“Mr. Minton, we still have at least ninety minutes to go today. I told you I wanted to be productive today. Where are your witnesses?”
“Frankly, Your Honor, I was not anticipating the defense resting after only three witnesses and I—”
“He gave fair warning of that in his opening statement.”
“Yes, but still the case has moved faster than anticipated. We’re a half day ahead. I would beg the court’s indulgence. I would be hard-pressed to get the rebuttal witness I am considering even into court before six o’clock tonight.”
I turned and looked at Roulet, who had returned to the seat next to mine. I nodded to him and winked with my left eye so the judge would not see the gesture. It looked like Minton had swallowed the bait. Now I just had to make sure the judge didn’t make him spit it out. I stood up.
“Your Honor, the defense has no objection to the delay. Maybe we can use the time to prepare closing arguments and instructions to the jury.”
The judge first looked at me with a puzzled frown. It was a rarity that the defense would not object to prosecutorial foot dragging. But then the seed I had planted began to bloom.
“You may have an idea there, Mr. Haller. If we adjourn early today I will expect that we will go to closing statements directly after rebuttal. No further delays except to consider jury instructions. Is that understood, Mr. Minton?”
“Yes, Your Honor, I will be ready.”
“Mr. Haller?”
“It was my idea, Judge. I’ll be ready.”
“Very well, then. We have a plan. As soon as the jurors are back I will dismiss them for the day. They’ll beat the traffic and tomorrow things will run so smoothly and quickly that I have no doubt they will be deliberating by the afternoon session.”
She looked at Minton and then me, as if daring one of us to disagree with her. When we didn’t, she got up and left the bench, probably in pursuit of a cigarette.
Twenty minutes later the jury was heading home and I was gathering my things at the defense table. Minton stepped over and said, “Can I talk to you?”
I looked at Roulet and told him to head out with his mother and Dobbs and that I would call him if I needed him for anything.
“But I want to talk to you, too,” he said.
“About what?”
“About everything. How do you think I did up there?”
“You did good and everything is going good. I think we’re in good shape.”
I then nodded my head toward the prosecution table where Minton had returned and dropped my voice to a whisper.
“He knows it, too. He’s about to make another offer.”
“Should I stick around to hear what it is?”
I shook my head.
“No, it doesn’t matter what it is. There’s only one verdict, right?”
“That’s right.”
He patted my shoulder when he got up and I had to steady myself not to shrink away from the touch.
“Don’t touch me, Louis,” I said. “You want to do something for me, then give me my fucking gun back.”
He didn’t reply. He just smiled and moved toward the gate. After he was gone I turned to look at Minton. He now had the gleam of desperation in his eye. He needed a conviction—any conviction—on this case.
“What’s up?”
“I have another offer.”
