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“’Bout same time I puttin’ Miss Anne in the chair. Got the guns out and tell me to get away from her and to get on the floor.”
“Did they read you your rights? To remain silent, right to an attorney?”
“Man say stuff off a little card. I ain’t unnerstand none ’a it.”
“Did you give them a statement? Talk to them?”
He shook his head. “My momma always told me colored man talk to the police they won’t never find him again. That why I ain’t talk to none of ’em.”
“Do you know what killed them?”
“Knife, most likely. They all cut up.”
“Did you see a knife?”
“No sir.”
“Miss Jessup said you’re married to Pearl?”
He nodded. “Got us three kids, two girls and a boy. Elijah, Kayla, and Darla Jean be the baby.” A wobbly tear suddenly bloomed in his right eye. “I ain’t never gonna see ’em again, am I?”
“You’ll see them, Jerome. I can arrange a visit here if you want.”
Jerome shook his head fiercely. “No. Not with me all locked up like some piece ’a trash. I don’t want ’em to see me that way.”
“Okay. We can talk about that later. Now, do you own the place where you live?”
Jerome looked at him funny. “Naw. Why?”
“Just for purposes of posting bail.”
“What that do?”
“It means you might get out of jail pending your trial. I’ll look into it even though the court initially denied it.”
“Okay.”
“You ever been arrested before?”
“No sir, never.”
“Good. I’m also going to look at the arrest report and find out what I can. Then I’ll be back to see you again, hopefully tomorrow. Now, I’ll need a retainer.”
“What’s that?” he said suspiciously.
“My fee to represent you.”
“You talk to Pearl. She handle the money. She real smart with all that.”
“Okay, but I need to know how it was left with the other lawyer, George Connelly. You said he hasn’t been here. Have you heard from him at all?”
“Last thing man say to me is I better get me ’nother lawyer ’cause he ain’t mine no more.”
Jack thought, What the hell is going on? “I’ll talk to Pearl, but do you officially retain me as your attorney?”
“How much you cost?”
“My rate is five dollars an hour.”
