Page 47 of The Devil's Advocate

‘I guess Andy just arrived?’ asked Kate.

Both of them turned.

‘Sure did,’ said the guard. ‘Follow me.’

Harry shook his head, fell into step behind Kate. As she turned the corner, Kate saw Shipley’s wide back as he disappeared through a door at the end of the hall. The guard unlocked a barred door on the left, leading to a wider corridor of cells. Four on each side. Solid steel doors on each.

Kate and Harry followed the guard to cell four. He unlocked the door, ushered them inside. It was an eight-by-eight, tiled room with a wooden bench running around the walls in a U shape. A young man, who looked like he hadn’t eaten a full meal in a long time, lay on the bench with his hands over his head. His back to the door.

‘Holler or bang the door when you want to come out,’ said the guard, before slamming the door shut.

Kate was glad to have Harry with her. The sound of the lock moving, clicking and locking them in was something that never failed to unnerve Kate. She breathed out, slow and steady.

‘Andy?’ she asked.

The skinny kid turned around.

Kate instantly recognized Andy from the pictures of him online, in the paper and on television. He had a handsome, sweet round face. Large eyes and a small chin.

‘My name is Kate Brooks, and this is Harry Ford. We work with Eddie Flynn, the attorney who saw you yesterday in your cell. We’re here to help.’

Andy closed his eyes, turned away from her.

‘Andy,’ said Harry. ‘What Kate is trying to say is we’re here to see if we can get you out of jail. Today. In around two hours.’

When Andy turned back, he did it quickly. There was surprise on his face, his mouth in an O shape, but this quickly sank. As if he was remembering something – remembering not to believe the promises made by lawyers, perhaps?

‘Your mother will be here soon. We think it’s best if you are with her, at home, for the trial. What do you think? Would you like to go home?’ asked Kate.

Andy sat up, said, ‘He told me not to speak to you. He said it would go better for me, and my mother, if I didn’t talk to a lawyer.’

‘Who told you?’ asked Kate.

She was keeping her voice soft and at a low volume, inviting Andy to listen.

‘Sheriff Lomax. He’s gonna look after me. Look after my mom too when I go to state penn after the trial.’

‘And did he tell you what’s going to happen after that?’ asked Harry.

‘He’ll give Mom some money. There’s no point in fighting this. I just have to accept that this is the way things are gonna be.’

‘Andy, the sheriff and the prosecutor want you to be executed. Either by you getting a lethal injection or sitting in the electric chair,’ said Harry.

Andy shook his head. ‘The sheriff said that wouldn’t happen if I co-operated. He made me sign something. I didn’t get a chance to read it, but he said it protects me and makes sure my mom is okay.’

Kate opened the file, drew out the court document, filed by the district attorney confirming that he was seeking the death penalty.

She sat down beside him, gently, and gave him the document to read.

‘That can’t be right,’ he said.

‘It is right. Look, the court stamped the order.’

He looked at the stamp, put his two fists against his forehead and said, ‘I don’t understand. This ain’t right. I didn’t kill nobody.’

Finding the retainer agreement in his papers, Harry gave it to Kate.

‘We need you to sign these papers to say, officially, that we act for you and we will do everything we can to save your life, and show the court you didn’t kill Skylar Edwards.’