The Rainmaker

Rudy is still upset about the episode in the hospital. He feels like he was a part of something dirty. He used to be a bright-eyed law student with hopes and dreams of working in a high-powered office, putting in long hours and doing honorable work. Now he is becoming more and more disenchanted with the whole idea of being a lawyer. Rudy remembers looking down on a friend of his in college, Craig Balter, who wanted to be a teacher. Back then he couldn’t understand why his friend would choose such a poorly paid profession. Now Rudy thinks maybe Craig had the right idea.

Bruiser congratulates Rudy on a job well done concerning Van Landel. He also informs Rudy that the cops will come by the office and take Rudy’s statement concerning the fire. Bruiser will be there to oversee things.

The same two officers as before show up and go through a list of prepared and standard questions. The officers attempt, at times, to re-ask questions to try and get Rudy to admit to something, but Bruiser gets irritated and makes them move on. After the questioning, Bruiser sends Rudy back to St. Peter’s to watch for patients coming in with injuries.

Rudy doesn’t want to chase down injured people, so instead, he sits in the cafeteria, in a quiet corner, and studies for the bar exam. A beautiful young woman is wheeled into the cafeteria area by an older man. She is bruised and her legs are in casts. She is crying. Rudy can’t take his eyes off of her. Rudy is hesitant about talking to her, but he goes over, introduces himself, and asks her if she needs anything or if he can help in any way. She tells him no, but thanks.

The next night, Rudy begins a conversation with her. He finds out her name is Kelly Riker. She had a “domestic accident” (204), but doesn’t want to go into details. The two exchange small talk for a while. Kelly is 19, married, had a miscarriage, and never went to college. Her husband works a menial job, drinks heavily, plays softball, and still dreams of making it into the Major Leagues. Before parting ways for the evening, Rudy and Kelly agree to meet up again the next night.

Deck gives Rudy more information about Kelly and Cliff Riker. Kelly is in the hospital because her husband beat her with a baseball bat. It wasn’t the first time Kelly has been treated in a hospital because of her husband. Rudy is furious.

Rudy meets with Booker at the Marvin Shankle firm, where the two of them will study together for the bar exam and get some help from some of the lawyers in the firm. Marvin Shankle himself gives them a lecture on civil rights and employment discrimination. After Marvin, Tyrone Kipler, a partner in the firm, lectures Rudy and Booker on the Constitution, Kipler’s area of expertise. Booker and Rudy study most of the day.

At 8 o’clock, Rudy is back at St. Peter’s. Kelly is there and so is her husband. They have a conversation in hushed tones. Cliff gets angry, knocks over a can of Coke that splashes onto Kelly, and he storms off. Rudy goes over to talk to Kelly. She asks Rudy if he would be so kind as to wheel her to her room. Rudy takes her to her room and helps her onto her bed. He is wonderfully amazed at how small and petite she is. A nurse comes in to announce that visiting hours are almost over and that Kelly needs to change and have a sponge bath. The nurse says that she can do it or Kelly can have Rudy help her. Rudy and Kelly share a nervous laugh.

Rudy falls asleep thinking of Kelly. “It has fallen upon me to protect her, there’s no one else. She expects me to rescue her, then to put her back together” (222).

Rudy is in his office, berating himself for falling for a married woman just days before he is scheduled to take the bar exam. Bruiser barges in. He tells Rudy to go hustle at the hospital, and also informs him that Leo F. Drummond of Tinley Britt is in charge of representing Great Benefit. Bruiser also tells Rudy that Leo and Judge Hale, the judge who will hear the case, are old Yale buddies. Bruiser is worried.

Rudy is at the hospital, studying and hoping to see Kelly. She is not there, but she left Rudy a letter. In it, she thanks him and tells him that she has been released and is back home. She asks him to say a prayer for her. She also asks Rudy not to call or write to her; it would only cause her trouble. Nevertheless, Rudy is determined to see her again.

It’s Wednesday morning, the first day of testing. Booker and Rudy sit separate from one another. The test ends Friday at 5 o’clock. Everyone is too exhausted to celebrate. Rudy goes home and sleeps for 12 hours. The next morning, he visits the Blacks.

Donny Ray is on the porch. He’s having one of his good days. Rudy drives Donny Ray over to Miss Birdie. Rudy wants to give him a chance to get out of the house since he’s feeling better. Rudy has wondered about asking Miss Birdie for money to help out Donny Ray, but he has the suspicion that she doesn’t actually have as much as she says, and he doesn’t want to embarrass her if that is the case. The three of them sit on the patio and talk. At one point, Donny Ray takes a nap in the hammock. Miss Birdie presents Rudy with an envelope from Atlanta. She’s upset that Rudy is trying to find out about her money, but Rudy tells her he is only doing his duty as her lawyer.

After taking Donny Ray home and listening to Dot for a while, Rudy tries to think of a harmless way he can contact Kelly.