“No, nobody keeps that kind of information, but I will tell you this much: Game started a little late on account of we couldn’t get one of the bank of lights to go on. So instead of a seven o’clock kick off, we got going somewhere just before eight. Town ordinance says games are meant to be over and crowd dispersed by ten o’clock; I know we were a little past that.”

“How far past it?”

“Not much. Maybe fifteen minutes give or take a few.”

“So, the game was over by 10:15, that night? You’re sure of that?”

“As sure as the fact we kicked Kipling’s butt that night and that if we took any longer to do it, they’da kicked us out anyway. The one thing this town likes more than their football and hockey is their sleep.”

James and the coach shared a laugh at that well-known truth, and then James headed out. Something wasn’t right. The game was over at ten-fifteen, but according to Ed Beaujot, the fire had started at ten-twenty-six. That was only an eleven-minute window. Could Travis, on a bicycle, have made it from Taft to the Pearce farm in eleven minutes?

James didn’t think so. And he planned to prove it.

11

11

“What if I can prove all this?” James picked up his pace to keep up with Paula Roggin as she raced down the hall.

The public defender stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “Mr. Moore, number one: You’re not supposed to be back here. Number two: This is no longer in my hands.”

“This is crazy! You’re supposed to be defending him.” James couldn’t believe it. When he’d figured out the time window, he was sure the PD would take the reins and help Travis.

“Was defending him, now I’m defending ten other people who deserve more than one overworked civil servant at Christmas who doesn’t have the time or manpower to give them what they deserve either. Forget the demands of my own family.”

“So that’s it?” James hated the defeat that sounded in his words. He should have more resolve. More faith in the system. But then again, he’d lost his faith. So really, where did that leave him?

“Yes. That is it.”

“This is insane!”

“Yes it is. Happy holidays.” She turned away and left him in her wake as she disappeared down the hall in short order.

So, that was that. Case closed.

James let out a frustrated growl and stormed out of the courthouse. He needed to calm down, clear his head. He needed strong coffee and even stronger advice. This never-ending game of one-step-forward-two-steps-back was stretching his nerves to a thready breaking point. If the throbbing blood vessel in his temple was any indication, he would explode all over the snow-covered courthouse lawn before he ever made it back to his truck.