〃I know you practice alone； and I know you don't have a law clerk。〃
〃How do you know all this？〃
〃Newsweek。〃
〃Ah； yes。 A wonderful publication。 It was a good picture； wasn't it？〃
〃You looked a bit stuffy； but it was okay。 You look better in person。〃
〃What credentials do you bring with you？〃
〃Genius runs in my family。 I finished summa cum laude at BC； and I'm second in my law class。 Last summer I spent three months with the Southern Prisoners Defense League in Birmingham and played gofer in seven capital trials。 I watched Elmer Wayne Doss die in the Florida electric chair and I watched Willie Ray Ash get lethally injected in Texas。 In my spare time at Ole Miss I write briefs for the ACLU and I'm working on two death penalty appeals for a law firm in Spartanburg； South Carolina。 I was raised in my father's law office； and I was proficient in legal research before I could drive。 I've watched him defend murderers； rapists； embezzlers； extortionists； terrorists； assassins； child abusers； child fondlers； child killers； and children who killed their parents。 I worked forty hours a week in his office when I was in high school and fifty when I was in college。 He has eighteen lawyers in his firm； all very bright； very talented。 It's a great training ground for criminal lawyers； and I've been there for fourteen years。 I'm twenty…five years old； and when I grow up I want to be a radical criminal lawyer like my dad
。 0。〃〃 ~c。i^i stamping out me death penalty。〃
〃Is that all？〃
〃My dad's filthy rich； and even though we're Irish Catholic I'm an only child。 I've got more money than you do so I'll work for free。 No charge。 A free law clerk for three weeks。 I'll do all the research； typing； answering the phone。 I'll even carry your briefcase and make the coffee。〃
〃I was afraid you'd want to be a law partner。〃
〃No。 I'm a woman； and I'm in the South。 I know my place。〃
〃Why are you so interested in this case？〃
〃I want to be in the courtroom。 I love criminal trials； big trials where there's a life on the line and pressure so thick you can see it in the air。 Where the courtroom's packed and security is tight。 Where half the people hate the defendant and his lawyers and the other half pray he gets off。 I love it。 And this is the trial of all trials。 I'm not a Southerner and I find this place bewildering most of the time； but I have developed a perverse love for it。 It'll never make sense to me； but it is fascinating。 The racial implications are enormous。 The trial of a black father for killing two white men who raped his daughter…my father said he would take the case for free。〃
〃Tell him to stay in Boston。〃
〃It's a trial lawyer's dream。 I just want to be there。 I'll stay out of the way； I promise。 Just let me work in the background and watch the trial。〃
〃Judge Noose hates women lawyers。〃
〃So does every male lawyer in the South。 Besides； I'm not a lawyer； I'm a law student。〃
〃I'll let you explain that to him。〃
〃So I've got the job。〃
Jake stopped staring at her and breathed deeply。 A minor wave of nausea vibrated through his stomach and lungs and took his breath。 The jackhammers had returned with a fury and he needed to be near the restroom。
〃Yes； you've got the job。 I could use some free research。 These cases are plicated； as I'm sure you are aware。〃
She flashed a ely； confident smile。 〃When do I start？〃
〃Now。〃
Jake led her through a quick tour of the office； and assigned her to the war room upstairs。 They laid the Hailey file on the conference table and she spent an hour copying it。
At two…thirty Jake awoke from a nap on his couch。 He walked downstairs to the conference room。 She had removed half the books from the shelves and had them scattered the length of the table with page markers sticking up every fifty or so pages。 She was busy taking notes。
〃Not a bad library；〃 she said。
〃Some of these books haven't been used in twenty years。〃
〃I noticed the dust。〃
〃Are you hungry？〃
〃Yes。 I'm starving。〃
〃There's a little cafe around the corner where the specialty is grease and fried corn meal。 My system needs a shot of grease。〃
