Blue Bloods of Bois D’Arc (25 page)

Chapter 58

Winthrop, Biggs, and Bartholomew

Reginald Winthrop, founder of Winthrop, Biggs, and Bartholomew, Bois D’Arc’s most powerful and prestigious law firm, was having a conversation with his son that wasn’t going too well for Eddie. They were in Eddie’s corner office, the newest and one of the nicest in the firm. Being the son of the founder of the firm that rivaled some of Dallas’s better firms had its privileges. Eddie wasn’t the aggressive new attorney in the number of hours he billed, to the angst of the older more experienced members of the firm. He came and went as he pleased and hadn’t handled anything more complicated than a speeding ticket, bungled Cass’s divorce, and sat second chair with his father on a couple of minor criminal cases.

Reginald was sitting in the client’s chair. Eddie was comfortably seated behind his desk, rocking in his high-back executive chair. “Edward”—he never called his son Eddie—“as part of our firm’s duties and expectations there are certain requirements which each member of the firm is expected to fulfill.

“You have assisted me on some misdemeanor criminal cases. But”—Reginald paused, smiling—“it is time for me to cut the cord, so to speak, and let you join in the routine obligations of the firm. As a public service and as responsible citizens, we take on a certain number of pro bono cases each year. I want you to take a case that was sent to me this morning by Judge Wade Hamilton.” He laid a manila folder on Eddie’s desk and slid it across to him. “It’s a small misdemeanor case, but it will get you some criminal case experience on your own. You should be able to plead it out without a trial, which is what happens in eighty percent of the cases that go through Judge Hamilton’s court.”

Eddie opened the case folder and skimmed through the papers and then slammed it shut. “You mean I have to defend this lowlife for nothing? I didn’t go to law school to come home and plead out a punk who is so dumb he got caught with marijuana in his pocket visiting a friend in jail. I won’t do it.”

“Yes, you will, and you will successfully plead him out,” said Reginald in a firm voice. “Your reputation as well as the firm’s depends on it. We all started out on insignificant cases, Edward. No one starts out as a Percy Foreman. You have to work your way up to that position. And the way you do that is by winning every case you take on. You will learn the ones to pick and the ones to pass on, that’s how you establish a winning reputation and attract the more profitable high-profile cases.”

Reginald pushed his chair back to leave, but he had one last bit of information for Eddie. “Troy Blackmon will be here at eight o’clock Monday morning. Make him believe you are his best friend and plan your strategy thoroughly before you leave this office. Then meet with Judge Hamilton in his chambers before court convenes and work out the plea deal. Do not
leave without a plea deal,” he emphatically instructed Eddie, then left him to his own thoughts.

Monday morning

Troy Blackmon nervously waited in the outer office of Winthrop, Biggs, and Bartholomew for his meeting with Eddie Winthrop, his court-appointed attorney. It was already past eight o’clock. Eddie finally breezed through the office front door into the clients’ waiting room. He immediately picked out his client by his disheveled appearance and grubby clothes. He went directly to him.

“Are you Troy Blackmon?”

“Yes, sir, are you going to be my lawyer?”

“Yeah, follow me,” Eddie said.

Troy leaped from his chair and almost had to run to keep up with Eddie on his way to the back corner office.

“Have a seat, Troy, we need to talk.” Eddie dropped the case file on his desk and unbuttoned his suit coat while Troy sat in the client’s chair across from him.

“Are you stupid or just don’t give a shit?” Eddie snapped at his stunned client. “I can’t believe you walked into the county jail with marijuana in your pocket, knowing they would search you. What the hell were you thinking?” Eddie demanded, angry for having to take the case.

“Uh . . . I guess I wasn’t thinking, sir.” Troy said.

“Don’t call me sir. My name is Edward . . . forget it, just call me Eddie,” he said, regaining his composure. “I’m sorry, Monday mornings aren’t the best times for me.” He opened the file, glanced through it and looked up at Troy. “You’re looking at some hard time and a big fine unless we can convince the judge you deserve leniency. Do you have a thousand dollars to pay the fine? Do you have a job? Maybe being dressed like a homeless person will work in your favor. Talk to me, man—give me something I can use for a defense.”

“No, sir . . . uh, Eddie, I don’t have no money ’cause I ain’t got a job.” Troy said. “And I’m sorry, these are the best clothes I have.” Then he added apologetically, “But I did get a haircut; it used to be down to my shoulders.”

