“Yes. I tried to talk him out of it, but he thought it would be a feather in his cap. As a result, he was asked to resign from his clubs, and he never took another criminal case. Also, the twins were a couple of years behind me at school, and I had always thought they were evil little shits. My great regret is that Maine got rid of the death penalty in the 1870s.”

“All right, we’re both up to date, I think,” Stone said. “Now tell me why we are telling each other all this.”

“I can’t very well show up at the parole hearing and beg the board to deny.”

“Why not?”

“Because it would further humiliate my father to oppose him in a case that has already caused him such pain. He loved his clubs, and he is quite old now and has already had one stroke.”

“So, you’d like me to appear and plead the case against parole?”

“If you would be so kind; I would be very grateful.”

“And have you been able to come up with any convincing evidence for me to present?”

“I fear I have not.”

“Let me guess: the twins have been ideal prisoners and they charmed all they have met.”

“That’s about the size of it.”

“So, I’m supposed to appear at the hearing and tell the board that, contrary to all the available evidence, they are very bad boys, not to mention evil little shits, and they should throw away the key.”

“Sort of,” Keegan admitted.

“And, of course, the twins will have a parade of other witnesses—guards, nurses, fellow prisoners, and, let’s not forget, the prison doctor, who will all swear to their cuddliness.”

“You make it sound hopeless,” Keegan said, his shoulders slumping into his damp suit.

“I don’t make it sound hopeless,” Stone said. “It is hopeless.”

“Will you, at least, come up to Maine for the hearing and share my bench with me, holding a briefcase? That would make it appear that I’m not alone in all this.”

“Jack,” Stone said, not unkindly. “Apart from your father, do you have any family?”

Keegan shook his head. “My wife and I were childless, and she died last year.”

“Well, my advice to you is to pack up your shingle and your bags and retire to some remote place in a distant land, but not without a shotgun handy, because your appearance before the parole board, no matter how ineffective, is not going to win the affections of the Stone twins, and they will not have short memories.”

Keegan sighed. “I had hoped to avoid retirement.”

“Why avoid it? Many men of your age retire every day, sitting under a palm tree and drinking piña coladas.”

“My problem is, I love the law, love practicing it every day.”

“Do you play golf?”

“Sadly, no.”