Sycamore Row - John Grisham

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seen the other will, the thick one, but I’m pretty damned certain I like it better. Why should I be an advocate for this slipshod, last-minute, handwritten piece of crap that gives everything to an undeserving black housekeeper who probably had too much influence over the old boy. Know what I mean?” Jake nodded slightly and frowned with great suspicion. After thirty minutes with this guy, he was fairly certain he didn’t want to spend the next year with him. Replacing an executor was generally no big deal, and Jake knew he could convince the judge that this guy needed to go. Amburgh glanced around again and said softly, “It makes no sense. Seth worked like a dog the last ten years of his life to build a fortune. He took enormous risks. He got lucky. And then, he dumps it all in the lap of some woman who didn’t have a damned thing to do with his success. Kinda makes me sick, Mr. Brigance. Sick and very suspicious.” “Then don’t serve as executor, Mr. Amburgh. I’m sure the court can find someone else to do the job.” Jake picked up the will, creased the folds, and stuck it back into his pocket. “But sleep on it. There’s no rush.” “When does the war start?” “Soon. The other lawyers will show up with the other will.” “Should be fascinating.” “Thanks for your time, Mr. Amburgh. Here’s my card.” Jake left his business card and a $5 bill on the table and hurried out. He sat in his car for a moment, thinking, trying to collect his thoughts and get his mind focused on a contested estate worth $20 million. A year earlier, Clanton had gossiped its way through a lawsuit over an insurance policy covering a fertilizer plant that had mysteriously burned to the ground. Its owner was a local shyster named Bobby Carl Leach, a shifty operator with a history of burned buildings and lawsuits. Fortunately, Jake was not involved in the litigation; he avoided Leach at all costs. But during the trial, it was revealed that Leach had a net worth of about $4 million. There was nothing liquid about his balance sheet, but when his liabilities were subtracted from his assets, there was an impressive figure for his equity. This had led to countless discussions and arguments over who, exactly, was the richest person in Ford County. The debates had raged over early morning coffee around the square, and in bars where bankers met after hours, and throughout the courthouse where lawyers huddled to exaggerate the latest testimony, all over town, literally. Bobby Carl, with $4 million, was certainly at the top of the list. The Wilbanks clan would have been had Lucien not squandered the family fortune decades earlier. Several farmers were mentioned, but only out of habit. They had “family money,” which, by the late 1980s, meant they owned sections of land but struggled to pay their bills. A man named Willie Traynor had sold The Ford County Times eight years earlier for $1.5 million, and there were rumors he’d doubled his money in the stock market. However, few rumors about Willie had ever been taken seriously. A ninety-eight-year-old woman held bank stock worth $6 million. As the contest wore on, an anonymous list appeared in a court clerk’s office and was soon faxed all over town. It was cleverly labeled “Forbes Top Ten List of Richest Ford Countians.” Everybody had a copy, and this fueled the gossip. The list was edited, enlarged, detailed, amended, and modified and even
fictionalized, but through it all there was no mention of Mr. Seth Hubbard. The town’s exercise in speculation went on with enthusiasm for several weeks before running out of gas. Not surprisingly, Jake had never seen his own name on the list. He chuckled to himself as he thought of Ms. Lettie Lang and her forthcoming and rather dramatic entry onto the list.
