'What an asshole,' Kate said.
Amanda gathered her papers, her eyes still on the door through which her client had disappeared.
'What are you going to do now?' Kate asked as she opened the door into the hall.
'I'm going to give Dupre time to cool off while I get a court order from Robard. Then I'll set up a contact meeting and hope it goes a little better.'
'Good luck.'
'Meanwhile, you and I will draw up a game plan for the trial and the penalty phase.'
Kate pressed the button for the elevator.
'We should spend most of our time on figuring out how to keep the jury from sentencing Dupre to death. I've read the police reports. I don't think that the guilt phase is going to take too long.'
'That's negative thinking,' Amanda answered with a tired smile. 'We don't do that at Jaffe, Katz, Lehane and Brindisi.'
'Hey, I'm positive. I've even got a few theories of defense. Martians may have beamed powerful thought rays through the concrete walls, which forced Dupre to chop up Mr. Hayes, and the Sci Fi channel had this movie about demonic possession. I'll write for their research file.'
The elevator took them down to the reception area of the jail. When the doors opened they could see a group of reporters milling around.
'Oh, shit,' Amanda said. 'Someone tipped them off.'
The reporters shouted questions at Amanda as she walked through reception. She stopped in the lobby. The lights from one of the TV cameras blinded her for a moment, and she squinted.
'Are you representing Jon Dupre?' one reporter asked.
'Did you meet with him face-to-face?'
Amanda held up her hand and the questions stopped.
'Judge Robard asked me to represent Mr. Dupre and I've just come from a meeting with him . . . .'
'Were you frightened?' someone shouted.
'Did Dupre admit that he murdered Senator Travis?'
Amanda waited patiently until the reporters quieted down.
'Those of you who know me know that I believe that the proper place to resolve a matter of this seriousness is in a courtroom and not in the press. So, I won't be discussing the case with you and I certainly will not reveal any attorney-client communications.'
Several reporters continued to ask questions. Amanda waited patiently for the shouting to subside.
'I'm not going to comment on this case in the press,' Amanda repeated. 'I'm sorry, but that's my position. Let's go, Kate.'
Amanda and her investigator walked away from the reporters and through the main doors of the Justice Center just as Tim Kerrigan jogged up the stairs from the street. The prosecutor stared for a second as if trying to place her, then smiled when he did.
'Hey, Amanda, it's been a while.'
'Two years, the Harrison case.'
'In which you were a graceful winner, if I remember correctly.'
'You know my investigator, Kate Ross? She used to be PPB.'
'Sure. You were involved in the Daniel Ames case.'
'That was me,' Kate answered.
The reporters and cameramen had been walking away when they spotted Kerrigan talking to Amanda. They surged toward them like a pack of ravenous wolves.
'What's with the reporters?'
Amanda looked over her shoulder and grimaced. 'I'm handling Jon Dupre's case.'
'Then we've got something in common. I'm prosecuting. Maybe I'll get to even our record.'
'We'll see,' Amanda answered without much confidence.
'Mr. Kerrigan,' someone shouted.
'I'll leave you to your public,' Amanda said.
'Gee, thanks,' Kerrigan answered.
As the reporters closed in on her adversary, Amanda and Kate raced down the stairs and started to put some distance between themselves and the press.
'He's the jock, right?' Kate asked.
'Not just any jock. He won a Heisman about ten years ago.'
Kate whistled. 'How is he in court?' she asked.
'Good. He's smart and he works very hard.' Then she sighed. 'But the way this case is shaping up, he won't
