Sparring Partners(12)

Mack nodded and took a sip. He watched the door, a habit now, but there was no traffic. “I’m living out of a suitcase, hotels and such. No fixed address for the near future. I will not be staying in Ford County so they can relax, and I will not make an effort to see Lisa and the girls without the family’s permission. Promise them that, Jake.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Word’ll leak like crazy and the gossip’ll go nuts, you know that, don’t you?” Harry Rex said.

“Yes. I know Clanton. There’s a ton of gossip when absolutely nothing is happening. I’m sure the place was buzzing when I flew the coop.”

Jake and Harry Rex smiled at the memories. Then Jake laughed and said, “We were in chancery court one morning with Judge Atlee, docket call day, a bunch of lawyers going through the usual dog and pony show. Old Stanley Renfrow from down in Smithfield stood up and said, ‘Judge, I got this divorce case with Mr. Stafford on the other side but he won’t return my phone calls. Rumor is he left town. Anybody seen him?’ Several of us looked at each other and smiled. Judge Atlee said, ‘Well, Mr. Renfrow, I don’t think his telephones work anymore. Seems like Mr. Stafford turned off the lights and walked away. He hasn’t been seen in several weeks.’

“?‘What about my divorce case?’

“?‘I think Mr. Vonner has his old files.’

“?‘Okay. Say, Judge, how do you just walk out of your law office?’

“?‘I don’t know. Never seen it before.’

“?‘Well, I wish to hell someone had told me how to do it thirty years ago.’

“We had a big laugh, then we whispered about where you might be. No one had a clue.”

“Stuttering Stanley Renfrow,” Mack said. “I knew him well and can honestly say I haven’t missed him one bit.”

“Who have you missed?” Jake asked.

“The two of you. That’s it.”

Harry Rex said, “Hell, Mack, it took ten lawyers just to pick up the slack after you left.”

“Nice try, big guy, but I know better. I may have been missed by a few friends and some family, but I can promise you my clients didn’t care.”

Jake laughed and said, “The rumors went on and on. They died down, then there would be a sighting and the whole town would fire up again.”

“A sighting?” Mack asked. “Never happened. At least not to my knowledge. I spent the first year in Belize and I’m almost positive I was never sighted. Had a close call one time, but nobody from around here.”

“Where’d you go after that?” Harry Rex asked.

Mack smiled and sipped his beer and studied the dark room. After a long pause he said, “A lot of places. I’ll tell you guys all about it sometime, but not now.”





(13)


Dr. Dean Pettigrew was one of three orthopedic surgeons in Clanton. Twenty years earlier he had married Stephanie Bunning, a pretty coed he met at Ole Miss. She was from a prominent family in town and wanted to live there. He was from Tupelo, an hour away, and that was close enough to his family. He worked hard and prospered, and he and Stephanie and their two sons lived among the upper crust in a fine modern home on the fourteenth fairway of the country club. Virtually all the doctors lived close by, behind gates.

After playing eighteen holes on Saturday morning, Dean returned home in his golf cart and was told by Stephanie that Jake Brigance had called. To their recollection, Jake had never called the house. They knew Jake and Carla but didn’t socialize with them. Being a doctor, his first thought was that Jake, a lawyer, wanted to discuss a potential claim for medical malpractice. It was a knee-jerk reaction and he dismissed it quickly. Jake was well liked and didn’t sue doctors, or local ones anyway. But with lawyers one could never be certain.

Dean settled into his leather chair in the den and picked up the phone. After a quick round of awkward chitchat, Jake said, “So look, Dean, I’ll get right to the point. I met with Mack Stafford yesterday. He’s back in the area.”

Dean almost dropped the phone and for a second or two could not respond. He finally said, “Okay. We were hoping he was gone for good.”

“Yes, it surprised me too. I’m not his lawyer, you understand, just a friend. I wouldn’t be making this call if he hadn’t asked me to.”

“Obviously. What’s up?”

“Well, Mack would like to meet with Lisa.”

“You gotta be kidding.”

“I’m serious. Again, I’m only the messenger.”

Stephanie was listening. She eased into the den and sat near her husband, who frowned at her and shook his head. Dean said, “I can’t imagine Lisa wanting to ever see him again, Jake.”

“I understand.”

“Does he know she’s sick?”

“Yes. Don’t ask me how.”

“Where’s he been?”

“South of here. That’s all I know.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Stephanie was shaking her head in disbelief.

After a long gap, Jake asked, “Is it okay if I ask how she’s doing?”

Dean exhaled and said, “Not good, Jake. The last round of chemo didn’t work. There’s not much else to do. This will not help in any way.”