Pearson Education Limited
Edinburgh Gate, Harlow,
Essex CM20 2JE, England
and Associated Companies throughout the world.
ISBN 0582 41777 5
First published in the United Kingdom by Century Ltd 1993 IV
This adaptation first published by Penguin Books 1996
•d by Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books Ltd. 1998 Chapter 1 A Terrible Secret 1
New edition first published 1999
Third impression 2000
Chapter 2 In Trouble with the Cops 6
Text copyright © Janet McAlpin 1996 Chapter 3 9
lustrations copyright © David Cuzik (Pennant Illustration Agency) 1996
All rights reserved Chapter 4 Lawyers and FBI Men 11
The moral right of the adapter and of chc illustrator has been asserted
Chapter 5 In the Hospital 15
Typeset by RefmeCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
Set in 11 /14pt Monotype Bernbo Chapter 6 18
Printed in Spain by Mateu Cromo, S.A. Pinto (Madrid)
Chapter 7 Lawyer and Client 21
All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meant, Chapter 8 The Interview 24
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of she Publishers. Chapter 9 The Reporter 30
Published by Pearson Education Lirr : ij: ,:.-.•():.-!.:i-,or!
fuin Books Ltd.,both companies beii an Pic
Chapter 10 The Mafia Arrive 33
Chapter 11 Momma Love 37
Chapter 12 Things Get 40
Chapter 13 Back to Prison 43
Chapter 14 No Other Way 48
Chapter 15 Escape! 50
Chapter 16 Orleans 53
For a complete list of the tides available in the Penguin Readers scries please write to your local
Pearson Education office or to: Marketing Department, Penguin Longman Pub Chapter 17 55
5 Bentinck Street, London"
57
Pearson Education limited Contents
Edinburgh Gate, Harlow,
Essex CM20 2JE, England
and Associated Companies throughout the world.
ISBN 0 582 41777 5
page
First published in the United Kingdom by Century Ltd 1993 Introduction iv
This adaptation first published by Penguin Books 1996
Published by Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books Ltd. 1998 Chapter 1 A Terrible Secret 1
New edition first published t999
Third impression 2000
Chapter 2 In Trouble with the Cops 6
Text copyright ©Janet McAlpin 1996 Chapter 3 Evidence 9
Illustrations copyright © David Cuzik (Pennant Illustration Agency) 1996
All rights reserved
Chapter 4 Lawyers and FBI Men 11
The moral right of the adapter and of the illustrator has been asserted
Chapter 5 In the Hospital 15
Typeset by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
Set in ll/14pt Monotype Bembo Chapter 6 Reggie Love 18
Printed in Spain by Maceu Cromo, S.A. Pinto (Madrid)
Chapter 7 Lawyer and Client 21
All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, Chapter 8 The Interview 24
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of the Publishers. Chapter 9 The Reporter 30
Published by Pearson Education Limited in association with
Penguin Books Ltd., both companies being subsidiaries of Pearson Pic
Chapter 10 The Mafia Arrive 33
Chapter 11 Momma Love 37
Chapter 12 Things Get Worse 40
Chapter 13 Back to Prison 43
Chapter 14 No Other Way 48
Chapter 15 Escape! 50
Chapter 16 New Orleans 53
For a complete list of the rides available in the Penguin Readers series please write to your local
Pearson Education office or to: Marketing Department, Penguin Longman Publishing, Chapter 17 Waiting 55
5 Bentinck Street, London W1M 5RN.
Activities 57
Introduction
Chapter 1 A Terrible Secret
Mark pulled a dollar from his pocket and handed it to her. 'This is all I've
got.' School was finished and Mark had four cigarettes in his pocket.
She put the dollar on the desk and said, 'Okay, now I'm the laivyer and Other boys drank beer, and some tried drugs, but Mark just liked
you 're the client. Let's hear the story.' cigarettes. Now his little brother Ricky wanted his first smoke, and
Mark felt terrible.
Mark Sway is eleven, and he knows where a body is hidden. With The boys walked down a narrow path into the trees behind their
that body the FBI can prove a Mafia murder. home. Home was a trailer in a trailer park in Memphis, Tennessee.
