Lucinda makes notes about which photos correspond to which incidents, and, when she's got them all, puts the camera away. "Now," she says. "This case is pretty much going to convict or acquit based on your testimony. Do you feel able to do that - sympathetically, convincingly, for as long as it takes? If not, I can see if the defense is up for a plea bargain, but I think we can win this outright if you testify well."

"I dunno how sympathetic I am, but I'll give it my best shot," he says. "And I'm not gonna quit in the middle, that's for fucking sure."

"Okay," says Alice. "Oh, uh—I got into a lot of fights at school so nobody'd look twice if I showed up with bruises. Is that relevant?"

"Yes. I'll make sure you have a chance to mention that," Lucinda says. "Especially if the defense tries to paint you in a negative light for the behavior."

"Pretty sure the only reason I wasn't constantly getting in shit for it was because he knew I was covering for him."

"The defense attorney's going to ask why you were covering," Lucinda says, "and you want to have an answer ready."

"I lived in his house," he says. "If I'd tried this back in New York I would be in his house, and he would not be making me tea and cupcakes."

"And now you have somewhere else to go?" Lucinda asks, gesturing at the Swan residence.

"Yep," says Alice.

"All right. If I were the defense, next I'd ask you why you didn't trust the police to protect you if you went to them in New York."

"'Cause the first thing I ever learned about cops is that enough money will make 'em go away," he says, "and it took me this long to unlearn it."

"That would probably be better presented as a story about the unlearning, rather than dwelling on the original mistrust," Lucinda advises. "Am I correct in guessing that Chief Swan was personally involved there?"

"Kinda, yeah," he says. [You mind if your name comes up?]

"I made friends with his daughter," he says. "And, you know, she believes in her dad. Which was weird on a number of levels. She brought me around pretty quick, though."

Lucinda obviously thinks this is adorable. "That's lovely. We might want to call her up to testify too, to corroborate what you have to say."

"I can ask her," he says. [Or I could offer to go get you.]

[Should I try to not obviously have a crush on you in front of the lawyer?] he thinks to ask.

[Dunno,] he says, with a very slight shrug. [Thought I'd ask just in case.] Since it is permissible, though, he lets himself smile at her.

"All right," Lucinda says. "Unless either of you can think of anything, I'm going to go find Mrs. Hammond and speak to her."