Chapter 10

           Thedateshavemostlyslippedoutofmyhead.IsupposeIcouldhavemygranddaughter,Danielle,looksomeofthemoutoftheoldnewspaperfiles,butwhatwouldbethepoint?Themostimportantofthem,likethedaywecamedowntoDelacroix’scellandfoundthemousesittingonhisshoulder,orthedayWilliamWhartoncameontheblockandalmostkilledDeanStanton,wouldnotbeinthepapers,anyway.Maybeit’sbettertogoonjustasIhavebeen;intheend,Iguessthedatesdon’tmattermuch,ifyoucanrememberthethingsyousawandkeepthemintherightorder.

           Iknowthatthingsgotsqueezedtogetheralittle.WhenDelacroix’sDOEpapersfinallycametomefromCurtisAnderson’soffice,IwasamazedtoseethatourCajunpal’sdatewithOldSparkyhadbeenadvancedfromwhenwehadexpected,athingthatwasalmostunheardof,eveninthosedayswhenyoudidn’thavetomovehalfofheavenandalltheearthtoexecuteaman.Itwasamatteroftwodays,Ithink,fromthetwenty-seventhofOctobertothetwenty-fifth.Don’tholdmetoitexactly,butIknowthat’sclose;IrememberthinkingthatTootwasgoingtogethisCoronaboxbackevensoonerthanhehadexpected.

           Wharton,meanwhile,gottouslaterthanexpected.Foronething,histrialranlongerthanAnderson’susuallyreliablesourceshadthoughtitwould(whenitcametoWildBilly,nothingwasreliable,wewouldsoondiscover,includingourtime-testedandsupposedlyfoolproofmethodsofprisonercontrol).