Chapter 10

           Thereweren’tmanywitnesses—maybefourteeninall,halfthenumberthathadbeeninthestorageroomfortheDelacroixexecution.HomerCribuswasthere,overflowinghischairasperusual,butIdidn’tseeDeputyMcGee.LikeWardenMoores,hehadapparentlydecidedtogivethisoneamiss.

           SittinginthefrontrowwasanelderlycoupleIdidn’trecognizeatfirst,eventhoughIhadseentheirpicturesinagoodmanynewspaperarticlesbythatdayinthethirdweekofNovember.Then,aswenearedtheplatformwhereOldSparkywaited,thewomanspat,"Dieslow,yousonofabitch!"andIrealizedtheyweretheDettericks,KlausandMarjorie.Ihadn’trecognizedthembecauseyoudon’toftenseeelderlypeoplewhohaven’tyetclimbedoutoftheirthirties.

           Johnhunchedhisshouldersatthesoundofthewoman’svoiceandSheriffCribus’sgruntofapproval.HankBitterman,whohadtheguard-postnearthefrontofthemeagergroupofspectators,nevertookhiseyesoffKlausDetterick.Thatwaspermyorders,butDettericknevermadeamoveinJohn"sdirectionthatnight.Detterickseemedtobeonsomeotherplanet.

           Brutal,standingbesideOldSparky,gavemeasmallfinger-tiltaswesteppedupontotheplatform.HeholsteredhissidearmandtookJohn"swrist,escortinghimtowardtheelectricchairasgentlyasaboyleadinghisdateoutontothefloorfortheirfirstdanceasacouple.

           "Everythingallright,John?"heaskedinalowvoice.

           "Yes,boss,but...