Page 113 of Poison Wood

At the bottom of the stairs, I hear voices in the kitchen. I glance at Grant.

“Where’s the back door?” he says.

“Stop,” I say. “It’s fine.”

I lead the way into the kitchen and immediately see it’s not going to be fine. Carl is sitting at the table. The three dogs run up to Grant, barking and wiggling.

Carl looks up when I walk in. “Well, hello, sleepy hea—” Then he sees Grant. “Oh.”

My dad looks up from his paper and frowns.

Debby walks out of the pantry and says, “Oh, my.”

“Morning,” I say.

Debby’s Southern manners kick in. “Good morning.” She looks at Grant. “Would you like some breakfast?”

He looks at me, and I shake my head.

“Yes, ma’am,” he says. “I would actually love some breakfast.”

I punch his arm.

I’m not sure whose face looks more protective as Grant pulls out a chair, my father’s or Carl’s.

Debby brings over a bowl of grits, a side of butter, and salt. She sets it in front of Grant. “If you ask for sugar, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”

She smiles and Grant laughs. “No, ma’am. No sugar.”

She winks at him.

I bend down and whisper, “You’ve got Debby’s approval.”

I snag a coffee mug from the cabinet and pour myself a coffee, then sit in the chair next to Grant.

Quite the breakfast meeting.

“What’s going on, Carl?” I say.

“I just wanted to come by before Erin and I head south. Wanted to visit with you and your dad.”

“You on this side of the camera now?” I say, eyeing him.

“Not like that,” he says. “I just wanted Judge Mac to know what’s going down.”

“What’s going down?” I say, sipping my coffee.

He looks at Grant. Grant pauses mid-bite. “I can leave,” he says. He finishes the bite. “Although I don’t actually have a car to leave in.”

“No, it’s okay,” I say to him. “It’s okay,” I repeat to Carl.

Carl sighs. “There’s going to be an inquiry into the evidence that was admitted in the first trial. And”—he pauses and looks at my father—“into other trials that involved your dad and the DA at the time. I wanted to tell you in person.”

I sit back in my chair and exhale.

“Also, Judge Mac,” Carl says. “There’s going to be questions about how well you knew Crowley and ... the other thing. The rumors you used your leverage to change documents about ... your first wife’s death.”

Debby drops the plate she’s holding over the sink.