Daddy's Gone a Hunting

23

“It’s not for nothing you have red hair” was the oft-repeated comment of Jessica’s father, Steve, in her growing years. At twenty-one Steve Carlson had graduated from the police academy in New York and spent the next thirty years rising through the ranks until he retired as a captain. He had married his high school sweetheart, Annie, and when it became obvious that the large family they had planned was not to happen, he made his only offspring, Jessica, his companion at sports events.

As close as he and Annie were, his wife vastly preferred reading a book to sitting out in the hot or cold and watching any kind of game.

At age two Jessica had been on Steve’s shoulders at Yankee Stadium in the summer and Giants Stadium in the fall. She had been a star soccer goalie in school and was a fiercely competitive tennis player.

Her decision to go into law had thrilled her parents, although when she chose to become a criminal defense attorney, her father was less than pleased. “Ninety percent of the ones who are indicted are guilty as sin,” was his comment. Her answer: “What about the other ten percent and what about extenuating circumstances?”

Jessie had worked for two years as a public defender in criminal court in Manhattan, then accepted a job offer from a growing firm specializing in criminal defense practice.

On Friday morning Jessie went into the office of her boss, Margaret Kane, a former federal prosecutor, and told her that she had taken on the job of defending Kate Connelly against a potential criminal charge of arson. “It may not stop there,” she told Kane. “The way I see it, they may try to say Kate was an accessory to Gus Schmidt’s death.”

Margaret Kane listened to the details of the case. “Go ahead,” she said. “Send the family the usual contract and retainer fee.” Then she added dryly, “The presumption of innocence sounds like a stretch in this case, Jess. But see what you can do for your friend.”