A time to kill

Sheldon Roark sat in the window with his feet on the back of a chair, reading the Memphis Sunday paper's version of the Hailey trial. On the bottom of the front page was a picture of his daughter and the story about her encounter with the Klan. She rested comfortably in the bed a few feet away. The left side of her head was shaved and covered with a thick bandage. The left ear was sewn with twenty-eight stitches. The severe concussion had been downgraded to a mild concussion, and the doctors had promised she could leave by Wednesday.

She had not been raped or whipped. When the doctors called him in Boston they were short on details. He had flown for seven hours not knowing what they had done to her, but expecting the worst. Late Saturday night, the doctors ran more X rays and told him to relax. The scars would fade and the hair would grow back. She had been frightened and roughed up, but it could have been much worse.

He heard a commotion in the hall. Someone was arguing with a nurse. He laid the paper on her bed and opened the door.

A nurse had caught Jake and Harry Rex sneaking down the hall. She explained that visiting hours started at 2:00 P.M., and that happened to be six hours away; that only family members were allowed; and that she would call security if they didn't leave. Harry Rex explained that he didn't give a damn about visiting hours or any other silly rules of the hospital; that it was his fiancee and that he would see her one last time before she died; and that if the nurse didn't shut up he would sue her for harassment because he was a lawyer and hadn't sued anybody in a week and was getting anxious.

"What's going on here?" Sheldon said.

Jake looked at the small man with the red hair and green eyes, and said, "You must be Sheldon Roark."

"I am."

"I'm Jake Brigance. The one-"

"Yes, I've been reading about you. It's okay, nurse, they're with me."

"Yeah," Harry Rex said. "It's okay. We're with him. Now would you please leave us alone before I garnishee your check."

She vowed to call security, and stormed down the hall.

"I'm Harry Rex Vonner," he said, shaking hands with Sheldon Roark.

"Step inside," he said. They followed him into the small room and stared at Ellen. She was still asleep.

"How bad is she?" Jake asked.

"Mild concussion. Twenty-eight stitches in her ear, and eleven in her head. She'll be fine. Doctor said she might leave by Wednesday. She was awake last night and we talked for a long time."

"Her hair looks awful," Harry Rex observed..

"They yanked it and cut it with a dull knife, she said. They also cut her clothes off, and at one time threatened to bullwhip her. The head injuries are self-inflicted. She thought they would either kill her or rape her, or both. So she banged her brains out against the pole she was tied to. Must have scared them."

"You mean they didn't beat her?"

"No. They didn't hurt her. Just scared the hell out of her."

"What did she see?"

"Not much. Burning cross, white robes, about a dozen men. Sheriff said it was a pasture eleven miles east of here. Owned by some paper company."

"Who found her?" Harry Rex asked.

"The sheriff received an anonymous phone call from a fella by the name of Mickey Mouse."

"Ah yes. My old friend."

Ellen moaned softly and stretched.

"Let's step outside," Sheldon said.

"Does this place have a cafeteria?" Harry Rex asked. "I get hungry when I get near a hospital."

"Sure. Let's have coffee."

The cafeteria on the first floor was empty. Jake and Mr. Roark drank black coffee. Harry Rex started with three sweet rolls and a pint of milk.

"According to the paper, things aren't going too well," Sheldon said.

"The paper is very kind," Harry Rex said with a mouthful. "Jake here is gettin' his ass kicked all over the courtroom. And life ain't so great outside the courtroom, either. When they're not shooting at him, or kidnapping his law clerk, they're burning his house."

"They burned your house!"

Jake nodded. "Last night. It's still smoldering."

"I thought I detected the smell of smoke."

"We watched it burn to the ground. It took four hours."

"I'm sorry to hear that. They've threatened me with that before, but the worst I've had was slashed tires. I've never been shot at either."

"I've been shot at a couple of times."

"Do y'all have the Klan in Boston?" asked Harry Rex.

"Not'that I know of."

"It's a shame. Those folks add a real dimension to your law practice."

"Sounds like it. We saw the television reports of the riot around the courthouse last week. I've watched it pretty close since Ellen became involved. It's a famous case. Even up there. I wish I had it."

"It's all yours," said Jake. "I think my client is looking for a new lawyer."

"How many shrinks will the State call?"

"Just one. He'll testify in the morning, and we'll have closing arguments. The jury should get it by late tomorrow afternoon."

"I hate that Ellen will miss it. She called me every day and talked about the case."

"Where did Jake go wrong?" Harry Rex asked.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Jake said.