Sycamore Row

really.”
    “Then bring it on for a hearing before the trial and I’ll take a look. Perhaps we can settle this issue. My goal is to streamline the issues and try the case as smoothly as possible.” Reuben Atlee wrote the book on “streamlining” a case. He hated wasting time as much as he loathedwindy lawyers. Fresh out of law school, Jake had witnessed the mauling of an ill-prepared lawyer who was presenting a lame argument to Judge Atlee. When he repeated himself for the third time, the judge stopped him cold with “Do you think I’m stupid or deaf?” Stunned, and wisely avoiding a response, the lawyer could only look up in disbelief. Judge Atlee then said, “My hearing aids are working just fine and I’m not stupid. If you repeat yourself again, I’ll rule in favor of the other side. Now move along, sir.”
    Are you stupid or deaf? It was a common question in Clanton legal circles.
    The bourbon was finally warming things up and Jake told himself to slow down. One drink would be enough. Arriving home buzzed on Friday afternoon would not sit well with Carla. He said, “As expected, there will be a fair amount of medical testimony. Mr. Hubbard was in severe pain and taking a lot of meds. The other side will try to prove this affected his judgment, so—”
    “I understand, Jake. How many medical experts will the jury listen to?”
    “I’m not sure at this point.”
    “How much medical testimony can a jury in this town understand? Out of twelve, we’ll have two college graduates at most, a couple of dropouts, and the rest will have high school diplomas.”
    “Seth Hubbard was a dropout,” Jake said.
    “True, and I’ll bet he was never asked to evaluate conflicting medical testimony. My point is, Jake, we must guard against overwhelming our jury with too much expert opinion.”
    “I understand, and if I were on the other side I would call plenty of experts in an effort to plant doubt. Confuse the jurors, give them a reason to suspect Seth was not thinking clearly. Wouldn’t you, Judge?”
    “Let’s not discuss trial strategy, Jake. I don’t like to be earwigged. It is against the rules, you know?” He said this with a smile but his point was well made.
    There was a long, heavy pause in the conversation as they sipped their drinks and savored the quiet. Finally, the judge said, “You haven’t been paid in six weeks.”
    “I brought the paperwork.”
    “How many hours?”
    “Two hundred and ten.”
    “So, something north of thirty thousand?”
    “Yes sir.”
    “Sounds reasonable. I know you’re working very hard, Jake, and I’m happy to approve your fees. But I do have a slight concern, if you’ll allow me to meddle in your business.”
    At this point, nothing Jake could say would stop the meddling. If the judge liked you, then he felt it necessary to offer unsolicited advice on a wide range of subjects. You were expected to consider yourself lucky to be so favored. “Go right ahead,” Jake said as he braced himself.
    A rattle of the ice, another sip, then, “Now, and in the near future, you will be well paid for your work and no one will begrudge it. As you’ve said, this mess was caused by Seth Hubbard, and he knew it was coming. So be it. However, I doubt the wisdom of you giving the impression you’re suddenly in the money. Ms. Lang moved her family to town, into the Sappington house, which as we know is nothing special and has gone unsold for a reason, but nonetheless it’s not in Lowtown. It’s on our side of the tracks. There’s been grumbling about this. It looks bad. A lot of folks think she’s already tapped into the money, and there is resentment. Now there’s talk that you have your eye on the Hocutt House. Don’t ask how I know; it’s a small town. Such a move at this time would get a lot of attention, and none of it favorable.”
    Jake was speechless. As he gazed at the highest gable of the Hocutt House in the distance, he tried in vain to think of who told whom and how the word leaked. Willie Traynor swore him to secrecy because he, Willie, did not want to be pestered by other buyers. Harry Rex was a confidant of both Jake and Willie, and though he loved to spread gossip maliciously, he would never rat out inside information like this. “We’re only dreaming, Judge,” Jake managed to say. “It’s out of my range and I’m still tied up in litigation. But thanks.”
    Thanks for meddling once again, Judge. Though, as Jake breathed deeply and let the