Free The Innocent by Harlan Coben Page A

now."
    "Congrats."
    "Thanks."
    How long had he known Lance Banner? Since second grade, at least. They were never friends, never enemies. They played on the same Little League team for three years running. They shared a gym class in eighth grade and a study hall junior year of high school. Livingston High School had been big- six hundred kids per grade. They'd simply traveled in different circles.
    "How's it been going for you?" Lance asked.
    "Super."
    The home inspector stepped outside. He had a clipboard. Lance said, "How's it look, Harold?"
    Harold looked up from his clipboard and nodded. "Pretty solid, Lance."
    "You sure?"
    Something in his tone made Harold take a step back. Lance looked back at Matt.
    "We have a nice neighborhood here."
    "It's why we picked it."
    "You really think it's a good idea, Matt?"
    "What's that, Lance?"
    "Moving back."
    "Done my time."
    "And you think that's the end of it?"
    Matt didn't say anything.
    "That boy you killed. He's still dead, isn't he?"
    "Lance?"
    "I'm Detective Banner now," he said.
    "Detective Banner, I'm going inside now."
    "I read all about your case. I even called a couple of cop buddies, got the whole scoop on what happened."
    Matt looked at him. The man had gray flecks in his eyes. He had put on weight. His fingers kept itching and Matt didn't like the way he smiled at him. Lance Banner's family had worked this land as farmers. His grandfather or maybe it was his great-grandfather had sold the land for a song. The Banners still considered Livingston their town. They were the soil here. The father drank too much. So did Lance's two dull brothers. Lance, on the other hand, always hit Matt as being pretty sharp.
    "Then you know it was an accident," Matt said.
    Lance Banner nodded slowly. "Could be."
    "So why the hard time, Lance?"
    "Because you're an ex-con."
    "You think I should have gone to prison?"
    "Tough call," he said, rubbing his chin. "But from what I read, I think you got a bad break."
    "So?"
    "So you did. Go to prison, I mean."
    "I don't understand."
    "Society wants to peddle that rehabilitation crap on the public, hey, that's fine with me. But I"- he pointed to himself-"know better. And you"- he turned the finger toward Matt-"know better."
    Matt said nothing.
    "You may have gone into that place an okay guy. But you want to tell me you're the same man now?"
    Matt knew that there was no right answer to that one. He turned and started toward the door.
    Lance said, "Maybe your home inspector will find something. Give you a way to back out."
    Matt went inside and finished up with the inspector. There were several issues- some pipe problem, one overloaded breaker- but they were all small. He and Harold finished up, and Matt started for Marsha's house.
    He pulled into the tree-lined street where his nephews and sister-in-law- was she still considered a sister-in-law after your brother died? "Ex" certainly didn't sound right- resided. The boys, Paul and Ethan, were on the front lawn rolling in the leaves. Their babysitter, Kyra, was with them. Kyra Walsh was a recent freshman-transfer taking summer classes at William Paterson University. She rented a room above Marsha's garage. Kyra had come highly recommended from someone at Marsha's church, and while Matt had been initially skeptical of the whole idea of a live-in babysitter (nonetheless a college student) it seemed to be working great. Kyra ended up being a pretty terrific kid, a fresh-faced burst of needed sunshine from one of the "I" states in the Midwest, he could never remember which one.
    Matt stepped out of the car. Kyra shaded her eyes with one hand and waved with the other. She smiled as only the young can. "Hi, Matt."
    "Hey, Kyra."
    The boys heard his voice and turned their heads like dogs hearing their owner rummaging for treats. They sprinted at him, calling, "Uncle Matt! Uncle Matt!"
    Matt felt a sudden lightness in his chest. A smile played with the corner of his lips as the boys rushed him. Ethan grabbed hold