Page 48 of The Right to Remain

“My client has gone missing,” said Jack. “I need you to help me find him.”

“Seriously? You think Elliott is on the run?”

“I don’t know.”

“I spent a lot of nights on death row wishing I’d run,” said Theo.

“I get it,” said Jack. “But the case against Elliott seems weak to me. It’s hard enough to convince people you’re innocent if you take the Fifth. It’s almost impossible if you take the Fifthand flee. Unless you’re O. J. Simpson in a white Ford Bronco.”

“He’s no O. J.,” said Theo.

“Agreed.”

“More of a Bruce Jenner.”

If anyone was entitled to an occasional lapse into “gallows humor,” it was an innocent man who’d spent four years on death row. But Jack didn’t need to encourage it.

“Not funny, dude. Knock it off.”

“Just one more. I’m thinking of changing my pronouns. Maybe ‘Thee, Thou, Theo.’?”

“You done with the jokes now?”

“I think so,” said Theo. He grabbed three brown eggs with a package of bacon and headed toward the griddle. Elliott remained the topic of conversation.

“I been wondering,” said Theo, as he fired up the griddle. “Why is the charge murder in the second degree? Why not first?”

“I think it goes back to what I just said: The case is weak. We’ll never know, but I would bet that Julianna Weller asked the grand jury for murder in the first degree punishable by death. They weren’t willing to go that far based on the evidence. They came back with murder in the second degree.”

Jack’s cell rang and he checked the incoming number. Not a reporter this time. It was Julianna Weller, and he took the call. She wanted to talk about the logistics of surrender. Jack plugged one ear to silence the sizzle of bacon on Theo’s griddle.

“Jack, I’m extending you the courtesy of not sending out MDPD to handcuff your client and haul him downtown in the back of a squad car.”

“Thank you,” said Jack.

“Don’t thank me. Thank Abe Beckham, who seems willing to extend you courtesies I wouldn’t offer. But I need your word that Mr. Stafford will voluntarily surrender into custody tomorrow at nine a.m. for booking and processing. Arraignment will follow immediately after. Do we have an understanding?”

Jack wasn’t sure he could deliver, but nothing was ever a hundred percent certain.

“I’ll do everything in my power,” said Jack.

“See you tomorrow,” said Weller, and the call ended.

Jack put his phone away. Theo was hand-scrambling the eggs in a mixing bowl. He picked up their conversation about Elliott going missing.

“Maybe he’s just depressed and went for a walk in the park,” said Theo.

“Maybe. It’s also possible he’s already on a boat to the Bahamas. We have twenty-three hours to find him and make sure he shows up at the courthouse tomorrow.”

“Any idea where to start looking?”

“I’d say his girlfriend from work, Sheila. And then—” he started to say, then his phone rang again. It was Bonnie calling from the office. Theo went to the pantry for some bread to toast while Jack took the call.

“Hi, Jack, I wanted to let you know that a wire transfer hit your account from Elliott Stafford.”

“How much?”

“Your full retainer.”