it right away, and he offered me the one-third fee. I told him to give it to Exoneration. He refused, so I let him sign a contingency fee agreement with me, and I planned to give the money to Exoneration.”
“The only problem with this theme so far, Jack, is that it depends entirely on the jury’s believing you. In this town that will be a difficult sell.”
“Then we’ve got to change the venue.”
“We can try but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Continue.”
“I was in the woods behind Danni’s house because I believed he would come after Danni next. The easiest access to her house was through the woods. By the way, Danni also believed he would come for her through the woods, as did Sam Jeffries. That’s why he was there.”
“That part is good but what about the phone calls between you and Felton?”
“He called me after he murdered Kathleen Jeffries. He said he wanted me to forget about the claims bill. I asked him why and he said he couldn’t wait. I didn’t understand what he meant at first, but when I found out about Jeffries’s daughter, I got it. That’s when I knew he was going to kill again, and it was going to be either Danni or her daughter, Hannah. Danni put Hannah in Henry’s care so she could come back here and wait for Felton. That’s how sure she was that Felton was coming after her.”
“Let’s stay focused on the phone calls.”
“Okay. Two days before Felton’s death, I remembered I had his phone number so I called it. Somebody answered but wouldn’t speak. I figured it was him so when I saw a man in the woods and couldn’t recognize him because he was so far away, I called the number. He didn’t answer it, but I saw him check his phone. That’s when I knew it was Felton. I went after him and told him to stop. When he turned to shoot me, I fired my gun. I hit him and he fell backward.”
Tom was sitting at the table with his head down, listening intently. When Jack finished speaking, he didn’t move for the longest time. Jack knew he was processing everything in his mind and evaluating it because it was exactly what he would have done.
“The phone calls have the same problem as the agreement, Jack. All the evidence is from you.”
“I know.”
“So we at least agree that we have to try and get a change of venue because the people in this town are not going to be sympathetic toward you.”
“I’m with you totally on that, Tom. Does that mean you’re considering taking the case?”
“Do you want me to?”
It was Jack’s turn to hesitate before answering. “Are you okay with my conditions?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m okay with them, especially the Sam Jeffries thing, but I understand why you feel the way you do. I’ll honor your wishes on that issue, and you will testify, I assure you. Right now you are our entire case. I want you to know, though, that I will revisit the Sam Jeffries thing with you if we find more evidence, but I will follow your lead no matter what. It’s your neck and you’re entitled to stretch it out there for whatever reason you want.”
“Thanks, Tom. Yes, I want you to represent me. You and I think alike and we’ll be a formidable team. Besides, you’re probably the only lawyer who would take my case on the conditions I just laid out.”
“I disagree with you there, Jack. Money moves mountains.”
“Maybe you’re right, but I don’t think Dez Calderon or guys like him would have gone along with my conditions. He would have wanted total control. Speaking of money, we need to talk about that issue now as well.”
“Okay, how much do you want to pay me?” Tom asked.
Jack laughed. “I don’t think it works that way. You’re supposed to quote me a fee and I’m supposed to accept it or reject it or bargain with you.”
“Okay. What’s the going rate for a first-degree-murder case these days?”
“Somebody like Calderon would probably charge five hundred an hour and demand a retainer of two hundred grand or more.”
“Well, I’m not Calderon, Jack. What are the middle-of-the-road guys charging on a flat-fee basis for a run-of-the-mill murder case?”
“In this town, probably around seventy-five grand.”
“I’ll do it for forty-five plus expenses.”
“What are you doing, Tom? I’ve got the money.”
“I know. I just don’t want it to be about the money. I’d do