The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer Page B

from a criminal-defense lawyer? She dialed a number and, after talking to Pastor Brock, told Mace to take a seat. She even asked if he wanted coffee.

    When the reverend arrived, he greeted Mace with a smile and a firm handshake. Mace had always been struck with how alike the Brock kids looked. They both had bright, expressive eyes and dimples when they smiled. Jamie had a firmer set to the jaw and high cheekbones, a hard-edged beauty that attracted lots of attention. Chris looked more wholesome and good-natured, a few added pounds bringing a softness to his face that Jamie’s features lacked.
    â€œThey’re painting my office, so maybe we could talk for a few minutes in the sanctuary,” Chris suggested. “Did Diane offer you anything to drink?”
    â€œYes, thanks.”
    Mace followed Chris into the sanctuary, and the silence increased his nervousness. In his letter to Antoine, Chris had said he’d forgiven the condemned man. He’d even expressed gratefulness that Antoine had come to Christ. Yet Chris had still planned to be there to watch the scheduled execution. Now, with the new evidence of Antoine’s innocence before the Georgia Supreme Court, Mace was hopeful that Chris might be having second thoughts about the next execution date.
    The two men sat on a padded front pew, a few feet apart, looking at the altar in front of them.
    â€œI appreciate your seeing me, Pastor. And on behalf of my client, I can’t tell you how much your forgiveness means to him.”
    â€œI wouldn’t be much of a pastor if I preached about it but didn’t extend it myself. I’ve seen how bitterness and revenge can shrink a man’s soul,” Chris said. He spoke softly and seemed entirely at ease in this situation. Mace wondered if he might be talking about Jamie—or maybe their father.
    â€œHow does a Christian’s duty to forgive square with the death penalty?” Mace asked. He knew the question was blunt, but he thought it would be a greater insult to beat around the bush when it was obvious why he had come.
    Chris thought about it for a minute. He had undoubtedly wrestled with the question before, but he probably wanted to choose his words carefully. He might have been worried that Mace would try to use his answer against him. “Individuals should forgive. But the government’s role is to restrain evil, and sometimes that requires using the death penalty. I’m not against capital punishment in general. It’s just that if there’s any doubt about guilt, it should be off the table.”
    â€œDo you believe in second chances?”
    This brought another pause from Chris, his eyes fixed on the altar. “I don’t believe that anybody is beyond redemption, if that’s what you mean. But our actions have consequences. So in that respect, no, I don’t believe that a guy like Antoine Marshall should be released so he can have another chance to kill.”
    â€œWhat about King David? What about Moses?”
    This time Chris responded with an irritated grunt. “What do you want from me?”
    Mace turned to look at the pastor. “I’ve spent the last several years in prison ministry. You probably know this, but I’ve also spent some time in prison myself, prior to law school. I’m one of maybe three or four lawyers in the entire state with a felony conviction. If anybody knows how to sniff out a fake jailhouse conversion, it’s me.
    â€œI just want you to know that Antoine Marshall really is a changed man. Whoever he was before . . . that’s not who he is now. As you know, the Scriptures say that the old man is gone and that everything becomes new.
    â€œWhat I’m asking is for you to meet with him, Pastor. Judge for yourself. If you still want to support his execution after doing that, I’ll never bother you again. But you can’t judge a man from his letters or know his heart unless you look into