Martin explained more about the case, answered questions, and then the host took a break.
Charlie came out of the producer’s booth. “Going to the green room. Be right back with the other guest.”
Maggie and I exchanged smiles at Charlie’s professional use of the word guest. We both knew the guest well.
As we waited, I glanced at my cell phone, expecting a text from Theo. He was in his business partner’s car, en route to a meeting, but I knew he’d be listening.
You rock, his text said.
And then I saw a text right below that one. From Sam. Hey. Just turned on radio and heard you on WGN. You sound great. Hope you are. You deserve a great life.
Just then, the door of the studio opened. Charlie led my mother into the studio and set her up with headphones and a microphone. He hustled back into the producer’s booth and his voice broke into the studio. “Five seconds.”
“We’re back,” Tom said shortly, “and we’ve got another guest, Victoria McNeil. Apparently, it’s the McNeil family hour today.” We all laughed. “Welcome to the show.”
My mother had spent years in the radio biz—as a DJ in Michigan and as a traffic reporter after we moved to Chicago. She angled her mouth toward the microphone like she’d been doing it every day since. Her strawberry-blond hair fell a little bit over her shoulders, and I was struck by how beautiful she was. “Thanks, Tom, for having me,” she said into the mike. Her voice was smooth and projected perfectly into my headphones.
“Tell us, Victoria, how you became a part of this story, too.”
“I run a program called the Victoria Project. It helps women who are widowed. Last year, the Victoria Project got a very generous donation from an estate. We’ve been cautious in deciding how to use the money, but now I know I want to put it toward a new arm of the Project.”
I glanced at Maggie and we both smiled.
“We will be using ten million dollars to introduce an initiative to help people like the children of Amanda Miller, who find themselves without a mother or a father.”
“They’re orphans.”
“I suppose, technically, but we don’t like to use that word at the Victoria Project. These children are fortunate to have other family members supporting them. For example, Amanda Miller’s children are living with their aunt and her husband. It’s those family members, and others like them, we want to focus on.
“Many charities fund research to cure various diseases—breast cancer, lymphomas, Lou Gehrig’s disease. But too little attention is given to the family members who support loved ones going through illnesses or the crisis, such as the one the Miller family had.”
“So,” Tom said, “you’re talking about people who have changed their lives to support family members or friends.”
“Exactly. We want to give them all the help they need. If there are kids involved, as in the Millers’ situation, we’ll help the kids with scholarships. We’ll also provide counseling for families, couples, individuals. And there is so much more we have planned.”
Tom continued to ask questions. Eventually, he directed the conversation back to Martin and the juicier part of the story—the execution of an innocent man.
A large window in the studio looked over Michigan Avenue, since the station broadcast out onto the street out there. A few pedestrians stood listening, some waving at Tom, who would genially wave back without a break in his words.
But suddenly I saw my mom move her face from the microphone and squint out the window.
I turned and almost burst out laughing at what I saw: Spence and my father.
We’d known they were going to be together to listen to us on the radio. Spence was a guy who needed to help everyone. My mother had finally convinced him that, yes, maybe she was a new person, but that new person loved him very much and had no intention of leaving. Once Spence had gotten that message, he’d been reaching out to my father. We’ll be friends in no time! he said.
We weren’t too sure about that—my father had no friends—but he was doing his part, too. He’d agreed to go to their house this afternoon and sit in their bay window and listen to us on the radio with Spence. But apparently plans had changed.
Spence waved broadly now, an even broader smile on his face. My father gave a sideways glance at him, and then, with a grudging look on his face, gave a quick raise of his hand.
I stared at them. Not only had their plans changed—life had changed. All of our lives. And as I watched Spence, I realized that life would probably keep on doing that. And that was okay.
Acknowledgments
Thank you so very much to Amy Moore-Benson, Maureen Walters and Margaret O’Neill Marbury. Thanks also to everyone at MIRA Books, including Miranda Indrigo, Valerie Gray, Donna Hayes, Dianne Moggy, Loriana Saciolotto, Craig Swinwood, Pete Mc Mahon, Stacy Widdrington, Andrew Wright, Katherine Orr, Alex Osuszek, Erin Craig, Margie Miller, Adam Wilson, Don Lucey, Gordy Goihl, Dave Carley, Ken Foy, Erica Mohr, Darren Lizotte, Andi Richman, Reka Rubin, Margie Mullin, Sam Smith, Kathy Lodge, Carolyn Flear, Maureen Stead, Michelle Renaud, Kate Studer, Stephen Miles, Jennifer Watters, Amy Jones, Malle Vallik, Tracey Langmuir, Anne Fontanesi, Scott Ingram, Marianna Ricciuto, Jim Robinson, John Jordan and Brent Lewis.
Much gratitude to my experts—attorneys Catharine O’Daniel and Dick Devine, as well as physicians Dr. Richard Feely, Dr. Doug Lyle and Dr. Devon Isaacson.
Thanks also to everyone who read the book or offered advice or suggestions, especially Pam Carroll, Liza Jaine, Christi Smith, Carol Miller, Les Klinger, Katie Caldwell Kuhn, Margaret Caldwell and William Caldwell.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1178-0
CLAIM OF INNOCENCE
Copyright © 2011 by Story Avenue, LLC.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Praise
Also by Laura Caldwell
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 4
3
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Acknowledgments
Copyright
Claim of Innocence Page 34