"Yes, it's neat." Although Wes's tone was not so excited.

This chic, old-fashioned cottage, part of the lavish Carmel Inn, is one of a dozen detached cottages that separate from the main building.

"And the pool!" Maggie shouted, "I want to go swimming." ”

"I'm sorry, I forgot to bring your swimsuit." Katyusha almost wanted to suggest that Edie and Stuart take them to buy swimsuits, but looked back and remembered that her mother shouldn't have been in public because of Father Fisk and the eagle dog outside, "I'll bring it tomorrow." Hey, Wes, there's also a tennis court. You can practice tennis with your grandfather. ”

"Okay."

They got out of the car. Katyusha picked up the boxes she had put together earlier. The children are going to spend the night here with their grandparents tonight.

They walked along the path, lined with vines and succulents that hens loved.

"Which one are they living in?" Maggie asked, bouncing on the road.

Katyusha pointed, and her daughter rushed forward. She rang the doorbell, and a moment later, just as Katyusha and Wes arrived, the door opened, and Edie smiled at her grandson and invited them in.

"Grandma," exclaimed Maggie, "that's cool!"

"This place is nice. Come on in. ”

Edie smiled at Katyusha, who tried to read the smile on her face as well. But her expression was as blank as a piece of paper, making it impossible to read anything.

Stuart hugs his two grandchildren.

Weiss asked, "Are you alright, Grandpa?"

"I'm fine. Martini and Steven are alright?"

"It's fine." Weiss replied.

"The twins and I built a mountain out of pillows," said Maggie, "and there was a cave in the mountain." ”

"Then you'll have to tell me how to do it."

Katyusha saw them come with a guest. George, the famous defense lawyer, got up, stepped forward to shake Katyusha's hand, and greeted him in a deep bass voice. There was an open suitcase on the coffee table, and the yellow paper book and printed materials were piled up messily. The lawyer also greeted the children. He looked polite, but Katyusha could tell from his posture and expression that their conversation was going hard. Wes looked at Hitty with suspicion.

Edie gives the two children some candy and asks them to go out to the playground to play.

"I want to play with my sister." Katyusha commanded.

"Okay, let's go." The boy said to Maggie as he held the juice box and biscuits. They left. Katyusha looked out the window and noticed that she could see the playground from here. The pool is behind a locked door. It is impossible to be vigilant for the sake of children.

Edie and Stuart return to the couch. There were three cups of coffee on the table, which were basically not drunk. The coffee was made by her mother when Hitty arrived, and she would do it when there were guests, and it became her habit.

The lawyer asked about the case and the hunt for Travis.

Katyusha replied briefly, and that's all she could really answer.

"And the girl, what happened to Mira?"

"It seems to be still unconscious."

Stuart shook his head.

The topic of the roadside cross attack was put aside. Hitty glanced at Edie and Stuart, her eyebrows raised. Katyusha's father said: "You can tell her. Tell everything. ”

Hitti explained: "Let's talk about what Harper's plan of action is. He was a conservative and religious man, and he was recorded as opposed to the Dignified Death Act. ”

This proposal pops up from time to time in the state; It is a written law, like the one in the capital. The Act allows a physician to assist a person who has the will to end his or her life to do so. Like abortion, it's a very controversial topic, with the two opposing parties for and against. Currently, if someone in the state helps a person commit suicide, it is considered a felony.

"He wanted to take Edie under the knife. This case is not about assisted suicide, your mother told me that Juan was so injured that he couldn't take medication himself. But Harper wants to send a message that the state will impose the harshest punishment on anyone who assists others in committing suicide. His mind: Don't support the bill because the district attorney scrutinizes every case. As long as you take a step beyond the thunder pool, no matter who you are, as long as you help others die, they will be prosecuted. Very harsh prosecution. ”

He continued to say to Katyusha in a very chic voice: "It means that he is not interested in plea plea. He wanted to go to court and make a big, eye-catching, and propaganda controversy. In the current case, because someone killed Juan, it became murder. "Or first-degree murder." Katyusha said. She is as familiar with criminal law as some people are with The Joy of Cooking.

Hitty nodded, "Because it was premeditated, and Miliar is still a law enforcement officer." ”

"But it's not an exceptional case." Katyusha said, looking at her mother's pale face. In exceptional cases, the death penalty may be imposed, provided that Miliar is killed while on duty.

But Hitty said mockingly, "Believe it or not, he's thinking about it."

"How could he? How could he be?" Katyusha asked, very excited.

"Because Miliar never officially terminated his term."

"He's playing this technical trick?" Katyusha said quickly in disgust.

"Is Harper crazy?" Stuart muttered.

"No, he is motivated, and he thinks he is doing justice. It's scarier than going crazy. A serious case can make the case handler stand out, and that's exactly what he wants. Don't worry, there's no way you can be convicted of murder in exceptional circumstances," he turned to Edie and said, "but I think he'll start with this place." ”

Either way, first-degree murder is gruesome enough. That meant Edie was going to be in prison for 25 years.

The lawyer continued: "Now as far as we are concerned, it is not good to prove legitimacy, nor is it possible to say that it is negligent or justifiable. Saving that person from suffering can work for the verdict. But if the jury believes that you intentionally wanted to end his life, no matter how merciful your motives, they will also convict you of first-degree murder. ”

"That is to say, then, the defense can only be relied on," Katyusha said, "on the facts." ”

"Exactly. First, we'll start with the autopsy and the cause of death. The medical examiner concluded that the cause of Miliar's death was an overdose of morphine and the addition of antihistamines to the solution. This leads to respiratory failure, followed by heart failure. We're going to have to talk to experts and say that's not true. The cause of his death was a natural cause caused by burns and had nothing to do with medications.