The muscles in his jaw tightened. Johnny Wayne didn’t like discussing facts.

”What about the four separate life insurance policies you took out on Laura over the past eighteen months? Three hundred and fifty grand, Johnny Wayne.”

”Lots of people overinsure their spouses.”

”Explain why Derek and Clive would say you hired them to kill Laura and promised to give them ten percent of the insurance money.”

”They’re trying to save themselves.”

”If you didn’t hire them, why’d they do it? They didn’t even know her.”

”Why? Why? Why are you asking me all these stupid questions? You’re supposed to be my lawyer.”

I should have brought up the audio tape, but I decided to cut him some slack. Clive and Derek, the thugs he hired, had both caved immediately during the interrogation. They confessed and told the police Johnny Wayne had hired them. The police outfitted them with tape recorders and sent them to see Johnny Wayne, who talked freely about the murder and the money. The first time I played the tape for him, his face turned an odd shade.

”Listen to me,” I said. ”Part of a lawyer’s job is to give his client good advice. And my advice is that the prosecution could bring in a trained monkey and convict you of this murder. The evidence is overwhelming, the murder was especially cruel, and your little boy witnessed it. My advice is that your chances of getting the death penalty are better than excellent.”

”I didn’t kill anyone,” he said.

”Maybe not, but she’d be alive if it weren’t for you. The jury will hold you accountable.”

”So I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life in prison for something I didn’t do.”

”You can either accept their offer and plead, or you can go to trial.”

”With a lawyer who thinks I’m guilty.”

”Don’t put this on me. I’m just giving you an honest opinion as to what I think the outcome will be.