Chapter 73

“Sergeant Jones, please pull a chair over here between Mr. Barnett and Mr. Daniels for the young man to sit in.”

When a slightly worried-looking Joe was seated, the judge took the initiative. Putting on an extremely stern face, he said, “Joe, Mr. Barnett has just proved conclusively to both Mr. Daniels and myself, that it is not possible for you to have seen Mr. Bates naked, let alone performed the act you describe. What do you say about that?”

The kid started stammering. “But he did, I mean, I did do it to him.”

“No, son, you did not. Mr. Barnett knows it, Mr. Daniels knows it, and I know it. Now who put you up to this?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do. You didn’t simply wake up one day and decide to make a false accusation out of the blue. Somebody must have talked you into it—or perhaps paid you to do it.”

There was a long silence.

“Well, son? We’re waiting.”

In a voice that was almost a whisper, the kid said, “What’ll happen to me if I tell you?”