Kessler, in the corner, said nothing whatsoever.

“I remember the call,” Mercer said again. “I remember it was about three in the morning my time. I remember you sounded like you’d been through a wood chipper.

I remember I’d been briefed that morning that Colonel Shaw’s twins were in an incubator and Colonel Shaw’s husband had not appeared at the hospital, and I remember what I thought about that man, which I will not repeat with a court reporter anywhere in the state.

“And I remember you told me you were pulling your recusal and running the Thorne case yourself.”

“And you authorized it.”

“I said fine,” Mercer said.