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〃Then I guess you know all about Lance and Trudy；〃 Sandy said； a little rattled。
〃We do。 We take good notes around here。〃
〃I'm sure you do。 Anyway； Lance； as you know； is a nasty sort； and my men got a rumor that he was looking for a contract killer。〃
〃How much is he offering？〃 Sweeney asked skeptically。
〃Don't know。 But he has the money； and he has the motive。〃
〃I've already heard this。〃
〃Good。 What do you plan to do？〃
〃About what？〃
〃About keeping my client alive。〃
Sweeney took a deep breath and decided to hold his tongue。 He struggled with his temper。 〃He's on a military base； in a hospital room with my deputies guarding his door and FBI agents down the hall。 I'm not sure what else you have in mind。〃
〃Look； Sheriff； I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job。〃
〃Really？〃
〃No。 I promise。 Please try and understand that my client is a very frightened man right now。 I'm here acting on his behalf。 He's been stalked for over four years。 He's been caught。 He hears voices we don't hear。 He sees shadows we don't see。 He's convinced people will try to kill him； and he expects me to protect him。〃
〃He's safe。〃
〃For now。 What if you talked to Lance； and you grilled him pretty good and told him about the rumors。 If he knew you were watching； he'd be stupid to try something。〃
〃Lance is stupid。〃
〃Maybe； but Trudy is not。 If she thinks she might get caught； she'll yank Lance back where he belongs。〃
〃Been yanking him all his life。〃
〃Precisely。 She will not run the risk。〃
Sweeney lit another cigarette； and glanced at his watch。 〃Anything else？〃 he asked； suddenly anxious to get up and leave。 He was a Sheriff； not an office manager with a desk and Rolodex。
〃Just one thing。 And again； I'm not trying to tend to your business。 Patrick has enormous respect for you。 But； well； he thinks he's much safer where he is。〃
〃What a surprise。〃
〃Jail could be dangerous for him。〃
〃He shoulda thought about that before he killed Mr。 Doe。〃
Sandy ignored this and said； 〃He'll be easier to protect in the hospital。〃
〃Have you been to my jail？〃
〃No。〃
〃Then don't lecture me about how unsafe it is。 I've been doing this for a long time； got it？〃
〃I'm not lecturing。〃
〃The hell you're not。 You got five more minutes。 Anything else？〃
〃No。〃
〃Good。〃 Sweeney bolted to his feet and left the room。
THE HONORABLE KARL HUSKEY arrived at Keesler Air Force Base late in the afternoon； and slowly made his way through security to the hospital。 He was in the middle of a one…week drug trial； and he was tired。 Patrick had called and asked him to stop by； if possible。
Himself a pallbearer； Karl had sat next to Sandy McDermott at Patrick's funeral。 Unlike Sandy； though； Huskey had been a recent friend of Patrick's。 The two had met during a civil case Patrick had tried not long after he arrived in Biloxi。 They became friendly； the way lawyers and judges often do when they see each other every week。 They chatted over bad food at the monthly bar luncheons； and once drank too much at a Christmas party。 They played golf twice a year。
It was an easy acquaintance； but not a close friendship； at least not for the first three years Patrick was in Biloxi。 But they grew closer in the months before he disappeared。 With the benefit of hindsight； though； it was easy to look back and see a change in Patrick。
IN THE MONTHS after his disappearance； those in the legal munity who knew him best； including Karl； liked to gather over drinks at the Lower Bar at Mary Mahoney's Restaurant on Friday afternoons and piece together the Patrick puzzle。
Trudy took her share of the blame； though she was too easy a target； in Karl's opinion。 On the surface； the marriage didn't appear to be that bad。 Patrick certainly didn't discuss it with anybody； at least no one who drank with them at Mary Mahoney's。 Trudy's actions after the funeral； especially the red Rolls and the live…in toyboy and the go…to…hell attitude she adopted as soon as the life insurance was collected； had soured everyone and made objectivity impossible。 No one was certain that she was sleeping around before Patrick left。 In fact； Buster Gillespie； the Chancery Clerk and a regular at those sessions； professed admiration for Trudy。 She'd once worked with his wife at a charity ball of some variety； and he always felt pelled to say something nice about her。 He was about the only one。 Trudy was easy to talk about and easy to criticize。
Job pressure was certainly a factor in pushing Patrick to the brink。 The firm was rolling in those days； and he desperately wanted to bee a partner。 He worked long hours； and he took the difficult cases his partners didn't want。 Not even the birth of Ashley Nicole kept him home。 He had made partner three years after joining as an associate； but few people outside the firm knew it。 He had whispered it to Karl one day after court； but Patrick was not the least bit boastful。
He was tired and stressed； but then so were most of the lawyers who entered Karl's courtroom。 The oddest changes in Patrick were physical。 He was an even six feet tall； and he said he had never been thin。 He claimed to have been quite a jogger in law school； at one point doing forty miles a week。 But as a busy lawyer； who had the time？ His weight crept up； then ballooned the last year he was in Biloxi。 He seemed oblivious to the jokes and ments from the court…house crowd。 Karl had chided him more than once； but he kept eating。 A month before he disappeared； he told Karl over lunch that he weighed two hundred and thirty pounds； and that Trudy was raising hell about it。 She； of course； aerobicized two hours a day with Jane Fonda and was as thin as a model。
He said his blood pressure was up； and he promised to go on a diet。 Karl had encouraged this。 He found out later that Patrick's blood pressure had been normal。
The weight gain； and its overnight loss； made perfect sense now that they thought about it。
The beard too。 He had grown it around November of 1990； said it was his deer hunting beard。 Such growth was not unusual among non…rednecks and lawyers in Mississippi。 The air was cool。 The testosterone was up。 It was a boy thing。 He didn't shave it； and Trudy bitched about that too。 The longer he kept it； the grayer it became。 His friends got accustomed to it。 She did not。
He let his hair a grow a bit and started wearing it thicker on top and halfway down the ears。 Karl called it the Jimmy Carter look from 1976。 Patrick claimed to have lost his hairstylist and couldn't find one he trusted。
He wore nice clothes and carried his weight well； but he was too young to let himself go。
Three months before he checked out of Biloxi； Patrick succeeded in convincing his partners that the firm needed its own brochure。 It was a small project； but one he embraced with great vigor。 Though Patrick wasn't supposed to know it； the firm was getting closer to the Aricia settlement； and the money was almost in sight。 Egos were expanding daily。 A very serious firm was about to bee a very wealthy one； so why not impress themselves with a professionally done brochure。 It was a way to humor Patrick。 Each of the five sat for a professional photographer； then they