She reached into her purse and pulled out her own sheet of paper. “This is a copy of his client ledger, all of his open cases. I’ve highlighted four of them, the chain saw cases. At the top you see the name of Marty Rosenberg, with his phone number. He’s the lawyer in New York, the one I assume who called when I wasn’t there. Whatever they talked about I don’t know, but it was enough to push Mack over the edge. I’m not sure, but I’m guessing Mr. Rosenberg knows the rest of the story.”
（17）
It was a slow news week in Clanton. When The Ford County Times hit the streets before dawn on Wednesday, there was a front-page story beneath the fold with the headline “Is Mack Stafford Back in Town?” With Dumas Lee reporting, the story said that several “unnamed sources” had confirmed that ex-lawyer Mack Stafford had reappeared. No one had actually seen him, or at least no one who would go on the record. The bulk of the story was Mack’s past: his seventeen years in private practice, his divorce and bankruptcy, and his mysterious disappearance. Sheriff Walls was quoted as saying, “I am not aware of any ongoing investigation.” When asked if it was true that a grand jury had investigated the bizarre case, Ozzie had no comment. There were two black-and-white photos, one of Mack in a coat and tie, taken from the bar directory. The other was of Jake Brigance, in a dark suit leaving the courthouse. Under Jake’s photo was the bold quote: “He is not a wanted man.”
Jake read it with his morning coffee and cursed himself for even speaking to Dumas. It was stupid to give the guy anything remotely quotable. The implication was clear: that Jake was involved and was probably Mack’s lawyer.
He did not look forward to the Coffee Shop. Skipping it, though, was not an option. As he had learned, skipping out only made the gossip worse.
（18）
Later Wednesday morning, Walter Sullivan called the New York office of Durban & Lang, a mega-firm with thousands of lawyers scattered around the world. He asked for Mr. Marty Rosenberg, and was informed by one of his secretaries that the great man was unavailable, which was exactly what Walter expected. He said that he would fax over a letter that explained his reason for calling and would appreciate a few minutes on the phone. After he hung up, he sent the letter. It read:
Dear Mr. Rosenberg:
I am an attorney in Clanton, Mississippi, and I’m seeking information regarding a possible product liability settlement roughly three years ago. I believe your firm represents a Swiss company, Littleman AG, and that this company has a division known as Tinzo Group, out of the Philippines. Tinzo manufactured, among many other products, chain saws that were alleged to be defective. Several plaintiffs down here hired a local lawyer, J. McKinley Stafford, or simply Mack, as we know him, to pursue their claims for injuries. Mack closed his practice and left town not long after you spoke to him.
I need a few moments of your time. Please call at your convenience. Your secretary has my number.
Sincerely,
Walter Sullivan
Wednesday passed with no word from New York. At nine the following morning, Walter’s secretary buzzed his desk with the call. Marty began with a friendly “Good morning, Mr. Sullivan, how are things down south?”
“Couldn’t be better, Mr. Rosenberg. Thanks for the call.”
“You betcha. I married a girl from Atlanta and we get down there occasionally.”
“Great city,” Walter replied. In many ways, Atlanta was closer to New York than to Clanton.
“Anyway, I got your letter and one of my paralegals found the file.” Walter could visualize the great lawyer with teams of paralegals lined up outside his door. “What can I do for you?” Marty asked.
“Well, it looks like our pal Mr. Stafford negotiated a settlement of some sort, then skipped town. Is it possible for you to confirm that there was indeed a settlement?”
“Oh boy,” he said as he exhaled, as if they were entering a touchy area. “Look, we still represent the Swiss company, Littleman, and yes they gobbled up Tinzo a few years back. At the time there were some of these product claims on Tinzo’s books but nothing in the way of litigation had materialized. The Swiss wanted a clean slate. They don’t like our tort system, can’t blame them for that, and so they told us to get rid of the claims, such as they were. They were dumped on my desk with instructions to make offers. I’m afraid that’s about all I can say. The settlements were confidential, as you might guess, and my client admitted no liability at all.”
“I see. Is it possible to get copies of the settlement agreements?”