Page 11 of Coming Home

“I’m thrilled to hear this, Jackson. I have thought of you doing so ever since you told me that you wanted to attend law school.”

He chuckled. “I was what—sixteen years old—when I mentioned that to you?”

“You were, indeed. I have been thinking about retiring for a good long while. I believe that you having sat on both sides of the table will be beneficial as you assume my practice. Besides that, you are empathetic and yet don’t put up with nonsense. I think you will make a fine attorney for the citizens of Barton County.”

“Tell me about what to expect from this practice, Clancy. I’ve spent years being a trial lawyer, either prosecuting or defending criminals. What is small town law all about?”

Clancy steepled his fingers. “It’s being a jack-of-all-trades,” he revealed. “You get to dabble in just about every branch of the law, and you’re in close contact with individuals. You’ll see results quickly and be able to be proud of what you’ve helped others accomplish.

“A lot of what you’ll handle will be estate planning. People have to be educated that their estates include cars, homes, bank accounts, life insurance, and any investments, no matter how large or small. You’ll help them come up with the best strategies for their current and future situations. Estate planning first and foremost is taking care of loved ones—by taking care of yourself.”

“I know that will involve drawing up wills. Creating powers of attorney. That kind of thing.”

“Estate planning goes far beyond that, Jackson. You have to consider the client. Is he married? Kids or no kids? Is it a blended family you’re dealing with, or do you have a single parent? It might be a senior on her own. Setting up future care is paramount. Even providing for pets in case the client becomes incapacitated. I recently handled estate planning for a couple with a special-needs child. They wanted to make sure he was provided for long after they were gone.”

Jackson rubbed his chin. “It is more complicated than I remember from my law school classes.”

“You did take the Oregon bar, I believe.”

“Yes. Boo and I talked about that. Although I was offered the job in L.A., where I attended law school, she and I thought it best to hedge my bets in case I ever did get a wild hair to return to the Cove. While I studied for the California bar exam, I did the same for the one in Oregon. Took them two days apart. Now, I’m glad I did so—and yes, my license to practice in Oregon is current. But dealing with nothing but criminal law since graduation? Just from our limited conversation, I’m going to need to study up on a good number of topics. I guess I’ll be doing my homework before I can take over.”

“Estate law is a good chunk of the practice, but there’s more.”

“Such as?”

“Family law is another moneymaker for a small-town lawyer. Divorce and alimony. Child custody and support. Adoption. Even emancipation of teenagers comes up on occasion, as do paternity cases and prenups.”

Clancy picked up a pen and began rolling it between his fingers. “Then you have bankruptcy. Personal injuries and those suffered on the job. Immigrants wanting to get their green cards or apply for citizenship. I’m seeing more and more of that. A little regarding Social Security disability and SSI appeals.”

“Anything criminal?” Jackson asked.

“The occasional DUI charge. Sometimes, felony criminal charges. Property crimes such as arson or vandalism. Drug offenses, from distributing and selling to trafficking. A few sexual assault cases. I haven’t had to defend any white-collar crimes for several years. Embezzlement and securities fraud don’t seem to be crimes often committed in Barton County.”

Clancy set down the pen. “The good thing is that I was the only lawyer in the Cove and Crescent Cove for decades. I was the sole attorney for Salty Point until it went through its growth spurt twenty years ago. A couple of attorneys practice there now, mostly criminal. They’re out of a big firm in Portland which has a few satellite offices around the region.

“My practice has served Barton County, as well as a few other small communities outside the county. You won’t starve. The practice will keep you busy, but it won’t dominate your life the way your recent murder trial did. I followed it in the news. That was an outstanding bit of defense work, Jackson. Are you certain you won’t miss the bright lights of the big city and high-profile cases? I wouldn’t feel good turning my practice over to you if, a few years from now, you up and shuttered it. I don’t want to leave the people in Barton County high and dry.”

“Defense work is tough,” Jackson admitted. “A murder case, in particular, can steal your soul. I almost lost myself during this Gerard McGreer trial, Clancy. It’s one thing to think your client is guilty and put on the best defense possible. It’s another to know he is. I got off a man who had committed a heinous crime, the rape and murder of a young woman. And I don’t think it’s the only one he’s committed. In fact, McGreer was trying to line up my services again in case he was in need of them in the future.”

“That’s troubling to hear, Jackson.”

Briefly, he outlined Sarah Peterson’s approaching him and what the juror had shared in confidence with him.

“As much as I wanted to go to the DA with this information, I thought it more important to protect Sarah, her husband, and her unborn child. It was a difficult decision. I believe I’ve put a murderer back on the streets—and it will only be a matter of time before he kills again. Yes, that case was my breaking point. It helped me to decide to leave L.A. and return to the Cove. Of course, I understand that there may be times when I need to defend someone against charges which have been filed against them, but I won’t have to do it on a daily, soul-sucking basis.”

“I know you had a partner,” Clancy said. “Did you share with him what this juror revealed to you?”

Jackson nodded. “Bill is prepared in case Gerard McGreer comes calling again. I already had set it up with McGreer and told him if we were already busy with other cases, we couldn’t drop those clients and cater to his needs alone.”

“McGreer didn’t know you were leaving California?”

“No, I didn’t want him privy to that information. Bill Watterscheim knows not to defend McGreer again. But enough of that. What are your plans in retirement, Clancy?”

The lawyer grinned sheepishly. “I’ve been keeping company with a widow from Crescent Cove. A younger woman, in fact. Ten years my junior.”

He laughed. “Robbing the cradle, I see.”

“Myra is a wonderful woman. We’re going to get married and move to Texas.”

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