AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But despite that, the fact is, I have enough to convict Jerome Washington.”
Jack said, “I don’t see how. Mr. Till pretty much said it was impossible that Jerome could have wielded that bayonet to match the evidence. And your whole case is based on the fact that Pearl took him clean clothes and shoes and got rid of the bloody ones, and the murder weapon. Otherwise, none of the physical evidence makes any sense. And you have no proof she did any of that because your witness was blackmailed to lie about it. And our witness proves she was nowhere near the Randolphs’ at the time of the murders.”
DuBose added, “I think the least you can do is dismiss the charges against Pearl Washington, Edmund.”
“The thing is, if I do that, Desiree, I will be taken off this case, and another prosecutor will be appointed.”
“By the higher-ups?” said DuBose. “The same ones that brought us Josiah Ambrose?”
“And compared to my replacement, you’ll think I’m a drugged-out hippie.”
“What do you want, Edmund?” said DuBose. “Why did you want to meet?”
“Jerome Washington pleads to involuntary manslaughter. The maximum sentence for that is ten years. I’ll recommend he serve five. And charges against his wife are dropped, with prejudice. She’ll be free to return to her family immediately.”
“But not her husband,” retorted DuBose.
“I can’t work miracles, Desiree. This is my best and final offer. Otherwise, we’ll do our closing arguments and it goes to the jury, and you roll the dice.”
“But you said if you dropped those charges against Pearl, they would replace you,” said Jack.
“Not if I get a plea deal on Jerome. He has to spend some time in prison. That is nonnegotiable.”
“So this is all about saving face?” said DuBose. “Something for George Wallace to trumpet on his way to the White House?”
“What it is, is an offer worth considering,” replied Battle.
DuBose said, “And if we take our chances with the jury?”
He gave her an incredulous look. “You want to risk putting your clients’ fate in that jury’s hands?”
DuBose tapped her shoe against the floor. “We need to discuss this with the Washingtons.”
“Don’t take too long. Once it goes to the jury, no more deals.” He nodded at them both and left.
DuBose leaned back in her chair, looking weary. “In any fair system, we would have gotten a directed verdict. And even if we didn’t, there is no impartial jury that would ever return a guilty verdict on these ridiculous facts. But we don’t have an impartial jury, so I am scared to death to let twelve white men who have looked at me with disgust this entire time decide our clients’ fates.”
“And Battle knows that. It’s the only leverage he has to make Jerome and Pearl take the plea deal.”
“We still have our closing argument to make,” she pointed out.
Jack looked at her fixedly. “In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch gave one of the finest closing arguments I’ve ever heard. And the jury still found his client guilty.”
“And then the police shot him.” DuBose rose. “Let’s go talk to our clients.”
Howard Pickett was waiting for them outside. His big Lincoln purred at the corner, its engine kicking fumes into the warm, humid Virginia air.
“You left the courtroom mighty fast today,” said Jack.
Pickett said, “I’m an important businessman. This is just one of a dozen things I got going on. That’s the thing when you’re so damn rich. Lots of responsibilities.”
DuBose looked him up and down. “Is part of your business recruiting Ambrose to oversee this trial?”
“Nothing to do with me.”
“I’ve noticed that George Wallace has tempered some of his racist talk lately.”
“It’s all about winning. You know that. Same thing you’re trying to do in there.”