Page 3 and 4:
This book is a work of fiction. Nam
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Contents Cover Title Page Copyright
Page 7 and 8:
1 They found Seth Hubbard in the ge
Page 9 and 10:
Touching nothing, he backed away an
Page 11 and 12: 2 Jake Brigance stared at the brigh
Page 13 and 14: shift and whose primary responsibil
Page 15 and 16: Dell was an old tart with the quick
Page 17 and 18: indictment. Secretly, Jake hoped Ma
Page 19 and 20: she left; now, though, he almost mi
Page 21 and 22: in knowing I will not be there to s
Page 23 and 24: She did as he instructed, and when
Page 25 and 26: “They’ll make all sorts of clai
Page 27 and 28: 4 The drive from central Memphis to
Page 29 and 30: Lettie carefully poured the coffee
Page 31 and 32: minutes of near silence, they lost
Page 33 and 34: suicide. The second was addressed n
Page 35 and 36: 5 By noon Monday the entire bar ass
Page 37 and 38: Jake said, “Tell me about Seth Hu
Page 39 and 40: “My client wants me to wait until
Page 41 and 42: and her husband rarely made things
Page 43 and 44: 6 The parking lot of the Irish Road
Page 45 and 46: pretending to mourn at $200 an hour
Page 47 and 48: disbelief, then pointed to the park
Page 49 and 50: “I just got home and you’re rea
Page 51 and 52: “It’s very important, Ms. Lang,
Page 53 and 54: ead the two-page will. Slowly, her
Page 55 and 56: “You have a filthy mind. I love i
Page 57 and 58: 8 Russell Amburgh hid behind a news
Page 59 and 60: good hurricane season, lots of dama
Page 61: was out of his mind. You can’t ma
Page 65 and 66: seen liquor in the house; Seth didn
Page 67 and 68: the picnic table. An hour earlier,
Page 69 and 70: in ten years. And your family, with
Page 71 and 72: 10 Three well-dressed lawyers from
Page 73 and 74: in different circles. As the favore
Page 75 and 76: everyone who crossed him and defend
Page 77 and 78: “Sure. I’d fight over a lot les
Page 79 and 80: 11 A nosy paralegal sniffing throug
Page 81 and 82: Herschel was sitting behind the whe
Page 83 and 84: estate here and there. One of my jo
Page 85 and 86: “No comment, Dumas,” Jake said,
Page 87 and 88: the law than you do anyway. And, I
Page 89 and 90: Judge Atlee said, “Before we get
Page 91 and 92: “Skole, Your Honor. Skole, Rumky,
Page 93 and 94: people in the courtroom. Even Judge
Page 95 and 96: out of state. Otherwise, everyone i
Page 97 and 98: stairwell shook. Roxy called after
Page 99 and 100: To Jake, it was significant that Ha
Page 101 and 102: “No. My job is to protect the wil
Page 103 and 104: contest. Hell, we got three trials
Page 105 and 106: 14 The Berring Lumber Company was a
Page 107 and 108: “That was my job. We talked every
Page 109 and 110: Kamila said, “He got pretty aggre
Page 111 and 112: “But why?” she managed to ask.
Page 113 and 114:
suspect. He ran a ten-man litigatio
Page 115 and 116:
too few square feet. Now, though, t
Page 117 and 118:
“I think so.” Benjy dealt black
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so much, and with such authority, t
Page 121 and 122:
the window. They rode in silence un
Page 123 and 124:
panel. He was brash, loud, smart, f
Page 125 and 126:
mother had been blown away by a saw
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jury also ruled against nasty littl
Page 129 and 130:
17 The usual white-collar crowd gat
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The lawyer calmly said, “Ethics a
Page 133 and 134:
went to court. “I hear he’s got
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closed his eyes and heard the voice
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taken. He shook hands with Wade Lan
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client can get a fair trial. This i
Page 141 and 142:
They looped twice around the square
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was blatantly obvious they were the
Page 145 and 146:
Jake welcomed her into his office.
Page 147 and 148:
Jake nodded and smiled. This woman
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had been a long time since he viewe
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Portia said. “It’s a lot easier
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20 Ancil Hubbard was no longer Anci
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start slingin’ all your racist sh
Page 157 and 158:
“In due course,” Jake said. “
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office, one of three empty ones ups
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corrected Jake in open court on two
Page 163 and 164:
Hubbard is Wednesday, his sister Th
Page 165 and 166:
When everyone was in place and some
Page 167 and 168:
Lanier introduced himself with a sa
Page 169 and 170:
Some come and go.” Jake glared at
Page 171 and 172:
incident when a friend or business
Page 173 and 174:
Death by deposition continued on We
Page 175 and 176:
23 Leaving the courthouse in a hurr
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“I suppose. Herschel and Ramona c
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and I think he paid something like
Page 181 and 182:
24 On the morning of Christmas Eve,
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“What’s the point here, Lucien?
Page 185 and 186:
To be fair, there were some Langs i
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might just know how to throw one. T
Page 189 and 190:
25 For those contesting the handwri
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for pursuing Lettie, but was met wi
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typewriters, law books, and more fi
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26 On the last Friday in January, R
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adviser had already worn thin. Luci
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“And these are the guys from D.C.
