this.”

“He’ll have to know,” I said, and Julia nodded. “And while we’re talking about Ezra, I have a question.”

Julia regarded me warily.

“You were with him at the hospital all day? Until you left to get Justin from the hotel?” I watched her carefully.

Her gaze dropped away for a moment. “Yes, I was.”

“Then there was no way Ezra could have left the hospital?”

Startled, Julia sat upright. “Of course not. Whatever made you ask something like that?” She frowned. “Ezra did not kill Godfrey. You can get that notion out of your head right this minute.”