Chapter 26 Summary

The boat carrying the jurors returns to shore, with Fitch's men watching for no particular reason. Meanwhile, Fitch calls off his men uncovering Marlee's past. While on the one hand, it is imperative that he stay on her side, it is also important that he know who she is.

Angel Weese's boyfriend, whose child she is secretly carrying, is Derrick Maple, a 24-year-old divorcé who is unemployed and dodging his ex-wife's lawyers. Over a beer in the tavern, Derrick meets Cleve, a runner for Wendall Rohr, who is carrying out a range of duties from delivering papers to investigating juries. They talk about Angel, and Cleve checks if anyone has approached him about the trial. No one has, so Cleve offers Derrick five thousand dollars in return for Angel's 'influence' on the verdict. As the conversation progresses, Derrick realizes the amount of...