Page 43 of The Devil's Advocate

‘I don’t have time to drive to Montgomery to see the governor and get back here for three o’clock. Tell the girls outside to keep trying the Governor’s Office until someone answers the damn phone.’

‘But the governor’s not in Montgomery. He’s outside of town, at the chemical plant. They’re trying to renegotiate their deal with the bank and Patchett is there to try and help them extend their credit,’ said Tom.

Whipping his suit jacket from the hanger in the corner, Korn slid his arms through the sleeves and flipped the jacket over his head as he walked out of the office, Tom following.

‘Call the plant, tell them I need five minutes with the governor. Then call the TV news channels, the radio stations and the newspapers. Tell them there will be a press conference outside the plant at one o’clock.’

‘Any idea what news channels, radio and newspapers you’d like me to contact?’

‘All of them,’ said Korn. ‘Statewide, national if you can get them.’

‘What shall I say the press conference is about?’

‘Don’t say anything yet. Just tell them it’s big and it’s juicy and they had better be there or I will not forget it.’

Ten minutes later Korn was behind the wheel of his Jaguar on the open road. He’d connected his burner cell phone to the car’s Bluetooth, and he was waiting for the sheriff to pick up his own burner. They each had one for emergencies.

‘Where’s the fire?’ said Lomax, answering the call.

‘In your department, it seems. Leonard and Shipley had a run-in with Flynn and his team this morning. They’ve got Leonard on a digital voice recording saying the whole town knows Dubois is guilty. They’ve filed for a change of venue,’ said Korn.

Lomax sighed, said, ‘Leonard is dumber than shit. It could’ve been worse. Shipley has a dark streak. He’s on a tight leash, but he can bite if he’s provoked.’

‘That’s not all. Seems a clerk in the gas station on Union Highway has sworn an affidavit to say a deputy from Buckstown took security-camera footage of the forecourt on the night of the murder and the next day, and then deleted the original file. It’s the first I’ve heard of it.’

‘Me too. I’ll ask around, see if any of the boys remember anything. You worried this might give us another suspect?’

‘I don’t care if the footage clears Dubois completely. I don’t want to know what’s on it, I just want to know where it is so I can be sure it doesn’t surface and torpedo my case.’

‘Like I said, I’ll ask around.’

‘Be sure to let me know how that goes. Couple of other things. He’s applied for bail, but Dubois doesn’t have the resources to make the bond. When he goes back to his cell tonight, after the hearing, make sure he knows not to talk to those lawyers. Put someone in the cell with him. Somebody good. I don’t want him injured so badly that it delays the trial. It’s just a message.’

‘And how would you like that message delivered?’ asked Lomax.

‘Slowly. Maybe just break his fingers. Knuckle by knuckle. His feet too.’

‘I’ll see to it. Is that all?’

‘Oh no, that’s just the beginning. Flynn needs to get the message too,’ said Korn.

‘What do you have in mind?’ asked Lomax.

Korn talked some more then finished the call, pulled into the visitor’s lot at the chemical plant and made his way to the front of the building. It was a big plant, covered in aluminum siding, which made it cold in the winter and hotter than all hell in the summer. The front entrance was glass, with double doors and a single receptionist behind an old computer.

She saw Korn coming, picked up the phone from her desk.

Korn took shelter from the heat in the air-conditioned waiting area. A black tiled floor that must’ve been hell to clean, and black leather couches. He remained standing, watching the staircase just beyond the reception desk. After a few minutes he saw hand-made Italian leather shoes descending those stairs. The shoes led to a well-cut suit, blue pinstripe, over a white shirt and a dark, power-red tie the same color as fresh blood. The man in the shirt and tie, suit and shoes, was Chris Patchett, the state governor. He wore his hair a little longer than it should have been, and the thick black mop in a side parting was tinged with gray hairs here and there, at the sides especially. A job like his will do that for you.

‘Randal, what’s this I hear about a press conference? We don’t have an agreement between the company and the bank yet, but I appreciate your confidence in my abilities,’ he said.

The two of them shook hands, stepped out of earshot of the receptionist.

‘This is not about the chemical plant. I need a favor,’ said Korn.

‘You know me, I’ve always got your back. I’m big on justice – it always carries five points in any election. What exactly am I to say to the press?’

Just as Patchett spoke, Korn noticed the first press van arriving. A mobile news van, with the channel’s logo on the side and a satellite dish on the roof.