The Guardians: The explosive new thriller from international bestseller John Grisham - John Grisham Page 0,124

prosecutor asked you this question: ‘Did the defendant Quincy Miller own a twelve-gauge shotgun?’ And your response was, ‘I think so. He had some pistols. I don’t know much about guns, but, yes, Quincy had a big shotgun.’

“Now, Mrs. Walker, was your answer truthful?”

“No sir, it was not. I never saw a shotgun around our house, never knew Quincy to have one.”

“Okay. The second statement. The prosecutor asked you this question: ‘Did the defendant enjoy hunting and fishing?’ And your response: ‘Yes sir, he didn’t hunt much but went out to the woods from time to time with his friends, usually shooting birds and rabbits.’

“Now, Mrs. Walker, was your answer truthful?”

“No, it was not. I never knew Quincy to go hunting. He liked to fish with his uncle a little, but no hunting.”

“Okay, third statement. The prosecutor handed you a color photograph of a flashlight and asked if you had ever seen Quincy with one like it. Your response: ‘Yes sir, this looks like the one he kept in his car.’

“Now, Mrs. Walker, was your answer truthful?”

“No, it was not. I never saw a flashlight like that one, not that I can remember anyway, and I sure never saw Quincy with one like it.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Walker. Last question. At trial the prosecutor asked you if Quincy was in the vicinity of Seabrook on the night Keith Russo was murdered. Your response: ‘I think so. Somebody said they saw him out at Pounder’s Store.’

“Mrs. Walker, was your answer truthful?”

She starts to answer but her voice fails her. She swallows hard, looks directly at her ex-husband, clenches her jaw, and says, “No sir, it wasn’t truthful. I never heard anybody say anything about Quincy being around that night.”

Cannon says, “Thank you,” and tosses the papers on his table. Carmen Hidalgo slowly gets to her feet as if uncertain how to proceed. She hesitates as she studies the witness and realizes that she cannot score a single point here. She acts frustrated and says, “The State has nothing, Your Honor.”

Judge Kumar says, “Thank you, Mrs. Walker. You are excused.”

June can’t leave the witness stand fast enough. In front of me, Quincy suddenly shoves back his chair and gets to his feet. Without his cane he steps behind Bill Cannon and limps toward June. She slows a step as if frightened, and for a second the rest of us are frozen as a disaster unfolds. Then Quincy throws his arms open wide and June walks into them. He hugs her as they both burst into tears. Two people who once produced three children but grew to hate one another embrace in front of strangers. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers over and over. “It’s all right,” he whispers right back. “It’s all right.”

Chapter 47

Vicki and Mazy are eager to meet Quincy. They have lived with his case for a long time and know a lot about his life, but they’ve never had the chance to say hello. We retreat from the courthouse and gather at Mercy Hospital where he is still a patient and a prisoner. His room now is in a new annex where the rehab facilities are housed, but we meet him in the basement cafeteria. His guard is an Orlando policeman who sits far away, bored.

After twenty-three years of prison food, he does not complain about the bad food they sell in this cafeteria. He wants a sandwich and chips and I fetch it for him as he, Vicki, and Mazy rattle on about the day’s adventures in court. Frankie sits next to him, always ready to assist. Luther Hodges is close by, absorbing the moment and happy to be included. Quincy wants us to join him for dinner but we have committed to other plans later in the evening.

He is still moved by his encounter with June. He has hated her for so long and so hard that he is stunned by the speed with which he forgave her. Sitting there listening to her confess her lies, something came over him, maybe the Holy Spirit, and he just couldn’t hate anymore. He closed his eyes and asked God to take away all of his hate, and in a flash a huge burden left his shoulders. He could actually feel the release as he exhaled. He forgave Zeke Huffey, and he forgave Carrie Holland, and he feels wonderfully, beautifully unburdened.

Luther Hodges smiles and nods. It’s his kind of message.

Quincy nibbles at his sandwich, eats a few chips, says his appetite has