Page 24 of After Anna

“Tell her to stay in touch. She’s a lovely girl, your daughter.”

Your daughter. Maggie hadn’t heard those words, in such a long time. “So she had this planned?”

“Not a plan, a dream.”

“Of mine, too,” Maggie said, thrilled.

Chapter Thirteen

Noah, After

TRIAL, DAY 4

“Hi,” Noah said, as Thomas entered the attorney’s conference room carrying a brown bag that filled the air with the aroma of French fries.

“You’re about to have the best cheesesteak in the jurisdiction.” Thomas set the bag on the table and unpacked Cokes, French fries, and cheesesteaks wrapped in greasy waxed paper.

“Thanks.” Noah slid his share over and unwrapped the warm sandwich with his free hand, since the other one was handcuffed to his stainless-steel chair, which was bolted to the floor, like the table. The attorneys’ conference room was a secured room near the courtroom, where they went for breaks or lunch, usually shorter than bullpen stays.

“Where do you stand on the best cheesesteak in town?” Thomas sat down and opened the cheesesteak, releasing a steamy cloud. “Pat’s v. Geno’s?”

“I’m a Geno’s guy. You?”

“Pat’s.”

“Tourist.”

“Wannabe.”

“Can we still be friends?”

“We never were friends.” Thomas smiled, taking the tinfoil top off the French fries. “Also Jim’s Steaks on South is awesome.”

“Agree.”

“And Sammy’s in West Philly, where the white people never go.”

“I never go,” Noah said, and they laughed.

Thomas slid his phone from his pocket, placed it on the table, and took a massive bite of his cheesesteak, tilting his head to the side, the way Noah’s father used to. It brought back a warm feeling that Noah hadn’t had in years. Jonah Alderman had been a bricklayer, a stoic Pennsylvania Dutchman. The only time Noah had seen him cry was with happiness, the day Noah graduated from college.

“So how do you think it’s going?” Noah took a bite of his sandwich, which tasted delicious.

“It’s going,” Thomas answered, chewing away.

“I want to testify.”

“You’ll get killed up there.” Thomas took another big bite, turning his head again.

“I’m ready. We went over and over it. I’m good to go.”

“I prepared you, but you’re not bulletproof. And she can’t wait for me to put you up there. She’ll eat you alive.” Thomas squirted ketchup on the French fries.

“But we don’t have anything else.” Noah finished the first half of his cheesesteak, wolfing it down.

“They have the burden of proving their case beyond a reasonable doubt, and I hurt their witnesses on cross. That’s the way we’re going to do it.” Thomas picked up some French fries.

“But we need witnesses.”