kid walks out of here, but he’s in great danger. Second, if you put him on the stand, and he refuses to answer Fink’s questions, then I will be forced to make him answer. If he refuses, he’ll be in contempt. He cannot remain silent if he has crucial information. Either way,, if this hearing is concluded here today without satisfactory answers by the child, I strongly suspect Mr. Foltrigg will move quickly. He’ll get a grand jury subpoena for Mark, and away you go to New Orleans. If he refuses to talk to the grand jury, he’ll certainly be held in contempt by the federal judge, and I suspect he’ll be incarcerated.”
Reggie nodded. She was in complete agreement. “So what do we do, Harry?”
“If the kid goes to New Orleans, I lose control of him. I’d rather keep him here. If I were you, I’d put him on the stand and advise him not to answer the crucial questions. At least not for now. He can always do it later. He can do it tomorrow, or the next day. I’d advise him to withstand the pressure from the judge, and keep his mouth shut, at least for now. He’ll go back to our Juvenile Detention Center, which is probably much safer than anything in New Orleans. By doing this, you protect the child from the New Orleans thugs,
who scare even me, until the feds can arrange something better. And you buy yourself some time to see what Mr. Foltrigg will do in New Orleans.”
“You think he’s in great danger?”
“Yes, and even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t take chances. If he spills his guts now, he could get hurt. I’m not inclined to release him today, under any circumstances.”
“What if Mark refuses to talk, and Foltrigg presents him with a grand jury subpoena?”
“I won’t allow him to go.”
Reggie’s appetite was gone. She sipped her tea from the paper cup and closed her eyes. “This is so unfair to this boy, Harry. He deserves more from the system.”
“I agree. I’m open to suggestions.”
“What if I don’t put him on the stand?”
“I’m not going to release him, Reggie. At least not today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next day. This is happening awfully fast, and I suggest we take the safest route and see what happens in New Orleans.”
“You didn’t answer my question. What if I don’t put him on the stand?”
“Well, based on the proof I’ve heard, I’ll have no choice but to find him to be a delinquent, and I’ll send him back to Doreen. Of course, I could reverse myself tomorrow. Or the next day.”
“He’s not a delinquent.”
“Maybe not. But if he knows something, and he refuses to tell, then he’s obstructing justice.” There was a long pause. “How much does he know, Reggie? If you’ll tell me, I’ll be in a better position to help him.”
“I can’t tell you, Harry. It’s privileged.”
“Of course it is,” he said with a smile. DUL u. 3 rather obvious he knows plenty.”
“Yes, I guess it is.”
He leaned forward, and touched her arm. “Listen to me, dear. Our little pal is in a world of trouble. So let’s get him out of it. I say we take it one day at a time, keep him in a safe place where we call the shots, and in the meantime start talking to the feds about their witness protection program. If that falls into place for the kid and his family, then he can tell these awful secrets and be protected.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
The Client
25
UNDER THE STERN SUPERVISION OF THE BAILIFF, A MAN named Grinder, they were reassembled and directed to their positions. Fink glanced about fearfully, uncertain whether to sit, stand, speak, or crawl under the table. Ord picked at the cuticle on a thumb. Baxter McLe-more had moved his chair as far away from Fink as possible.
His honor sipped the remains of the tea and waited until all was still. “On the record,” he said in the general direction of the court reporter. “Ms. Love, I need to know if young Mark will testify.”
She was sitting a foot behind her client, and she looked at the side of his face. His eyes were still wet.
“Under the circumstances,” she said, “he doesn’t have much of a choice.”
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“I will allow him to testify,” she said, “but I will not tolerate abusive questioning by Mr. Fink.” -“Your Honor, please,” Fink said.
“Quiet, Mr. Fink. Remember rule number one? Don’t speak until spoken