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Such a conspicuous purchase would n
Page 203 and 204:
He produced some paperwork, and the
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worked the front while his sister h
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28 On Monday, February 20, Judge At
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courtroom, but there were advantage
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Judge Atlee relit his pipe with a m
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“I’m not his lawyer, okay? Neve
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“Chuck Bennett, but I didn’t wa
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“I have no idea. Probably one app
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since Hubbard died. And now this. N
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30 Early Thursday morning Simeon La
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nonetheless serious rules was one t
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Lang’s daughter,” he said, and
Page 227 and 228:
He owned two furniture factories in
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settlement. He has a strategy to fo
Page 231 and 232:
32 Eight days after the Roston trag
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“Saturday is your day off. I’m
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dean was waiting on us at school, t
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case so screwed up it’ll never ge
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me he was no longer counsel of reco
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notoriously clannish and sensitive
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was napping, Lettie gently shook hi
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facing me in Chancery Court, in thi
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everywhere. There are gaps in every
Page 249 and 250:
35 Two weeks before the scheduled s
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clients with the greatest interests
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on, “Now, and listen to me, I wil
Page 255 and 256:
They went through all ninety-seven
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oughly $1.5 million. It took the po
Page 259 and 260:
“No, Lucien, I’m more concerned
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awake. He assumed he was an officer
Page 263 and 264:
37 Jake walked into the Coffee Shop
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Mr. Eli Rady, had filed four lawsui
Page 267 and 268:
“I’m always sober in the mornin
Page 269 and 270:
ack was cramping and Lonny tried to
Page 271 and 272:
“Where’s Mr. Willie going to li
Page 273 and 274:
In six months, he’d gone through
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enough. They drove to a fish shack
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pot, flirting with the clerks who k
Page 279 and 280:
ickering for later.” After the re
Page 281 and 282:
So far, his firm had either spent o
Page 283 and 284:
Jake said, “Judge, I’d like to
Page 285 and 286:
40 Lucien shuffled the deck and def
Page 287 and 288:
“I did,” Lonny said. “Tell me
Page 289 and 290:
“Should I tell Judge Atlee?” Ha
Page 291 and 292:
41 In his defense of Carl Lee Haile
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this?’ However, it is not your re
Page 295 and 296:
was rich, and she also knew his rel
Page 297 and 298:
Funeral Instructions: I want a simp
Page 299 and 300:
holographic will, thus entitled to
Page 301 and 302:
42 The detective was leaving the ho
Page 303 and 304:
eight doses a day of Demerol, at a
Page 305 and 306:
“Not to my knowledge. There was n
Page 307 and 308:
10:00 p.m. Jake asked the easy ques
Page 309 and 310:
happened to be looking for a part-t
Page 311 and 312:
windows, arranged magazines, even w
Page 313 and 314:
“About a year, then she moved awa
Page 315 and 316:
here, Wade. Judge, this is a clear
Page 317 and 318:
Fritz said, “Seventy-five hundred
Page 319 and 320:
“Don’t bet on it. You can’t l
Page 321 and 322:
Lettie stared at him, dumbfounded.
Page 323 and 324:
her deposition back in December and
Page 325 and 326:
“Twelve.” “So it’s been twe
Page 327 and 328:
as a witness until two weeks ago, i
Page 329 and 330:
“We’ll see. Maybe it’s not ov
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airport lounges, all of which he no
Page 333 and 334:
victims. He was well acquainted wit
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emember all the white families she
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46 After butting heads with the Mem
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not a single way to get it in.”
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awake and eager to witness this une
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or so away, and she was yelling and
Page 345 and 346:
And we were certain the sheriff wou
Page 347 and 348:
47 The jurors filed silently out of
Page 349 and 350:
“I’m afraid to ask,” Jake sai
Page 351 and 352:
thought he looked lost. When he cou
Page 353 and 354:
“Are you okay?” Jake whispered
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sipped wine by Harry Rex’s pool a
Page 357 and 358:
admitted to college will qualify fo
Page 359 and 360:
“I’d be delighted.” He was th
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Sycamore Row - John Grisham

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