“You’re not improvising tonight,” the lawyer said. “You’re not arguing. You’re not chasing them. We let the facts talk.”

The ceremony was in a hotel ballroom downtown. The Chamber of Commerce was collecting holiday toys for the children of deployed personnel. Dozens of local businesspeople, government officials, and executives from the regional bank where Ross worked as a manager were there.

Corinne arrived in her dress uniform. Mrs. Odom came with her, wrapped in a green sweater covered in glittery reindeer.

“If we’re going to ruin a professional liar’s night, I want them to see me looking fabulous,” the old woman said, winking.

For the first time since coming home, Corinne laughed.

Rachel had quietly notified the State Prosecutor’s Office, Child Protective Services, and the bank’s compliance department. All of them wanted to watch Ross while he still believed he owned the room.