The little girl hadn’t spoken since the night her mother was found on the kitchen floor! Then the court dog lowered his head-and she whispered one sentence toward the defense table…

predictable, but not careless. He called the drawing inflammatory. He warned that the State was asking jurors to treat a child’s art as a lineup. He argued that the red tie could have come from seeing lawyers in court.

Ava did not deny that possibility. She could feel Judge Whitcomb paying attention to that restraint.

“The State isn’t asking the jury continue reading …