He looked smaller in the courtroom.
His hair was uncombed. His shoulders sagged beneath the county-issued clothes. When he noticed me, shame crossed his face.
During a break, he asked his lawyer if he could speak to me.
I almost refused.
Then I realized I needed to hear him explain himself.
We stood several feet apart while an officer watched us.
"I'm sorry, Riley," Mark said.
"Don't call me that like we're still neighbors."
He lowered his eyes.
"I never meant to hurt you."
"You destroyed my yard. You lied to my face. You made me wonder whether someone would come after me for whatever you stole."
"I was desperate."
"That doesn't make it better."
He looked toward the courtroom doors.
"Dean told me about the container before he disappeared. I thought he was lying. Years later, I found one of his old maps. It pointed to your property."
"So you moved next door."
