A Time to Stand

by Robert Whitlow

  “Oh no,” she said. “That looks terrible.”

  “It’s not half as bad as the text.”

  THIRTY-TWO

  “DEFENSE LAWYER ADMITS engaging in fishing mission,” Adisa read as she quickly scanned the article. “That’s what Baldwin said, not me!”

  Adisa stopped as she remembered her words to Thelma Armistead when she tried to explain that they weren’t sure what they would find when they obtained possession of the beef jerky. She looked at Grayson, who was staring at her. Adisa repeated what she’d told the older woman.

  “It’s not a quote,” Adisa said.

  “And the reporter doesn’t claim it is.”

  Adisa kept reading. When she reached the final paragraph about her and Reggie, her eyes slowed as if caught in quicksand.

  “This is terrible,” she said. “‘Ms. Johnson was accompanied from the courthouse by Rev. Reginald Reynolds, pastor of Zion Hills Baptist Church, one of the most visible leaders of those calling for police accountability in the shooting of Deshaun Hamlin. Neither Johnson nor Reynolds could be reached for comment about the nature of their personal or professional relationship.’” Adisa stopped.

  “Did Jamie Standard call you today?” Grayson asked her.

  “Yes, but I refused to accept the call because we’d agreed on a ‘No comment’ policy. My history with reporters is one problem after another. But I do need to call Reggie. He’s going to be in hot water with some of the members of his church over this.”

  “You can’t let this distract you from our main goal—defending Luke,” Grayson admonished. “In some ways, getting the public’s attention away from him works in our favor.”

  “How?”

  “I know it doesn’t seem that way to you right now,” the older lawyer continued. “Seeing yourself in a photo like a Hollywood actress leaving alcohol rehab is unsettling. But I’m looking at the big picture. The public is much more interested in gossip than truth. If people are talking about you and Reggie, then potential members of the jury pool won’t be as focused on the charges against Luke.”

  Adisa shook her head. “Mr. Grayson, I don’t see any relevance to this sort of distraction. All it will do is cause embarrassment for Reggie and me.”

  “In any event, I agree that you should call him. It was chivalrous of him to come to your aid.”

  “Chivalrous? Yes, that describes how it felt to me. I just hope Reggie doesn’t suffer for a good deed.”

  Simone greeted Adisa curtly on her way out the door. Adisa entered the den where Aunt Josie was sitting on the sofa with the afternoon paper on the coffee table before her.

  “I guess I don’t need to read the news to you,” Adisa said. “Simone did that already.”

  “Yes, and it didn’t matter what I said. She blames you for getting Reggie into trouble. I could have fired her for the way she talked about you, except—” The older woman stopped.

  “You agreed with her?” Adisa asked incredulously. “Nobody knows me better than you do, and you’ve seen the kind of man Reggie is.”

  “That’s true, but good people can make wrong choices. I’ve kept my peace and supported you because I love you, but after listening to Simone and spending some time in prayer, I’m not so sure about you representing this police officer. The Bible says a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit. The fruit I see on the limbs of this criminal case looks bad to me.”

  Adisa didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she managed after a few moments passed.

  “And the remedy for any mistake is repentance, not remorse,” Aunt Josie continued. “I’d rather you quit the job with Theo Grayson and let me support you while you’re helping me than see you ruin your and Reggie’s reputations.”

  Reeling at the repeated body blows that had come from the woman whose opinion she valued more than that of anyone else on earth, Adisa turned away toward the kitchen.

  “I need a drink of water,” she said.

  “There’s sweet tea in the refrigerator,” Aunt Josie responded. “And fresh lemons cut up in a plastic bag. Simone brewed it for our lunch.”

  Adisa went to the refrigerator but avoided the tea. She leaned against the counter and sipped water from a plastic cup. The reactions from Grayson and Aunt Josie to what happened at the courthouse were totally different and completely wrong. Her phone vibrated in her purse and she took it out. It was Reggie. Adisa wanted to talk to him but wasn’t sure she was prepared for the words that waited for her on the other end of the line.

