A Time for Mercy (Jake Brigance #3) - John Grisham Page 0,209

because I’ve worried about the gossip. Those days are over. I’m tired of starving.”

She squeezed his hand and said, “I’m proud of you, Jake.”

The bell on the door rattled and a couple walked in. Dell smiled at him and left to see what they wanted. Jake stepped to the counter and picked up a copy of the Tupelo paper. He returned to the booth and sat with his back to the door. There was a photo of Drew on the front page, under the headline: “Judge Declares Mistrial After Jury Splits.” He had read the story hours earlier and didn’t need to read it again. So he flipped to the sports page and read a preview of the SEC football season.

* * *

—

PORTIA WAS AT her desk clipping newspaper articles. Jake walked in and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Got bored just sitting around the house. Plus, Momma’s in a mood this morning. I really can’t wait to get out and go to law school.”

Jake laughed and sat across from her. “What are you doing?”

“Putting together your scrapbook. You gonna talk to any of these reporters? All the articles say: ‘Mr. Brigance had no comment.’ ”

“Mr. Brigance has nothing to say, and the case is not over.”

“Well, you sure had plenty to say back in the Hailey trial. I’ve read your file full of clippings for that one, and Mr. Brigance thoroughly enjoyed talking to reporters back then.”

“I’ve learned. Lawyers should stick with ‘No comment,’ but they find it impossible. Never stand between a hotshot lawyer and a television camera. It’s dangerous.”

She shoved the clippings away and said, “Look, I know I’ve said this before, but I want to say it again before I leave. What you and Judge Atlee did with the Hubbard money was just wonderful. Because of the education fund, me and my cousins get to go to college. My law school is paid for, Jake, and I’ll always be thankful.”

“You’re welcome. It’s not my money, I just get to control the checkbook.”

“Well, you’re a great trustee, and we appreciate it.”

“Thank you. It’s an honor to dole out the money for worthy students.”

“I’m gonna do well in law school, Jake, I promise. And when I finish I’m coming back here to work.”

“Looks like you’re already hired. You’ve had this office for two years and most of the time you act like you own the place.”

“I’ve even learned to like Lucien, which, as we know, is not that easy.”

“He likes you, Portia, and he wants you here. But you’ll get offers from big firms. Things are changing and they’re looking for diversity. You perform too well in law school and they’ll throw money at you.”

“I have no interest in that. I want to be in the courtroom, Jake, like you, helping people, my people. You gave me the chance to sit through that trial, just like I was a real lawyer. You’ve inspired me.”

“Thanks, but let’s not get too carried away. I may have won the case, but I’m broker now than before I met Drew Gamble. And he’s not going away.”

“Yeah, but you’ll survive, Jake. Won’t you?”

“I will, somehow.”

“Well, you gotta hang on until I finish law school.”

“I’ll be here. And I’ll need you over the next three years. There’s always plenty of research to do.” Jake glanced at his watch and smiled. “Hey, it’s Friday, white folks’ day at Claude’s. Let’s do a firm lunch.”

“Can the firm afford one?”

“No,” he said with a laugh. “But Claude will extend credit.”

“Let’s go.”

They walked around the square to the restaurant and arrived just before the noon crowd. Claude hugged them both and pointed to a table near the window. He had never seen the need to invest in printed menus, and his customers were offered whatever he happened to be cooking, usually ribs, catfish, barbecue chicken, baked beans with plenty of vegetables.

Jake spoke to an elderly couple he had known since high school. No one seemed even remotely interested in the Gamble trial. Portia ordered ribs and Jake was in the mood for catfish. They sipped sweet tea and watched the place fill up.

“A question,” she said. “Something has been bothering me.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I’ve read all of the reports from the Hailey trial, five years ago. You did an interview with a Mr. McKittrick from The New York Times, and you gave a fairly spirited defense of the death penalty. You said, among other things, that the problem with the gas chamber was that it wasn’t used often