The Lawyer's Lawyer

CHAPTER Sixteen



What was all that between you and Wanda?” Jack asked Henry after Wanda left.

“Well, back when you were her lawyer and I was your investigator we became kinda friendly toward each other.”

“And?”

“And nothing. All those kids scared me away.”

“What’s changed?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ve changed. It’s not like I’ve decided to marry the woman. She walked in the door and she smiled at me and I smiled back and I’m probably going to stop over for some dinner.”

“Yeah, right, Henry—some dinner. That’s what I got out of it.”

Henry smiled. “I know you just as well, Jack. Like I know exactly what you were thinking when Wanda mentioned her son up in Oakville.”

“And what’s that?”

“You were thinking Wanda was the universe talking to you and you’re supposed to go to Oakville.” Jack tried to hide his smile, but Henry caught it. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“I don’t know. The thought did cross my mind. You still think I’m crazy?”

“Hell, Jack, you’re one of the sanest men I’ve ever known. If you believe in the universe, I believe in it too. Let’s see if it’ll work for both of us.”

“Amen, brother. So I’m probably going to stay in Oakville for a little while even after I get Julian’s case disposed of.”

“Are you going to take the case?”

“Don’t know. Julian is a good kid but things can happen when you’re away from home. I’ll know once I talk to him.”

“Think you’re going to need me?”

“Probably. For now, why don’t you stay here and keep Wanda happy and look after the house.”

“And the boat,” Henry replied.

“Especially the boat.”

Henry lived in Miami, but he didn’t have an everyday job. Jack had convinced the Florida legislature to award him three million dollars for wrongfully imprisoning him for seventeen years, so he basically lived off his investment income. Like Jack, he worked for Exoneration, the nonprofit foundation that investigated cases of individuals who had been wrongfully convicted, especially those like Henry who were on death row.

“Consider it done,” Henry said. “Go to Oakville and stay as long as you like.”

“I don’t want to put you out.”

“Trust me, Jack. I’ll be just fine.”



Jack met Julian Reardon at his apartment on Arthur Road in Oakville. Julian was expecting him as Wanda had called to tell him Jack was coming. Julian was a remarkable physical specimen. Six feet tall, he was all muscle, athleticism, and speed. Jack remembered watching a couple of his games last year when Julian was a sophomore running back, and from what Jack had observed, he was eventually going to be playing professionally. The University of North Central Florida was an elite football school and played in the Southcentral Conference, arguably the toughest football conference in the country, but at times it appeared that Julian was playing at a different level than the other kids on the field. Every major college had recruited him back in high school: Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma, to name a few. Julian had chosen the Fighting Ospreys of North Central Florida because his mom loved the Ospreys, and Oakville was close enough that he could sneak home for a weekend now and then in the off-season.

“Hi, Julian,” Jack said when Julian answered the door.

“Hi, Mr. Tobin. Come on in.”

Jack walked in and sat at the kitchen table. The apartment was cleaner than any apartment Jack had lived in during his college days. While the two knew each other, it was only because of Wanda. The first few minutes were awkward.

“Do you live here by yourself?” Jack asked.

“No, I’ve got a roommate. He’ll be gone for a couple of hours.”

“So we can talk. Tell me what happened, Julian.”

“It happened last Saturday. We’d just won a big game against South Carolina and we were out celebrating. I know I had too much to drink but not too much that I didn’t know what I was doing. I met this girl, Sandra was her name, and we started talking and stuff and she was kinda hugging on me and we went outside into the parking lot in the back where it was dark.

“I want you to know something, Mr. Tobin. I’ve got a girlfriend, Robin. I know we’re young and everything but we love each other. We talk all the time about getting married when I get drafted into the pros. Anyway, this Sandra was getting very hot with me when we were in the parking lot, you know what I mean?”

Jack just nodded.

“Then all of a sudden I didn’t want to be there no more. I stopped her and told her I couldn’t do this. I apologized and everything. While I was walking inside, she yelled at me ‘You’re gonna pay for this.’ That was it. I left the bar. I never saw her again until I was called in the other day by my coach who told me this girl claimed I tried to rape her. I never did.”

Julian was looking at Jack the whole time he was talking. Jack could tell he was ashamed of his actions. He also could tell that Julian was being truthful. It was the little things. He didn’t look away. He didn’t rub his hands or blink. He just told it like it was.

Jack had him call his coach, Clint Maddox, and arrange a meeting. Maddox must have been anxious to see him because Jack was in the coach’s office within an hour.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Tobin,” Coach Maddox said after Jack introduced himself. He had the handshake thing down. Looking directly at Jack, a perfect smile pasted on his face, he gave Jack’s hand just the right squeeze. Probably part of the training, Jack thought. This guy has shaken more hands than a career politician.

“I know who you are,” Coach Maddox said to him. “I’ve read about you here and there. I’m surprised you’re representing Julian.”

“I know the family. His mother is a friend of mine.”

“She’s a very nice woman. How can I help you?”

“I’m not the one who needs help, Julian is.”

“I know but I can’t help him. This case has already been reported to the NCAA, and there is an active criminal investigation. My hands are tied. All I could do was suspend Julian from the team. He’s on his own.”

Jack smiled at the coach’s words as he sat down in a chair the coach offered him. Maddox didn’t seem to like the expression on Jack’s face. Jack had read somewhere that the coach had a short fuse. He was a big man, tall and thick, with arms like tree trunks. Probably somewhere in his fifties, Jack surmised. From his size I’d say he must have been a lineman in his playing days.

“Something funny?” Maddox asked.

“Not at all.”

“Then why the smirk?”

“It was more of an ironic smile.”

“I’m not sure I understand the irony.”

“Well, I was thinking about how you promise these boys everything to get them to come here and all your alumni go crazy giving the school money so these kids will go out there and win one for the Old Ospreys, then one of them gets in trouble and you drop him like a hot potato.”

“So what’s your point?”

“Isn’t there some sort of obligation to this kid, at least morally, to help him through this until somebody determines he’s actually done something wrong?”

“The school gives him the opportunity to get a free college education if he plays football and keeps his nose clean. If he doesn’t keep his nose clean, I can’t help him. You go to bars, you’re gonna get in trouble. I’m no different than Julian. I have the opportunity to stay employed if I coach football, keep my nose clean, and win. If I don’t, I’m out. People get fired from jobs every day for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all. That’s life.

“I’d like to help Julian. The school would like to help him, too. But we can’t. The NCAA is all over this and so is the press. Our hands are tied. I think Julian is a good kid and I’m glad he’s got you.”

That was a sobering assessment, Jack thought as he left Coach Maddox’s office and headed for The Swamp.