Jake Reed arrived at the courthouse at 8:45 a.m. in the same dark jacket he wore to every occasion that required him to look like he had tried. He had his mother's eyes and Ethan's jaw and the expression of a man who had made a decision that was going to cost him something and had made peace with the price.
Mia was already inside with Patricia, in the hallway outside the preliminary hearing room. When she saw Jake come through the security doors she stood. She crossed the hall. She did not hug him — she put a hand on his arm for one second, which was the language they had developed over twenty texts and two diner meetings for the thing that was too large for words.
He nodded once.
"How are you?" she asked.
"I've been better." He almost smiled. "I've also been worse. Let's go in."
The