“Good for you,” Eddie snapped. “Listen, this is what we’re going to do. Go in the men’s room, wash your face and hands and comb your hair. Then come back here and tell me why you had marijuana in your pocket.”

While Troy was in the men’s room freshening up, Eddie opened his desk drawer and pulled out a can of room deodorizer to fumigate his office before his client returned. Troy sauntered back toward the corner office with a freshly washed face and slicked-back hair. He was awestruck by a beautiful, young lady using the copy machine in the outer office. She caught him staring. He blushed, ducked his head, and continued on to Eddie’s office. He arrived back at the newly scented office and resumed his comfortable slouch in the overstuffed chair.

“Are you wearing some fancy shaving lotion?” Troy commented as Eddie scribbled notes on his yellow legal pad. “Man, you sure got some pretty girls working here,” he said, trying to get Eddie’s attention.

Eddie ignored the comment on the gardenia scent in the room, but responded to the second one.

“Come on, Troy, you need to concentrate on your defense. Now, tell me how that marijuana got into your pocket and why you didn’t remove it before you went to the county jail to visit your friend.”

“I take a hit once in a while. It gets pretty lonesome and Janett, that’s my friend Haskel’s girlfriend, don’t mind. She smokes a joint with me sometimes. She gets lonesome waitin’ for Haskel to get out. But we’re just friends—”

“Stick to the question.” Eddie cut him off. “I’m not interested in your love life. How long have you been smoking pot?”

“Since high school off and on. Don’t smoke a lot, can’t afford it.”

“Ever done any hard drugs?”

“Nah, can’t afford that either.”

“For the last time, why did you have marijuana in your pocket? Were you high?”

“Maybe a little. Me and Janett had smoked a joint before I left the house to visit Haskel.”

“So you were high and forgot it was in your pocket, that about right?”

“Yeah, I just didn’t remember I had it in my pocket or I would have left it at home.”

“Where is home, Troy? You live with your parents? Have your own place? Where?”

“Nah, my parents kicked me out two years ago. I live with Haskel and Janet. I do little odd jobs and stuff around the house and they let me stay there. He’s my best friend.”

“How long is your friend in for?”

“Ninety days. He drove off and forgot to pay for his gas. When he got home, he found the five-dollar bill in his pocket he was supposed to pay for the gas with. He turned around and went back to pay the man. When he drove up, the cops were there and the service station man pointed at him. The cop came over, asked him his name. When Haskel told him who he was, the cop put the cuffs on him. Haskel explained what happened, but the man still wanted him locked up. That bastard took Haskel’s money and still filed charges.” Troy chuckled.

“You think that’s funny?” Eddie said.

“Kinda. Don’t you think it’s funny the man took Haskel’s money then told the cop to arrest him instead of just lettin’ him go?”

“Not my call,” Eddie said.

“Anyway, the judge must have kinda believed Haskel’s story because he only gave him ninety days, some public service, and told him not to do that again. He gets out in a couple of weeks.”

Eddie rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “A couple of real geniuses here.” He paused, then said, “One last question. Did the jailer say anything about you being high or smelling like you’ve been smoking pot?”

“Nah, I was pretty straight by the time I got there. It’s a pretty long walk to the courthouse. I don’t have gas money for my old truck.”

“Okay, let’s go over this real quick. We need to get to the courthouse and talk to the judge before court convenes. Here’s your story. You wanted to go visit Haskel in the county jail and didn’t have any clean clothes. So . . . you borrowed a pair of his jeans because you’re living with him. The marijuana was already in the pocket and you didn’t know it was there. That’s a real stretch, but maybe the judge will feel sorry for you. Can you remember that story if the judge asks you about it?”

“Yeah, but that’s not exactly how it happened. Won’t that be perjury or somethin’?”

“No, we’ll be in the judge’s chambers, not on the witness stand. Just let me do the talking. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he won’t ask you anything. I have an idea that just might keep you out of jail so you can pay off the fine. Trust me on this, okay? Let’s go, we need to be at the courthouse in ten minutes.”

Chapter 59

Judge Hamilton’s chambers

“Good morning, Your Honor, I’m . . .”

“I know who you are. What have we got here, Mr. Winthrop?”

“A simple case of a careless mistake, Your Honor. Mr. Blackmon didn’t know there was marijuana in those jeans he borrowed to visit his friend in the county jail.”

“That so? Why did he have to borrow someone else’s jeans?”