  Luke and Jane finished a quiet supper as both of them absorbed the events at the courthouse and the impact of the newspaper article. Luke wasn’t sure what to make of the drama involving Adisa and the black preacher. Jane was deeply troubled by it.

  “It’s like the conversation she had with the DA about a job,” she said as she wiped Ashley’s high chair clean with a wet cloth. “It’s crazy to think she’d openly sabotage your case. I mean, she rushed over here on Saturday and seemed so sincere in her concern for us and Ashley.”

  Luke walked over to the sink before facing Jane. “I think it will turn the black community against me more than it already is. Nobody, black or white, likes a shyster lawyer who manipulates the justice system.”

  “Maybe you should talk to Mr. Grayson about it when Adisa isn’t around,” Jane suggested. “Find out how much time she’s been spending with the preacher. Information about your case is supposed to be confidential, but if she’s dating him, I’d be afraid she’s telling him stuff she shouldn’t.”

  “And not telling me things she should,” Luke replied.

  “Hello,” Adisa said quietly when she accepted the call.

  “Where are you?” Reggie asked.

  “In my aunt’s kitchen.”

  “Can she hear you?”

  Adisa glanced around the corner. Aunt Josie was lying on the couch with her eyes closed, but that wasn’t a guarantee she was asleep.

  “I’ll go outside,” Adisa said.

  She sat down on the top step of the stoop. Neither Walter nor Mary Broome was in sight.

  “I’m glad you called,” she said. “But first I need to apologize for putting you in such a terribly awkward spot. You were being considerate of my safety, which I appreciated then and now.”

  “Maybe, but I pushed too hard trying to impress you,” Reggie replied. “And I’m not sure what’s going to come of it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The saying ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ should be multiplied by ten. The photo and article in the newspaper caused an explosion here at the church. I’m not blaming you, but it’s bad.”

  “Other people are,” Adisa said and told him about Simone’s conversation with Aunt Josie and the older woman’s reaction. “If this sways Aunt Josie’s opinion, I can imagine the impact on the members of your congregation.”

  “Four of the six deacons have already called me, and the two who didn’t are the ones who like me the least. We aren’t supposed to get together until the end of the month, but I’m sure there’ll be a special meeting.”

  “They wouldn’t—” Adisa started and stopped. She wished she could see Reggie’s face.

  “Anything can happen,” he said. “I’ve stepped on a bunch of toes, and the reputation of this church as a voice for the black community is on the line. There’s a certain type of leadership they want from their pastor going all the way back to Bishop Williamson in the 1960s. It was a role I embraced when I accepted the call to come here, and they expect me to live up to it.”

  Adisa hadn’t thought she could feel more embarrassed and stressed, but Reggie’s words were proving her wrong.

  “What can I do to help?” she asked, calling on the last tiny drop of emotional reserve in her tank to keep from bursting into tears.

  “I’m not sure, and this shouldn’t be all about me. I’m sure this stung you, too.”

  “Lawyers have to be thick-skinned,” she said, trying t
o sound strong, “especially if they take on controversial cases. Mr. Grayson thinks the publicity may actually help the case.”

  “How?”

  “Uh, I’d better not say.” Adisa paused. “Should we not see each other for a while?”

  “This case could drag on for months.”

  Reggie’s simple statement helped restore Adisa’s soul. “I didn’t mean that long,” she replied. “But maybe just talk on the phone for a few weeks. I won’t come to the church, either.”

  Reggie was silent for a moment before he spoke. “I can’t remember the last time I told someone not to attend church, but in this case you’re right. Do you want me to come by and see your aunt one morning when you’re not there and try to straighten things out with her?”

  “That’s up to you, but I think it would be a good idea so long as it wouldn’t create more problems for you with Simone listening in. It would be tough to make her leave while you met with Aunt Josie.”

