Chapter 18

The rooster beat me awake, and I was looking at two heads of hair snuggled against me. I would think it was Lana and Shana but there was no way to tell without waking them. So I did, and got kisses for my trouble. Lana left to use the bathroom, and I took advantage of Shana. Maybe it wasn't advantage of as much as loving on but we both enjoyed it. The bathroom door opened but that didn't slow us down. Lana came over and kissed me and then Shana.

The need for speed filled my lust, as we worked towards that point. We were up and dressed, and I was on the porch drinking coffee with Pap and Cletus some time before breakfast. Lana was glowing this morning, and it was not just from earlier.

We ate our fill and we menfolk left for the porch after thanking the cooks for their hard work. Cletus sat with us for a few minutes and then he, Connie, and Harry left to head over to Hap and Rachel's place to begin the inventory. That left Pap and I with some time to kill before we needed to get ready to go to Bobby's.

He and I were just getting ready to be somewhere when Mam and Betty Ann came out and joined us. It was Betty Ann that spoke, "Make sure that you get the name of the architect from Bobby today. We want to meet with him as soon as we can."

"What's the hurry Betty Ann?" I asked.

"No hurry but you're right, we need to do something more than just be a worryin' about Harry."

"We be a askin' first thing then," Pap said.

"Thank you." We sat there just keeping each other company and the Trips and Tammy came out. Jana came over and sat on my lap.

"What are you doing today?"

"Pap and I are going to see Bobby. We have to ask about the architect, sign the papers for Hap and Rachel's place, and then work on Harry's case."

"So you don't have time to take us shopping then?"

"Not today but maybe soon." We just sat together until it was time for Pap and I to get on the road. I got kisses from my mates and mate-to-be and Pap got his kisses from Mam and Betty Ann.

We were in the Ford on our way to Bobby's. "Pap what was with them this morning?"

"I don't be a knowin' an I ain't goin' be complain' about it none either." We both grinned and continued with our drive. Susan was at her desk when we opened the door, and she greeted us. We responded in kind and Bobby came out of his office. After our mutual greetings we had about half an hour to wait so we asked about architects, explaining that I wanted two, one for each project. Bobby knew of a pair of brothers who worked together, and that we might be able to have one on each project.

Susan came into the office with iced teas and gave one to each of us. Bobby asked her to get the information about the architects so we could call them to make an appointment. I stopped her and said, "Just make us an appointment for tomorrow morning or afternoon with both."

She was gone for about five minutes and came back telling me, "They will see you at 1:30 tomorrow." Just as she said that there was a terrific clap of thunder and the power went out. We walked out to the front door, and it was obvious that a storm was rushing in.

The wind was blowing through and picking up dust, rocks and debris pushing it all around the street. Just then we watched as Hap and Rachel pulled up. Pap and I went out to help them get inside, and we almost made it before the rain started. Since I had helped Rachel in first it was Hap and Pap that got rained on. After we were inside we greeted one another, and I introduced Bobby and Susan. Since it was still dark in the office we stood near the door and waited for the lights to come back on. After that didn't happen I asked, "Rachel, where will you be planning to go to for your first stop?"

"Our oldest daughter Tammy and her husband Mark and their three kids live a two-hour drive north of Little Rock." That opened the gates for her to tell us about where they were going and each of the kids and their spouses and all the grand kids.

We just nodded and let her tell us about them all. The time passed and a half hour later the lights came back on. She was still going strong, and she only stopped at the flicker of the lights. When she stopped Bobby invited them into his office.

We followed and sat around his desk. Susan came and brought a packet of papers for each of us. The first one was an acknowledgment that Bobby was acting as both our attorney and theirs. Once that was signed, we went over all the points of the land contract and the amendment for them to live on the property as long as they wished.

I signed all the paperwork and Hap and Rachel signed. Then we exchanged paperwork and signed again. Susan notarized all the paperwork and went off to make a copy for the office records. That completed Susan returned with the check and handed it to Hap who quickly handed it to Rachel. I invited them to lunch, but they declined as they needed to get to the bank. We said our goodbyes, looked outside, and saw that the rain had slowed; I walked Rachel out to the car using the umbrella Susan handed me. Once they were situated in the car they left.

We returned to Bobby's office, and once we sat down, he said, "Now that you own property it's time you have an Arkansas driver's license unless you plan to move back to California."

"That's not going to happen anytime soon. What do I need to get the license?"

