Between Black and White (31 page)

“That’s not what I mean, Bo. Are you . . .
all right?
I mean—”

“I know what you mean,” Bo said, gazing off at the cemetery. The sun had begun its descent in the west, framing the graveyard with an orangish-red hue. “Truth?” Bo asked.

Tom nodded. “Truth.”

“Truth is I don’t know,” Bo said. “I’m”—he sighed and shook his head—“a little messed up by it all.”

“How are things with Jazz?”

Again, Bo sighed. “Complicated,” he said.

“She loves you, Bo. You know that.”

Bo nodded. “I know. There’s just . . . a lot of water under the bridge.”

“What about . . . what you learned about your father? Have you come to grips with that?”

Bo blinked his eyes and looked at the pavement as T. J. pulled the Sequoia to a stop next to them. “Ready, Dad?”

“Yeah, son.”

Then, turning to Tom, he shook his head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever come to grips with that, Professor. It’s just . . . impossible to really comprehend. But I’ll . . . tell . . . you this.” His voice now shook with emotion. “Since I was in law school, there’s only been one man in my life that I’ve looked to as a father.” Bo paused, the tears now flowing down his dark cheeks. “I named my boy after him.”

Not knowing what to say and feeling his own eyes growing wet, Tom turned his eyes to the young man behind the wheel of the Sequoia and nodded. Thomas Jackson “T. J.” Haynes smiled and nodded back.

“You finished it, Bo,” Tom said, turning and embracing his friend.
“You finished it.”

Tom opened the door to Rick’s Saturn and climbed inside. He rolled the window down and yelled up at Bo, who had grabbed his crutches and taken a few steps backward. “So when are you going back to work?”

Bocephus Haynes smiled. “Tomorrow, dog.”

“Tomorrow?”
Tom yelled as the Saturn edged forward. Tom saw Bo nod, and then just as the car moved out of earshot Tom heard the familiar words.

“Wide ass open.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I outkicked my coverage when I married the beautiful Dixie Dale Davis fourteen years ago, and I’ve been counting my lucky stars ever since. Dixie has been my rock along this writing journey, as well as a tremendous sounding board for storylines, characters, and ideas. I am so blessed to be able to share this adventure with her.

Our children—Jimmy, Bobby, and Allie—are my greatest joy. They inspire and teach me every day, and I’m so proud of them.

My parents, Randy and Beth Bailey, have helped in too many ways to count. My dad is a gifted storyteller in his own right, providing valuable feedback, and my mom, a retired schoolteacher, is a meticulous proofreader. Whenever I’ve needed something along this journey, the answer from Mom and Dad has been a resounding “yes.” There aren’t enough words to describe how much they mean to me.

My agent, Liza Fleissig, is a force of nature, and her dogged persistence is what every writer wishes for in an agent. I am so grateful for Liza and the entire LRA family.

Thanks to my editors, Kjersti Egerdahl and Clarence Haynes, for their ideas, insights, and expertise. Special thanks also to Alan Turkus, Jacque Ben-Zekry, Tiffany Pokorny, and my entire team at Thomas & Mercer.

A big thank-you to Julie Schoerke, Marissa Curnette, and everyone at JKS Communications for the wonderful publicity they’ve generated for my work.

A huge shout-out to my friends Bill and Melanie Fowler, Rick Onkey, Mark Wittschen, Steve Shames, and Will Powell for reading a draft of the manuscript and sharing their ideas and encouragement.

My father-in-law, Dr. Jim Davis, provided an early read of the story, and his infectious positive energy has been a blessing. Doc and his wife, Janie, have also done much to promote my books.

My mother-in-law, Beverly Baca, has contributed countless hours to helping me and Dixie during this journey. Bev and her husband, Jerry, have given so much of their time and energy to assist us.

My brother, Bo Bailey, and his wife, Amy, have been great supporters and promoters of my dream.

I am grateful for my sisters-in law, Christi Davis League and Denise Davis Burroughs, who have lent their time and energy to attend and promote numerous book events.

My friend and fellow attorney Tom Castelli provided a tutorial on Tennessee criminal law procedure, which for an Alabama lawyer like me was invaluable.

Pulaski residents Chris McGill and Willa Lamb spoke with me about the town’s history and famous landmarks, which was a huge help in the writing of this story.

Joe and Foncie Bullard from Point Clear, Alabama have been amazing friends and supporters of my writing career, and I’m so grateful for them.

Finally, a special thanks to everyone at my law firm, Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne PC.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo © 2012 Dixie Bailey

Robert Bailey’s bestselling debut novel,
The Professor
, won the 2014 Beverly Hills Book Award for legal thriller of the year. His work
in the legal fiction genre was praised—along
side Harper Lee’s and Michael Connelly’s—in the spring 2015 issue of
Alabama Alumni Magazine
.
Between Black and White
is the sequel to
The Professor
and is the second novel in the McMurtrie and Drake legal thriller series. For the past sixteen years, Bailey has been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and three children. For more information, please visit
www.robertbaileybooks.com
.