Innocent Until Proven Otherwise — Chapter 11 — Official Version

In the parking lot, Nina hears it all. Kim disagrees. Jack talks to you.

Freddy has a black eye and a lot of anger at two guys. Jack swears they never laid a finger on him.

— …and nobody ever proved a thing — I wrapped up, and took a sip from my cup to give the audience time to let it sink in.

The parking lot went quiet. The Beetle with no wheels, the pickup with a tree in the engine, the half-empty bottle on the hood (main story, ch. 9).

Nina had her cup frozen halfway to her mouth.

— So Freddy's black eye…

— Was a knee that wasn't ours. Tragic accident.

— And Jasmine.

— Between the couple.

She looked at Kim. Kim was leaning on the hood, smoking, with the face of someone who'd just heard his own life narrated by somebody else.

— Jack. — Kim let the smoke out slowly. — That's not exactly how it happened.

— Yes, it is.

— And it wasn't a little pastry. It was a stuffed chicken croquette. I remember it clearly.

— It was a little pastry, Kim. With croquette filling, if that makes you happier.

— And I didn't say "worth it."

— You said it with your eyes, Kim. I translated.

— And it wasn't a slice of cake, it was…

— Doesn't matter. — I raised my hand. — Doesn't matter. This is how it is now. This is how people are going to hear it.