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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

“We don’t have a while, dog. I’m going to call the General as my first witness, and if I haven’t heard from you by noon, I’ll have to go in a different direction.” Bo cringed at the prospect of recalling Bonita Spencer to place his cousin’s truck on Pecan Grove Drive and ending the case by putting Booker T. Rowe on the stand.

“You’ll hear from me by noon,” Hooper said. And the phone clicked dead in Bo’s hand. He gazed at the architectural beauty of the Giles County Courthouse and took in a deep breath. As he exhaled, he said a silent prayer.

Please God, let me be on my game today. Please . . .

71

71

The courtroom was standing room only. All rows of the main floor were occupied, and the balcony was overflowing. Helen glanced behind her and moved her eyes around the gallery. She saw a few smiles mixed with several hard stares. Mostly she observed curiosity in people’s faces. The way folks looked at a movie screen when they weren’t sure what was about to happen. Or the fixed gaze a farmer gave a stray dog who had ambled onto his property.

“ALL RISE!” the bailiff bellowed, looking as buffed and resplendent as ever. Helen almost smiled. How many times had she heard Sundance say those words over the years? Helen’s stomach clenched as she waited for any acknowledgment from her old friend, but none came. He had turned to watch his boss enter the room.

The Honorable Susan Connelly walked toward the bench with her head down, focused on the path in front of her. A soldier doing her duty. It had been her demeanor all week. She took her seat and looked out at the mass of humanity that had come to see this, the presumed last day of trial. Leaning forward, she spoke into the microphone in a voice hoarse with fatigue and the beginnings of a bad cold.

“Before I bring in the jury, I want to remind the spectators today, and especially you members of the press corps, that I expect absolute quiet while the witness or witnesses, whatever the case may be, testify today. Turn your cellular phones off or put them on silent mode. If I hear a phone ringing, the owner will be held in contempt and placed in a jail cell for the night.” She paused and glared out at the crowd. Then she turned to Sundance. “Escort the jury in.”

Seconds later, the group of men and women who would decide this case walked toward their seats. Once they were in place, Judge Connelly lowered her bifocals and gazed at the prosecution. “General, are you ready to proceed?”

As she had the first four days, Helen flinched and had to stop herself from responding.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Sack Glover said, running a hand through his thick red hair. “The state is ready.”