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had you. Want me to get a doctor’s order for a sedative?”
    â€œYou never finished.”
    Tish gave her son a look that would’ve scared anyone else into cold silence before she spoke. “Thank you for reminding me that I gave up a career for you and your father. And no, dear . . . I’m not crazy. I’m just trying to make the best of a bad situation and that’s what you need to do, too. Now let’s get those pictures of Julie Love up in your room.”
    â€œMy cell.”
    â€œThe power of positive thinking, Todd, positive thinking.”
    â€œMother. I’m behind bars on two murder one counts. My trial starts in the morning. They had to bus jurors in from another county. What’s positive about that?”
    Todd Adams’s voice took on a whining quality. His mother didn’t notice.
    â€œWhat’s positive? The fact that the world will hear what a wonderful son and husband you are. They’ll hear about your golf scholarship, your job, your degree, your beautiful home and family . . . that’s what’s positive.”
    â€œAnd I don’t want those pictures up in my cell.”
    â€œRoom.”
    â€œOK . . . room . . . whatever! I don’t want those pictures up in my room !”
    â€œBut why? That doesn’t make any sense.”
    â€œBecause . . .” He paused. “They make me depressed. I’m already miserable in this place. Crappy food, hardly any TV, and it’s not even cable . . .”
    â€œBut photos of you and Julie Love will remind you of all the happy times—”
    â€œNo they won’t. They’ll remind me that I’m here in jail because she’s dead. They’ll remind me of home . . . of what I’m missing.”
    â€œShut up!” It came out like a hiss. Tish turned in her seat to look back at the guard at the door. He was pale and wimpy. The way he’d kept peering in through the glass door, glaring through a hideous set of thick glasses . . . she was positive he’d eavesdropped on every single word she and her son had so stupidly uttered.
    His mother’s tone made him sit up straight in his chair and stop the whining.
    â€œHow will it look in front of a jury when they find out you don’t have a single photo of Julie Love up in your room?”
    â€œCell. My cell, Mother.”
    The two sat in sulky silence, each staring the other down. Finally, Tish Adams broke the silence.
    â€œYour father and I didn’t work our fingers to the bone to have our son arrested, much less convicted for first-degree murder. This absolutely will not happen to our family. Now you listen to me and you listen good. You will put up these photos and you’ll keep them up. And remember, no friends. Nobody in this facility is your friend, not the guards, not the inmates, not even the chaplain. You have one friend, Todd, and that’s me. Your mother.”
    He wouldn’t look up, instead gazing down at his knees like a corrected schoolboy.
    â€œNow wipe that look off your face. Your father’s about to come in to visit and then DelVecchio. I’ll get the photos. Understood?”
    Todd Adams wouldn’t answer.
    â€œI said, understood ?”
    â€œUnderstood, Mother.”
    â€œGood. You’ll see, sweetheart. And don’t worry about the Cynthia girl. That will have no bearing on this whatsoever. It was just a stupid mistake on your part, really just careless. It was ancient history . . . all the way back to high school. Nobody cares about that. And, truth be told, if you hadn’t been married to someone . . . someone like her . . . you’d have never sought a shoulder to cry on. That’s all it was really, just a shoulder to cry on. This will all turn out just fine. You’ll be outof here in no time and back home where you belong. With your father and me.”
    Todd Adams said nothing.
    Undeterred by her son’s lack of enthusiasm, she went on.