The Big House

The Big House — page 1 — The Punishment The verdict was in Ivy watched as her parents Dan and Carol Fitts who were on trial for embezzling thousands and thousands of dollars from the estate of Blackstone Mouton stood to face the judge She had a perfect view of her father's black curls so shiny they looked wet and her mother's perfect curls red Ivy’s brother Ray sat close by her side No one breathed Then came the verdict guilty sailing out and filling up the entire courtroom Guilty Ivy jumped to her feet outraged No she cried out Up until that moment throughout the whole long trial Ivy had sat as quiet and still as she knew how to be Her parents lawyer had told Ray and her to act like they were

The Big House — page 2

The Big House — page 3 — everything and it reverberated throughout the imposing polished courtroom straight up Ivy’s backbone and out the top of her head All during the trial she had wished for a fancy hammer of her own and now she wanted one more than ever something she could lift and lower to decree what was what Her hand tightened in a fist at just the thought of wielding one Ray tugged at her sleeve and pulled her back down beside him She crossed her arms hard across her chest and leaned over to him It's not fair she whispered loud It's not Ivy was sure She had paid close attention during the trial she had even kind of enjoyed it safe in her conviction that her parents would beat the rap She liked hearing people tell the same story in completely different ways and she liked deciding who she believed and who she didn't And she hadn’t believed one word Marietta Noland had said about Dan and Carol The old witch insisted they had embezzled money from the estate of her dear departed father Blackstone Mouton and his charity the Last Best Hope So how Ivy wondered could the judge and jury possibly have believed Marietta over Dan Her father's story had been ten times better And he was so much nicer to look at and listen to as he told it sitting in the chair below and to the side of the judge explaining how Marietta had recruited him to set up a charity for

The Big House — page 4 — distributing part of her father’s vast fortune Didn't the judge see how her father had an answer for everything Didn't he notice how beautiful his smile was Ivy thought the lawyer should have asked Dan to do some of his tricks hide a pea under walnut shells know without fail which card you had pulled from the deck produce a penny from behind your ear but all anyone had talked about was money Money money money and who had done what with it When Marietta Noland testified she had worn white gloves with lacy cuffs and a charm bracelet laden with little things that jiggled whenever she moved her hand and a hat with fake berries tied around the brim She had sniffed as she told the story of how Dan Fitts that man she said in her quavery voice pointing at Ray and Ivy’s father with her bony crooked finger had secretly siphoned off thousands of dollars untold thousands she said Money her dear father intended for charity And the judge had believed her the witch Ivy should have known he would she had distrusted the judge from day one from the moment he had entered the courtroom through the special door in the corner his black robe swirling around him Maybe it was the mustache But she also hadn't liked how often he called the lawyers up to his desk and whispered things that no one else was allowed to hear

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