“He’s had a tough time getting a job and had to move in with his friend until he can find employment. He was embarrassed about his clothing, as you can see by the clothes he’s wearing now.” He nodded his head toward Troy. “He needed some decent clothes to wear to visit his friend, so he borrowed his friend Haskel’s jeans. His friend hasn’t needed them for a while since he’s in jail. Your Honor,” Eddie said in a sincere tone, “if this young man could get a job, and I have a good lead on one for him, he would be able to have a steady income and pay his fine instead of being in jail for a year. Your Honor, look at this man. He just needs a chance. I beg the mercy of the court to give this man that chance to prove he is a good citizen and this was just an unfortunate accident.”

“Mr. Winthrop,” Judge Hamilton said, “this is a most unusual request and an even more unusual story. Since he has no priors and this is our first encounter, I’ll tell you what I’m willing to do. You have made a reasonable plea for this young man. I’m going to waive his jail time and set his fine at one thousand dollars. This is contingent on him getting a steady job. I want you back in my chambers in sixty days with verification he is gainfully employed. If he is employed, this case will be expunged from his record, but if you can’t produce evidence of full-time employment, this plea bargain will be vacated. He will serve a year in the county jail
and
pay the fine of a thousand dollars. Is that clear, Mr. Winthrop?”

“Yes, Your Honor. We will return in sixty days with a copy of his paycheck. Thank you, Your Honor.”

“Mr. Blackmon, do you understand your sentence and your responsibility to this court?”

“Yes, sir, Your Honor, I do. Thank you, sir.”

“Very well, I’ll see you both in sixty days. Don’t let me down, young man. And Mr. Winthrop, welcome to my court. If you are as good a lawyer as your father, I’ll expect to be seeing more of you in the future. Now if you will excuse me, I have other cases to hear. Good day, gentlemen.”

Eddie Winthrop’s office

“Sit down, Troy. I want to explain to you what just happened. I pleaded with the judge to waive your sentence on condition that you have a job within sixty days. But you’re twenty-four years old and never worked more than a few weeks at any job. Most of them were minimum-wage jobs as a service station attendant, grocery-store bagger, or car-wash employee. Now, those are pretty easy jobs. Why can’t you hold simple jobs like those?”

Troy hesitated before he answered. “I have a hard time with people tellin’ me what to do all the time. I try hard, but when somebody starts yellin’ at me, that’s it, I’m outta’ there. I’m sorry. That’s just the way I am.”

“Well, Troy, I’m going to give you a lesson in real life and that’s just the way I am. I went to bat for you this morning before the judge and really stuck my neck out. So you’re going to have to do something special for me. Understand?”

“Yeah, man, I owe you big time, I’ll do whatever you want, man. You kept me out of jail. I just hope I can find a job. I ain’t got that kind of money and minimum wages will take forever to pay a thousand dollars. I ain’t afraid of workin’—just need a job and a boss that don’t nag me all the time.”

“Here’s the thing, Troy, if I get you a job, you have to do what I tell you, okay? No more walking off the job, you got that? Because if you do, you’re going to jail and neither one of us want that because it would look bad for both of us.”

“No, sir, I’ll do anything to stay out of that place. Just visitin’ gave me the creeps. If you find me a job, I’ll show you how good I can be.”

“Good, we understand each other. I think I can get you a job out at RJ Systems where you can make more than minimum wage. You think you can handle that?”

“Oh man, I always wanted to work out there. That’d be so cool, me workin’ at RJ Systems. Can you really do that? I tried to get on out there a half dozen times and they just said I’m not qualified. Man, I can’t believe this.”

“It’s not a done deal, but a guy out there owes me a favor and I think I can swing it. Just don’t say anything yet. And if you do get hired, don’t tell anybody I had anything to do with getting you the job because I want you to feel good about yourself. It will be up to you to keep the job.” Eddie stared straight into Troy’s big brown eyes and said in his most serious tone of voice, “You have to promise me if I get you on out there, you’ll be a model employee, no fooling around and no walking off the job.”

“I swear on my mother’s grave—just give me a shot. You’ll see the kind of a man I can be.”

“I thought you said your parents just kicked you out.”

“My real mom died when I was just a teenager. My daddy married a churchwoman before my momma was cold in the ground. My stepmother is a nut case. She’s some kind of
Holy Roller
and told me I’m goin’ to hell if I don’t change. We never got along. She’s the one that talked my daddy into kickin’ me out. My daddy listened to her and kicked me out and . . .”

