Anne looked up at Blackburn. Dark, dissecting eyes, pomaded gray hair, and Churchill scowl and jowls. Trying to figure it out, huh? Culturally Catholic, but probably politically liberal like most teachers. He seemed to glower at her, and suddenly the matter at hand being life-or-death registered with Anne.

“I can be impartial.”

Mr. Blackburn stepped back and asked everyone.

“Everyone on the same page as Mrs. Malone’s answer? Mr. . . . Caruthers, can you be impartial?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ms. Mirlo, do you know what Mr. Raleigh does for a living?”

“He’s a minister.”

“That’s correct. He’s a man of the cloth. Does anyone in this jury box have a problem sitting in judgment of an ordained minister?”

Three people raised their hands. Anne did not. Why do I feel like we’re the ones on trial right now? Blackburn looked down at the grid and then over at Miss Silverstone to make sure she noted it.

“Thank you for your honesty. Mr. Raleigh is a representative of his church. A man of God. A Christian. Right? We can say that even though this is a government courthouse. Right, Your Honor?”

“He is a Christian, Mr. Blackburn.” The judge didn’t even look up from some paperwork in front of him.

“And so Mr. Raleigh has spent a lifetime preaching Christian values. Now, some of us, most of us, I would take it, believe those values too. Values like ‘judge not, lest ye be judged.’ Or ‘he without sin, cast the first stone.’ Or ‘to forgive is divine.’”

Judge Samuels looked up. “Would you like to submit the New Testament as part of the record, Mr. Blackburn? Find your point.”

He’s a good judge. Doesn’t allow the dramatic, and in control without having to constantly prove it.

“Yes, Your Honor, my point is that we are asking all of you whether you can believe that a man like Standing Raleigh, who professes the Christian faith, whether he can be guilty of a vicious crime and you can sit in judgment of him based on the evidence and judicial process put forth by the state of Texas as well as by Miss Silverstone and myself. Mrs. Malone, are you one hundred percent okay with that burden the law is placing on you?”

“Yes. I’m okay.” Doesn’t matter what I say. I’ve proven that I’m not easily led. I bet he strikes me.

“If Standing Raleigh were a Roman Catholic priest, would you be able to say the same?”

“Yes.” She didn’t like Blackburn’s papist undertones. That’s Dallas for you. She recalled driving past Dealey Plaza that morning. They killed the first Irish, first Catholic, president. No sign. No memorial. Like they had gotten away with it.