Free Jury of One by David Ellis

election primary because all of the constitutional offices—governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and the others—were in play. The gubernatorial primary on the Democratic Party side had been particularly contentious. She was watching a tape of the acceptance speech of the incumbent Republican governor, Langdon Trotter, who had not been challenged in the G.O.P. primary. Still, he had decided to hold a victory rally to get the free airtime.
    “We will continue with our goals,” he told a raucous crowd. “We will not back down. We will not change our positions from the primary to the general election.”
    The governor was referring, she gathered, to one of the Democratic Party candidates, who previously had espoused pro-life views while in the state senate but, while running for governor, changed his stance to the more conventional Democratic Party position.
    “We are pro-life and we are proud of it!” he proclaimed. “We will not turn our backs on the innocent unborn!”
    She shook her head and looked back down at her notes. Shehad been reviewing deposition outlines prepared by the law students. CAP was part of a legal clinic, which meant that students did much of the litigation work. Shelly would often try the cases herself when they went to trial, but she usually had at least one student working with her. For the deaf-ed lawsuit, two of her third-year law students would take most of the depositions.
    The portable phone rang. She considered avoiding it but picked it up off her nightstand.
    “Shelly.” It was her brother Edgar on the phone. Edgar, clear-eyed and serious, whose hair never moved, even as a child, whose posture never strayed from erect, who worshipped and mimicked their father. “So you’re there.”
    “So I am,” she said. “Very busy time for me,” was the most she would apologize.
    “Yes, I’ve heard. You’re taking the cop killer, I see.”
    The news must have reached the papers. Shelly didn’t read the news on a daily basis anymore. Or maybe Edgar just had the information by virtue of his job.
    “He’s my client, yes.” Probably not for long, if it were up to Shelly, but she didn’t see the need to relieve her brother’s agitation. Seven years her senior and the opposite gender, Edgar had found little common ground with Shelly over the years. He doted on her as a child, truly loved her, she believed, but Shelly had found it difficult to return the affection. The love was there—it was there for all of her family—but there was no connection, no warmth. Edgar was no different from Mother, giving her little credit for original thought or substance. She would grow up like Mother, raise some kids.
Oh, a law degree? How cute! She’ll meet a nice lawyer.
    “Shel, really—a drug-dealing cop killer?”
    “I don’t think we should be discussing this. I believe it’s called a conflict of interest.”
    Edgar was the superintendent of the state police force. He had received the appointment three years earlier.
    “I’m still your brother.” He paused. “I just can’t believe—Why do you spend your time— Shelly, really, is this why you got a law degree? I thought you were helping schoolkids. What happened to that?”
    “I do help schoolkids. I helped Alex once. He needs my help again.”
    A sigh from the other end. “Okay, little sister. I don’t understand it, but okay.”
    “I have your permission?” Shelly tightened her grip on the phone.
    “Boy, you get a bug up your ass. I’m worried about you, Shel. Can’t a big brother look out for his little sister?”
    She closed her eyes.
    “This stuff will eat you alive. This is going to be a capital murder case. And he’s going to lose. You understand that, right?”
    “I understand the stakes and the odds, Edgar.”
    “Listen, little sister. Another thing. This is a cop killing.” He paused, as if Shelly were supposed to understand. “I control state police. I don’t control city cops.”
    “What does that