Sparring Partners by John Grisham

Author:John Grisham [Grisham, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2022-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

(6)

8:50 p.m. The buzzer sounds in the distance and Cody stands to see who’s coming. It’s Jack Garber, moving slowly, hands stuck in pants pockets, absent his usual stack of files and papers. He stops at the bars and Cody walks over.

In a low, dispirited voice, Jack says, “The Supreme Court said no. The governor’s office just called with more bad news.”

“No more Hail Marys?” Try as he might, Cody can’t quite keep his shoulders up. They sag and his chin drops.

“Nothing, Cody. I got nothing left. I’ve unloaded everything, tried every trick in the book.”

“So it’s over?”

“I’m sorry, Cody. I should’ve done something different.”

“Come on, Jack. You can’t beat yourself up. You’ve been fighting for me for ten years. Fighting like hell.”

“Yeah, fighting and losing. You should have won, Cody. You don’t deserve to die. You were just a kid who didn’t kill anyone, never pulled a trigger. I let you down, Cody.”

“You did not. You’re a warrior until the bitter end.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Let it go, Jack. I’m at peace and I’m ready to go.”

“You’ve always been brave, Cody. I’ve never had a client so brave.”

“I’ll be all right, Jack. And if there happens to be something in the next act, then I’ll see you on the other side.”

Cody steps closer, reaches through the bars, and puts a hand on Jack’s shoulder. The two men embrace as best they can with the bars between them. They have a long hug and then let go. Finally, Jack steps back and wipes his face. He turns and walks away, and Cody watches him disappear.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, then walks over to the television, picks up the remote and turns it on. The governor has the screen. Outside an elaborate office, and with a wall of grim-faced flunkies behind him, he steps to a bank of microphones and, as solemnly as possible, says, “I have just been informed that the Supreme Court has refused to hear the final appeal of Cody Wallace. I have carefully reviewed his request for clemency. The issue of his age is indeed troubling. However, I am much more sympathetic to the victims of this horrible crime, the Baker family, and their great loss. They need our prayers at this hour. They are opposed to clemency. The people of this state have repeatedly said they believe in capital punishment, and it is my solemn duty to uphold the law. Therefore, I am denying the request for clemency. The execution will proceed as scheduled, at ten p.m. this evening.”

He bows his head as if he might start praying himself as he backs away. Reporters instantly start yelling questions, but he is much too burdened to deal with them.

Cody mutes the television and stares at it. Suddenly the screen changes and there’s Jack again, standing somewhere on the prison grounds with a guard on each side. Cody quickly hits the volume.

Jack says to the camera, “Cody was fourteen years old, a child, an orphan, a homeless kid living in the woods, a kid no one wanted.

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