Sycamore Row - John Grisham

said, “Gentlemen, I think the jury should meet Ancil Hubbard.”
Ten minutes later, court was called to order. The jury was brought in and the large
screen was set up again. Judge Atlee apologized to the jurors for the delay, then
explained what was happening. He looked at the contestants’ table and said, “Mr.
Lanier, do you have any more witnesses.”
Lanier rose as if crippled by arthritis and said, “No. We rest.”
“Mr. Brigance?”
“Your Honor, I would like to recall Ms. Lettie Lang for limited purposes. It will just
take a moment.”
“Very well. Ms. Lang, please remember that you have already been sworn and are
still under oath.”
Portia leaned forward and whispered, “Jake, what are you doing?”
“Not now,” he whispered. “You’ll see.”
With her last visit to the witness stand still a horrible memory, Lettie settled herself in
and tried to appear calm. She refused to look at the jurors. There had been no time to
prepare her; she had no idea what was coming.
Jake began, “Lettie, who was your mother, your biological mother?”
Lettie smiled, nodded, understood, and said, “Her name was Lois Rinds.”
“And who were her parents?”
“Sylvester and Esther Rinds.”
“What do you know about Sylvester Rinds?”
“He died in 1930 so I never met him. He lived on some land that the Hubbards now
own. After he died, Esther signed the land over to Seth Hubbard’s father. Sylvester’s
father was a man named Solomon Rinds, who also owned the land before him.”
“No further questions, Your Honor.”
“Mr. Lanier?”
Wade walked to the podium without notes. “Ms. Lang, have you ever had a birth
certificate?”
“No sir.”
“And your mother died when you were three years old, correct?”
“Correct.”
“When we took your deposition in December, the week before Christmas, you were
not so sure about your ancestry. What makes you so sure now?”
“I’ve met some of my kinfolk. A lot of questions have been answered.”
“And you’re certain now?”
“I know who I am, Mr. Lanier. I’m certain of that.”
He sat down, and Judge Atlee addressed the courtroom. “At this time we will watch
the videotaped deposition of Ancil Hubbard. Let’s dim the lights. I want the doors locked
and no traffic. This will take about an hour and there will be no interruptions.”
The jurors, who had been so relentlessly bored the entire day before, were wide-