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She gave him a sour look. “I’m divorced with twelve-year-old twins. I live with my parents right now. Sort of in between... things.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your divorce,” he commented.
“I’m not. He was an asshole.”
This remark drew a smile from DuBose, which Amy picked up on. She smiled too, but then she seemed to catch herself and the frown returned.
“What are y’all having?” she said irritably.
“Do you have white wine?” asked DuBose.
“I think so,” Amy said curtly.
“Rum and Coke for me,” said Jack. “And can you bring me a glass of ice?”
“With water?”
He pointed to his bruised face. “Nope, just the ice. Thanks.”
She went off to get their orders, and DuBose turned to Jack. “How does it feel to be famous around here?”
“Right now, I’m infamous and I don’t see that changing.”
“So you met with Mr. Washington?”
“Twice.”
“I’ve heard some of the facts. Give me your version.”
Jack did so, although he paused about halfway through when Amy came back with their drinks and the glass of ice.
DuBose looked down at her glass of white wine. Floating on the surface was what looked to be a mouthful of spit.
Jack saw the blob. “For God’s sake.” He stared angrily up at Amy.
Amy’s cheeks flushed. “I... I didn’t do that.”
DuBose said, “I’m sure you didn’t, Amy. Please give the bartender my thanks for so personally attending to my wine.”
Amy turned and hurried off.
Jack said, “I’m sorry, Desiree. You want mine?”
“He probably put poison in yours.”
Jack pushed his drink away. “Saying thank you to the man who did that? Is that Dr. King’s pacifism coming through?”
“Nonviolence is not the same as pacifism. It’s done to flush out the other side, make them show their true colors.”
“How so?”
“In Montgomery, when Rosa Parks wouldn’t give up her bus seat, the boycotts started. That involved deciding not to partake of services. In Nashville, with the sit-ins, we were demanding service, just like whites, not withholding patronage. That was peaceful but directly confrontational. In Selma, we marched. And were beaten, while the whole world watched. You see, protest makes change occur, but attitudes are slow to come along for the ride. But real change transforms attitudes. And with that you have sustained change.”
“I never really thought about it along those lines.”
“That’s because you never had to,” she replied. “Now, let’s get back to the case.”
He picked up the glass of ice and held it against his jaw. “Jerome didn’t have a drop of blood on him even though he had tried to lift Mr. Randolph off the floor and did put Mrs. Randolph into a chair. If he had cut those two people up, there is no way he doesn’t have blood all over him. He said it was all dried up when he found them.”
