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ON THE WALK BACK TO his office, Jack asked DuBose if she wanted to accompany him to see Pearl Washington.
“I don’t want to take you to see Jerome just yet. You’ll need to show ID at the jail and they’ll be sure to tell Battle all about it. I know when you told Doug your name was DeeDee, you wanted to keep your being here a secret for now.”
“Yes. Do you have a car?”
“I do.”
“Let me guess—a big old pickup truck?”
“How’d you know?”
When he escorted her to his Fiat, she said, “You going to keep surprising me?”
“I don’t know, Desiree. This is all new for me.”
As they drove off DuBose said, “What was your impression of Pearl?”
“Sharp as a tack and she minces no words.” He glanced at her. “But—”
“But what?”
“I’m not sure she can write. Pretty certain Jerome can’t read.”
“They’re in their midtwenties?”
“That’s right.”
“Separate but unequal was in full flourishing bloom when they were in school. And that, unfortunately, is the result.”
Pearl came to the door when they drove up and she shone a flashlight at them. “Who y’all? What you want here?”
“It’s Jack Lee. I’ve brought another lawyer with me to help.”
Pearl pointed her beam at DuBose. “Her?”
They approached the house and Jack said, “Yes. Pearl Washington, this is Desiree DuBose. She’s come down from Chicago.”
“Chicago!” said Pearl. “She a lawyer?”
DuBose answered, “I am a lawyer, Mrs. Washington.”
“And she won a case before the United States Supreme Court. We’re lucky to have her help us.”
“What happened to your face, and why you look all stiff?” This query came from Miss Jessup, who had walked out with a plump-cheeked baby girl fixed onto her hip.
“It’s nothing, Miss Jessup,” said Jack. “Just being clumsy and fell down.”
“Uh-huh,” said Miss Jessup, shaking her head.
“He brought us a woman lawyer,” said Pearl.
“She must be better’n good,” noted Miss Jessup.
“And why do you say that?” asked DuBose politely.
“’Cause, honey, they must have put up every roadblock there is to keep you from bein’ one. So you must be somethin’ special, all right.”
Pearl said, “What y’all be doing here?”
