The sky was a heavy, bruised purple.

Rain started to drizzle against the windshield, smudging the gray light.

We parked in the municipal lot and walked toward the concrete building.

The wind blew wet leaves across the pavement.

Jerome was waiting for us in the lobby.

He wore a dark blue suit and carried a thick leather briefcase.

“Are they here?” I asked.

“They just walked in,” Jerome said, gesturing toward the elevator.

“How does Scott look?” Rachel asked.

“Like a man who thinks he is about to collect thirty million dollars,” Jerome said.

We took the elevator to the fourth floor.

The hallway smelled of floor wax and old paper.

Outside Courtroom 4B, Scott was standing by the water fountain.

He wore a tailored gray suit I hadn’t seen before.

His hair was slicked back, and he looked tan, as if he had spent the weekend at a resort.

Next to him stood Kayla.

She wore a tight, maternity-style dress that clearly showed her pregnant stomach.

She looked younger than I remembered, and nervous.

A tall man in a navy pinstripe suit stood beside them, whispering to Scott.