Crash Test Dummy

Chapter 30

The next morning was grueling. I had to watch Mom sort of wilt as we went over my list. She told Cory and Brock what she knew, how she knew it and when she found out for certain. Even though Cory and I had gone over the list the day before, he made me tell Mom the details. I guess he wanted to make sure she could say I told her about them.

We started with smoking and my e-cig.

"I knew Jake and Marlow smoked. You couldn't miss the stench on their clothes, and their teeth had tobacco stains." She looked sad but resigned. "I didn't know about the e-cig, though. CW swore he didn't smoke, and I didn't even think about him vaping."

"Okay," Brock said. "If the defense attorney asks you about the boys smoking, you cannot answer that way. You simply say that you are aware that Jake and Marlow smoke, it's kind of hard to miss. You add that you assumed if CW was friends with them, you imagined he had tried it, so you were relieved when you found out that he was vaping, which is a much healthier alternative. You could even throw in something about being a nurse and reading studies about vaping vs smoking, if you want to. The impression will that you were aware that CW uses an electronic cigarette."

"That's fine," Mom said. "I can do that honestly. I have read studies, and if CW must do one, I much prefer vaping. But if they ask me how I found out or when, I am going to tell the truth."

"That's fine," Brock said. "I can handle that in cross."

"How?"

"Mrs. Braisford, you said that you found out during discovery that CW owned an electronic cigarette. Were you surprised?"

"Not, really. I knew the other boys smoked. I knew what peer pressure is like. I even talked to CW about the dangers of peer pressure and teens who think they're invincible. I knew that if he was hanging out with them, he would be pressured into something."

"See," Brock said. "You could answer that question honestly. You weren't surprised, even though I imagine you were disappointed."

"True," she said. "And by the way you worded the follow-up question, I now know that I can say that I found out during discovery instead of saying on Saturday. That gives him the chance to narrow it down, but he may not."

"True," Cory interjected. "And if he asks when discovery started, you can say truthfully, 'As soon as CW agreed to testify.'"

"I don't know," Mom said. "It all seems so complicated."

"It's not really," Brock said. "The general rule is to answer the question truthfully but give as little information as possible. Make them fish for the fine details."

"Don't you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"Yes, but you don't promise to tell the whole truth all at one time. You are telling the truth. You are answering the question the way it was asked. Don't read between the lines. Answer only what is specifically asked," Brock said. "Discovery did start the day that CW agreed to testify. You were kept apprised of the discoveries as they were made throughout the process. Do not make assumptions that the defense attorney doesn't voice. Do you see the difference?"

"I do. I even see the reasoning behind the instruction. But it still feels like I'm being deceptive."

"Well, I can't control what you feel, but I can assure you that what you are doing is well within the law. As long as you answer succinctly and without looking guilty, you should be okay."

Mom sighed. "Okay. You've got a long list there. We'd better move on."

Mom admitted that she didn't know that Marlow brought a tablet so we could play forbidden games. "I do know that CW has played WOW and similar games at friend's houses and sometimes even on his phone. He's a boy. Most boys seem to be fascinated by war. I wish I could keep him from those kinds of games, but I know I can't."