While waiting for Ada to show up, Perry was still thinking about this case. Could it have been something to do with George Mason's murder a couple months ago? That was something to look at. Maybe Paul and Della had guessed that too. How would Ada react to the idea of restarting his father's case?

She showed up within fifteen minutes since she was in town. Ada knew there was a lot to talk about, even if it means Perry wanted to restart George's case.

"I'll just tell him to keep that case shut. I don't want to know who killed George," Ada kept saying to herself as she drove into the driveway at his house.

Perry heard a car park in the driveway, so he got up from the couch and saw it was Ada's car. He ran out to meet her.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Perry. I bought something with me."

"What's that?"

"Dinner and dessert from the grocery store."

He opened the front door so Ada could carry the food in and put it in the fridge. It felt good seeing her again after a couple of months.

"I thought you said you wouldn't talk to me ever again," Perry reminded her.

"I didn't mean it. Maybe it was because of your father's murder probably made me say that."

"Sorry, Mom. What do you think of the idea of restarting his case?"

"I had a feeling this would come up. No, I don't want you to reopen it, Perry. I don't need to know who did it to your father. I know it wasn't me."

"Of course not, Mom."

"You weren't on my side when I had to show up in that courtroom."

"Yes, I was. Isn't that why I was your lawyer in the first place?"

"I guess so."

"I think I missed something with Dad's case when it happened. I'm opening it again after the car accident is over, whether you like it or not."

"What did you miss?"

"I don't know one hundred percent sure, Mom. That's why I wanted to reopen the case. I'd like to know what happened to him."

"My question is, if you reopen it, does that mean I would have to go back on that witness stand?"

"You might. Didn't you witness anything? I remember you said that you were out to lunch with a friend at the time Dad was murdered."

"Yes. that's right, Perry. If I have to get back on that witness stand, I might even stop talking with you again. I just think it's embarrassing. I'm sure your grandmother would agree on that."

"Mom, this time those kids who were here with that dog of theirs aren't going to get involved again. Remember they accused me besides you?"

Ada nodded.

"I do. You would never do something like that since you're a lawyer."

"If you're going to forgive me on what happened with the court that day, what is the best option for us to communicate in the future?" he asked.

"That's why I wanted to come over. I still love you, and I won't let that stop, no matter what."

"Tell me what ideas you came up with for communication, Mom."

"Forgiveness is going to take time, Perry. You know that by now."

"Yes, I do. Now tell me what you thought of."

Ada didn't see much change in her son since the last time they saw each other when Perry bought those kids and their dog to ask questions. The just haven't spoken since that day.

"If you are at my house or I'm over here, we can communicate by writing stuff down."

"That doesn't make sense. I'm not going for that," he told her.

Ada saw he was right.

"That's all I can come up with, Perry. How about you? Any ideas?"

"Nothing at the moment. I can tell you one thing, Mom."

"What's that?"

"The woman you met on the phone, we are not going to get her involved to communicate through her."

"I guess we already started that. You didn't want to come to the phone when I talked with her, didn't you?"

"Mom, I did, but the doctor is pretty strict about visitors right now."

"What is that doctor like?"

"I don't know him very well since my private investigator has been talking with him. He's been the doctor for me since the first day of that car accident."

"Are you sure he didn't say no to the hospital?"

"He just thinks this place is enough," he answered.

"I love you, Perry, but I don't like the idea of being accused from my own son on a murder case I didn't get involved in."

"I never said that. It was those contest winners Paul had chosen. They accused bot of us. You know by now there are not supposed to be any guns in the house."

"Yes, I do know that. I guess we'll keep talking more about forgiveness ideas, then," she replied.

"I don't want to get the silent treatment from you like I am now. How would Dad react to that?"

"I don't know. I thought the same thing myself. I feel lost on that."

"We might've to communicate through him, but there's no way we're going to do that with the woman you talked with on the phone," Perry said, thinking of Della.

"Of course I don't want her involved."

"Do any of your friends know about us fighting?"

"Only a couple, but they're close friends," Ada answered.

"I hate fighting with my mother, but this is the first time. If I open Dad's case again, I am going to be your attorney and you tell the court what you knew besides having lunch that day when Dad died."

"I knew this was going to happen, Perry. I am proud of you getting this far, but I just don't like being accused of something I didn't do."

"I never accused you like I just said, Mom. I'm sure Dad would've agreed to that."

Ada couldn't help thinking the opposite like her son was, but that was how they both think.

"Okay. If you're going to be my attorney, just don't ask me too many questions in front of the court. I would hate to stop talking with you on a crime I didn't commit."

"I believed you the whole time, Mom. How many times have I said that already? We are family, but I just want you to understand how the court works. If I open the case again, we will win since he was my father."

"Are you one hundred percent sure we would win?"

"We're family, Mom. That would never stop."

"Look like this conversation isn't over yet."

"Guess not," he agreed.

"I did see the headline in the paper this morning. I screamed when it said you passed out."

"I know, but that happened because I thought I saw somebody familiar who could've been the one that murdered Dad."

"You did? No wonder you want to restart the case. I'll let you do what you have to do."

"It's going to be hard on us for a while longer, Mom. I never got to say good - bye. It was a good thing you weren't around the house when it happened."

"I know, Perry. This is a crazy world these days. You are a good lawyer, but when your father was still here, he said that you were a better attorney than he was. Your father did pretty well for himself."

"Is that right he was on his second case when you met?" Perry asked.

"Yes. He was only an attorney for a few years. When you came along, he quit."

"And hasn't done it since?"

"No. But he followed your cases," Ada replied.

"Too be he won't be here to follow his murder case."

"He's had some dangerous ones before you were born. Even more dangerous than yours," Ada added.

It was a good thing both mother and son were getting somewhere with communication right now.

That was how George Mason worked on murder cases - dangerous.

"When your father did this, he had to keep switching private investigators because the same ones always quit after the case he asked to help. Glad you kept the same one," Ada told him.

"Paul would never quit."

And that was the truth.

"Mom, I just had a thought," he said.

"What?"

"Do you think the person who killed Dad could have been one of his clients?"

"I never thought of that, Perry, but it was a good guess. Maybe they would come to you."

"I don't know about that."

She saw he had a good point.

The older woman began to cry.

"Mom, don't cry."

"I feel lost at the house, Perry. I'm just tired of talking to myself all the time," she said.

"I understand. You're welcome here whenever you want to come over."

"Thank you, Perry. I don't know how your father would react since we're not talking much since a couple months ago."

"I don't either."

Another idea popped in his head.

"I just thought of something," he said after finishing hugging his mother.

"What?"

"Do you still have the cases Dad kept from a long time ago before I came around?"

"I think they could be in the file cabinet in the office."

"Thanks. I'll do it next time I come over to the house. I'm just guessing his last case probably wasn't finished before he quit to raise me."

"I never thought of that, Perry. Just come over whenever you get the chance."

"Do you know if any of those clients Dad had all those years ago could still be alive? I might want to talk with them."

"I don't know how to answer that, Perry. I'm sure some of them are. I can't track them down for you. Have that investigator of your do that job."

She was still crying, but excused herself to find a Kleenex.

Perry knew that her being lonely was to be expected, but there was no way she would ever murder anybody. He's known her his entire life to know that.