Tonight we'll learn a little more about the girl bringing charges against Evan.

Thanks for reading.

Chapter 95.

"I still can't believe it's true about Mr. Conway!" Audra declared at lunch the next day. They were back in school for a few weeks before their next holiday.

"Well, I don't know him as well as you do." Ruth munched a baby carrot. "But I don't believe it either."

"Neither does my sister," Joel told them. "Sherry says that Jessica's a trouble-maker. But my dad hit the roof and my mom had one of her 'spells'." He was glad to talk about something other than Gretchen and Scott's relationship, because seeing them together first hand had proven to him that he didn't stand a chance with her. He was so glad he didn't have to think about it, that he didn't realize how much he'd just revealed about his family.

Gretchen looked at him thoughtfully. "Does she have them often?"

"Huh?"

"Your mom. Does she have spells often?"

"Oh, well." He looked around at his suddenly attentive audience. "Not very." He decided he'd said too much already.

Emily shrugged when he didn't say more. "I wonder if they'll let us testify for Mr. C. You know, character witnesses or something."

"Yes, I bet everyone who was ever in his class would do that," Audra agreed.

"I don't think I've ever seen Aunt Tori so upset." Em looked upset, too. "She's always been so blasé about things, you know?"

"Guys, I think we have to do something," Gretchen proposed.

"You mean besides testifying?"

"I mean like finding out why this Jessica is lying."

Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.

House opened his eyes and sat up at the knock on his office door. He was surprised at who was there.

"What brings you into the hospital and away from your students?" he asked.

"It's about this Evan Conway," Kenneth Chambers said. "You heard that he's been arrested, didn't you?"

"He didn't do it," House stated unequivocally.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know people and he's not the type, because I know kids who've been in his class and I've never heard of any hanky panky going on." House studied the other doctor. "It wasn't your daughter who brought the charges, was it?"

"No, no. Sherry's convinced that he's innocent."

"So, what's the problem?"

"My daughter...she's..." Chambers didn't know how to put it without telling too much.

"She wasn't molested in Philadelphia." It wasn't a question. House was sure she hadn't been. "But..." He stared at Chambers "...your other daughter..." He let it hang, waiting for Chambers to fill in the blanks.

But Chambers still seemed reluctant to say more. "I hope you're right about Conway," he said through pursed lips, and left. It was bound to occur to him before long that House shouldn't even know about his other daughter.

Cameron was walking back to her office after checking on her latest patient. As she neared the bank of elevators, she saw Eve Chambers waiting for one.

"Mrs. Chambers, were you here to visit one of our patients?" Cameron asked.

"What?" The woman had been startled by the sound of Cameron's voice addressing her. "Oh, Dr. Cameron." She giggled nervously. "We do keep meeting here, don't we?"

"Yes, yes we do. But you didn't answer my question."

The elevator 'dinged' and the door opened. "No time to chat," Eve said, as she got on the car as quickly as she could.

Cameron stared at the closing door and shook her head.

Evan Conway's sixth-grade class didn't know what to expect when they arrived at school that day. But by lunchtime they were more eager for Mr. Conway to return than ever. The substitute teacher was OK, but deadly dull, especially to kids who'd been used to the lively discussions they had every day with their regular teacher.

Jessica Hutchison, the girl who'd brought the charges against Mr. C., wasn't in class. Something about being too distressed.

"I bet she did it for attention." Faith smirked. Some of the kids at the lunch table nodded.

"Or because she's failed the last two math quizzes," Ricky suggested. None of them believed the allegations. They knew Mr. Conway too well, and they also knew Jessica.

"We've gotta do something to help Mr. Conway," Sherry insisted. The others voiced their agreement.

Chapter 96.

"Tori! What are you wearing?" Clair stared at her sister. Tori had stopped to pick her up that evening so they could go together to see Evan Conway's lawyer.

"Do you think it's too much? I wanted to show solidarity with Evan," Tori explained. She was wearing a pantsuit in horizontal black and white stripes. Of course, she'd kind of missed the point by combining it with black four-inch spike shoes.

"My friends and I are putting together a petition." Emily was either changing the subject or indicating their more appropriate support for their former teacher. "We're trying to get signatures from all the kids who were ever in his class."

