ALL THINGS PRETTY PART TWO by M. Leighton Page A

says stiffly, offering his hand before stepping
aside to let me enter.  
    “Thanks for agreeing to talk to me. I know it’s late, but…”
    He pins me with his shrewd blue eyes and nods, saying
nothing before he turns and leads me to his study.   It’s done in browns and reds, much like
his office downtown, if I remember correctly.   That strikes me as a little odd, but
whatever.   If that’s what gets him off…
    He takes a seat behind the wide desk and I ease down into
one of the chairs in front of it.   Even
though we’re in this guy’s home, it’s all business.   Yeah, it definitely has the feel like we’re downtown.  
    “So, what can I do for you?”
    “You got the file?”
    “Yes. I’ve been looking at the reports.   Talked to your captain, too.”
    “Then you know the basics.   I’m here to talk to you about her
options,” I begin, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees.   “She was thirteen years old when her older
brother attacked her younger brother and their mother.   He was jacked up on bath salts.   Knocked the younger kid around a
little.   Beat the shit out of the
mother. She never has recovered completely.   The girl, Tia, she swung the bat once to
get him to stop hitting the mother.   Killed him with one strike.   No intent to kill.   She was afraid for her life, and that of
her family.   It was just her and her brother after that.   She took care of him and the mother. Both
of them…challenged.   The
youngest, he has Asperger’s.   Needs some
special care.   Good kid, though. High functioning.   But I can see where she’d feel the need to look out for him.   He needs security, routine, which I
learned in my research is pretty typical.   Then, to make matters worse, Lance Tonin got a hold of her.   Shit went downhill after that. Kid
started muling for him, afraid to say no, afraid of what would happen to his sister.   The whole thing’s messed up as
hell.   But, what I’m getting at…in a
nutshell…is that at the time of
commission , these crimes are all juvenile offenses.”  
    I stop there, letting those words sink in.   They’re the lynchpin of my whole
case.   And what I hope will be his whole case.
    “So what are you asking?”
    “I know in certain cases, Georgia law allows for involuntary
manslaughter to be charged as a misdemeanor.   This girl, Tia, she has gotten her GED,
completed college courses, all so that she can provide for her and her brother
by legal means.   Legitimately.   She was just waiting for him to turn
eighteen so that the state couldn’t take him out of the home and stick him in
the foster system or institutionalize him.   Neither of them has been dinged for a damn thing in years. All juvenile
offenses are measured against the likelihood of rehabilitation.   They can be rehabilitated. Hell, they have been rehabilitated.   They could have a good life if all this
could be put behind them so they could have a fresh start. But you know as well
as I do that Tia won’t get more than a shit job if she gets charged with a
felony. Her life will be pretty much over.”
    Lemmon leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers and looking at me over the tops.   “Misdemeanor, huh?”
    “Yes, sir.   She
was thirteen at the time. The unintentional death of her brother after what
he’d done to their mother left her completely alone with a younger brother to raise .   Since the
commission of the crime, she’s made mostly good choices.”
    “You’re considering Lance Tonin a good choice?”
    “She didn’t have a
choice there, sir.   A guy like took
advantage of a child. Has been ever since. Had her scared. Blackmailing her to
keep her quiet, to keep her in line.   But being afraid isn’t a crime.   She’s committed no crimes for him, she’s covered up no crimes for him. She has simply played the obedient boy toy.   Because she felt like she had no other
choice.”
    He nods, eyes narrowing on me.   “And the boy?