Page 143 of The Proving Ground

“It’s my duty to inform you that David Francis Snow expired this morning in the medical facility here.”

I was silent as I registered the news.

“Expired?” I said, finding my voice. “What do you mean, ‘expired’? The doctors said he had nine months.”

“I’m not a doctor, sir,” Tamar said. “I’m in administration. You will have to get the details from the attending physicians. I am only informing you of the death. I am told he died peacefully in the medical center at eleven eleven this morning. That is all the information I have.”

“How do I reach the attending physicians?”

“I can give them the message if you wish.”

“Yes, do that. Please. Ask them to call me.”

“Are you in communication with the inmate’s next of kin? We have her listed here as Cassandra Snow, a daughter, in Los Angeles.”

“Yes, I’m in communication with her. She’s my client.”

“Would you like me to inform her, or will you handle it?”

“No, I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“I’m sure.”

“Should further communication about arrangements for the body go through you or the daughter?”

I didn’t answer. I was thinking about Cassandra.

“Sir?” Tamar prompted.

“Uh, yes,” I said. “All communications can go through me. I’ll handle things.”

“Okay, sir. I will relay your message to the medical center. Thank you for your time, and sorry for your loss.”

“Right. Thanks.”

Tamar disconnected and I stood there with the phone held to my ear for a long moment.

The reality was that, in the short time since Cassandra had come to me, there was no way I could have gotten her father out. But that didn’t matter. He should never have been in. And that was on me. I knew it as surely as I knew that the victory of the previous day was mine as well.

I put away the phone and started down the steps to the street.

Nobody bats a thousand. Nobody wins every case. The law is fickle. You’re prince of the city one day, a street sweeper the next. The skill is being able to get back in the Lincoln, buckle up, and drive on.But this one was different. This one hurt. I knew that my failure of two decades before was going to continue to haunt me. There would be no redemption. My own house was burning now, burning to the ground.

I headed down the street. I had to go to Cassandra. I had to tell her. I had to take responsibility. And I had to find the resolve to take this punch and then get up and fight another day.