The Brass Verdict

giveaways to read.
    After seeing her in the gallery for three days straight of a trial in which I was defending an accused serial rapist, I approached her and asked who she was. Expecting to find out she was a previously unknown victim of the man at the defense table, I was surprised to hear her story and to learn she was simply there to practice reading faces. I took her to lunch, got her number and the next time I picked a jury, I hired her to help me. She had been dead-on in her observations and I had used her several times since.
    “So,” I said as I spread a black napkin on my lap. “How is my jury doing?”
    I thought it was obvious that the question was directed at Julie but Patrick spoke up first.
    “I think they want to throw the book at your guy,” he said. “I think they think he’s a stuck-up rich guy who thinks he can get away with murder.”
    I nodded. His take probably wasn’t too far off.
    “Well, thanks for the encouraging word,” I said. “I’ll make sure I tell Walter to not be so stuck-up and rich from now on.”
    Patrick looked down at the table and seemed embarrassed.
    “I was just saying, is all.”
    “No, Patrick, I appreciate it. Any and all opinions are welcome and they all matter. But some things you can’t change. My client is rich beyond anything any of us can imagine and that gives him a certain style and image. An off-putting countenance that I’m not sure I can do anything about. Julie, what do you think of the jury so far?”
    Before she could answer, the waiter came and took our drink orders. I stuck with water and lime, while the others ordered iced tea and Lorna asked for a glass of Mad Housewife Chardonnay. I gave her a look and she immediately protested.
    “What? I’m not working. I’m just watching. Plus, I’m celebrating. You’re in trial again and we’re back in business.”
    I grudgingly nodded.
    “Speaking of which, I need you to go to the bank.”
    I pulled an envelope out of my jacket pocket and handed it across the table to her. She smiled because she knew what was in it: a check from Elliot for $150,000, the remainder of the agreed-upon fee for my services.
    Lorna put the envelope away and I turned my attention back to Julie.
    “So what are you seeing?”
    “I think it’s a good jury,” she said. “Overall, I see a lot of open faces. They are willing to listen to your case. At least right now. We all know they are predisposed to believe the prosecution, but they haven’t shut the door on anything.”
    “You see any change from what we talked about Friday? I still present to number three?”
    “Who is number three?” Lorna asked before Julie could answer.
    “Golantz’s slip-up. Three’s a lawyer, and the prosecution should’ve never left him in the box.”
    “I still think he’s a good one to present to,” Julie said. “But there are others. I like eleven and twelve, too. Both retirees and sitting right next to each other. I have a feeling that they’re going to bond and almost work as a team when it gets to deliberations. You win one over and you win them both.”
    I loved her English accent. It wasn’t upper-crust at all. It had a street-smarts tone to it that gave what she said validity. She had not been very successful as an actress so far, and she had once told me that she got a lot of audition calls for period pieces requiring a dainty English accent that she hadn’t quite mastered. Her income was primarily earned in the poker rooms, where she now played for keeps, and from jury reading for me and the small group of lawyers I had introduced her to.
    “What about juror seven?” I asked. “During selection he was all eyes. Now he won’t look at me.”
    Julie nodded.
    “You noticed that. Eye contact has completely dropped off the chart. Like something changed between Friday and today. I would have to say at this point that that’s a sign he’s in the prosecution’s camp. While you’re presenting to number three, you can bet Mr. Undefeated’s going to number seven.”
    “So much for listening to my client,” I said under my breath.
    We ordered lunch and told the waiter to hurry the order because we needed to get back to court. While we waited I checked with Cisco on our witnesses and he said we were good to go in that department. I then asked him to hang around after court and see if he could follow the Germans out of the courthouse and stay with them until they reached their hotel. I wanted to know where they were