Dunlap offered a sappy smile as if he’d really enjoyed round one, and said, “Come on, John, they own twelve hundred acres free and clear and a thousand of it is rich farmland. Their home is one of the finest in the county. They have half a dozen outbuildings, fine structures all, plus the farm equipment, and livestock, and how many Negroes?”
“Please, Burch, they don’t own those people.”
“For all practical purposes they do. Fifty is really lowball, John. I thought we agreed to meet for a serious discussion.”
“Well, you can’t be serious if you include the land owned by Florry Banning. That’s half of it, and she’s not involved in the litigation. She’s completely unaffected by all of this.”
“Not so fast, John. Pete Banning farmed his sister’s property just like he farmed his and gave her half the profits. Both sections came from the same source—their parents, and their grandparents, and so on.”
“This is absurd, Burch. Florry had nothing to do with the killing of Dexter Bell and you know it. To imply that her land is in play is ridiculous. If you think otherwise, then try and foreclose on it.”
“We can’t foreclose on anything as long as you keep old Rumbold in your hip pocket.”
John smiled and said, “He’s a brilliant jurist. One of the best.”
“Maybe, but down in Jackson the Supremes are not so impressed. Fifty thousand ain’t flyin’, John.”
“I’ve put a figure on the table. Now it’s your turn.”
McLeish said coldly, “At least a hundred thousand. Frankly, Jackie deserves more because we need to pay Mr. Dunlap.”
Mr. Dunlap said, “One twenty, John. I have this case on a contingency, and I’ve won it fair and square. I’ve done a heck of a job for my client, and I don’t want my fees to come out of her settlement.”
“You’ve done a superb job, Burch, no question about it. But your numbers are far above anything we can afford. No bank will lend more than $75,000 for Pete’s land and the house. Florry’s land is off-limits.”
“Are you offering $75,000?” Dunlap asked.
“Not yet, but would you take $75,000 if it were on the table?”
McLeish shook his head and said, “No.”
Both lawyers were good negotiators, and it was obvious who held the upper hand. When swimming against the tide, John knew it was often beneficial to muddy the waters. He said, “Look, Burch, the kids would really like to save the house, the only home they’ve ever known. You know about their mother and her troubles. There’s the chance that Liza may come home one day, and it’s crucial that she has her place. Can we discuss separating it and the buildings from the farmland? I’m working on a plat that would carve out only four acres that includes the house, the gardens and barns and such, and your client would take the rest.”
“The deed for the farm, minus the four acres?” Dunlap asked.
“Something like that. I’m just exploring alternatives here.”
“How much are they willing to pay for the four acres?”
“The house is appraised at thirty thousand, which is definitely on the high side. These are two fine kids who are trying to hang on to something.”
“How are they going to service a mortgage on the home?”
“Good question. We’ll figure it out. Florry might help them.”
The biggest obstacle to this proposal was one that would not be mentioned. Jackie Bell wanted the house. In fact, she wanted the house far more than she wanted the land. Her boyfriend fancied himself a gentleman farmer and was already counting his money, but Jackie just wanted a beautiful home.
McLeish shook his head and said, “No way. Those four acres are worth almost as much as the farmland. We can’t do it.” He spoke with the air of a man who was entitled to his rewards, in this case the treasured soil of some of the finest people John Wilbanks had ever known. He despised McLeish for his arrogance and his sense of entitlement.
John said, “Well, it looks as though we have nothing left to discuss.”
* * *
—
In late September, on back-to-back days, the U.S. Supreme Court laid waste to a batch of frivolous requests for hearings. On one day it hammered home the final nail in the coffin in the Banning appeal of the verdict in federal court, and on the very next day it brushed aside the Banning appeal from the Mississippi reversal of Rumbold’s ruling.
The path was now clear for a hearing on the petition