A time to kill

Mrs. Cobb burst into tears and bawled uncontrollably as the shouting erupted. She managed to keep the microphone in her face, and her wailing and carrying on resounded through the stunned courtroom.

"He should be admonished, Your Honor!" Buckley demanded, his face and eyes glowing with violent anger and his neck a deep purple.

"I'll withdraw the question," Jake replied loudly as he returned to his seat.

"Cheap shot, Brigance," Musgrove mumbled.

"Please admonish him," Buckley begged, "and instruct the jury to disregard."

"Any redirect?" asked Noose.

"No," answered Buckley as he dashed to the witness stand with a handkerchief to rescue Mrs. Cobb, who had buried her head in her hands and was sobbing and shaking violently.

"You are excused, Mrs. Cobb," Noose said. "Bailiff, please assist the witness."

The bailiff lifted her by the arm, with Buckley's assistance, and led her down from the witness stand, in front of the jury box, through the railing, down the center aisle. She shrieked and whined every step of the way, and her noises increased as she neared the back door until she was roaring at full throttle when she made her exit.

Noose glared at Jake until she was gone and the courtroom was quiet again. Then he turned to the jury and said: "Please disregard the last question by Mr. Brigance."

"What'd you do that for?" Carl Lee whispered to his lawyer.

"I'll explain later."

"The State calls Earnestine Willard," Buckley announced in a quieter tone and with much more hesitation.

Mrs. Willard was brought from the witness room above the courtroom. She was sworn and seated.

"You are Earnestine Willard?" asked Buckley.

"Yes, sir," she said in a fragile voice. Life had been rough on her too, but she had a certain dignity that made her more pitiful and believable than Mrs. Cobb. The clothes were inexpensive, but clean and neatly pressed. The hair was minus the cheap black dye that Mrs. Cobb relied on so heavily. The face was minus the layers of makeup. When she began crying, she cried to herself.

"And where do you live?"

"Out from Lake Village."

"Pete Willard was your son?"

"Yes, sir."

"When did you last see him alive?"

"Right here in this room, just before he was killed."

"Did you hear the gunfire that killed him?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where did you last see him?"

"At the funeral home."

"And what was his condition?"

"He was dead," she said, wiping tears with a Kleenex.

"I'm very sorry," Buckley offered. "No further questions," he added, eyeing Jake carefully.

"Any cross-examination?" Noose asked, also eyeing Jake suspiciously.

"Just a couple," Jake said.

"Mrs. Willard, I'm Jake Brigance." He stood behind the podium and looked at her without compassion.

She nodded.

"How old was your son when he died?"

"Twenty-seven."

Buckley pushed his chair from the table and sat on its edge, ready to spring. Noose removed his glasses and leaned forward. Carl Lee lowered his head.

"During his twenty-seven years, how many other children did he rape?"

Buckley bolted upright. "Objection! Objection! Objection!"

"Sustained! Sustained! Sustained!"

The yelling frightened Mrs. Willard, and she cried louder.

"Admonish him, Judge! He must be admonished!"

"I'll withdraw the question," Jake said on his way back to his seat.

Buckley pleaded with his hands. "But that's not good enough, Judge! He must be admonished!"

"Let's go into chambers," Noose ordered. He excused the witness and recessed until one.

Harry Rex was waiting on the balcony of Jake's office with sandwiches and a pitcher of margaritas. Jake declined and drank grapefruit juice. Ellen wanted just one, a small one she said to calm her nerves. For the third day, lunch had been prepared by Dell and personally delivered to Jake's office. Compliments of the Coffee Shop.

They ate and relaxed on the balcony and watched the carnival around the courthouse. What happened in chambers? Harry Rex demanded. Jake nibbled on a Reuben. He said he wanted to talk about something other than the trial.

"What happened in chambers, dammit?"

"Cardinals are three games out, did you know that, Row Ark?"

"I thought it was four."

"What happened in chambers!"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes! Yes!"

"Okay. I've got to go use the rest room. I'll tell you when I get back." Jake left.

"Row Ark, what happened in chambers?"

"Not much. Noose rode Jake pretty good, but no permanent damage. Buckley wanted blood, and Jake said he was sure, some was forthcoming if Buckley's face got any redder. Buckley ranted and screamed and condemned Jake for intentionally inflaming the jury, as he called it. Jake just smiled at him and said he was sorry, Governor. Every time he would say governor, Buckley would scream at Noose, 'He's calling me governor, Judge, do something.' And Noose would say, 'Please, gentlemen, I expect you to act like professionals.' And Jake would say, 'Thank you, Your Honor.' Then he would wait a few minutes and call him governor again."

"Why did he make those two old ladies cry?"