A time to kill

cations and the outline of his testimony. She had made notes on anticipated objections from Buckley, and provided case authority to fight his objections. Jake took great pride in his trial preparation, but it was humbling to learn from a third-year law student.

He repacked the file in his trial briefcase, the heavy black leather one with his initials in gold on the side. Nature called, and he sat on the toilet flipping through the index cards. He knew them all. He was ready.

A few minutes after five, Harry Rex knocked on the door. It was dark and he looked like a burglar.

"Whatta you doing up so early?" Jake asked.

"I couldn't sleep. I'm kinda nervous." He thrust forward a loaded paper sack with grease spots. "Dell sent these over. They're fresh and hot. Sausage biscuits, bacon and cheese biscuits, chicken and cheese biscuits, you name it. She's worried about you."

"Thanks, Harry Rex, but I'm not hungry. My system is in revolt."

"Nervous?"

"As a whore in church."

"You look pretty haggard."

"Thanks."

"Nice suit though."

"Carla picked it out."

Harry Rex reached into the sack and produced a handful of biscuits wrapped in foil. He piled them on the conference table and fixed his coffee. Jake sat across from him and flipped through Ellen's brief on M'Naghten.

"She write that?" Harry Rex asked with both cheeks full and his jaws grinding rapidly.

"Yeah, it's a seventy-five-page summary of the insanity defense in Mississippi. It took her three days."

"She seems very bright."

"She's got the brains, and she writes fluidly. The intellect is there, but she has trouble applying what she knows to the real world."

"Whatta you know about her?" Crumbs fell from his mouth and bounced on the table. He brushed them onto the floor with a sleeve.

"She's solid. Number two in her class at Ole Miss. I

called Nelson Battles, Assistant Dean of the Law School, and she checked out fine. She has a good chance of finishing number one."

"I finished ninety-third outta ninety-eight. I would've finished ninety-second but they caught me cheating on an exam. I started to protest, but I figured ninety-third was just as good. Hell, I figured, who cares in Clanton. These people were just glad I came back here to practice when I graduated instead of going to Wall Street or some pjace like that."

Jake smiled at the story he had heard a hundred times.

Harry Rex unwrapped a chicken and cheese biscuit. "You look nervous, buddy."

"I'm okay. The first day is always the hardest. The preparation has been done. I'm ready.. It's just a matter of waiting now."

"What time does Row Ark make her entrance?"

"I don't know."

"Lord, I wonder what she'll wear."

"Or not wear. I just hope she's decent. You know what a prude Noose is."

"You're not gonna let her sit at counsel table are you?"

"I don't think so. She'll stay in the background, sort of like you. She might offend some of the women jurors."

"Yeah, keep her there, but outta sight."

Harry Rex wiped his mouth with a huge paw. "You sleeping with her?"

"No! I'm not crazy, Harry Rex."

"You're crazy if you don't. That woman could be had."

"Then have her. I've got enough on my mind."

"She thinks I'm cute, don't she?"

"She says she does."

"I think I'll give it a shot," he said with a straight face, then he smiled, then he burst into laughter with crumbs spraying the bookshelves.

The phone rang. Jake shook his head, and Harry Rex picked up the receiver. "He's not here, but I'll be glad to give him the message." He winked at Jake. "Yes sir, yes sir, uh huh, yes sir. It's a terrible thing, ain't it. Can you believe a man would do it? Yes sir, yes sir, I agree one hundred percent. Yes sir, and what's your name, sir? Sir?" Harry Rex smiled at the receiver and laid it down.

"What'd he want?"

"Said you was a shame to the white race for being that nigger's lawyer, and that he didn't see how any lawyer could represent a nigger such as Hailey. And that he hoped the Klan got ahold of you, and if they didn't he hoped the bar association looked into it and took away your license for helping niggers. Said he knew you were no 'count because you were trained by Lucien Wilbanks who lives with a nigger woman."

"And you agreed with him!"

"Why not? He was really sincere, not hateful, and he feels better now that it's off his chest."

The phone rang again. Harry Rex snatched the receiver. "Jake Brigance, Attorney, Counselor, Consultant, Adviser, and Guru at Law."

Jake left for the restroom. "Jake, it's a reporter!" Harry Rex yelled.

"I'm on the potty."

"He's got the runs!" Harry Rex told the reporter.