Mark wants to be honest, but he also wants to be safe. He is afraid Mom wasn't back from work yet. Dad -wasn't there either. Mom left
to tell his dangerous secret because he knows that the Mafia will him five years ago because he was always drunk and often violent.
never forget. His younger brother is sick and his mother cannot Now Mark seemed like Ricky's father. An eleven-year-old father.
leave the hospital. Who can he trust? He taught Ricky to play football, to ride a bike, and everything he
' With time moving fast, Mark finds an unusual lawyer. She alone knew about sex, but he didn't want to teach him to smoke.
must protect the child and his family from the law and the killers. 'Sit there,' said Mark, when they reached his secret hiding place.
But she has help: Mark is a clever client. 'And let's hear the rules again.'
Ricky knew them both. 'If I tell anyone, you'll hit me.'
John Grisham was born in 1955 in Arkansas, in the USA. He 'That's right.'
studied law, and had his own law company for nine years. He also 'And I can smoke only one a day.'
worked in local government in Mississippi. 'That's right. If I catch you smoking more, or if you start
In 1984 he started his first book, A Time to Kill. He went to the drinking beer . . .'
office at 5 a.m. every day ta write it. It took three years, but it didn't 'You'll hit me harder.'
sell very well. Two years later, his next book, The Firm, was a best- 'Right,' said Mark. 'Now watch me. It's really easy.'
seller, and became a film with Tom Cruise. John Grisham was able Ricky was soon busy blowing smoke like a man. Mark sat next to
to give up law and write The Pelican Brief. This became another him and lit another cigarette. 'I was nine when I started,' he said.
bestseller, and another film, with Julia Roberts. 'You're only eight. You're too young.'
John Grisham now lives on a large farm in Mississippi with his Ricky didn't answer. He -was listening to something. Then Mark
wife and two children. He is one of the world's bestselling crime heard it too, and they stopped smoking. 'Just sit still,' Mark said softly.
writers. The Client is his fourth book and it has also been made into Through the trees they could see an old road, which nobody
a film. used any more. A long, black car appeared on the road and came
You can also read The Firm and The Pelican Brief in Penguin slowly across the rough ground. It made a circle, then stopped. Soon
Readers. the engine stopped too.
IV 1
"7 v H- *>'•" r^ W:\&&&3>. WfT^^^'^^if'^'ir^^fUftM Hidden in the long grass behind the car, the boys watched the
^ £^ ^^Sr^li^r^" '^iBHKKr'^v 'What's he doing?' Ricky whispered. The man had a rubber
^0^'rw^^^SL-' *^*^ais^:--^--C-_^-- -s ^ffe-C^f Ǥ* tube. He put one end into the tail pipe of the car, and the other end
ni^^^tt^O^^fe^^ "'r |JL "^'/Mi^^^^ flgB^^X through a window. He got into the car, closed the window as tight
K^^^^BjB^ I ^amj^^^^^^^^^K& 'He'S trying t0 ^ himself'' said Mark' 'l saw a man do if like this
^^l^BBBE'C^^^>*^ \iiii^^^Mlliffiilliiflfl\w! Mark crawled to the car, pulled away the tube and crawled back.
I^SMl^S^^Ww' "2- H Vw^V^^Sh^* iilMlyiiiF^lrM Suddenly the man got out of the car again. He had a bottle of
h
j^^m JVTL" » ^V~-s ^^^^^^fe^llRk^Sjl whisky and a gun, and he was crying. 'Let's get out of here,' said
man
|flKffiM''^~^*Sf* 1' y / f '•'^^IffjiB^^^'^ saw Mark. He fell out of the car and grabbed him. 'You
Yff/flfmrm/ ^B\/jlif I A^gfeT^ litde . . .,' he shouted, as he hit Mark. 'Get into the car.' Ricky, in
••Uj OPml^'^^ •S^S^fi^^^^ *^^^^ ^& The man pushed Mark into the car and hit him again. Then he
^^^^^ ^^^^^ --^^^^B^SB Romey laughed. 'Here,' he said. 'Take the whisky, son. Let's die
^^^yj^^^S^B^ , adBBiiMBBBBBBBBU Mark took the bottle and pretended to drink. He srnelled gas. He
looked at the gun on the seat.
He 5 trying to kill himself, said Mark,
We 11 be dead in rive minutes, said the man.
