Page 8 of Defend Me

“Hey Noah,” he says, looking at me with a mix of sympathy and discomfort. Derek is a nice guy, and I think he might believe in my innocence too. It’s a small consolation, though, when I’m still on this side of the bars. “There’s, um, someone here to see you.”

I sit up as Von walks into view. She’s changed from the strapless gold number she was wearing at the Everton event, in favor of a black pencil skirt and a silk, sleeveless blouse. I wonder if she even owns a pair of jeans anymore. I remember making mud pies with her on rainy days in Marion’s garden. She was never squeamish, like a lot of other girls. She’d happily slap together thick wads of mud and then gleefully pelt me with them.

Her auburn hair is pulled back in a low ponytail and her cinnamon eyes are laser focused on me. “You can go,” Von says to Derek in a clipped tone. He seems relieved to escape her presence.

Von crosses her arms over her chest. For a moment, we just stare at each other.

“Hi,” I say. “Come here often?”

It’s a terrible joke and Von does not acknowledge it.

“I’m here to represent you,” she says.

Even though I assumed as much, her words still surprise me. “You are?”

She frowns. “Isn’t that what you and Caden decided together?”

It’s faint, but there’s the slightest irritation in her voice when she says Caden’s name.

“I was not involved in any decision making,” I point out. “Caden said he was going to ask you to do this. I told him you’d say no.”

One eyebrow raises in a quizzical fashion. “You thought I’d say no?”

“Well, yeah. It’s not really a secret that we haven’t always gotten along.”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s kid stuff. This is serious.”

I sweep my hand out toward the bars, trying to suppress the tightness in my stomach. “I am aware.”

She takes a step toward me. “Do I like you as a person? No. You’re infuriatingly naïve and optimistic when it comes to human nature, you have this ridiculous black and white view of the world, and you act like the cops are always the smart, competent good guys, which—as I hope this arrest will finally enlighten you to—they are not.”

“Gosh, thanks,” I say dryly. “Got any more salt you’d like to rub in my wounds? Maybe some lemon juice too?”

“But,” she says, raising a finger. “Mom loved you. You were part of our family. And I don’t believe for a second that you killed her.”

A strange tingling sensation runs through me, from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes. “You don’t?”

“Of course not. Did you think I would?”

“I don’t know,” I say. “The world feels pretty upside down right now.”

She purses her lips. “The longer you sit in here, the longer the real killer gets away with it.”

“That’s exactly what I said,” I say, bemused. “Look at us. On the same page.”

The corner of Von’s mouth twitches. “Well. There’s a first time for everything.”

“Thank you,” I say sincerely.

“I’m not doing this for you,” she says. “I’m doing it for Mom.”

There’s the Von I know and love.

“The sheriff says you’ll be arraigned Monday morning at the county courthouse. You will be held here until then. If you need anything, you will request it through me. You will not speak to anyone unless I am present. You will?—”

“Have you ever tried a murder case before?” I ask.

At that, her expression turns to one of exasperation. She suddenly looks less like the polished lawyer and a lot more like my best friend’s little sister.

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