Shannon stopped and paused. But even Sandra could tell it wasn't because she was fixing to run. She was just trying to find a way of telling the story.

"Juh-... Judge Walter Franklin. He huh-... helped me muh-... make up my mind."

"Was he a friend? How did you meet him?"

"When I wuh-... went to court. For ill-... illegal underground fuh-... fighting."

Sandra's eyes shot open. "You're . . . kidding, right? You're NOT kidding?!?"

"Nuh-... nope," Shannon said, her eyes a million miles away. "After I muh-... moved out here from the east cuh-... coast, I had an academic scholarship, buh-... but muh-... my loans didn't cuh-... cover...