  “I want Simone to be part of the conversation since she’s the one who upset her. If Simone spreads gossip or says something that’s wrong, I’ll have to address it as her pastor. That’s part of my job, even if I don’t like to do it.”

  “Okay,” Adisa said. “I’ll tell Aunt Josie that you’ll be in touch. Let me know how things go with the church.”

  “Sure, although I expect you’ll be able to read about it in the newspaper.”

  The call ended, and Adisa trudged back inside the house. She told Aunt Josie to expect a visit from Reggie.

  “Hmm,” the older woman said. “If he goes to that much trouble to talk to me, I’m certainly willing to listen, but I’m still going to inspect the fruit.”

  Adisa contacted Dr. Massey to make arrangements for him to test the package of beef jerky.

  “I can drive to Campbellton and set up at the local community college,” the chemist said. “One of my former students is a teacher there.”

  “That would be perfect,” Adisa replied. “It would make it much easier to deal with chain of custody issues and any unwillingness by the local DA to allow potential evidence to leave the county. And remember, this may not be about the beef jerky but something else in the bag.”

  After the call ended, Adisa sent an e-mail to Jasper Baldwin informing him of the next steps with regard to Dr. Massey. A few minutes later, the receptionist buzzed Adisa’s phone.

  “Jasper Baldwin is on the phone and wants to talk to you,” she said.

  “I’ll take it,” Adisa replied.

  “Ms. Johnson,” the DA said when Adisa picked up the receiver. “Per Judge Andrews’s instructions, we’re putting together our responses to your discovery requests; however, before bringing in an out-of-town expert to examine the package of beef jerky, it’s going to be necessary for me to circle up with you and Theo to discuss the issue further.”

  “The judge approved Dr. Massey, and there’s nothing to discuss,” Adisa replied firmly. “If we need to involve the judge to force compliance with his order, then—”

  “Are you and Theo available to meet with me sometime today?” the DA said. “I have a motion hearing later this morning, but I’m free this afternoon. Trust me, you want this meeting.”

  So far, “trust” wasn’t a word Adisa had associated with the DA.

  “I’ll talk to Mr. Grayson and let you know,” she replied. “I’m not sure about his calendar.”

  “I’ll wait to hear from you. Good-bye.”

  Puzzled by the DA’s conciliatory tone of voice, Adisa lowered the receiver and walked down the hall. Grayson’s door was open, and the older lawyer was on the phone.

  “Your client can certainly take that position if he doesn’t care how it’s going to damage his business five or ten years from now,” Grayson said to the other party. “However, there comes a point in this type of dispute at which both sides need to do some risk analysis and avoid actions that will hurt them more than they’ll help them.”

  Grayson saw Adisa standing in the doorway and motioned for her to enter. She sat across from his desk as he listened to the lawyer on the other end of the line. Grayson rolled his eyes.

  “I hear you,” he said after several moments passed. “I promise to read the riot act to my client if you do the same. If only one of us tells our guy the truth, it’s not going to work.”

  Grayson listened some more. “All right. I’ll talk with Tommy and you meet with Butch. Remember, my proposal is for settlement purposes only. If Butch wants to go to war, Tommy is willing to do battle.”

  Grayson lowered the phone. “That’s a case you might enjoy working on,” he said. “There are sticky financial questions that need someone with an eye for detail to work out.”

  “It sounds like it might settle.”

  “Chances are slim to none,” Grayson said with a shake of his head. “The other lawyer’s client is convinced he’s going to win, when at best he has a fifty-fifty chance.”

  Grayson adjusted his glasses. “What were the aftershocks in your world from the article in the newspaper?” he asked.

  “Quite a few,” Adisa answered. “But I’m here about another aspect of Luke’s case.”

  She told Grayson about the phone call from Jasper Baldwin. “What do you think it means?” she asked as she finished.

