The Third Victim Part 25

Avery Johnson sighed. He clearly thought they were both in denial. He tried again:

"Even if you manage to explain away how your guns came to be at that crime scene, why your son held you hostage, and why your son confessed twice to three murders, the fact remains that Danny is a troubled boy.

He obviously has issues. Thus, all legal necessities aside, as parents you should be able to see the value of the next six months as an opportunity to get Danny the help he needs. He'll be examined by child-development experts. He'll take a battery of psychological exams. He'll have his childhood, his family, his friends, all thoroughly explored. While I'm sure it may be awkward at times, the result should be a better understanding of who Danny is and what problems he's facing. Does that make sense?"

Sandy finally considered the matter. She glanced at Shep, who was rolling a bite of pie around in his mouth in a manner that indicated he didn't really taste it. She could tell the lawyer's words had depressed him; his shoulders had slumped again. Danny had problems.

Danny had issues. It was Shep's way to deny all things he didn't like to hear, but he had no more words left. The lawyer's comments had

struck too close to the secret doubts in their hearts. What if Danny was troubled? What if they had turned their little boy into a monster?

There were such dark shadows beneath her husband's eyes. Sandy had to look away.

She knew that after leaving her room last night, Shep had lain down on the floor next to Becky's bed. Their little girl had refused offers to sleep in her parents' room, instead building a wall of stuffed animals around her bed. Big Bear, her favorite doll, was reserved for special bodyguard duty. Hannah the horse was positioned at the door. Twelve Beanie Babies cordoned off the windowsill. Pugsley the dog was handed over to Sandy, just in case she needed protecting too.

Becky whimpered many times in the middle of the night. Once, around three a.m." Shep caught her leaping out of bed and running for her closet. When he tried to shake her awake, she whimpered harder, so he finally carried her back to bed with Big Bear. Becky mumbled for him to look out for monsters before falling more deeply asleep.

At six a.m. Shep moved to the couch in the family room. At seven a.m."

when Sandy went to check on Becky, she found her curled up in the far corner of the closet, four dresses pulled down to hide her gleaming blond hair.

Becky still hadn't said anything about what had happened yesterday, and the doctors predicted she never would. Whatever she had experienced was too traumatic for her eight-year-old mind, and she was now working resiliently to lock it all away. Sandy and Shep were instructed to make their daughter feel safe, while being careful not to sound dismissive of her fears. Whatever that meant.

Sandy had the feeling she and Shep were aging exponentially these days.

She would dearly love to pick up the phone to speak with Margaret or Liz or Margie about it, the way the four mothers had been comparing notes on their children for the last six years. Except she couldn't do that. Her children might be suffering, but her son was supposedly the cause of everyone's pain. It was now her job as his mother to pay his dues.

"What... what if Danny did do it?" Sandy ventured for the first time, staring tremulously at the rich, successful Avery Johnson, who held their future in his hands.

"What if all the experts study Danny and conclude that he is a killer?"

This is what I've been trying to explain. The point of this trial isn't to say that Danny is a killer; it's to evaluate whether he will kill again. Juvenile court is going to appoint a forensic psychologist to evaluate Danny, his personality, past behavior, violent tendencies, et cetera. There is a whole range of parameters this psychologist will a.n.a.lyze, hence it takes some time. When he's done studying Danny, the expert will write up a report. In this case, given the seriousness of Danny's alleged crime, the forensic psychologist will probably make two statements. One will say, presuming Danny did commit ma.s.s murder, he has X percent chance of killing again. If he didn't commit ma.s.s murder, he has Y percent chance of being rehabilitated."

"I don't understand. If Danny didn't do the crime, then he should have a one-hundred-percent chance of leading a normal, healthy life. How can there be a second statement?"

"The forensic psychologist is looking beyond this moment, Mrs. O'grady, to Danny's entire life, not just this one act, which he may or may not be guilty of."

"Danny has always been a very good boy," Sandy said automatically.

Avery Johnson looked at her sympathetically but firmly.

"Danny suffers explosions of violent rage. He spends a lot of time with guns. He has a reputation for being antisocial. These things are going to come up, Mrs. O'grady. The forensic psychologist will be looking at all sorts of factors, including tensions in your family and other sources of stress."

Shep bowed his head. Sandy knew what he was thinking. Their crumbling marriage. Shep's raging temper not a great model for dealing with aggression, though Shep, G.o.d bless him, had never lifted a hand against her or the children. The furniture, however, was not always so lucky. Shep finally spoke up.

"What if we don't like the expert's findings? Can't we get our own shrink?"

"Absolutely. First thing tomorrow morning I'll pet.i.tion juvenile court for our own forensic psychologist. They'll still appoint the expert, but he'll work for us."

"What does that cost?" Sandy asked hesitantly.

"I mean .. ."

She glanced at Shep; she could tell he was angry she'd brought up money. But she couldn't help herself. Sheriff paid only twenty-five thousand a year, and Sandy barely made nine dollars an hour at her job.

She'd been hoping for more, she'd been hoping to be salaried after this new deal with Wal-Mart closed, but that already seemed a million years ago. She'd run out of the office and never looked back. In the evening Mitch.e.l.l had left her a very nice message telling her to take all the time she needed, but she could tell he was disappointed. He needed help for the meeting now. With her gone, he'd have no choice but to find someone else. That was business.

The juvenile court pays for the experts. It comes out of the court's funds."

"It won't cost us anything?" Sandy asked. Her husband growled. Avery Johnson a.s.sured her it wouldn't. For the first time she saw some compa.s.sion in his eyes. He probably understood a great deal more about their finances than she'd thought.

"The advantage of having our own expert is that he'll be subject to patient-client confidentiality. Danny can be perfectly honest with him, and if we think that's too d.a.m.ning in the end, we simply won't have our expert testify. No one will be the wiser."

"But us," Sandy said.

"If you have the information, you can get Danny help," Avery said calmly.

"If you keep him out of adult court," she countered. That's the challenge," he agreed.

"For a thirteen-year-old boy, adult court spells doom."

They were all silent for a moment, contemplating the no road ahead and the young life at stake. Sandy rubbed her aching temples.

"Danny didn't do it," Shep said stubbornly.

"I'm going to prove it."

The phone rang. Shep automatically picked it up. He said h.e.l.lo, then his face froze and he slammed the phone down.

"Wrong number," he muttered, but they all knew he was lying. The phone had been ringing all morning. Disembodied voices yelling, "I hope they rape the b.a.s.t.a.r.d good. I hope in prison they f.u.c.king tear him apart.

Baby killer, baby killer, baby killer."

Sandy had lived in this town all her life. She had loved it with her whole heart.

She turned back to Avery Johnson.

"What are our chances? Tell me honestly. What happened to the other boys accused of ma.s.s shootings?"

"Nearly all are in jail for life. But most of the shooters were sixteen, which made them fall automatically under the jurisdiction of adult court."

"But not everyone? There's been an exception?"

"Jonesboro. Those two boys were too young, and Arkansas didn't have a statute for sending juveniles to adult court."

They remained in juvenile custody?"

"I believe they were ordered held until their twenty-first birthdays."

Sandy felt hopeful for the first time.

"And did that work out, Mr. Johnson?" she asked anxiously.

"Are they safe, productive members of their community now?"