Sycamore Row - John Grisham

29
Jake and Carla sat at the kitchen table and waited for the coffee to brew. It was not yet
5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 22, a day that would undoubtedly be one of the
saddest and darkest in the county’s history. Two teenagers—bright kids, strong students,
athletes, church members, popular boys from a good family—slaughtered on an icy road
by a drunk. The horrible news was spreading by the minute. The cafés would be packed
as the early risers hurried in for the latest word. The churches would open for prayer.
Clanton High School would be the worst place to be. Those poor kids.
Carla poured coffee and they spoke softly, in hushed tones so Hanna wouldn’t be
awakened. Jake was saying, “I never opened a file. Ozzie called me on Monday, told me
Simeon was arrested on Saturday morning and was due in court on Wednesday. When
he sobered up, Ozzie drove him home and along the way told him to get rid of the
Memphis lawyers. I thanked Ozzie and we agreed to meet later. He called back and
asked if I would show up in court Wednesday to get the case continued. Ozzie thought
he could use the DUI to pressure Simeon to get in line. I went to court that Wednesday,
did the paperwork, asked for a continuance, got one, and forgot about it, for the most
part. At the time, Simeon was still represented by Booker Sistrunk, and I told Simeon in
court that I would not help him with the DUI. I didn’t like the guy; in fact, I despised
him.”
“Did you see a conflict?” Carla asked.
“I thought about it. In fact, I even mentioned it to Ozzie. The truth was, there was no
conflict. I’m the attorney for the estate. Simeon is not an interested party in the estate.
His wife is, but he’s not.”
“That’s not real clear, Jake.”
“No, it’s not, and I should not have gotten involved. It was a huge mistake. I didn’t
trust my instincts.”
“But no one can blame you for Simeon’s drunk driving.”
“Sure they can. If the case had been handled properly, he would have been convicted
before now and his license pulled. He would not have been driving last night, in theory
anyway. The truth is half the blacks and rednecks in this county do not have valid
licenses.”
“It’s only four months, Jake. These cases drag on for longer, don’t they?”
“Sometimes.”
“What was that guy’s name, the roofer? You did a DUI for his son and the case lasted
a year.”