I returned my keys in an envelope at the front desk. I didn't go into the office. I didn't ask whether anyone was there.
Three days later, the deputy called and asked me to come in for a follow-up statement. I sat in a small interview room with a glass of water and a box of tissues. I wasn't crying, but the box had been placed within easy reach.
The deputy reviewed my account. He asked why I had hit Grace. He asked how many times. He asked whether I had been able to leave the pantry.
"I hit her once," I said. "She had slapped me. I could have walked away. I chose to hit her."
"Do you believe your response was self-defense?"
"I believe she struck me first. I also believe my punch was more force than I needed to use."
He wrote that down.
He asked what happened after my father took me
