Juror #3(80)

Suzanne flew out of the gallery and came to my side. She gave me a hearty kiss, no doubt leaving a red print of lipstick on my cheek.

She cupped my cheek with her hand and looked at me with pride shining in her eyes. “You saved the farm, girl.” Dropping her voice, she added. “Not to mention my bad-boy nephew.”

I gave her a quick hug. “And you saved my skin. I still get shaky when I think of what Reynolds and Potts had in store for me.”

“I guess I never mentioned. I always carry heat.”

The idea of Suzanne toting a deadly weapon was frightening in principle. But it had come in handy five nights before.

Lee broke away from his parents. He walked up to me, took my hand, and squeezed it.

“Ruby, we’re celebrating. Join us for dinner. Please.”

He gave me a smile that had a glimmer of the old Lee Greene charm. But when his mother called to him, he moved away to answer her.

Suzanne said, “Come on out and eat with us. Let the Greene family suck up to you for an evening.”

Having the Greenes court me would have been a novel experience. But I no longer had an appetite for it. I dodged the invitation, saying, “Nobody’s eating anything until Lee does his victory dance for the press. The reporters are probably running across the courthouse lawn right this minute.”

“You’re right.” A stray lock of hair had fallen over my cheek; Suzanne reached out to tuck it behind my ear. “Smile for the cameras, honey.”





Chapter 76



AFTER LEE AND I fielded all of the reporters’ questions, they packed up their equipment and drifted to the vans parked on the courthouse square. Lee heaved a sigh.

“It’s over,” he said.

I flashed a smile at him. “Well, almost. You’ll need to pay the remainder of your attorney’s fee.”

“Gladly.” He pulled the fountain pen from his jacket and used it to point at my office. “Let’s go wrap that up right now.”

I flushed. “I was just teasing, Lee. We’ll send it in the mail, with an accounting of my hours.”

“No, ma’am.” He took my elbow, propelling me down the sidewalk. “I’m no charity case. This is a debt I’m happy to pay right away.” Over his shoulder, he said to Lee Sr., “Daddy, tell Mama we’ll meet y’all at the club.”

Once inside the Ben Franklin, I pulled up the file on the computer and did a quick calculation of the time I’d spent in the past week. While my hands were busy on the keyboard, Lee paced the office.

A cardboard box sat in the corner. I’d written Goodwill on the side of the box with a Sharpie. Lee lifted the top flaps and looked inside.

“What’s this?”

Swiveling in my chair to face him, I said, “It’s some stuff of mine that I’m donating. Since I bought some new clothes and got a new set of pots and pans, I’m getting rid of my old college stuff.”

He lifted a gray jacket that was folded on top and shook it out.

“What in God’s name is this? Merciful heavens.”

Lifting my chin, I said, “A suit.”

“I can see it’s a suit. How did such a rag make its way into your possession?”

“I bought it. At Goodwill.” With an edge in my voice, I added, “Tried my first case in that suit.”

He chuckled as he dropped it back into the box. I saw him pull a monogrammed handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped his hands as he dropped into the seat facing my desk.

“That’s the thing about you that always fascinated me, Ruby. You were such a diamond in the rough. I could always see the possibilities, how you could someday shed that humble outer layer and shine.”

My voice was flat. “Thanks. Wow.”

He tucked his handkerchief away and crossed his legs. “Don’t get huffy, darlin’. I’m serious. You are a rare jewel. I could always see it, even though my parents were blind to your charms.”

“Well, that’s something we can all agree on.” I hit the Print button, and pages began to crank out of the printer. I gave the bill a careful review, then handed it across the desk.

He pulled a checkbook from an inner pocket of his suit coat. Without a glance at the particulars, he wrote a check, signing his name with a flourish.

I pressed my lips together to hide my glee as I locked the check in my desk. The amount was substantial. A vision of a new set of tires danced in my head.

“You’ve won them over,” he said. I looked up. He was smiling, looking at me with unmasked admiration.

“What’s that?” I said.

“My mama and daddy. They see you in a new light. Mama said so last night. She wished she’d been more welcoming a year ago, made you feel like a part of the family.”

There was some satisfaction in hearing about his parents’ change of heart, but I was eager to get to the Firestone shop. I was tired of limping around on a patched tire. “That’s real sweet, Lee. You tell her I said so.”

I walked around the desk, hoping to signal an end to the conversation. But Lee grabbed my hand and pulled me into the chair beside his.

“You tell her. We’re celebrating tonight; Daddy got a table at the country club. We’ll order a bottle of Dom. Remember the first time you tasted Dom Pérignon? The night we got engaged?”