The Chamber (Page 82)

"I don’t hate him anymore."

"Why the change of heart?"

"I don’t know. When you get this close to death, you do a lot of thinking."

Adam was anxious to hear more, but Sam let it pass. Adam watched him smoke and tried not to think about Joe Lincoln. He tried not to think of Sam’s father being beaten in a drunken brawl at a funeral, and he tried to ignore all the other miserable stories Lee had told him in Ford County. He tried to block these things from his mind, but he couldn’t.

He had promised her he would not mention any more nightmares from the past. "I guess you’ve heard about our latest defeat," he said as he pulled papers from his briefcase.

"It didn’t take long, did it?"

"No. A rather quick loss, but I’ve already appealed to the Fifth Circuit."

"I’ve never won in the Fifth Circuit."

"I know. But we can’t select our review court at-this point."

"What can we do at this point?"

"Several things. I bumped into the governor last Tuesday after a meeting with the federal judge. He wanted to talk in private. He gave me his private phone numbers and invited me to call and talk about the case. Said he had doubts about the extent of your guilt."

Sam glared at him. "Doubts? He’s the only reason I’m here. He can’t wait to see me executed."

"You’re probably right, but – "

"You promised not to talk to him. You signed an agreement with me expressly prohibiting any contact with that fool."

"Relax, Sam. He grabbed me outside the judge’s office."

"I’m surprised he didn’t call a press conference to talk about it."

"I threatened him, okay. I made him promise not to talk."

"Then you’re the first person in history to silence that bastard."

"He’s open to the idea of clemency."

"He told you this?"

"Yes."

"Why? I don’t believe it."

"I don’t know why, Sam. And I don’t really care. But how can it hurt? What’s the danger in requesting a clemency hearing? So he gets his picture in the paper. So the TV cameras chase him around some more. If there’s a chance he’ll listen, then why should you care if he gets some mileage from it?"

"No. The answer is no. I will not authorize you to request a clemency hearing. Hell no. A thousand times no. I know him, Adam. He’s trying to suck you into his game plan. It’s all a sham, a show for the public. He’ll grieve over this until the very end, milking it for all he can. He’ll get more attention than I will, and it’s my execution."

"So what’s the harm?"

Sam slapped the table with the palm of his hand. "Because it won’t do any good, Adam! He will not change his mind."

Adam scribbled something on a legal pad and let a moment pass. Sam eased back in his seat, and lit another cigarette. His hair was still wet and he combed it back with his fingernails.

Adam placed his pen on the table and looked at his client. "What do you want to do, Sam? Quit? Throw in the towel? You think you know so damned much law, tell me what you want to do."

"Well, I’ve been thinking about it."

"I’m sure you have."

"The lawsuit on its way to the Fifth Circuit has merit, but it doesn’t look promising. There’s not much left, as I see things."

"Except Benjamin Keyes."

"Right. Except Keyes. He did a fine job for me at trial and on appeal, and he was almost a friend. I hate to go after him."

"It’s standard in death cases, Sam. You always go after the trial lawyer and claim ineffective assistance of counsel. Goodman told me he wanted to do it, but you refused. It should’ve been done years ago."

"He’s right about that. He begged me to do it, but I said no. I guess it was a mistake."

Adam was on the edge of his seat taking notes. "I’ve studied the record, and I think Keyes made a mistake when he didn’t put you on the stand to testify."

"I wanted to talk to the jury, you know. I think I’ve already told you that. After Dogan testified, I thought it was essential for me to explain to the jury that I did in fact plant the bomb, but there was no intent to kill anyone. That’s the truth, Adam. I didn’t intend to kill anyone."

"You wanted to testify, but your lawyer said no."

Sam smiled and looked at the floor. "Is that what you want me to say?"

"Yes."

"I don’t have much of a choice, do I?"

"No."

"Okay. That’s the way it happened. I wanted to testify, but-my lawyer wouldn’t allow it."

"I’ll file first thing in the morning."

"It’s too late, isn’t it?"

"Well, it’s certainly late, and this issue should’ve been raised a long time ago. But what’s there to lose?"

"Will you call Keyes and tell him?"

"If I have time. I’m really not concerned with his feelings at the moment."

"Then neither am I. To hell with him. Who else can we attack?"

"The list is rather short."

Sam jumped to his feet and began pacing along the table in measured steps. The room was eighteen feet long. He walked around the table, behind Adam, and along each of the four walls, counting as he went. He stopped and leaned against a shelf of books.

Adam finished some notes and watched him carefully. "Lee wants to know if she can come visit," he said.

Sam stared at him, then slowly returned to his seat across the table. "She wants to?"

"I think so."

"I’ll have to think about it."

"Well hurry."

"How’s she doing?"

"Pretty fair, I guess. She sends her love and prayers, and she thinks about you a lot these days."

"Do people in Memphis know she’s my daughter?"

"I don’t think so. It hasn’t been in the papers yet."

"I hope they keep it quiet."

"She and I went to Clanton last Saturday."

Sam looked at him sadly, then gazed at the ceiling. "What did you see?" he asked.

"Lots of things. She showed me my grandmother’s grave, and the plot with the other Cayhalls."

"She didn’t want to be buried with the Cayhalls, did Lee tell you that?"

"Yes. Lee asked me where you wanted to be buried."

"I haven’t decided yet."

"Sure. Just let me know when you make the decision. We walked through the town, and she showed me the house we lived in. We went to the square and sat in the gazebo on the courthouse lawn. The town was very busy. People were packed around the square."

"We used to watch fireworks in the cemetery."

"Lee told me all about it. We ate lunch at The Tea Shoppe, and took a drive in the country.

She took me to her childhood home."

"It’s still there?"

"Yeah, it’s abandoned. The house is run-down and the weeds have taken over. We walked around the place. She told me lots of stories of her childhood. Talked a lot about Eddie."

"Does she have fond memories?"

"Not really."

Sam crossed his arms and looked at the table. A minute passed without a word. Finally, Sam asked, "Did she tell you about Eddie’s little African friend, Quince Lincoln?"

Adam nodded slowly, and their eyes locked together. "Yes, she did."

"And about his father, Joe?"

"She told me the story."

"Do you believe her?"

"I do. Should I?"

"It’s true. It’s all true."

"I thought so."