A Time for Mercy (Jake Brigance #3) - John Grisham Page 0,103

plastered it on the front page next to one of Drew in handcuffs getting out of the patrol car the day before. Side by side, cop killer and lawyer. Each as guilty as the other. Jake poured a cup of coffee in his kitchen and read the report by Dumas Lee. An anonymous source said the trial was scheduled for August 6 in Clanton.

The news of the location was interesting. Jake planned to do everything in his power to change venue and have the trial as far away from Clanton as possible.

He turned back to the front page. He remembered the photo and had rather liked it back then. The caption under it read: “Defense Attorney Jake Brigance.” He was all business, with a proper frown that conveyed the seriousness of the moment. Perhaps he appeared a bit thinner but he knew he weighed the same. Five years had passed and the hairline was still receding.

He heard thunder and remembered that rain was in the forecast, another wave of spring storms. He had no appointments for the day, and he had no desire to hang out in the Coffee Shop. So he said screw it and went to his bedroom, undressed, and crawled under the covers where he found the warm body of his wife.

* * *

—

GOOD NEWS CONTINUED to pour in. Judge Noose faxed copies of two letters to Jake, fifteen minutes apart. The first read:

Dear Judge Noose:

As the attorney for the Ford County Board of Supervisors, I have been asked by the Board to respond to your request for attorney’s fees for Jake Brigance in the Stuart Kofer matter. As you well know, Section 99-15-17 of the Mississippi Code clearly states that the maximum to be paid by the county for the representation of indigents charged with capital murder is $1000. There is no language in that statute that gives the Board the discretion to pay more. There should be and we both know that the limit is not sufficient. However, I’ve discussed this matter with the Board, all five members, and it is their position that the maximum compensation will be $1000.

I know Jake well and am happy to discuss this with him.

Sincerely,

TODD TANNEHILL

Attorney at Law

The second letter was from Sean Gilder, attorney for the railroad, and it read:

Dear Judge Noose:

It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you that one of our experts, Dr. Crowe Ledford, died suddenly last week just moments after completing the Key West Marathon. The cause is suspected to be cardiac arrest. Dr. Ledford was a professor at Emory University and an esteemed expert in the field of highway and railroad safety. His testimony was to be the cornerstone of our defense.

Though no trial date has been set, we will obviously need additional time to find and hire an expert to replace Dr. Ledford.

Our apologies to the court. I will contact Mr. Brigance and tell him this awful news.

Sincerely,

SEAN GILDER

Jake tossed the letter onto his desk and looked at Portia. “A dead expert will buy them another six months.”

She said, “Boss, we need to talk.”

Jake glanced at his door and said, “It’s closed. What’s up?”

“Well, I’ve been working here for almost two years.”

“And you’re ready to become a partner?”

“No, not yet, but I plan to take over after law school.”

“You can have it.”

“Anyway, I’m worried about this place. I’ve looked at the phone records for the first three months of this year and compared them to the last six weeks. Boss, the phone isn’t ringing.”

“I know that, Portia.”

“And worse, the foot traffic has really slowed. On average we open one new file each day, five a week, twenty a month, and we keep about fifty active. In the past six weeks we’ve opened seven new files, most for small stuff like shoplifters and no-fault divorces.”

“That’s my practice.”

“Seriously, Jake, I’m worried.”

“Thank you, Portia, but I don’t want you worrying. That’s my job. You learn quick in this business that it’s feast or famine.”

“When’s the feast?”

“We’ll get a thousand bucks for Gamble.”

“Seriously Jake.”

“I appreciate your concern, but let me handle it. You have your sights set on law school in August and that’s enough to keep you busy.”

She took a deep breath and tried to smile. “I think the town has turned against you, Jake.”

He paused long enough to acknowledge it, then said, “It’s temporary. I’ll survive Gamble, then I’ll settle Smallwood. A year will pass and everybody will be clamoring for my services. I promise you, Portia,