A Time for Mercy (Jake Brigance #3) - John Grisham Page 0,38

his sympathies while promising a full measure of justice. He sent his investigator to Clanton to start digging.

And he took a call from a pathologist at the state crime lab. The autopsy revealed that Kofer died of a single bullet wound to the head, in through the left temple, out through the right ear. Nothing really remarkable, but for the fact that his blood alcohol level was .36. Point-three-six! Three and a half times the state’s limit of .10 to be legally drunk behind the wheel. Kofer was six feet one inch tall and weighed 197 pounds. A man that size, and that drunk, would have a difficult time doing anything—walking, driving, even breathing.

As a small-town lawyer with fifteen years’ experience, Lowell had never seen or heard of a case involving such a high level of alcohol. He expressed disbelief and asked the pathologist to test the blood again. Lowell would review the autopsy report as soon as he received it, and in due course he would hand it over to the defense. There would be no way to conceal the fact that Stuart Kofer was blind drunk when he died.

No set of facts was ever perfect. Every prosecution, as well as every defense, had its flaws in the proof. But for a deputy to be so raging drunk at two in the morning presented a lot of questions, and just hours after landing the case of a lifetime Lowell Dyer had his first doubt.

* * *

—

JAKE DROPPED PORTIA off at the square and drove to the jail. It was still busier than usual and he did not want to go inside and face the stares. But as he parked on the street he said to himself, “What the hell? You can’t defend a cop killer and still be loved by the cops.”

If they resented Jake for doing his job, a job that no one else wanted but had to be done, then he couldn’t worry about it. He entered the front room where the deputies liked to kill time gossiping and drinking gallons of coffee, and said hello to Marshall Prather and Moss Junior Tatum. They nodded because they had to, but within seconds Jake realized the battle lines had been drawn.

“Is Ozzie in?” he asked Tatum, who shrugged as if he had no clue. Jake kept walking and stopped at Doreen’s desk. She was Ozzie’s secretary and guarded his door like a Doberman. She also wore a full uniform and carried a gun, though it was no secret she had no law enforcement training and could not legally make an arrest. It was assumed she could use the pistol but no one had dared to test her.

“He’s in a meeting,” she said coolly.

“I called half an hour ago and we agreed to meet at ten-thirty,” Jake said as politely as possible. “It’s ten-thirty.”

“I’ll buzz him, Jake, but it’s been a crazy morning.”

“Thank you.”

Jake walked to a window that overlooked a side street. Beyond it was the first cluster of office buildings that lined the south side of the square. The dome of the courthouse rose above the buildings and the stately oaks that were two hundred years old. As he stood there he was aware that the usual chatter and banter behind him had died down. The deputies were still around, but now so was the defense lawyer.

“Jake,” Ozzie called as he opened his door.

Inside his office, the two old friends stood and looked at each other across the big desk.

Jake said, “We’ve already had two threatening phone calls at the office, and someone called the school asking about Carla. Wouldn’t leave a name, of course, they never do.”

“I know about the call to the school. What am I supposed to do, Jake? Tell people not to call your office?”

“Have you spoken with Earl Kofer?”

“Well, yes, twice. Yesterday at his farm and this morning on the phone. We’re tryin’ to work out some details about the funeral, Jake, if that’s okay.”

“I’m not thinking about the funeral, Ozzie. Could you politely inform Mr. Kofer to inform his people, whoever the hell they are, that they need to back off and leave us alone.”

“So you’re certain it’s the family?”

“Who else would it be? I’m told they’re a bunch of hotheads. They’re obviously upset about the killing. Who wouldn’t be? Just stop the threats, okay, Ozzie?”

“I think you’re upset too, Jake. Maybe you should settle down first. Nobody’s been hurt, other than Stuart Kofer.” Ozzie took a deep breath and