Enzo admits that he does not witness much of the legal proceedings regarding the custody of Zoe and the accusation against Denny of rape. He is a dog, and dogs are not allowed inside the police station or the courtroom. However, Enzo can tell readers that the legal issues take three years to resolve, and during this time time, Eve’s parents seem determined to break Denny financially and emotionally. The legal costs are beyond Denny’s ability to make money. He is confined to the state of Washington because of the criminal charges against him, so he can no longer take on any of the lucrative side jobs that were located in other states. And because he is charged with the rape of an underage child, he is denied all rights to visit Zoe.

Because Enzo is not allowed inside the court, he has to use his imagination to tell the story of those three years. He has the habit of watching television and is a big fan of legal shows such as Law & Order and movies like Paul Newman’s The Verdict, so he is able to fill in the gaps of information he is not privy to. He admits that all the facts might be less than accurate, but his intent is to portray the story as honestly as possible.

According to Enzo, Denny is taken to the police station, where he sits in a room all by himself until his lawyer, Mark Fein, arrives. Mark storms into the station and demands action. Then Mark turns on Denny and asks him if there is any truth to the accusations that he is a pedophile and a rapist. Denny tells Mark the girl is lying. Mark points out that the timing of these accusations is suspicious. If Denny is proven guilty of the rape, Eve’s parents will easily win their case. Mark suspects that the family is manipulating the circumstances in their favor.

Mark bails Denny out of jail and tells him not to go near Eve’s parents’ house to try to see Zoe. He warns Denny that it is as if he is stuck in quicksand. The worst thing a person can do in that situation is move. Mark says the best thing Denny can do is allow him to make all the movements so he can rescue Denny out of this legal mess.

When Denny comes home that day, Enzo watches him go straight for a bottle of liquor. This makes Enzo feel terribly disappointed in his owner. That everything seems to be going against Denny is not an excuse to give up and drown his feelings in booze, Enzo thinks. Enzo barks at Denny and refuses to lie down at his feet. Instead, he goes to Zoe’s room. When Denny finds him there, he tells Enzo not to worry. He has put the bottle away. He is not going to give up. He knows the race will be a long one, but he will drive it until he crosses the finish line.