Luis just kept looking at his son. Then, as quietly as Benny, he said, “I’m not going to give up. I can’t do anything about what’s already happened, but I’ve found you now and I’m going to do everything I can to help you.”
“Fine, you do that. You spend every fuckin’ dime you have. I hope it kills you, ’cause it ain’t gonna save me.” Benny turned to the guard. “I’m ready,” he said and stood up to leave.
30
The day after Henry’s stay of execution, Jack called Wofford. It was mid-morning, so Wofford was already at work.
“Wofford, you worked a miracle. How the hell did you do it?” Jack asked.
“Well, Jack, I simply walked into Judge Fletcher’s courtroom in the middle of a hearing, introduced myself, and asked her in open court, in front of a full house, what she was doing about that motion on her desk regarding the man who was scheduled to die that day.”
“I’ll bet that got everybody’s attention.”
“It did. She was pissed. She called a recess right away.”
“How did she get from being pissed at you to giving us an evidentiary hearing?”
“Like I told you, she’s a good judge when she puts her mind to something. We just had to get her focused. She gets a lot of credit in my book. She could have taken the easy way out and gone along with Artie Hendrick. People aren’t going to like what she did, and she’s going to hear about it. She knows it, too. That’s why she’s one of the people who actually should be a judge.”
“And so are you, Wofford. So are you.”
“I may not be for long, Jack. If the Judicial Qualifications Commission gets wind of half of what I’ve done, I’m toast.”
“I’ll represent you, Wofford. Count on it.”
“I appreciate that, Jack, but you know, I haven’t felt so good since God knows when. Knowing that I’m helping to rectify a wrong that I was part of is all I need to sleep at night. By the way, Judge Fletcher set the evidentiary hearing for two weeks from today.”
“We’ll be ready. I’ll get my subpoenas out right away. And you can also count on me telling Henry all about your efforts on his behalf.”
“Thanks, Jack. I appreciate that too.”
Henry’s circumstances had certainly changed since the day before-and not all to the good. He was no longer facing imminent death-so he was back in chains, and the couch and chairs were gone. He and Jack were returned to the sterile room where everything was bolted to the ground. Jack could tell Henry was still a little groggy from the injection and still a little shocked by the turn of events.
“I was in a good place yesterday, Jack. I was ready to die-with dignity. But when they strapped me on that gurney and pressed that needle into my skin, I felt degraded, like some sort of guinea pig. Now I’m back in my little cell until they decide to do this again. What the hell do they think I am? I’ll tell you this, Jack-the next time they strap me in will be the last. Everything is different now.”
“I’m with you, Henry. We’re going to have a hearing before Judge Fletcher in two weeks, and she’s going to decide whether there’s enough evidence to grant you a new trial or not. If the answer is yes, you probably won’t be retried, since the state’s only witnesses are dead. If the answer is no, there will be no more appeals. No more stays. The next time they strap you in will definitely be the last.”
“Geez, Jack, don’t sugarcoat it like that.”
For a second Jack didn’t know how to take Henry’s last comment. It wasn’t until the big man started to laugh that he followed suit.
“By the way, Henry, this reprieve was all Wofford Benton’s doing.” Jack told him blow-by-blow about Wofford’s encounter with Judge Fletcher.
“And she still granted the motion after all that?”
“She did,” Jack replied. “Which means you have a good judge hearing your case now.”
“And a good lawyer defending me,” Henry replied. “Give Wofford my thanks, Jack.”
Jack was greeted at home as the great liberator by Pat and Charlie.
“I’m so proud of you, Jack,” Pat told him. “You saved Henry’s life.”
“It wasn’t me. It was Wofford. And besides, it’s not over yet. We’re going to have an evidentiary hearing in two weeks.”
Pat seemed to be feeling pretty good, so Jack suggested they take Charlie out to dinner at La Taqueria, their favorite restaurant in Bass Creek, to thank her for forcing herself on them when they needed her most.
Because of its location in southern Florida, Bass Creek was home to many people from south of the border-Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia. Many were transients who worked in the orange groves and the sugar fields, and they formed their own barrio in the northwest part of town. La Taqueria was on the border of that barrio. Its decor reflected that boundary location, which was one of the reasons Jack loved it. Nestled between portraits of matadors and bulls and Spanish, Cuban, and Central American landscapes were stuffed deer heads, gators, and jackrabbits, together with Florida State and University of Miami pennants. There was even a rectangular sign that had no ties to any part of the community. It read: Tips up, Aspen, Colorado.
The menu at La Taqueria reflected its diversity as well. There were Cuban, Spanish, and Mexican dishes alongside some typical American fare. The meals were tasty and plentiful and the prices were low, so just about everybody came to partake. It was the genuine melting pot of town-busy every night, the conversation always loud and lively.
Not too many people knew that it was owned by a husband-and-wife team who were Irish and Jewish, respectively. Lisa served as the friendly, helpful hostess while Mike stayed in the back and supervised the kitchen. Since Jack and Pat were frequent patrons, they had become friends with the owners over the years. No matter how busy it was, Lisa always managed to find a table for Jack and Pat in Rose’s section. Rose, a robust Cuban woman, was their favorite waitress.
