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“Beats the shit out of me.”
“Damn. I was afraid of that.”
Fifty-Four
SOMEHOW, EVEN AS JAZZEDas I am on caffeine and adrenaline, I manage to get a couple of hours of sleep after Jimmy leaves.
Good thing, because I have a big morning coming up in court.
My surprise witness.
One I need, don’t just want.
One I need at this point in the proceedings.
When I’m fully awake again, a few minutes before six, I take Rip in the car with me and drive to Indian Wells Beach and we go for a walk. Not a long one. He’s not up to that yet, or running, even though he’s getting stronger by the day. When we come back, I feed him, drink more coffee, then fix myself a huge plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. Joke of it all? My cholesterol levels are perfect. Dream numbers across the board.
What a lucky girl am I.
I wear a blue suit I haven’t yet worn at this trial. A little looser on me than when I purchased it, but not so much that I need to have it taken in. Amazing how cancer can help you with those hard-to-lose five pounds.
I get a call from the clerk on my way to Riverhead, informing me that my client would like to meet with me before court is in session. I lie and tell the clerk to tell Rob Jacobson that unfortunately I’m running late and will be lucky to get there by nine o’clock.
So I linger in the car until it’s five minutes till and act rushed when I sit down next to him.
“You okay?” he says.
“Never better.”
“Who’s leading off today?”
“You’ll see.”
“You sound mysterious,” Jacobson says.
“Keeps our relationship fresh.”
Then everybody in the room is being told to rise, as Judge Jackson Prentice III enters and takes his seat.
“Are you ready to call your first witness, Ms. Smith?”
“I am, Your Honor.”
I rise again, just as the double doors at the back of the room open and my sister comes walking in.
Fifty-Five
Jimmy
MICKEY DUNNE IS ALREADYon the Long Island Expressway, at Exit 50 he says, when he calls Jimmy and tells him he has a day off and, what the hell, he thought he’d come out and see how Jimmy and the rest of the fancy people live.
“You must have a reason,” Jimmy says.
“I do. Something you should see.”
“What?”
“Tell you when I see you. I’m getting as geeked about talking on the phone as you are.”