〃Sounds delicious。〃
They walked around the square to Claude's； where the crowd was thin for a Saturday afternoon。 There were no other whites in the place。 Claude was absent and the silence was deafening。 Jake ordered a cheeseburger； onion rings； and three headache powders。
〃Got a headache？〃 Ellen asked。
〃Massive。〃
〃Stress？〃
〃Hangover。〃
〃Hangover？ I thought you were a teetotaler。〃
〃And where'd you hear that？〃
〃Newsweek。 The article said you were a clean…cut family man； workaholic； devout Presbyterian who drank nothing and smoked cheap cigars。 Remember？ How could you forget； right？〃
〃You believe everything you read？〃
〃No。〃
〃Good； because last night I got plastered； and I've puked all morning。〃
The law clerk was amused。 〃What do you drink？〃
〃I don't…remember。 At least I didn't until last night。
_ i； ano i nope it's my last。 I'd forgotten how terrible these things are。〃
〃Why do lawyers drink so much？〃
〃They learn how in law school。 Does your dad drink？〃
〃Are you kidding？ We're Catholic。 He's careful； though。〃
〃Do you drink？〃
〃Sure； all the time；〃 she said proudly。
〃Then you'll make a great lawyer。〃
Jake carefully mixed the three powders in a glass of ice water and slugged it down。 He grimaced and wiped his mouth。 She watched intently with an amused smile。
〃What'd your wife say？〃
〃About what？〃
〃The hangover； from such a devout and religious family man。〃
〃She doesn't know about it。 She left me early yesterday morning。〃
〃I'm sorry。〃
〃She went to stay with her parents until the trial is over。 We've had anonymous phone calls and death threats for two months now； and early yesterday morning they planted dynamite outside our bedroom window。 The cops found it in time and they caught the men； probably the Klan。 Enough dynamite to level the house and kill all of us。 That was a good excuse to get drunk。〃
〃I'm sorry to hear that。〃
〃The job you've just taken could be very dangerous。 You should know that at this point。〃
〃I've been threatened before。 Last summer in Dothan； Alabama； we defended two black teenagers who had sodomized and strangled an eighty…year…old woman。 No lawyer in the state would take the case so they called the Defense League。 We rode into town on black horses and the mere sight of us would cause lynch mobs to form instantly on street corners。 I've never felt so hated in my life。 We hid in a motel in another town and felt safe； until one night two men cornered me in the motel lounge and tried to abduct me。〃
〃What happened？〃
〃I carry a snub…nosed 。38 in my purse and I convinced them I knew how to use it。〃
〃A snub…nosed 。38？〃
〃My father gave it to me for my fifteenth birthday。 I have a license。〃
〃He must be a hell of a guy。〃
〃He's been shot at several times。 He takes very controversial cases； the kind you read about in the papers where the public is outraged and demanding that the defendant be hanged without a trial or a lawyer。 Those are the cases he likes best。 He has a full…time bodyguard。〃
〃Big deal。 So do I。 His name is Deputy Nesbit； and he couldn't hit the side of a barn with a shotgun。 He was assigned to me yesterday。〃
The food arrived。 She removed the onions and tomatoes from her Claudeburger； and offered him the french fries。 She cut it in half and nibbled around the edges like a bird。 Hot grease dripped to her plate。 With each small bite； she carefully wiped her mouth。
Her face was gentle and pleasant with an easy smile that belied the ACLU； ERA； burn…the…bra； I…can…outcuss…you bitchiness Jake knew was lurking somewhere near the surface。 There was not a trace of makeup anywhere on the face。 None was needed。 She was not beautiful； not cute； and evidently determined not to be so。 She had the pale skin of a redhead； but it was healthy skin with seven or eight freckles splattered about the small； pointed nose。 With each frequent smile； her lips spread wonderfully and folded her cheeks into neat； transient； hollow dimples。 The smiles were confident； challenging； and mysterious。 The metallic green eyes radiated a soft fury and wer