“That’s okay, I’m sorry about your mom and having to put up with a mean stepmother. I need a phone number where I can call you when I get the job worked out. Is this a good number on your file?”

“Yeah, that’s Haskel’s number. If I ain’t there, Janett will answer. She’s real nice. She makes sure I get a good breakfast and brush my teeth and things like that. Says she won’t marry Haskel unless he gives her a diamond engagement ring. I don’t think he ever even asked her and he sure in hell ain’t buyin’ her no diamond ring.”

“Fine, good to know. You can go now, but keep your nose clean. And get rid of your marijuana stash. I don’t want anything to screw up the plea deal, you understand?”

“You bet, you can depend on me, man. You’re my best friend now. Nobody ever wanted to help me before.”

Eddie stood up and came from behind his desk to shake Troy’s hand to send him on his way. When he did, Troy lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Eddie in a bear hug. “Thank you, man. I’ll never forget what you did for me.” He quickly turned and left the building.

Eddie watched Troy leave and thought to himself,
You better believe you won’t forget. I have big plans for you, Troy, my friend.
He returned to his desk, brushing himself off, as if Troy had somehow rubbed dirt off on his Taylor Brothers suit. After brushing, he flipped through his Rolodex, pulled out a card and dialed the number on it.

“Hello, Brent, this is Eddie. How’ve you been?”

“Hi, Eddie, good to hear from you. What can I do for you?”

“I hate to ask, but I have a young client that needs a job real bad. I made a plea deal with Judge Hamilton that I would get him a job if he would waive his sentence. He got caught with some marijuana a friend slipped in his pocket. He had no idea he had it on him. It was just a big mistake. Wrong place at the wrong time,” Eddie lied. “The judge agreed that if he had a job he would waive the sentence and expunge his record, but would have to pay a fine. Do you think you can help me out? He’s not the brightest bulb on the tree, but he’s a good guy and will work hard. I thought of you, because you’re supervisor over the maintenance department out at RJ Systems. What do you think?”

“No problem, I have a hard time hiring people to keep the hangars and offices in them swept out and doing a little light maintenance, changing light bulbs and stuff like that. It’s boring as hell. Do you think he will be willing to do that kind of stuff?”

“That’s perfect. He’ll fit right in. Thanks, Brent. I owe you.”

“No, man, thank you. That speeding ticket you took care of would have put a big dent in my bank account and my wife would have killed me. Anything I can do for you, just let me know. I owe you big time for that. What’s his name?”

“Troy Blackmon. He’s had a hard time finding a job and I think this will really help him out. He’ll be a loyal employee, and if you have any problems at all with him, just call me. I’ll take care of it.”

“Great, have him come out tomorrow morning. Check in at the guard gate and have them call me. I’ll come up and walk him through Personnel. If the charge was dropped, he shouldn’t have any security problems. He’ll have to fill out an application and take a drug test. It may take a few weeks to get his clearance, but that’s about it my friend.”

“I really appreciate it, Brent. You have put a young man in need of a chance on the right track. I’ll let Troy know and he will be there at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Thanks again.” Eddie hung up and dialed the number Troy had given him.

“Hello, may I speak to Troy? This is Eddie Winthrop?”

“Mr. Winthrop, he just walked in the door.” Janett called out to Troy that he had a phone call.

“Hey, Eddie,” Troy said, “what’s up?”

“I just wanted to let you know I got you the job. Report at eight o’clock in the morning to the guard shack and ask for Mr. Brent Ferguson. He’ll come get you and take you through Personnel to fill out paperwork. You have to take a drug test, so don’t smoke any pot, you hear me? This is your big chance. Don’t blow it.”

“No, sir, no more pot for me, God’s truth. Thank you, man, you’re the best friend a man could have. I’ll do good and show that judge he did the right thing. And you, too. Thanks again, man. You’re a life-saver.”

“Okay, okay, you’re going to give me the big head. Just relax and listen to Brent. He’s there to help you. Get yourself some new clothes, shirt, and jeans for tomorrow. Shave and get a
real
haircut, too. I want you to look sharp and make a good impression. Come by and I’ll loan you some money for the clothes. And remember, no drugs.”

Eddie hung up with a broad smile. He had one more important call to make. He went back to his Rolodex, pulled out another card and dialed the number on it. After three rings, a voice answered, “Roger Helms speaking.”

“Hello, Roger. This is Eddie. I’ll have a man inside RJ Systems in a few weeks. My plan is on track and Rod Miller will be on his knees soon. Thought you would want to know.”