Free Heart of Ice by April Henry, Lis Wiehl Page A

to meet him in one of the private conference rooms, Mr. Dowell wasn’t anything like the lawyers she had seen on TV, with their beautiful dark clothes and their expensive sleek cars. His suit jacket didn’t even match his pants. There was a patch of silvery stubble under his left ear. And Sissy didn’t need to be able to see into the parking lot to know that his car was an old junker.
    He looked at her like he was weighing her too. His lips firmed, pressing together for an instant. In that one movement, Sissy could see that he wished he were anywhere but with her.
    Mr. Dowell started to speak, stopped, coughed, cleared his throat wetly. She was more disgusted by him than ever.
    “Elizabeth—”
    “It’s Sissy,” she interrupted him. “Everyone calls me Sissy. That’s what Mikey called me. He couldn’t pronounce Elizabeth.”
    He tilted his head as if he were surprised to hear her use her cousin’s name. “Okay. Sissy. You need to know that the state of Oregon is considering charging you as an adult.”
    Her attention snapped back to her plight. “But I’m not an adult.” She couldn’t go to prison. Live in a place like this forever? “I’m only thirteen.”
    “And I’m fighting it. The one thing you have in your favor is your age. If you were sixteen or even fifteen, it would be much harder. With adults, there is often an emphasis on deterrence or punishment, but the laws for juveniles are focused on rehabilitation. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
    Of course Sissy understood. The question was, should she let him know that she understood? Would he do a better job of defending her if he thought she was some half-wit mouth breather who was too stupid to understand what she had done? Or would it be better to reveal to him how smart she was, how clever? Or was sympathy the real angle that would get him to work his tail off for her, a poor girl who had never had a chance?
    When they learned about chameleons in third grade, Sissy had felt a spark of recognition. Chameleons were lizards that could change their skin color. They were like magic.
    Mr. Dowell spoke before Sissy could decide what he needed her to be.
    “I think we will succeed in keeping you in the juvenile system. But there are still many decisions we need to make. Later today, you’re going to have to plead guilty or innocent. It might be possible for me to get the court to agree to you pleading guilty to a lesser charge.”
    Sissy did not plan to admit anything. “And what would happen if I did that? Would I still go to jail?”
    “Well, not jail, not if I succeed in keeping you in the juvenile system. You might have to go to a reform school. It’s not a bad solution.”
    Sissy had to get out of there. Out of any place like this. Where you were never alone, and eyes watched everything you did.
    “No. I’m innocent. I was lying when I said those things to that FBI agent. I just wanted to get away from my grandmother. She’s really the one who did it.” This was one approach she had been considering, but she spit it out too soon, without a chance to add the details that might sell it.
    “Sissy.” He held up one hand wearily. “Please.”
    She couldn’t give up, not that easily. “But I’m not guilty. I’m not going to plead guilty. I won’t.”
    “Okay.” Mr. Dowell sighed. “The next step is deciding whether we go before a judge or a jury. With a jury, we might be able to persuade people that you had a reason to do what you did. With a judge, it all depends on the luck of the draw.”
    Sissy imagined twelve pairs of cold eyes on her. She was good at making herself be what one person wanted. But it was impossible to be what twelve people wanted, not all at the same time. “A judge.”
    He made a note. “Okay. We’ll tell them you want to waive your right to a jury trial and go before a judge.” He looked up. “Now are you sure that’s what you want to do? Not plead to a lesser charge? Not request a jury? These are big