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good at it! He made women happy. There wasn t anything trashy about it, not
most of the time. He loved those ladies, and they loved him. What could be
wrong with that? If only he d stuck to the chicken work, and not gotten
tangled up in the other mess . . .
But he had. And now that mistake could cost him his life.
He d been trying to make enough scratch to get somewhere, but he didn t have
time for that now. The savings plan was on hold it was fly or die. Even if he
had to leave town on foot, he had to go. Because this person was smart. This
person had some amazing resources.
He had to get to the bus station. He had enough to get somewhere, anywhere.
He climbed onto the city bus. He was beginning to feel calmer now. He wasn t
out of the woods, but at least he had a plan of action. He had options. He had
hope.
All of which died the instant he sat down and looked out the window. The bus
pulled away, but the face he dreaded most was back at the bus stop, smiling at
him.
He d been found.
29
So you re the guy my mom wanted in the first place? Johnny Christensen
said, peering through the protective acrylic panel.
Ben didn t reply.
Mr. Kincaid will be acting as my second-chair, Johnny. He s doing it as a
favor to me.
I see. He rubbed a hand against his stubbled chin. As opposed to doing it
for me.
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Or your mother, Ben said, in a low tone.
So how do you think our chances look?
I won t lie to you, Ben said. The evidence has been stacked against you
from the start, and we haven t found much to counteract it. As I told you
before, my cop friend is in Chicago and he has some interesting theories, but
so far nothing that s likely to help us in court.
Then you think . . . I m gonna lose? The color drained from Johnny s
cheeks. You think they re gonna fry me?
I can t predict the penalty
Well, I can. I ve read the papers. If they find me guilty, I m gonna be
executed. I know I will.
Ben couldn t argue with his conclusion, especially given the Illinois hate
crime statute. Johnny, we ll do everything we can.
I m only seventeen. I don t want to die.
We ll do everything
I m so scared. All the time, scared. I can t sleep. You know how much weight
I ve lost? His eyes began to well up. I don t want to die.
You should ve thought of that before you attacked Tony Barovick.
I didn t kill him, man.
Why pull punches? Even if your story is true, the things you and your friend
did were cruel beyond measure. You tortured a poor boy who never did anything
to you.
I can t help what I am, Johnny said, his voice surprisingly tender. The
way I was brought up.
Your mother would never Ben choked his words off. I can t believe anyone
ever taught you to hate people just because of who they are.
Are you kidding? At my church, the preacher used to come down on fags every
other week! He told us homosexuals are all going to hell. That as Christians,
it was our duty to try to lead people away from lives of sin.
So that s what that beating was? A Sunday school lesson?
Since when were Christians ever afraid to use force? Even Christ tossed the
moneylenders out of the Temple.
Did he break their legs?
Look, opposing homosexuals is part of my religion. You can t criticize me
for following my religion.
I might, Ben thought silently. Is religion important to you, Johnny?
Hell, yes. I sang in the church choir, you know. Even taught a Sunday school
class. The Bible specifically speaks out against homosexuality. A hundred
years ago, no one would ve questioned it.
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Yeah, Christina said. And schools were segregated. And women weren t
allowed to vote. And children went to work at the age of eight. Having been
down this road before, Christina knew it was a dead end. Look, Johnny, we
don t have a lot of time, and we didn t come here for a socioreligious debate.
I just wanted your approval to add another lawyer to the case. And to ask you
if you remember seeing anyone else at Remote Control the night you confronted
Tony Barovick. Maybe someone who left the bar about the same time you did? Or
Tony did?
There was another guy. He was hanging around the bar for a long time. I
remember because . . . well, we talked about going after him. What he does is
almost as disgusting as what Tony Barovick did.
What s his name?
Probably not his real name. But everyone at Remote Control called him
Charlie the Chicken.
Do you know where Mr. Chicken lives?
Nah. Why?
Christina craned her neck. Talking into a phone receiver for so long made it
stiffen up. Just following every possible lead. If there s anything else . .
.
Look Johnny said, before she hung up the phone. I know what the score is.
I know you two don t like me. You think I m an ignorant putz. But I m telling
you I did not kill that guy. Brett did not kill that guy. He was alive when we
left him. I promise you. Ipromise . His eyes began to well up again. I ll
pay the price for what I did, but please don t let them kill me for something
I didn t do. Please.Please.
I just don t get it, Ben said as they emerged from the detention center.
How Ellen could raise a kid like that.
She s only his stepmother, Christina replied. Maybe the damage was done
before she was involved.
Just as she had during the flight out of Tulsa, Christina continued to bring
Ben up to speed on the case as she led him across the parking lot to their
temporary offices in Kevin Mahoney s suite. I ve got angles on all the
prosecution witnesses, she explained, and I think I can deal with, if not
totally defuse, most of them. But what I don t have is a real defense. An
alternate explanation. Kevin didn t have one, either.
Any theories?
You know what Mike said. There may be a connection between his murder and
ours and it may have something to do with drugs.
That s not much to go on.
Agreed. Without concrete evidence, the jury will just think we re grasping
at straws, trying to complicate an open-and-shut case. I ve asked Vicki to go
over the arrest records for
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Excuse me!
Across the parking lot, Ben saw a young black man waving at them. Could I
speak with you?
I m sorry, Ben said, but I m really pressed for time and
Don t mean to interrupt, the man said, as he caught up to them. But it s
the lady I want to talk to. Are you Christina McCall?
She nodded.
You re handling the Christensen case?
We both are, she answered.
I m Roger Hartnell, he said. I I knew Tony Barovick. Well.
Christina remembered reading about him in one of Loving s reports. Do you
know something about what happened to him?
No, sorry I didn t mean to mislead you. I haven t come as a friend of
Tony s. I came in my capacity as regional director of ANGER.
You re the creeps who redecorated our elevator lobby.
We re not responsible for that. Our press release merely said that we
sympathized with those who did it.
Ben frowned. So you re not here to help us with this case?
No, sir. I m here to ask you to drop it.
Ben took Christina by the arm. I m sorry, but we don t have time for
Listen to me. What you re doing is wrong.
Sure, Christina replied. We should just let the posse string Johnny up.
I don t mean that he should have no representation. Let the court appoint
someone, if necessary. But when it comes from attorneys of your stature it
seems like an endorsement.
It s how the legal system works. Now if you ll excuse me
Please just give me one minute. You don t understand everything that
I m sorry, Ben said, I think I do understand your position. And I admire
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