Scotty's face was two shades whiter than it should have been. He stared at his public defender wishing that there was more to it—something else behind the words; twenty-five to life.

"You said that you thought I could walk away with justifiable homicide and no time served." Scotty's voice sounded weak to his ears.

"No," the haggard looking man stated. "What I said is that … well I might have said that. But there is the question of your previous record. The judge is ...