“She opened a court-supervised escrow account in your name — using a signed admission of guilt from Delroy Crain.” I stared at her.

“Delroy signed an admission?” “He wasn’t given much of a choice,” Mrs.

Wooten said, and for the first time something that was not quite a smile touched the corner of her mouth.

“Your mother could be a very determined woman, when it was for you.

I don’t think Delroy ever knew what hit him.”

Chapter 9 — What Delroy Did

“When your mother found out what had really happened to your settlement,” Mrs.

Wooten went on, “she came to us.