trial, you've tucked in the loose strings and ironed out the wrinkles,
and the case is clearer than ever.
'I also still wonder why she was calling you,' I said, 'and if it had
anything to do with the murder. Maybe because of the gang unit? Do
you work with public housing at all?' It wasn't unusual for us to work
with other agencies on long-term crime reduction plans.
She shook her head. 'The community prosecution unit will call HAP
sometimes if they know of a problem in the projects, but we stay out of
that stuff in the trial unit. Hard enough to get cooperation on cases
without getting people worried about losing their apartment.'
When I didn't respond, she looked over at me and laughed.
'You need to chill out, Kincaid. It's just a phone call. I called
twenty people this morning, and if someone chops me up in little pieces
tonight, I guarantee you it won't have anything to do with any of
them.'
'It just seems weird to call someone you don't know, leave a message,
and not say what you're calling about,' I said. 'And that number she
left you was her cell, by the way.'
'It was?' Jessicas tone told me she found that unusual too.
They say murder cases are like any other criminal case, but with one
important difference: Your most important witness, the victim, is gone
forever. The reason for Clarissa's phone call was lost with her death,
along with all the other information she took with her.
We picked up the pace as we passed the courtyard at the north end of
the waterfront, then began the slow jog through downtown back to the
courthouse. She stopped at the Plaza Blocks to stretch, and I put in
about thirty seconds with her before I grew impatient. My doctor says
I've got the heart of a healthy horse but the bones of a
ninety-year-old man. Regardless of his warnings, I still spend every
exercise minute I can spare going after every calorie I can burn.
'I stuck Alice Gerstein with some last-minute custodies and told her
I'd bring her back some lunch, so I better get a move on,' I said,
explaining my abrupt departure.
'Don't let Frist know you're being so considerate,' she said. 'Makes
everyone else in the unit look even worse.'
I was happy to find the Mexican food cart parked outside the
courthouse. I got fish tacos on corn tortillas for me and a chicken
burrito for Alice, then climbed the stairs to the eighth floor to
polish off my workout.
Alice accepted the bag with the burrito in it and thanked me. 'Sorry
to break this to you, but you've got another visitor.'
Still out of breath and in my sticky running gear, I was in no
condition to have a meeting. 'Who is it?' I asked.
'Melvin Jackson's mother. She's been here about twenty minutes.'
'Can you tell her to schedule an appointment? I'm a mess, and I have
some work I need to do before the death penalty meeting on that
case.'
'I'll do it if you want me to,' Alice said, 'but I can tell you right
now it won't be pretty. She threw a fit when I told her no one was
here to talk to her. We finally calmed her down by telling her you
were on your way back.'
'We don't usually meet with a defendant's family members. Maybe she
should call the defense attorney.'
Alice was patient, but the look on her face reminded me of that plumber
I'd hired when I told him to try adjusting the flu shy chain doohickey.
'I tried that,' Alice said, 'but I believe her response was, 'I don't
need to talk to some lazy-ass public defender. I need to talk to the
lady who's buying all this bullshit about my son.''
Given Walker's description from the night of Jackson's arrest, it
sounded like the last two days had actually done wonders for Mrs.
Jackson's forbearance.
'Fine. I'll be ready in a few minutes.'
When I'm not distracted by the television, the refrigerator, or singing
in the shower, I can get ready in seven minutes flat. It's one of the
advantages of never learning how to put on makeup or do my hair. A
shower, a hair clip, and a change of clothes are all I need to
transform back into my regular everyday self.
Martha Jackson was in the reception area, shifting in her seat and
tsk-ing every time someone walked by for a reason other than to see
her. She was short for her weight, a trait that was only accentuated
by the hot pink lilies on her dress that appeared to bloom from her
generous bosom and broad hips.
I managed to get my name out, but she was off and running before I had
a chance to offer her some water and a seat in the conference room.
'You got a hundred lawyers in this office. How come I got to wait half
an hour to talk to someone about a case that's been on the news every
