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After he had done so, Battle rose and said, “Relevancy?”
Ambrose looked at Jack. “Well?”
“The relevancy will become clear when the defense puts on its case. Mr. Gates’s testimony on these points is critical to lay the foundation for this line of inquiry.”
“I hope it is, Mr. Lee,” said the judge. “Otherwise you are wasting our time, sir.”
Miss Jessup was called next and talked about Jerome’s nightmares, which Battle’s people had unearthed during their investigation. Battle twisted her words around so much that even on his gentle cross-examination, Jack could do little to straighten it out.
As she got off the witness stand she turned and smiled sweetly at Ambrose. “Afternoon, Judge,” she said in a friendly tone.
He quickly looked away from her without replying.
After more testimony, court was adjourned for the day. Jack and DuBose had a hurried conversation with their clients as the jury filed out. DuBose kept a close eye on them until they left.
Jerome said, “How we be doin’, you think?”
“It always looks bad when the prosecution is putting on its case,” said Jack. “But we’ll get our turn.”
“You think you want us to testify?” asked Pearl anxiously.
Jack glanced at DuBose. “We haven’t decided yet. If you do take the stand, Battle can question you, and he’s good at twisting things around. You saw that for yourself.”
“Yeah, we did,” said Pearl. “But I don’t got no bag big enough to carry all the stuff they say I did. It just ridiculous.”
The deputies came for them. When Jerome rose from the table, his left knee buckled and he had to grab the table to right himself.
Jack took a hold of his other arm to steady the man.
“Damn leg,” said Jerome, breathing hard. “I forget sometimes not to put all my weight on it.”
“Jack said that happened in Vietnam?” noted DuBose.
“Yeah. Ain’t never gonna be right again.” He looked around the courtroom. “Nothin’ ever gonna be right again, I guess.”
Jack watched Jerome limp awkwardly off. Then he and DuBose gathered up their things and left the courtroom.
CHAPTER 69
ONCE THEY REACHED THE HALL Jack said, “Come on, we can avoid all the reporters if we go out a side door.”
“Who said I wanted to avoid the press?” DuBose countered.
She marched out the front doors and into the sea of journalists.
Battle had just stepped away from the podium that was lined with microphones. He glanced at DuBose. “Have at it,” he said before walking off.
DuBose stepped up to the podium, while Jack hovered behind.
One reporter called out, “How do you think the first day went?”
She said, “It always looks dire when the prosecution is putting on its case. But there are two sides to every story, and we will get our chance to tell ours.”
“How do you feel about the jury?” asked another, a thin woman with glasses.
“I would feel a lot better if it had some people on there who looked like my clients. But that wasn’t my call. It was the judge’s. I will let others judge that while we try to win this case.”
Some of the reporters laughed while protestors across the street yelled and jeered.
