To call me her only friend was, in my judgment, a gross exaggeration.
Still, my heart went out to her. If she viewed me that way, it meant she harbored a terrible distrust of everyone else she’d gotten to know over the years.
“Mary, what would you like me to do?” I asked. “How can I help?”
Mort answered for her. “Jake’s going to need a lawyer, Mrs. F. I told Mary that we could get him a public defender, but she said she wanted to talk to you first.”
“Talk to me about lawyers?” I said.
“Because you seem to be the one person in Cabot Cove that everyone looks up to, Jessica,” Mary said. “And I know you understand something about the legal system because of the books you write. Maybe I was out of place. I shouldn’t have bothered you. It isn’t your concern.”
I pulled up a chair and patted her hand. “Mary, you haven’t bothered me at all. I want to help. Mort is right. If you don’t have the money to hire a lawyer, the state will provide a public defender.”
“But that would be someone I don’t know, that Jake doesn’t even know. We don’t have the money to pay an expensive lawyer, but I have some cash saved. Not a great deal, but maybe enough to use as a down payment. I could pay off a lawyer’s fee over time. Jessica, all I want is to help Jake because I know he did not do this. He did not kill Rory Brent!”
Her voice had risen in volume, causing me to sit back, as though pushed by a hand. I looked to Mort, who continued to sit behind his desk, hands folded beneath his chin, eyes narrowed as he took in the conversation.
“How about Joe Turco?” I said.
“Who is he?” Mary asked.
“A wonderful young attorney who moved here only six months ago. He’s a fine young man with excellent legal training, studied law in New Hampshire and New York City. Oxford, too, I think.”
“Oxford, England?” Mort asked.
“Yes. He’d been practicing in Manhattan, and handling cases in New Hampshire, too. He’s moved here because he likes to fish, and wanted a more quiet life than in Manhattan. He’s building his practice. Would you like me to talk to him, see what he would charge to defend Jake?”
“Yes, of course,” Mary said.
“It might not even involve much legal representation,” I offered. “As of now, Jake hasn’t been indicted.” I turned to Mort. “That’s correct, isn’t it?”
“Ayuh,” he said.
“If Joe Turco is willing to take the case, he can handle this phase of things, maybe see that Jake is released on bail, something like that. I really don’t know because I’m not a lawyer. But I have a lot of faith in this young attorney, who is now a member of our community, and I’d be happy to speak with him. I’ll go see him when I leave here.”
Mort said, “I’m not much of a fan of attorneys, as everybody knows, but I have got to admit I’m impressed with this young Turco fella. Got a nice way about him, which I can’t say about most lawyers. It’s a good suggestion Jessica is making, Mrs. Walther.”
I stood. “Unless you want me here for something else, I’ll go look him up right away.”
Mary, too, stood, and took both my hands in her large ones. “God bless you, Jessica,” she said. “I knew I could count on you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Again, this expression of friendship made me uncomfortable, although I understood that she was doing everything she could do to express her gratitude. I hadn’t done anything yet, but I did feel my suggestion about Joseph Turco was a good one. What a terrible situation for anyone to be in, I thought as I picked up my scarf from where I’d laid it on the edge of Mort’s desk, and wrapped it around my neck. I said to Mary, “Will you be home after you leave here?”
“Yes. I have nowhere else to go.”
“Don’t give up hope, Mary,” I said. “I’m sure things will work out.”
Chapter Eleven
Joseph Turco, Esq., had rented the second floor of a pretty, white two-story
Still, my heart went out to her. If she viewed me that way, it meant she harbored a terrible distrust of everyone else she’d gotten to know over the years.
“Mary, what would you like me to do?” I asked. “How can I help?”
Mort answered for her. “Jake’s going to need a lawyer, Mrs. F. I told Mary that we could get him a public defender, but she said she wanted to talk to you first.”
“Talk to me about lawyers?” I said.
“Because you seem to be the one person in Cabot Cove that everyone looks up to, Jessica,” Mary said. “And I know you understand something about the legal system because of the books you write. Maybe I was out of place. I shouldn’t have bothered you. It isn’t your concern.”
I pulled up a chair and patted her hand. “Mary, you haven’t bothered me at all. I want to help. Mort is right. If you don’t have the money to hire a lawyer, the state will provide a public defender.”
“But that would be someone I don’t know, that Jake doesn’t even know. We don’t have the money to pay an expensive lawyer, but I have some cash saved. Not a great deal, but maybe enough to use as a down payment. I could pay off a lawyer’s fee over time. Jessica, all I want is to help Jake because I know he did not do this. He did not kill Rory Brent!”
Her voice had risen in volume, causing me to sit back, as though pushed by a hand. I looked to Mort, who continued to sit behind his desk, hands folded beneath his chin, eyes narrowed as he took in the conversation.
“How about Joe Turco?” I said.
“Who is he?” Mary asked.
“A wonderful young attorney who moved here only six months ago. He’s a fine young man with excellent legal training, studied law in New Hampshire and New York City. Oxford, too, I think.”
“Oxford, England?” Mort asked.
“Yes. He’d been practicing in Manhattan, and handling cases in New Hampshire, too. He’s moved here because he likes to fish, and wanted a more quiet life than in Manhattan. He’s building his practice. Would you like me to talk to him, see what he would charge to defend Jake?”
“Yes, of course,” Mary said.
“It might not even involve much legal representation,” I offered. “As of now, Jake hasn’t been indicted.” I turned to Mort. “That’s correct, isn’t it?”
“Ayuh,” he said.
“If Joe Turco is willing to take the case, he can handle this phase of things, maybe see that Jake is released on bail, something like that. I really don’t know because I’m not a lawyer. But I have a lot of faith in this young attorney, who is now a member of our community, and I’d be happy to speak with him. I’ll go see him when I leave here.”
Mort said, “I’m not much of a fan of attorneys, as everybody knows, but I have got to admit I’m impressed with this young Turco fella. Got a nice way about him, which I can’t say about most lawyers. It’s a good suggestion Jessica is making, Mrs. Walther.”
I stood. “Unless you want me here for something else, I’ll go look him up right away.”
Mary, too, stood, and took both my hands in her large ones. “God bless you, Jessica,” she said. “I knew I could count on you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Again, this expression of friendship made me uncomfortable, although I understood that she was doing everything she could do to express her gratitude. I hadn’t done anything yet, but I did feel my suggestion about Joseph Turco was a good one. What a terrible situation for anyone to be in, I thought as I picked up my scarf from where I’d laid it on the edge of Mort’s desk, and wrapped it around my neck. I said to Mary, “Will you be home after you leave here?”
“Yes. I have nowhere else to go.”
“Don’t give up hope, Mary,” I said. “I’m sure things will work out.”
Chapter Eleven
Joseph Turco, Esq., had rented the second floor of a pretty, white two-story
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