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"Is that what happened to you?"

"During the et out of the jury rooot herded to a courtroom, and they found fourteen jurors they could live with before they even got to me"

"So they tossed you back in the pool"

"And I started paddling, keeping my head above water, and they diset on a jury at all But it’s not up to me It’s up to the lawyers"

"Now there’s a bad idea," she said "You want to ruin a systes up to the lawyers Look, Keller, I think what you want to do is be a little proactive on this one"

"What do youchosen There’s a word I want, but what the hell is it?"

"Iet impaneled When they ask you how you feel about the death penalty, you tell ’em you’re unequivocally opposed to it, that as far as you’re concerned it’s just a form of judicial murder The DA’ll kick you out so fast you’ll have boot marks on your behind"

"That’s brilliant," he said

"Actually it’s pretty obvious, Keller But it’ll work Two more days, huh?"

"That’s what they tellhe had exchanged nods and smiles with his lunch companion from the previous day, and when lunch hour rolled around they fell into step and into conversation Without either of theon Pearl and took the same table they’d shared the day before

"Unless in the lottery," Gloria said

That was her naer than Keller, with short dark hair and a lopsided sal secretary at a midto firm ("But they’re never in court," she’d confided "They do corporate real estate, they represent lenders at closings") She lived in Inith her husband, an accountant orked at the World Financial Center ("One of the Big Four fir Six, and now it’s down to four They keep uess, but it doesn’t oes to the office and deals hat’s on his desk") Keller didn’t knohat she was talking about He knew the Big Ten was a college football conference, but this had to be soured he didn’t need to know more

"Win the lottery," he said "It’s a et if you win"

"We ot to be as interesting as what I do at the office And it’s not like it costs me money to be here The company pays my salary"

"And the city pays me," Keller said

"Yeah, all of forty bucks a day At those prices you’d think people’d be fighting to get on a jury You’re pretty young to be retired"

"Downsizing," he said "My job disappeared and the severance package was good, and I had money put aside I pick up some freelance work now and then"

On the way back she asked hi the book "It’s okay," he said "I had to stop ht"

"She’s not really six years old, is she?"

"Midthirties"

"You s you for calling her a girl I hope I get on a case"

"Really?"

"Why not? I’ fun"

He called Dot Wednesday afternoon "They sent you houess that ot on a jury"

"You’re kidding," she said "Did you tell them how you felt about the death penalty?"

"It didn’t couess when some kid runs off with a woman’s purse, they don’t much care how you feel about the death penalty"