Chapter 27: Accountability

He saw me through the glass.

He didn't knock. He just stood there holding the bars.

I went upstairs and put on jeans and my mother's apron.

I checked on Lily. Raymond was asleep in the chair beside her bed, his phone alarm in his hand.

I didn't wake him.

At six-twenty-eight Stool Nine came up the sidewalk with his cane.

He looked at the man at the gate for a long time.

He didn't say a word to him.

He stood a little way off, leaning on his cane, waiting for me to open.

At six-thirty I raised the gate.

The bell rang over the door.

Stool Nine came in first and sat on his stool.

Daniel came in after him and stood.

His eyes were swollen. There was a red mark on each wrist.

"My lawyers posted bail at four," he said. "I didn't know where else to go."

"You knew where this was."

The deacon and his wife came in for their Sunday coffee and stopped in the doorway.

So did the bakery sisters, behind them.

Rafael came in the back door in jeans and yesterday's undershirt.

He saw Daniel and stopped by the kitchen pass, arms folded.

He didn't come any closer. He left it to me.

I poured coffee for Stool Nine and the deacon.

I didn't pour any for Daniel.

"Grace," he said. "Her lawyers already called mine. She's going to say I made her do it. She'll say it was all me."

"Was it?"

"I didn't drive." His voice cracked. "I swear to God I didn't drive."

"I know you didn't. I heard you."

He flinched.

"I was going to tell you," he said. "I wanted to come home. Every night I wanted to come home and tell you."

"You came home at ten after two."

He opened his mouth.

"Let me finish," I said.

The room had gone silent. Even the urns had stopped ticking.

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