"Take the written test, give them your thumbprint and the social security number from your social security card."

"That might be a problem; I have to ask Lana if it is packed away or not."

"We can order you one and have it mailed to the office."

"Let's do that then just to be on the safe side."

Bobby pushed the intercom, told Susan what needed to be done, and she said she would take care of it.

Then we started the discussion about Harry and all that was happening. Susan came in and took our orders for lunch as we continued about the options.

Bobby agreed with my Dad about doing background investigations of those prosecuting the case. However, when I mentioned that we could have them done by firms outside Arkansas, he gave his tacit approval. But he wanted strict controls on how we used that information. I told him. "You're the one instructing the firms about what we want to know; you set the parameters for how we get it and how we use it."

"We will work on the parameters together, but you will direct them. There is a conflict with me doing that."

"Okay."

We discussed the ADA's motives for sending the Sheriff out, and he told us that they had called to make an appointment with them. Bobby asked, "Who had the Sheriff come to pick up?"

Pap told him, "He just wanted Harry and Betty Ann." We discussed Pap's and my idea about giving them just what they asked for. Pap wanted to grate at them with me being there and have them making me leave.

Bobby was not in favor of or against it but did note they would be more diligent in what they did from that point on. And was this the point at which we wanted to tweak them. We discussed that as we finished lunch and finally decided that once the other firms were known, we would not have the opportunity to tweak them again. We would let the chips fall; if they didn't ask, they got only what they asked for.

Bobby said, "All I ask is that you don't tell me where you're going to after you leave. I want to be able to say honestly that I do not know where you are."

From that point we discussed the division of labor on the case and what part of the case each firm should take. We needed challenges and motions to every item that related to the case. Bobby would bring the first one with him to the meeting. It would have them produce all the evidence (including the search warrants) they had against Harry.

I told Bobby, "If they fight this or try to modify the bail I want whichever firm is responsible for that part of the case to be in court with you."

"I am doing the bail part and keeping everything coordinated. One of the firms in Little Rock is working on the evidence."

"So they might see only one of the firms if they try to fight the evidence but since it is a function of law, I doubt they will fight it. Our hole cards are the bodies and the video. The longer we can take to maneuver them into a trial the more bang those issues will have. We will know more about what they think of the case after Friday when they lay out their plea bargain, and we don't have to say anything to that."

"Did you study law Steve?"

"No, I'm just a Law and Order junkie who has access to the Internet to check the facts the show espoused. Much of it was TV drama but a lot of the law was the actual statute."

"I'm an addict of it also, it's good to know you understand the drama of it. Surprisingly many of the statutes they have in New York are the same here."

We took a break at that point to relieve the pressure; once relieved we were back to the office.

"Bobby, I want to rent an office large enough to house all the attorneys once we get them in town. In addition, I want it in line of sight of the DA's office."

"Psychological warfare?"

"You might say that."

"You be a drivin' them to drink," Pap added.

"I hope to do more than that," I said.

"We have one last issue and that is security for us, you, Eddy, Susan and everyone coming down to help on this case."

"That is a tall order with everything else that is going on. Moreover, I hadn't thought of it."

"The ways we are going to go after them and with what I expect to find there are going to be some desperate people."

"I have never had to put a security operation together and not one the likes of what you are trying to protect. But you're right; if we open this up and find corruption on a large-scale basis they are going to want to protect themselves at any cost."

"Well Pap and I thought that we could involve..." And we went on to discuss adding in the Attorney General of the State of Arkansas as well as the Federal Government if it came to that. But until then we would be on our own. While Pap thought we could be sneaky and quiet about it, I didn't want to count on that to provide for our safety.

My resource for helping me on this would be Dad. While that was not his business, I was certain that he would have connections somewhere to someone that would work for us. Bobby did mention, "There's a bank building that was closed near the courthouse and the safe inside that building would be a good place to store any documents that we come up with."

We were winding up and something was still bothering me. Bobby had never mentioned watching the video on the computer. So me being me I asked, "Bobby, have you seen the actual video of the shooting we have on the computer?"

"No and I won't until we are ready to hand over a copy of it to the court for an 'in camera' review."

"Why and what is 'in camera'?"

"Under the rules of evidence once I have something that I have seen I have to hand a copy of it over to the prosecution. I do not want to do that for obvious reasons at this point. Furthermore, 'in camera' just means that when we are ready to show it, the judge will see it first with them present in his chambers. Once they see that their case is on the way to being over in my humble legal opinion."