Роберт Паркер - Robert B. Parker’s Blackjack

Black stared at Virgil.

Chastain and Book left through the rear door of the courthouse and escorted Black back to the jail.

“What do you allow, Juniper?” Virgil said as we walked out through the now-empty courtroom with Juniper.

“I allow I could use a drink,” he said.

“Kind of early to go waving the flag, don’t you think, Juniper?” I said.

“Not to worry, Everett, my boy,” Juniper said. “I know when and how I go down the rabbit hole and when I simply trot about and hunt and piddle with the hare... both I do by choice, so you can rest assured these litigious proceedings have my full and undivided interest and attention.”

Juniper slowed to a stop and looked to Virgil.

“And if you are asking me what I allow in respect to how this will go, I’m curious, too, because I simply do not know. If you are asking me if I believe he actually did it, I don’t know that, either. I will say on one hand he is convincing and on the other hand he is not. At moments he seems inward, irreverent, and regretful, the prime indicator of guilt. Then there are those flashes of pompous and painful splenetic conviction, indubitably erring on innocence.”

Juniper started to walk, then stopped again, looking up at Virgil.

“Nonetheless,” he said, “this trial by ambush is impudent and reckless nonsense. Judge Callison is reverting back to his early wild and woolly frontier days, it seems. In fact, I have to say it seems in respect to Judge Callison, there is no telling what he might do. In the past I have had great success in his room, but now his ability to disregard and miraculously transport himself into another place in time right before our eyes leads me to believe there is no reason to bank on reasoning here. The fact that this witness that has come forward with what is to be important information and he’s not allowing me the appropriate disclosure is like asking me to walk a tightrope and I do not know how to walk a tightrope.”

When we stepped out into the courtroom foyer, Allie was sitting on a bench.

“There you are,” Allie said as she stood. “Everett, look who I have had the pleasure of visiting with.”

Across the foyer from Allie sat Daphne. She smiled and got to her feet.

“Marshal,” she said. “Everett.”

“Ms. Angel,” Virgil said.

“Hello,” she said. “Everett, I thought I would wait for you. I hope that is okay?”

“Of course,” I said.

“Ah... ladies,” Juniper said with a tip of his hat and a click of his heels. “If you all will excuse me...” Then he looked to Virgil and me. “I have business to attend to, an appointment with an unsuspecting Lagomorph... Good day.”

Juniper tipped his hat once more, then walked out.

Allie grinned and reached out, taking Daphne’s hand.

“We have been getting to know each other,” Allie said, holding Daphne’s hand in both of her hands.

Daphne nodded and smiled.

“We have,” she said.

“That’s good,” I said.

“It’s not every day,” Allie said, “that we have someone as smart and as beautiful as this lovely lady here in Appaloosa.”

“Thank you, Allie,” Daphne said.

“Mostly,” Allie said, “the new women that show up here are whores, don’t you know.”

“Well, I...”

Daphne blushed.

“I was also thrilled as can be,” Allie said, “to find out that she works for Mr. Pritchard... and the new casino and, well, we have a lot in common.”

“That’s good, Allie,” Virgil said.

“We also, of course,” Allie said, “have had the unfortunate discussion about all this carryings-on, about all this awful matter regarding this trial.”

“Which implores me,” Daphne said, “to ask what has happened. Why were the proceedings cut short today?”

I looked to Virgil.

“Seems there has been some new discovery by the prosecution,” Virgil said.

“My God,” she said.

“Oh, no,” Allie said. “What sort of discovery?”

“Court business, Allie,” Virgil said.

“What kind of court business?” Allie said.

“Don’t know.”

“You don’t know or you aren’t saying,” Allie said.

Chastain and Book left through the rear door of the courthouse and escorted Black back to the jail.

“What do you allow, Juniper?” Virgil said as we walked out through the now-empty courtroom with Juniper.

“I allow I could use a drink,” he said.

“Kind of early to go waving the flag, don’t you think, Juniper?” I said.

“Not to worry, Everett, my boy,” Juniper said. “I know when and how I go down the rabbit hole and when I simply trot about and hunt and piddle with the hare... both I do by choice, so you can rest assured these litigious proceedings have my full and undivided interest and attention.”

Juniper slowed to a stop and looked to Virgil.

“And if you are asking me what I allow in respect to how this will go, I’m curious, too, because I simply do not know. If you are asking me if I believe he actually did it, I don’t know that, either. I will say on one hand he is convincing and on the other hand he is not. At moments he seems inward, irreverent, and regretful, the prime indicator of guilt. Then there are those flashes of pompous and painful splenetic conviction, indubitably erring on innocence.”

Juniper started to walk, then stopped again, looking up at Virgil.

“Nonetheless,” he said, “this trial by ambush is impudent and reckless nonsense. Judge Callison is reverting back to his early wild and woolly frontier days, it seems. In fact, I have to say it seems in respect to Judge Callison, there is no telling what he might do. In the past I have had great success in his room, but now his ability to disregard and miraculously transport himself into another place in time right before our eyes leads me to believe there is no reason to bank on reasoning here. The fact that this witness that has come forward with what is to be important information and he’s not allowing me the appropriate disclosure is like asking me to walk a tightrope and I do not know how to walk a tightrope.”

When we stepped out into the courtroom foyer, Allie was sitting on a bench.

“There you are,” Allie said as she stood. “Everett, look who I have had the pleasure of visiting with.”

Across the foyer from Allie sat Daphne. She smiled and got to her feet.

“Marshal,” she said. “Everett.”

“Ms. Angel,” Virgil said.

“Hello,” she said. “Everett, I thought I would wait for you. I hope that is okay?”

“Of course,” I said.

“Ah... ladies,” Juniper said with a tip of his hat and a click of his heels. “If you all will excuse me...” Then he looked to Virgil and me. “I have business to attend to, an appointment with an unsuspecting Lagomorph... Good day.”

Juniper tipped his hat once more, then walked out.

Allie grinned and reached out, taking Daphne’s hand.

“We have been getting to know each other,” Allie said, holding Daphne’s hand in both of her hands.

Daphne nodded and smiled.

“We have,” she said.

“That’s good,” I said.

“It’s not every day,” Allie said, “that we have someone as smart and as beautiful as this lovely lady here in Appaloosa.”

“Thank you, Allie,” Daphne said.

“Mostly,” Allie said, “the new women that show up here are whores, don’t you know.”

“Well, I...”

Daphne blushed.

“I was also thrilled as can be,” Allie said, “to find out that she works for Mr. Pritchard... and the new casino and, well, we have a lot in common.”

“That’s good, Allie,” Virgil said.

“We also, of course,” Allie said, “have had the unfortunate discussion about all this carryings-on, about all this awful matter regarding this trial.”