BooksBarbecue
Back Legacy of Lies Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. PART TWO
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. PART THREE
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. PART FOUR
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. 73
  82. 74
  83. 75
  84. 76
  85. 77
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  88. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PART FOUR

60

60

Pulaski, Tennessee, October 13, 2015

On the Sunday afternoon before trial, the consultation room at the Giles County Jail felt even more stuffy and claustrophobic than usual. Part of that was on account of the air-conditioning going out on Friday and still having not been repaired. Early October could be stifling hot in southeast Tennessee, and this year’s edition was no exception, with temperatures hovering in the high eighties. Of course, the other reason was the dire feeling emanating from the two occupants of the closely confined space.

“So . . . we’re screwed, I guess,” Helen said, her tone a mixture of defeat and exhaustion. In the months since the arraignment, the General had lost weight, and her always pale skin appeared ghostly to Bo. Their meetings, which in the weeks between the preliminary hearing and the arraignment had been daily, stretched out to once a week, and Bo found his client to be withdrawing more and more into herself. Outside of Bo himself, Helen’s only visitor had been her longtime friend Danny Cothren, an English teacher at Giles County High. Danny had reported to Bo that, by late August, Helen would barely say a word during his visits. “I’m worried, Bo,” Danny had said. “It’s not like Helen to give up. She’s a fighter.”

Things got even worse when, on September 17, 2015, the rape charge against Michael Zannick was dismissed pursuant to the same sweetheart plea agreement that Sack Glover had tried to push past Judge Page in June. This time, it wasn’t Sack who proposed the deal but Assistant District Attorney General Gloria Sanchez, who purported to Page that the state didn’t feel there was enough evidence to warrant a conviction for either forcible or statutory rape. Over Bo’s futile objections, Page entered the deal.

“Gloria’s made her bed,” Helen said when Bo informed her of the news. “She believes I’ll be convicted. I suspect that Sack promised her that she would be retained as an assistant prosecutor when he wins the election in November if she would submit the Zannick deal to Page.” She chuckled. “The ironic thing is that Gloria never believed in Mandy’s case.” Helen gazed at Bo with sad eyes. “She was telling Page the truth when she broke down her opinion of the case.” After standing and walking to the door of the consultation room, Helen knocked twice and then leaned her forehead against the metal. “You should make your bed, too, Bo,” Helen added. “I’m a lost cause. Withdraw now, and I’ll pay you what I owe you. I’m sure I can get Dick Selby to take my case. No one can captain a sinking ship better than Dick.”