The courtroom was as crowded as it had been on Thursday and Friday. Goren left the kids with their mother as he went up to the bar to talk to Carver. Carver shook his hand. "How are you feeling, detective?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Carver."

"What did you tell Maggie?"

"Just that you had a few more questions for her. And I didn't call you at four Saturday morning when she woke up with a nightmare about Wallace."

"I am sorry, detective."

"Not half as sorry as I am. She shouldn't have nightmares, not like that."

"We need her to put Wallace away for good. Today will be easy. I just want to ask her about the way we prepped her to testify. That is Shaeffer's only bone of contention with her testimony. I'll call her up, should take five minutes. Shaeffer shouldn't have anything much to ask. Then he will ask for a continuance while his client recovers, which Judge Burrows will grant. Maggie should not have to come back after this. This one will be very easy. For both of you."

The bailiff called the court to order as Goren headed back to his seat and picked Maggie up. Carver called Maggie to the stand. Her father brought her up to the bar, where the bailiff took her hand and walked her to the witness stand. Carver motioned at Goren to sit at the prosecutor's table. Burrows smiled down at Maggie from the bench. "Hello, Maggie."

"Hi, Your Honor."

"Do you remember what we said last week about the things you say here?"

"Yes. I gotta tell what I 'member and not make stuff up. I gotta jus' say what happened."

"Very good. Proceed, Mr. Carver."

Carver approached the stand. "Hi, Maggie."

She smiled. "Hi, Mr. Carver."

"Maggie, do you remember last week, when we talked about what happened after you were taken away from your grandfather's house?"

"Yes. I'll be a big girl today."

Carver smiled kindly. "You were a very big girl last week, and we were very proud of you. But that's not why we asked Mommy and Daddy to bring you back today. Do you remember before you talked to us in front of everybody, when the judge and your dad and I showed you the courtroom and where you would sit and where everyone would be when you talked to us?"

"Yes. An' you was right, Mr. Carver. Ev'eybody was sitted where you said. But where's the mean lady?"

"She's not well today."

"Oh." She paused a moment, then frowned and looked away from Carver. Goren didn't like that, and when she looked back up, she looked right at him. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said quietly.

Carver looked at him, but his expression told him he had no idea why Maggie was apologizing. He looked back at Maggie. "Maggie, why are you apologizing to your father?"

"Because my brain maked me think a bad thing, and Daddy wouldn't like me to think it."

Goren propped his elbows on the table and rubbed his face with his hands. This was not supposed to be a difficult morning. Carver debated about whether or not to pursue this line of questioning. Deciding it couldn't hurt his case and might help this child, he decided to go ahead. "What did your brain make you think, Maggie?"

She looked down at her hands. "She's a very bad lady. She hurted that man at the gas station and Grampa and Uncle Mike. She hurted Mommy's tummy and my arm. An' I'm mad at her because she's mean. But she hurted Daddy bad. Uncle Mike telled me his brain was sleepin' and it might never wake up. What would'a happened if he didn' wake up any more? What if I wasn' there to hold his hand so he would wake up? Then Tommy would be sad and Tommy's never sad. An' I would never be happy any more. I wouldn' like anythin' any more if I didn' have my daddy." Both Carver and Burrows looked toward Goren, but his eyes were riveted to his daughter. His guilt and pain were palpable. Maggie went on, drawing their attention back to her. "Daddy telled me it's 'portant not to stay mad at peoples when they hurt us. But I can' stop bein' mad. When you telled me she was sick, my brain telled me it would be a good thing if she just goed away an' never comed back. An' that's not a nice thing to think. An' I'm sorry I thinked it, Daddy."

When Goren nodded at her, and she knew it was okay, she relaxed a little, wiping a tear that rolled down her cheek. Carver was silent for a long moment. He had known this child all her life but he had never before really appreciated the depth of her attachment to her father, who hadn't even known he was her father until she was three. "I think that your daddy can understand how you feel. I think we all can."

"It's still not nice to think bad things about peoples. Even bad peoples."

"You are a very smart little girl, Maggie. But sometimes we can't help how we feel." He sighed. "Maggie, you spent time in this courtroom watching how things worked. You saw people sitting where you are and answering questions. You watched Judge Burrows doing his job and me doing mine. When we were getting you ready to talk to us, did anyone tell you what to say?"

"Your Honor and Mommy and Daddy telled me all I hadda do was tell what I 'membered. So that's what I did."

"Thank you, Maggie. Now Mr. Shaeffer has a couple of questions and then you can go back to your daddy."

"Ok, Mr. Carver."

When Carver sat down, Goren leaned toward him and whispered, "If he makes her cry, I am going to pound him."

"Please, detective..."

"I am fed up with this, Mr. Carver."

"She's almost done. We won't need her again after this."

"That's what you said last week."

Carver sighed and shook his head, hoping Shaeffer would behave and not upset the child. He did not relish the thought of having to restrain a man the size of her father.

When Shaeffer approached the stand, Maggie frowned. His voice was not unkind. "What's the matter, Maggie?"

"I don' like you."

A chuckle made its way around the courtroom. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I just telled what happened and you don' believe me. She was mean to me and she hurted peoples and that's not nice. But you think I didn' say what really happened but I did."

"I think that maybe some of the adults around you told you what to say."

"Why would they do that? I 'membered. They didn' hafta tell me. An' only me an' Tommy was with her so how could they know what to say? Nobody telled me what to say. They only telled me to say what I 'membered and not to make anythin' up."

At that moment, Shaeffer knew his case was screwed. Not only would her testimony stand, but she'd won over every person in that jury box. More than half of them had wiped away tears when she'd described how sad her life would be without her father, and even he believed what she said.

"Ok, Maggie. Thank you. I have no more questions, your honor."

Burrows looked at Maggie. "You did a very good job again today, Maggie. Thank you for coming back to talk to us. You can go to your daddy now."

"Thank you, your honor."

She slid off the chair and ran into her father's arms. He picked her up, gave Carver another unhappy glare and headed into the gallery. Shaeffer stood and said, "Your Honor, I would like to request a continuance while my client convalesces from her accident Friday afternoon."

Burrows looked at Carver. "Mr. Carver?"

"No objection, your honor."

"Very well. I'll grant a one month continuance. We'll see how your client's condition is at that time. This court is adjourned."

He brought down his gavel and left the courtroom. Once in the corridor, Goren leaned down to his wife. "Um, we really need to talk to her."

"I know. Let's take them to Dad's and we can talk to her there before we come back to work."

He nodded. Maggie was holding tightly to his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. Tommy reached out and touched his sister's arm. "Maga!"

Maggie looked at him and smiled. She took his hand and swung it back and forth. Tommy giggled. Goren kissed her head. "Let's get you guys to Grandpa's."