  “Baldwin has spoken with Detective Mitchell and knows something. What else could it be?” Grayson turned toward his computer screen to check his calendar. “I have an open slot at three o’clock. You set it up.”

  “Should I call Luke? He wants to know everything that happens.”

  “Not until after the meeting with Baldwin.”

  Adisa and Grayson left the office a few minutes before 3:00 p.m. for the short walk to the courthouse. As they waited to cross the street, her cell phone vibrated. It was Reggie.

  “It’s Reggie Reynolds,” she said to Grayson. “May I answer it?”

  “Not if it’s going to make us late.”

  Adisa returned her phone to her purse. They reached the courthouse and climbed the steps to the DA’s office. As they sat in the reception area, Adisa thought about all that had happened since the last time she’d been there to discuss the possibility of going to work for Jasper Baldwin.

  “Mr. Baldwin will see you now,” the receptionist said.

  The DA was sitting behind his desk with his feet propped up on the edge. He dropped his feet to the floor and stood as they entered.

  “Have a seat,” Baldwin said and then walked behind them to close the door. He resumed his place behind his desk and leaned forward so his elbows rested on the wooden surface.

  “I’ll cut to the chase. I assume your client still has contacts within the police department who are feeding him information outside the judicial process. Once I find out who’s doing it, and believe me, I will find out, the consequences will be swift and final. In the meantime, there’s no use dragging your former GBI chemist up here to test the package of beef jerky. As you know, there were bits of black tar heroin in the bag.”

  Adisa tried to maintain a stoic expression as the news dropped on top of her head like a bombshell.

  “How much?” Grayson asked.

  “About three grams. There’s no connection between the drugs and the shooting, but you have your red flag to wave in front of the jury. You can argue that Deshaun Hamlin was engaged in a criminal enterprise at the time of the shooting. But Officer Nelson didn’t know about the heroin, or at least he never told anyone at the police department about it. It would be a travesty for him to go free because someone on a jury thinks the presence of a minuscule amount of drugs in a bag of beef jerky justified the shooting.”

  “Will you stipulate the presence and amount of heroin in the bag?” Grayson asked.

  “Yes.”

  “We’d still like to keep the option open to have the substance evaluated by an independent expert.”

  The DA shrugged. “Suit yourself, but it will be a waste of time and money.”

  “Thanks,” Gray
son said, rising to his feet. “I appreciate the chance to talk this over informally.”

  Grayson didn’t say anything to Adisa until they were outside the courthouse.

  “Well,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “What do you make of this new information?”

  “It’s better for the DA to stipulate the presence of the drug rather than have our expert discover it,” she replied. “By admitting it, he removes any suspicion the public might have that we would tamper with evidence, as unlikely as that would be. People who are upset are more prone to believe conspiracy theories. This takes that off the table.”

  “Anything else?”

  Adisa paused for a moment. “My heart breaks for Deshaun’s grandmother,” she said.

  Grayson glanced sideways at her. “It may surprise you, but that thought crossed my mind, too. Do you think Baldwin is right that it’s a red herring and doesn’t have any true relevance to the case?”

  Adisa didn’t immediately respond to the older lawyer’s question. They crossed the street at a corner near the law office.

  “We have to make a big deal about the drugs,” she said. “It’s the most likely explanation for Deshaun’s bizarre behavior as he approached Luke. If Deshaun was acting crazy for a reason, it makes Luke’s response more justifiable.”

  “And provides another reason why we need to review all of Deshaun’s medical records from the hospital,” Grayson said, nodding. “His lab results will reveal the presence of any illegal drugs in his system. It’s not the bullet removed from his brain we need to study; it’s the chemicals present in his blood at the time of the shooting.”

  “I agree,” Adisa sighed. “I’ll modify the subpoena and serve it on the medical records custodian. Are you going to contact Jamie Standard at the newspaper and let her know about the heroin?”