Custody of the State by Craig Parshall

second opinion. That’s when the doctor contacted Social Services.”
    â€œChild abuse is a serious charge. What do they base it on?”
    â€œI have no idea,” Mary Sue said, her voice rising.
    â€œWhere are you now?”
    â€œI have to be honest with you, Mr. Chambers. I really don’t know if I should tell you that. The police are looking for me and Josh. I was hoping you could get these charges dropped first. Then I’ll come back.”
    â€œThat may not be as easy as you think. Look, I want you to call me back in thirty minutes. I will put you on the speakerphone. Todd Furgeson, an associate attorney in the office, will also be with me. We will get a complete factual background from you then.”
    Mary Sue thanked him several times, said “God bless you!” excitedly, and then hung up.
    Will walked into the lobby.
    Hilda looked up from her computer with a sheepish smile.
    â€œDid you know she would be calling this morning?” Will asked.
    â€œI guess I did.”
    â€œSo my own secretary is conspiring against me!”
    â€œWill, I’m so glad you’re going to help that poor woman!” Hilda exclaimed.
    â€œAny other calls while I was on the phone?”
    â€œNo, Fiona didn’t call.”
    â€œWhy do I get the feeling you’re getting way too far into my head?” Will said with a rueful chuckle.
    Which got him to thinking about the child-abuse case in Georgia he’d just agreed to take on. The Mary Sue Fellows case— Will mused to himself— I don’t think I’ll be rushing to tell Fiona about that one.

9
    W ILL WAS WRAPPING UP his jail conference with Joe Fellows. He had been trying to reassure the young farmer, but he wasn’t sure he was succeeding.
    â€œJust so you understand—the fact that I will be representing Mary Sue, but not you, doesn’t mean I believe you are guilty of anything—or that I believe her but not you. It simply means that there is a potential conflict of interest if I represent both of you at the same time. And if I get conflicted out of the case, then I can’t represent either of you.”
    Joe nodded. “Yeah…I think I understand. Looks like I need a local lawyer of my own.”
    â€œHave anyone in mind?”
    â€œI think my mom knows a guy here in Delphi,” Joe said, mustering up a small measure of enthusiasm. “He’s a good guy. Stanley Kennelworth. We’ll get ahold of him. I’d best do that pretty quick so he can be with me at my bail hearing.”
    â€œGood. I’ll be in touch with him too. I want this to be a team effort. I plan on working closely with him to coordinate a joint defense strategy.”
    Will wished Joe well and told him that he would do his best to make sure Mary Sue was well-represented. Then he left the jail and headed to the county prosecutor’s office.
    Harry Putnam was out for a long lunch, so Will told the secretary that he would be back to visit him shortly. He decided to spend the lunch hour investigating the local venue. He strolled through the old Juda County Courthouse, a brown-brick structure from the turn of the century—four stories high—rising upover the main street of Delphi. The marble floors were worn and smooth, and the ceilings were high, with painted murals. The sounds of footsteps and voices echoed up and down the hallways.
    Outside the courthouse Will walked down Main Street. It was his custom to size up the demographics of every out-of-state community where he was going to try a case. What kind of agriculture supported the area? What were its industries? Did they vote Republican, Democrat, or Independent? Who were the founding families everybody knew?
    He noticed some posters along the street for a city-council election. Some announcements for the local high school play. The Honorary President of the state Rotary Clubs—a handsome, prosperous-looking fellow who appeared to be in his