“How’s my favorite lawyer?” Rose would say every time as she planted a big kiss on his cheek. She always had a hug for Pat too, but both women knew that she saved her greatest affection for Jack.
“The chicken chimichanga is great tonight,” she told them.
“I’ll have that,” Pat said. She knew she would pay for the choice later, but she didn’t care. Tonight she was going to have fun. So far, Pat had avoided most of the symptoms of chemotherapy, although she had slowed down somewhat. She was nauseated from time to time, however, and Mexican food was not exactly the prescribed diet.
“I’ll have that too,” Charlie piped in.
“Just give me one of Mike’s Cubans, Rose, with some black beans and rice,” Jack said, having not even looked at the menu.
“And a pitcher of sangria,” Pat added, looking at Charlie and Jack. “I’m with the man I love and my best friend and I’m feeling good. I’m going to have a good time and that’s it.” Jack saw the sparkle in her eye and decided not to say anything. It was best to enjoy the moment.
“I’m going home for a week and then I’m coming back,” Charlie told them after Rose had brought the pitcher and filled their glasses.
“No, Charlie,” Jack protested. “You’ve already done enough. We’ll manage, won’t we, honey?”
“Listen, it’s not an inconvenience for me,” Charlie responded quickly. “This is still the off season in the tax world, and I’ve got more vacation time than I know what to do with. If I don’t use it, I’ll lose it. Besides, I love it here. And Jack, I covet your pool. Do you know what it’s like to swim in a lane with three other people every day? I know you think I’m going out of my way for you guys, but there’s a lot in it for me.”
Pat shrugged. “She’s hard to fight, Jack. And she never takes no for an answer.”
“Charlie, you should have been a used-car salesman,” Jack told her. In truth, he was glad once again that Charlie was so insistent. With her there, he could devote his attention to Henry’s hearing without worrying constantly about Pat.
“Then it’s settled,�
� Charlie declared. “I’m going to go home for a week, and then I’ll be back. That’ll give you a full week when I return to prepare for your hearing, Jack.”
They had a second pitcher of sangria and talked and laughed into the evening. Jack kept one eye on Pat. He was sure this wasn’t good for her, although she continued to laugh and to sparkle.
“By the way, your Uncle Bill came by every day you were gone,” Pat told him.
“Really? Does he know you’re sick?”
“He must. He hasn’t said anything to me directly, but there’s no other reason he’d be coming around so much.”
Not long after he came to Bass Creek, Jack had persuaded his Uncle Bill to move from St. Petersburg, a city on the west coast of Florida. Uncle Bill was eighty-seven years young and Jack had always been close to him. He was a retired merchant marine, a salty old tar and a sharp contrast to his brother, Jack’s dad, who had been an accountant. Jack had gravitated to his colorful uncle at an early age. It was only natural that he would want Uncle Bill close to him when he himself retired to Bass Creek to become a fisherman.
Uncle Bill had very quickly established his own group of friends and usually only visited Jack and Pat one night a week for dinner. “I don’t like to be a bother,” he’d told Jack when Jack had inquired why they saw him so seldom.
“It’s really strange how word just gets out in Bass Creek,” Jack said.
“It sure is,” Pat agreed.
Pat paid a price for her fun night out. Although she’d only had two small glasses of sangria, she was miserable the next day. The combination of wine, food, and Taxol and Carboplatin, her chemotherapy cocktail, was simply too much for her system.
“I should have put my foot down,” Jack said as he brought her a couple of aspirin and a glass of water. She was lying in bed moaning.
“It’s not your fault, Jack. It’s not anybody’s fault. I made my own decision. I knew there would be repercussions. I’ll have to remember this feeling the next time I’m tempted to stray from the straight and narrow.”
The next time was the following Monday. Pat had her third chemotherapy treatment earlier in the day, and that night she and Jack had visitors. Jack was against having anybody over, but Pat once again convinced him it was okay.
“I usually don’t feel the effects of the chemo until the next day, and we’ll have them over after dinner. It’ll be fine.”
Jack finally relented. He could never say no to her when she wanted to do something. Besides, the visitors were old friends, and seeing them would probably be good for the both of them.
During the time that Jack represented Rudy Kelly, he had two retired homicide detectives, Dick Radek and Joaquin Sanchez, working with him on the case. An important witness in part of the litigation was a woman named Maria Lopez. For security reasons, they had all lived together for several months, initially in Jack and Pat’s house in Bass Creek and later in a ranch house owned by a friend of Jack’s, Steve Preston. They became very close as a result of the experience. Joaquin and Maria fell in love and were married in a joint wedding ceremony with Jack and Pat. Dick eventually bought the ranch house they had all stayed in, and he married Steve Preston’s sister, Peggy. The six of them got together from time to time.
This evening, however, was different. Jack could tell from Dick’s tone of voice when he called to make plans that they knew of Pat’s illness. It was just another example of bad news traveling through unknown channels very quickly.
It turned out to be a wonderful evening. Although Jack could tell that Joaquin, Maria, and Dick were initially shocked that Pat had lost so much weight and appeared so pale, he could also see how happy the visit made her. They sat on the patio out by the pool and reminisced about their “commune” days. Poor Peggy, the newest member of the group, had to listen to the stories every time they got together.
