“Got you Colonel, I’m on it this moment…you go have some breakfast and I’ll come get you when they arrive.”
“At this moment I need to make a collect call on your land line, if you have an extra phone?”
“Well, I’m not supposed to but, if you don’t say anything I’ll let you in the manager’s office and you can use his phone in private.”
“Scout’s honor and from a Colonel.” I smiled and handed the boy a sawbuck, which he fetched like a hungry dog. Though it was still early, I thought the incident important enough to inform my attorney and bring him up to date on the return of the dog Heinz and the possible discovery of Seg’s body…moreover I wanted to share my dream with Max. Just what the lawyer needed at eight in the morning, a crazy client who wanted to share a dream.
At any rate, it was good news to find a hard working lawyer doing something besides picking a client’s wallet.
“Good morning Brandon, I hope you are not calling from jail?”
“You, sir, are an ugly man.”
“Then, did you sleep well?”
“Fell off the wagon Max, but I wasn’t hit by the wheel, and you’ll be pleased to know I didn’t leave my room. However, there are a couple of developments here ... I thought you should know. First, the dog Heinz has returned seems he has been guarding a large ash tree, which has fallen into the river. The dog was frantic for me to follow him; were he showed me the tree and Heinz was so insistent ... made me confident something was down there. I now have the office calling the sheriff to come out to investigate.”
“Good.” The lawyer said but I noted a concern in his voice in only a word.
“Is there a problem?”
“Probably not, just the mind of a quirky lawyer considering all the traps.”
As Max continued, I glanced around the top of the manager’s desk which I suspect is something everyone does in a strange office…a natural tendency to snoop. To my surprise, there on top of a stack of folders was a file containing my name in bold letters, and it was underlined. I opened it and there was a memorandum regarding the events surrounding the accident, which I read as my attorney continued talking into the phone.
“What traps?” I asked.
“Well, someone with an evil intent might wonder how all the experts missed the body and you found it…did you know where it was? Did you move it? Brandon you must start thinking like the other side. This is no game, this is not about justice…this is about big business. It is about convicting the first person to come along, who happens to be a Colonel in the United States Army, to fill a quota for next year’s budget and for this year’s bonus…you know how it works.”
“Not at the sake of taking an innocent person’s freedom for god’s sake.”
“All right Brandon, there it is…maybe nothing, maybe something…but you have to know ... you have hired a wart as a lawyer, as well as your friend.”
“A wart?”
“A worry wart who knows all the tricks and this case is further complicated by this fact. You are currently under the authority of another government. So I caution you, walk softly…now what else is there?”
“I had a dream last night…I believe it contained a message from the spiritual world.”
“Come on Brandon, I love you but I have work to do trying to save your ass.”
“I know it sounds crazy Max, but please hear me out on this one, and I promise never to bring you another bizarre twist.”
“Ok shoot, it’s your retainer and it is clicking away.”
“I dreamt ... we are into this trial and the young sheriff’s deputy who questioned me and investigated the scene is on the stand and the prosecuting attorney asked him why he had submitted a report recommending that I be bound over to the Grand Jury for murder.
The deputy responded that he had not made such a recommendation, in point of fact he said that his report was just the opposite, he stated ... he had found nothing to indicate that a crime had been committed and he had found my statement very credible.”
“This is what I am trying to tell you Brandon, these are the kind of events which take place, ... they are planned but you can easily get caught up in a trial of ineffective, unprofessional, inept officials who build a case to fit preconceived notions of what manner of man you are, based on first impressions.”
“Yes, well in the dream, the strange thing is ... the prosecutor calls for a mistrial and the judge calls for a recess, calling you and the prosecutor into his chambers. You object, citing the law against this private meeting. The judge then calls for briefs from both parties on the question and, an Evidentiary Hearing in forty-eight hours.”
“Damn Brandon, you’ve grown in the law overnight…I am impressed.”
“Yes, but more to the point, I am certain your research team has carefully reviewed all the documents, including the indictment to make certain there is no possibility I am being framed?”
“Good point, and yes we have done the research, but I will do so again to make certain we haven’t missed something and to calm your nerves.”
“Now there is one last thing.” Just as I began to speak, I heard the voice of the manager coming toward his office with the deputy in tow. I knew I could not be found in this office, so I did the most prudent thing…I hung up on Max and slipped out the back door into the rest room, and then I came out around the front entrance.
“Been looking for you Colonel.” Deputy Cover said.
“Sorry, had a meeting in the toilet.”
“Yes, Colonel…... happens, sometimes when you least expect. I see the dog Heinz is back and I understand he darn near forced you to a spot on the river…can you show us, now?”
“Certainly.”
“We’ll take the jeep to save time.”
“Yes, I don’t need the two-mile jog again!” I opened the door, Heinz jumped into the back seat, and I climbed into the front beside Bill Cover. “This dog is a joy. Someone has spent a great deal of time with him and I’d swear he is nearly human.”
“I heard about this dog and know the fellow who owns the bitch.”
“When things quite down, I’d sure like to meet him and get on the puppy list.”
“They won’t be cheap.”
“Perhaps he has a lay-away plan.” We both laughed at the suggestion.
It only took a moment to get to the tree in the water, and as we approached, I could see Cover’s people were already hustling about and there was a diver in the water. A man on top of the trunk had a chain saw and another had an ax.
“He’s down there alright Bill, but caught up in the limbs, wedged in there by the current…have you called the coroner? Better do so and ask him to bring the ambulance.” The diver yelled.
“Yes, I’ll do it on the secure radio.” Cover responded.
I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down next to Heinz. “You’re the best there is.” I rubbed behind his ears and he smiled and licked my hand in an appreciative gesture. “I know you stayed out here with your master for two days, guarding the body of Seg, didn’t you?” The dog’s clear dark eyes responded with kindness. “Now I have a greater chore for you, I have got to find a way to get back into the manager’s office to copy my file before it gets locked away…do you have a plan?” I asked as though