“I understand you have a plea agreement for me.” “We do, Your Honor.” I held my breath, unable to do a damn thing as Ashley’s fate unfolded. Chapter Nine The courtroom was dead quiet as everyone waited for the judge to speak. “Very well,” he said. He flipped back through the papers again until he came to the first page. “Ashley Louise Hennessy, you are charged with one count of negligent homicide and one count of possession of a controlled substance. How do you plead?” The D.A. had dropped the other charge of child endangerment, I noted. Ashley stood, ramrod straight, and in a clear, high voice announced, “Guilty.” She said it like she owned it. I was the only one not surprised. Kirk’s eyebrows lifted as he scribbled furiously in a pocket-sized notebook. Dee sucked in a sudden short breath and covered her mouth with her hand. Nona’s head bent quickly as if to pray. On second thought, maybe I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t shocked. I caught a glimpse of Jimmy in the back row, head nodding in support.
