best.
The crowd separated so that they could go forward. Mary Rose held on to her father's arm and let him guide her inside.
Judge Burns was already seated behind the table at the end of the room. He faced the door. He motioned the family to come forward. Chairs of every sort from households around Blue Belle had been carried in and placed in neat rows facing the judge. A wide aisle led down the middle.
About fifteen feet away from the judge's table on the right side of the storefront were two rows of chairs, six in each, for the jury.
'You can take your seats now. Hello, William,' he called out to Mary Rose's father. 'I didn't see you standing behind all those tall boys of yours. It's a hell of a sorry day, isn't it?'
'Yes, Your Honor. It certainly is.'
' Harrison, that suggestion you gave me yesterday and tried to make me think it was all my own idea? Well, I've decided to go along with it because it makes good sense to me. I don't want a bunch of strangers in here. They'll only disrupt me, and then, by God, I'll have to start in shooting. Can't abide chaos in my court. Cole, get on up and hand me your guns. I'll look after them for you. The rest of you boys do the same. Mary Rose? You carrying a pistol?'
'No, Your Honor.'
'All right then.'
The judge waited until all the Clayborne guns had been placed on his table.
' Harrison, Morrison's agreed to help me figure out which ones live in Blue Belle or in a ten-mile circle around the town. No one else is getting inside, especially that no-account vigilante group from Hammond. I'll head on outside in a minute. First, I got to ask you what objections you have to any of the jury members. Do you mind women along with the men if I decided to pick one or two? I might be ornery enough to do it.'
Harrison smiled. 'I don't have any objections to letting women sit on the jury, Your Honor. Whatever you decide will be fine with me.'
'Well, now, that's mighty accommodating. Anything you don't cotton to?'
'No, Your Honor. I've compiled my own list of people who live in and around Blue Belle. I've taken the liberty of putting a check mark next to the ones who came from down South.'
The judge grinned. 'Any ringers in this here list of yours?'
'Excuse me, Your Honor?'
'Never you mind. I spoke out of turn. I know how you operate, now that I've watched you pontificating in my courtroom in Hammond. You wouldn't stoop to buying anyone off. I'll be happy to use your list. It will make my job sorting everyone out much easier. I'm making John Morrison foreman. You got any objections to that?'
Harrison pretended to ponder the matter. He didn't want Judge Burns to know what a piece of luck it was. Adam had come to Morrison's aid when the roof of his store caved in. He hoped to God Morrison remembered.
'No, Your Honor. I have no objections. Morrison's an honest man.'
'If everyone's ready, I'll let folks trickle in.'
'Your Honor, will you have someone stand in front of the door to keep everyone else out?'
'I will,' the judge answered.
'I'm expecting an important telegram. If it arrives…'
'I'll see you get it. That's cutting it a little short, isn't it, Harrison?'
'The telegram will help, but it isn't needed to present my case.'
Burns stood up. 'I'm bringing in those southern boys last. Since they're witnesses against Adam, I'll sit them over on the other side of the defendant. I put the two chairs at an angle so the jury and the crowd can get a good look at them.'
Harrison waited until the judge was on his way down the main aisle before joining Adam at the table. He sat down, leaned close to the brother, and whispered something into his ear.
Mary Rose couldn't hear what her husband said, but she was able to see her brother's reaction. Adam looked astonished. Then he smiled. It was the first time in weeks he'd shown any joy. She couldn't imagine what Harrison had said to him.
Her husband leaned back in his chair. He wouldn't look at her when he asked her once again if she was feeling all right.
'Yes,' she whispered.
Harrison had ordered all of them to keep quiet during the trial, and so, when the first man walked in and went directly to the chairs reserved for the jury, everyone hushed.
There weren't any women sitting on the jury. Mary Rose recognized most of the men, but she couldn't remember some of their names. None of the twelve was smiling. They all had solemn expressions, which she thought were appropriate, given the seriousness of the case they were going to hear.
Lionel and Reginald Adderley were the last two men allowed inside. They stomped their way to the front and took their seats.
Both of the men had blond hair. Reginald was older than his brother by several years. He had gray streaks in his closely cropped beard. His eyes were hazel but with more yellow than green in them. He reminded her of a lizard.
His brother was just as ugly. His eyes were brown. His skin was pasty like his brother's, suggesting to her that neither brother had ever worked outside a day in his life.
Dooley was given the duty of guarding the door. Billie was told to spell him.
Harrison continued to stay seated until Burns got to the end of the aisle. Harrison immediately stood up. So did Adam.
So no one else moved. The judge seemed pleased by the deference Harrison and Adam were showing him.
'With Your Honor's permission?'
Burns guessed what he was asking. He eagerly nodded. 'Wait until I get on in the storeroom,' he whispered. 'This is gonna be a first, and I want to enjoy every minute.'
Adam started to sit down. Harrison wouldn't let him. 'Stand,' he whispered.
Harrison waited until the judge had disappeared into the storeroom, and then called out in a loud, booming voice, 'Hear Ye, Hear Ye. All rise. Court is now in session. Judge John Burns is presiding.'
The crowd immediately got out of their chairs. The judge peeked around the corner to make certain everyone was standing, then strutted into the courtroom, looking as pleased and proud as a peacock. He obviously loved formality and rarely got it.
He took his time going to his table and taking his seat.
'All right. Sit yourselves back down.
'I'm only going to say this once, so all of you hear me good. I won't tolerate shouting or cheering or making any other noises while my court is in session. This here is sacred ground right this minute cause of me squatting on it. First, I'm going to tell the jury the evidence against Adam Clayborne. Then I'll call two witnesses.'
The judge paused to take a drink of water.
'John Quincy Adam Clayborne has been charged with murdering Walter Adderley. Adderley was the man who owned Adam during the slaving years. Adderley's sons brung me letters the Clayborne family had written to Adam's mother, Rose. Now Rose still lives down south on that same plantation with Adderley's wife, Livonia.
She takes care of her 'cause the woman's plumb blind. In six or seven of the letters, there's mention of Adderley's death. Ain't nothing damning though. Adam don't admit to killing Adderley, but he does admit to being in the house when Adderley died, and Adam also admits in writing that he ran. I'll question Adam all about that when he takes the stand. He is taking the stand, isn't he, Harrison?'
'Yes, Your Honor, he is.'
'Fine. Now I got one last thing to say to you, jury. I want to see justice done here today. If any of you have already made up your minds that Adam's guilty, raise your butts off them chairs and get on out of here. A man's innocent until proven guilty, and I ain't allowing no man to railroad him.
' Harrison, it's your turn now. You got something you want to say to the jury?'
'Yes, Your Honor,' Harrison answered.
He stood up and walked across the room so he could face the twelve men.