“I don’t know if I ever told you this one before, Peggy,” Pat began. “Maria and I had to do some extra planning to make the testosterone members of the household feel comfortable. Do you remember, Maria?”
“I sure do,” Maria replied. “We got each man his own newspaper. Every morning at breakfast, the three of them would have their noses in their own individual paper.”
“And do you know,” Pat continued, “they never even thanked us.”
“It wasn’t every morning,” Dick countered. “As I recall, most mornings Maria and Joaquin and you and Jack were making goo-goo eyes at each other across the table.”
“Oh yeah, I remember,” Joaquin said. “That’s when Dick uttered his famous line, ‘I feel like a fifth wheel around here.’” They all cracked up just as they had the morning that Dick first said it-including Peggy, who had heard the story several times before.
Even though it was a great evening, Jack, the protector, made sure it ended early. As they said their good-byes, each one expressed in his or her own way how special Pat was to them. Only Maria acknowledged her illness, and then only implicitly.
“I’m an hour away,” she said. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. Please.”
“I will, Maria,” Pat replied, reaching out to touch her hand. “I promise.”
On Tuesday morning, Jack and Pat loaded the big boat, the thirty-six-foot Sea Ray they had purchased the year before, and headed out for Lake Okeechobee. They brought the dinghy along as well. The plan was to stay out on the lake for a week, weather permitting, away from everyone and everything but not too far from town, and use the dinghy on daily excursions to explore the little tributaries off the Oka-latchee River and the big lake itself. Mostly, though, they just wanted to be alone.
Almost immediately, Pat’s condition started to deteriorate. Even though Jack did the vast majority of the work getting ready, Pat was exhausted by the first afternoon and took to her bed belowdeck before they’d even picked a spot to spend the night.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” Jack said to her after he’d stopped and set the anchor.
“No, honey, I’ll be fine. I like the water. It soothes me even when I’m in bed. If I’m going to be tired for a couple of days, I’d rather be tired out here.”
It was a good choice. She had a restful night’s sleep, and in the morning Jack made breakfast and served her in bed. In the afternoon, he brought her on deck and let her relax in the shade under the canopy. She could breathe the fresh air without the harmful effects of the sun. The doctor had warned both of them about overexposure to the sun during chemotherapy.
By Thursday she was feeling better, although for the first time since she started chemo, clumps of hair were coming out in her hairbrush. She’d awakened before sunrise and gone on deck. It was peaceful and serene on the lake as the sun broke through-nothing like the stark transition in their little cove where they were surrounded by the trees and the animals, but just as stirring in its own way. Jack joined her a little later, having caught a whiff of the breakfast she was cooking for him.
“One good turn deserves another,” she said jauntily. Jack didn’t say anything. He was just happy to see her up and about and so full of life.
After breakfast, she undressed and jumped in the water. Jack followed right behind.
“Pat, you’ve got to be careful,” he chastised her when they both surfaced. “You need to save your strength.”
“For what? Next Monday, when it gets sapped all over again? Seize the day, Jack. Live in the moment.” She proceeded to swim away from the boat. Jack could do nothing but follow.
After lunch, they took the dinghy out and explored a little. In one of the offshoots between the river and the lake-“mangrove corridors,” Jack called them, because they were bordered on both sides by mangroves with an occasional tall pine here and there-they came upon a partially sunken houseboat lying on its side. The boat was two stories high and very large. Pat spied two gators resting nearby and an osprey high atop one of the pines. A cormorant was swimming close to the gators, seemingly oblivious to their presence, and Pat worried about its sa
fety.
“I hope that cormorant doesn’t get too close to the gators.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it,” Jack said. “What’s meant to be in nature is meant to be.”
“I never thought about it quite that way,” she replied. “I guess you’re right.”
“Rudy told me about this houseboat,” Jack remembered. “I never thought I’d actually find it. It looks exactly as he described it.”
“Don’t you wonder sometimes about the stories behind wrecks like this?” Pat asked. “Just imagine, a murky swamp in the dead of night. Gator-infested waters. Maybe it was a gambling boat. Or even better, a brothel.”
“Maybe so,” Jack replied, leaning back in the dinghy with his feet hanging over the side, letting the boat drift aimlessly. It didn’t get any better than this. “I’ll bet the osprey knows the whole story. He can see everything from up there.”
“I think you’re right,” Pat replied, looking up at the majestic bird, its proud white chest protruding, framed by dark brown wings.
They made love that night-carefully, rocking along to the rhythm of the great Okeechobee. Afterward, they both slept soundly.
On Sunday morning before dawn they took the dinghy to the cove they had adopted as their own, for their own special sunrise service. They spent the rest of the morning there as well, swimming au naturel, arriving home in the early afternoon just in time for Jack to jump in the car and drive to Fort Lauderdale to pick up Charlie.
“Thank you, God,” Jack said as he drove down the two-lane road that led to the airport. “I know this week was a gift from heaven.”
The Law of Second Chances jt-2 Page 16