"Oh, Em! That is so awesome!" Tori was touched.

"Gretchen and I are going to email Scottie and ask for his help in contacting everyone in his year."

"Wasn't Calene's older brother in his class, too?" Clair asked.

"Yes. She's going to talk to him. And Joel will ask his sister to help us contact everyone who has Mr. C. this year. Aunt Tori, you can tell his lawyer that we'd all be willing to testify."

"Oh, honey. Thank you so much!" Tori pulled her niece into a bear hug.

Once she could speak again, Emily stated, "None of us believe he could have done anything wrong."

Clair nodded, then pulled her sister's arm. "We should be going."

Tori agreed. "We'll be back soon," she told Emily.

Susan Watkins-Flynn had been a lawyer for over fifteen years. The last six she'd dedicated herself to the defense of those wrongly charged with harming children in any way.

How terrifying, frustrating and disillusioning it was for an innocent person to be accused of such conduct, particularly so when the accused is a teacher, stepparent, neighbor or other person who has extended himself to care about, love and counsel a troubled child. Is there a more malicious way to violate the Ninth Commandment and bear false witness against a person?

Since often the only evidence of the crime is the statement of a child, it was always crucial that the child be questioned in a manner that seeks out the truth, not merely in a manner that produces a statement to support presumptions. But if the child maliciously lies, it's difficult, sometimes impossible to prove their accusations are false.

And even when those who've been accused are cleared of all charges, their reputations in their communities are sometimes still so tarnished that they lose their jobs, their livelihood.

A short chubby woman with reddish-brown hair, who was rarely taken seriously as a teenager, Susan had adopted a manner just short of aggressive. She learned the hard way that a lawyer can only defend an alleged "child molester" by careful, intensive investigation and planning. Sometimes assertiveness must be raised a notch, and investigation and discovery must intensify.

Right on time, Tori and Clair were ushered into her office by her male secretary. Susan had to smile at Tori's outfit. Then the taller woman held out her hand, glittering with rings.

"Hi, I'm Tori Kelton and this is my sister, Clair."

"Thanks for coming this evening." Susan motioned to the chairs facing her desk. "As you know, I will be representing Evan. I need some background on him so I can plan his defense."

"He didn't do it." Tori sat down hard on the red leather seat. "He's not the kind of man who could do such a thing."

"Well, from my brief talk with him earlier today, I'm inclined to agree with you."

"We all think very highly of him," Clair added. "My daughter was in his class when she was in fifth grade, and she and her friends are just as certain as we are that he's innocent. They're even starting a petition."

"I may want to talk to some of them. How old are they now?"

"Fourteen." Clair realized how young and impressionable that sounded. "But my step-son had him too, and he's a college freshman."

"So, he's one of those teachers who inspires loyalty in his students?"

"Absolutely!" Tori replied.

"What about the child who accused him?" Clair narrowed her eyes at the attorney. "What do you know about her?"

"I haven't been able to get much information. But I will. We have to find out whether she can separate fact from fantasy. Children are very susceptible to suggestions. This suggestibility can be easily reinforced, either intentionally or not, by discussion of a child's allegations in the presence or hearing of the child. Allegations, heard often enough, become indistinguishable from fact to the child." Susan let that sink in so they'd know what they were up against.

"If there's anything we can do to help, including the kids, let us know," Clair offered.

"Let's start with how long you've known Evan." Susan pulled up a file on her computer and began to take notes as they talked.

"We met Evan when Em, that's my daughter, was in his class. A little over four years ago. Scottie had known him before that, but we didn't know Scott then either."

"That's your step-son?"

Clair nodded.

"I met Evan at Games and Grub," Tori said. "We began dating soon after that. We, um, it's been on-again, off-again, but that's my fault," she admitted. "He really is the nicest guy I've ever known. It's just...well, I've had a few failed marriages..."

"I understand." Susan nodded. "Did he ever mention Jessica Hutchison?"

"Is that the girl? No, I don't think so," Tori answered thoughtfully.

"OK, I'll need you to write down every time the two of you were together over the past month, for how long and where. We might be able to use that to get the girl to slip up on her story."

"You will be able to help him, won't you?" Tori pleaded.

"I'll do everything I can. And I'm really quite good at this, if I do say so myself."