Dread Champion Read Online Free PDF Page A

“No, I don’t.”
    â€œWell,would you find making a decision as to guilt or innocence difficult?”
    â€œSure, it would be difficult. I couldn’t do it lightly.”
    â€œYes, yes, but would you find it too difficult to make after your experiences?”
    Would she? Maybe so; maybe she’d never be able to make such a decision. The tempting excuse cavorted in Chelsea’s mind.Mentally she grasped for it, sought to rationalize such an answer. But she knew it was not the truth. She fought to keep the disappointment from her voice. “It wouldn’t be too difficult, no. I would just weigh all the facts, taking all the time necessary to do that. And then I’d make a decision.”
    The prosecutor eyed her. Chelsea resisted checking the clock again. Time was ticking by.
    â€œWould you feel comfortable finding a defendant guilty?” the attorney pressed. “Would you be able to look him in the eye and say he’s guilty?”
    â€œYes, if I believed so.”
    A jury member behind her coughed. Another one sighed. She wanted to turn around and apologize, say she didn’t like this any more than they did.
    Stan Breckshire grasped both sides of the podium.“How do you feel now about the police? Would you lean toward helping them? Or do you think you’d need to give every break to the defendant?”
    Chelsea hesitated. She so wanted to give the man the answer he sought. Kerra needed her; what was she doing? “I would neither lean toward helping the police nor lean toward the defendant. I’d just have to follow my own conscience.”
    â€œMs. Adams.” The prosecutor hunched over the podium like a teacher toward a recalcitrant pupil. “How many of your ‘visions’ have you had since that trial last year?”
    Chelsea blinked. “I’m not sure. Ten,maybe.”
    â€œSo you have almost one a month, perhaps?”
    â€œWell, I … You can’t really time them like that, but I guess on average that’s about right.”
    â€œAny more having to do with crimes?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhat did they have to do with?”
    Her chest tensed at the memories.“Different things. For the most part they’re about people’s hurts, perhaps something that happened in their past. God shows me how to pray for these people.”
    â€œSo again, they show you things that you couldn’t possibly know any other way?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œOkay.And how long has it been since you’ve had a vision now?” Sudden understanding of where he was headed washed over Chelsea. She watched Stan Breckshire’s fingers drum the podium. Behind him the lead defense attorney watched her without blinking. His assistant sat forward with an elbow on the table and two fingers dug into her cheek.
    â€œIt’s been about six weeks, I’d say.”
    â€œSix weeks.” Stan Breckshire’s chin jutted out and back. “Then aren’t you about due for another one?”
    Chelsea suppressed a nervous laugh. “I have no idea. God tends to do things in his own time.”
    The attorney sniffed. “Still, six weeks certainly fits the pattern, wouldn’t you agree?”
    â€œWell, not really. There is no pattern.”
    His gaze hardened. “Ms. Adams, stick with me for a moment. Let’s just say that during the course of this trial, you were to have another vision. And let’s further say the vision was about the trial itself, perhaps leading you to think you knew information not given in court. Now. Once you were in deliberation, would you tell others on the jury about your vision?”
    â€œNo.”
    He drew back in overt surprise. “Why not?”
    â€œBecause any visions I have are between me and God.”
    â€œBut wait a minute; you’ve told others about them before, right?” His words were pointed, precise. “You certainly told police about your vision of the