Chapter 3 Summary

Brian Keyes is assigned from the public defenders office to represent Ernesto Cabal who is accused of the murder of Sparky Harper. Keyes looks more adolescent than he is, and he often has difficulty demanding the respect he feels he is entitled to. Ernesto is proud to have been in this country for sixteen years and to speak English.

He explains to Keyes that he was driving a car and was picked up on a routine traffic stop and then charged with the murder of Sparky. Keyes can tell by the way Ernesto acts that he is familiar with the jail. Ernesto says he bought the new Oldsmobile he was driving from a large black man who had thick arms and wore gold chains and Carrera glasses. He got it for two hundred dollars, and had an idea it was stolen, but he...