Vince and I stepped into the hallway.
“What’s he going to do?” I asked.
“Not much. She’s right.”
“What?” I blurted out. “How can you say that? I thought you were on my side.”
“I am, but client confidentiality doesn’t restrict the flow of communication among employees of the firm. There is no basis for hiding information from one another.”
I couldn’t believe Vince’s position.
“So, you think I should summon Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Braddock to the conference room and confront them with the facts I’ve uncovered?”
“No, but there’s no legal reason why they couldn’t order you to disclose your research. Everything you’ve done originated as work product for a client of the firm. When I came into work this morning, the sign in front of the building read ‘Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter.’ This is their law firm, and in our employment contract we agreed that the work we performed this summer belonged to them. That’s one reason I urged you to reconsider the scope of your investigation.”
I stepped back against the wall. “I might as well quit and go back to north Georgia for the rest of the summer. There’s no way I’m going to ever think like a lawyer.”
“I disagree,” Vince responded in a matter-of-fact voice. “You know how to focus on the most important aspect of any legal matter.”
“Which is?”
“The determination of the truth. If you try the Jones case in front of Judge Cannon, that’s one of the first instructions he’ll give the jury. It’s the practical effects of what you’re doing outside the scope of the case that are spinning out of control.”
“Thanks a lot . . .” I began.
Before I could continue, the library door opened, and Zach motioned for us to come inside. “I think we’re on the same page,” he said as soon as we returned.
I waited for a more complete explanation.
“You should have asked for my help,” Julie said. “We’ve worked well together on our other projects.”
Vince didn’t say anything. I looked at the other three people in the room. “Is that a solution?” I asked.
“Yes,” Zach replied. “You don’t have to ask Julie to help, but she’s available. As your supervising attorney, I’ll leave that decision up to you. Did you check the criminal court schedule for the rest of the summer?”
“No, but I’ll do it right now.”
“Let me know.”
Zach left with Vince right behind him. I sat down across from Julie.
“What did Zach say to you?” I asked.
“That it was unprofessional to snoop in your file. Why didn’t you tell me the connection between Moses Jones and the disappearance of the Prescott girl?”
“I didn’t want you to get all worked up about it.”
“And start running my mouth?”
“Yes.”
“I wouldn’t do anything to prejudice our client. The rules of ethics—”
“I know. Zach has given me more than one refresher course.”
“Okay, I won’t repeat it. What are you going to do now?”
“Call the courthouse.”
After several transfers from one clerk to another, I found out that there were three weeks of criminal court scheduled during the rest of the summer. Two of those weeks were assigned to Judge Cannon, and the judge for the third week was a woman named Linda Howell. I called Maggie Smith, and her assistant informed me the Jones case had not yet been placed on a specific calendar. I sent Zach an e-mail with the dates. He immediately responded with a request that I come to his office. I trudged up the winding staircase that no longer reminded me of a plantation mansion.
“Is there a problem with the dates?” I asked.
“One week in front of Judge Cannon is out because I’ll be on vacation in California. I’ll let the DA’s office know. The other two weeks will depend on my schedule, but I’ve already let Mr. Appleby know what’s going on.”
“Okay.” I moved away from the door.
“No, come in and sit down,” Zach said.
“I don’t need another lecture this morning,” I replied wearily. “The fruit of patience in my life may not be as mature as I’d hoped, and I don’t want to get upset.”
“We need to set a day and time to talk to Moses Jones and discuss trial strategy. It will also be a chance for you to show him the newspaper articles if you want to.”
“Okay.”
Zach studied me for a few seconds. “What else have you found out?”
“Do you care?”
“You can tell me now or later.”