"Are you ready?"
"My hard little heart is at peace. I've done some bad things, son, but I feel like God might give me a break. I certainly don't deserve one."
"Why didn't you tell me about the man who was with you?"
"It's a long story. We don't have much time."
"It could've saved your life."
"No, nobody would've believed it. Think about it. Twenty-three years later I suddenly change my story and blame it all on a mystery man. It would've been ridiculous."
"Why'd you lie to me?"
"I have reasons."
"To protect me?"
"That's one of them."
"He's still out there, isn't he?"
"Yes. He's close by. In fact, he's probably out front with all the other loonies right now. Just watching. You'd never see him, though."
"He killed Dogan and his wife?"
"Yes."
"And Dogan's son?"
"Yes."
"And Clovis Brazelton?"
"Probably. He's a very talented killer, Adam. He's deadly. He threatened me and Dogan during the first trial."
"Does he have a name?"
"Not really. I wouldn't tell you anyway. You can never breathe a word of this."
"You're dying for someone else's crime."
"No. I could've saved those little boys. And God knows I've killed my share of people. I deserve this, Adam."
"No one deserves this."
"It's far better than living. If they took me back to my cell right now and told me I'd stay there until I died, you know what I'd do?"
"What?"
"I'd kill myself."
After spending the last hour in a cell, Adam couldn't argue with this. He could not begin to comprehend the horror of living twenty-three hours a day in a tiny cage.
"I forgot my cigarettes," Sam said, patting his shirt pocket. "I guess this is a good time to quit."
"Are you trying to be funny?"
"Yeah."
"It's not working."
"Did Lee ever show you the book with my lynching picture in it?"
"She didn't show it to me. She told me where it was, and I found it."
"You saw the picture."
"Yes."
"A regular party, wasn't it?"
"Pretty sad."
"Did you see the other picture of the lynching, one page over?"
"Yes. Two Kluckers."
"With robes and hoods and masks."
"Yes, I saw it."
"That was me and Albert. I was hiding behind one of the masks."
Adam's senses were beyond the point of shock. The gruesome photograph flashed through his mind, and he tried to purge it. "Why are you telling me this, Sam?"
"Because it feels good. I've never admitted it before, and there's a certain relief in facing the truth. I feel better already."
"I don't want to hear any more."
"Eddie never knew it. He found that book in the attic, and somehow figured out I was in the other party photo. But he didn't know I was one of the Kluckers."
"Let's not talk about Eddie, okay?"
"Good idea. What about Lee?"
"I'm mad at Lee. She skipped out on us."