The Client

by John Grisham

Te a c h e r ’ s
Material
 C O N T E N T S

To the Teacher ...................................................................................................................... 3

Before Reading ..................................................................................................................... 5

After Reading: Extra Challenges ......................................................................................... 6

After Reading: Group Work ................................................................................................. 7

Possible Answers to Group Work ....................................................................................... 8

Worksheet 1: Chapters 1-10 ................................................................................................. 9

Answers to Worksheet 1 .................................................................................................... 10

Worksheet 2: Chapters 11-21 .............................................................................................. 11

Answers to Worksheet 2 ................................................................................................... 12

Final Test ............................................................................................................................. 13

Answers to Final Test ......................................................................................................... 14

Answers to Questions in the Reader ................................................................................. 15

Before using the following teacher’s material, we recommend that

you read the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet.

Copyright © 2004 Burlington Books

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 The Client

TO THE TEACHER

LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS

Mark Sway: an 11-year-old boy.
Ricky Sway: Mark’s 8-year-old brother.
Dianne Sway: Mark and Ricky’s divorced mother.
Reggie Love: Mark’s lawyer.
Barry Muldanno: a member of the Mafia.
Jerome (Romey) Clifford: Muldanno’s lawyer.
Paul Gronke: a criminal and Muldanno’s friend.
Roy Foltrigg: US District Attorney.
Thomas Fink: US Assistant District Attorney.
Larry Trumann: FBI Special Agent.
Dr Greenway: Ricky’s psychiatrist.
Sergeant Hardy: a Memphis policeman.
Harry Roosevelt: a Juvenile Court judge.

P L O T S U M M A RY
One day in Memphis, Mark and Ricky Sway see Jerome Clifford trying to kill himself by bringing fumes
from his car’s exhaust into his car with a hose. Mark tries to remove the hose. While Ricky watches,
terrified, Clifford catches Mark, forces him into the car and threatens him with a gun. He then reveals that
his client, Barry Muldanno, killed a politician called Senator Boyette and buried the body, which has never
been found, in Clifford’s garage in New Orleans. Ricky manages to remove the hose and Mark finally
escapes. Shortly afterwards, the boys see Clifford shoot himself. The boys then run home, where Ricky
goes into total shock. Mark reports the location of the body to the police, then returns to the spot to watch
them. Sergeant Hardy finds him and drives him home. Mark tells Hardy and Dianne that he and Ricky
simply found Clifford’s body, but Hardy suspects Mark is lying. Dianne takes Ricky to hospital to be
examined by a psychiatrist.
Foltrigg, Fink and Trumann fly from New Orleans to Memphis to investigate Clifford’s suicide, hoping that
he had told someone where Boyette’s body was buried. Foltrigg has already charged Muldanno with the
murder but will find it difficult to convict him without the body.
Ricky has post-traumatic stress disorder and must be hospitalised. Mark tells Dr Greenway and Dianne that
he and Ricky witnessed Clifford’s suicide. Hardy tells Trumann about Mark. That night, Mark finds Reggie
Love’s business card. When Mark learns that the FBI want to question him, he goes to her office. Reggie
accepts him as a client and Mark tells her everything except the location of Boyette’s body. He also says
he’s scared the Mafia will kill him if he gives information to the FBI. Reggie has Mark meet Trumann
alone and secretly record their conversation. When Trumann tries to frighten Mark into talking about
Clifford, Reggie confronts him about questioning the child alone, which is illegal. Later, Foltrigg suggests
that the Sways be protected by the Federal Witness Protection Programme. Mark now tells Dianne and Dr
Greenway everything that happened with Clifford, except what he said about Muldanno.
Muldanno hears about Mark and sends Gronke to Memphis. Gronke threatens to kill Mark if he reveals
Clifford’s information. Terrified, Mark tells Reggie, who arranges for protection for the family. The next
day, Gronke burns down the Sways’ home. Foltrigg, Fink and Trumann convince Judge Roosevelt to put
Mark into a detention centre to protect him from Gronke. Gronke hears Mark tell a reporter that he’s being
sent to the Juvenile Detention Centre and must appear in court. Gronke calls Muldanno, who orders him
back to New Orleans. Meanwhile Judge Roosevelt learns that the Sways could enter the Protection
Programme. He organises things so that Mark can stay in the detention centre until arrangements for the
Programme are made. The judge then keeps Mark in detention for refusing to answer his questions and
schedules another hearing for the following day. Mark plans to escape and look for Boyette’s body.
In New Orleans, FBI agents tell Trumann that Muldanno plans to ensure Mark’s silence by sending a man
called Pirini to kill Reggie. Trumann promises Reggie FBI protection. One night in the detention centre,
Mark pretends to be sick. When an ambulance takes him to the hospital’s emergency room, he escapes and
calls Reggie, and persuades her to take him to New Orleans to see if Boyette’s body is indeed in Clifford’s
garage. If it is there, Mark doesn’t want the FBI to be informed until he and his family are on their way to
safety. If it isn’t there, the Mafia won’t care what he tells the FBI.

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 The Client

Trumann learns that Mark and Reggie have disappeared. Pirini hears about Mark, calls Muldanno, and then
returns to New Orleans. Reggie calls her secretary, Clint, to tell him where she and Mark are, and Clint calls
Dianne with the information. Having tapped her phone, the FBI hear the conversation and Foltrigg, Fink and
Trumann return to New Orleans. Acting on Muldanno’s instructions, Gronke and Pirini begin moving the
senator’s body. Reggie and Mark arrive and Mark manages to scare them away, after which Reggie and Mark
find Boyette’s body. Reggie promises to tell Trumann where the body is after the Sways are on their way by
private jet to Phoenix, Arizona. When the jet arrives in New Orleans with Dianne and Ricky, Reggie and
Mark say a tearful goodbye. Once the plane leaves for Phoenix, Reggie gives Trumann Clifford’s address.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Grisham was born in 1955 in Arkansas, in the southern United States, and moved with his family to
Southaven, Mississippi when he was 12 years old. He received a BA degree in accounting and then went on
to study law at the University of Mississippi.
After obtaining his law degree in 1981, he opened his own practice in Southaven and also pursued a political
career. He won a seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1983, where he served as a legislator
until 1990. During this time, he continued to practise law and also started to write novels, mostly legal
thrillers. Grisham’s success came with his second novel, The Firm, which became the best-selling novel in
the US in 1991. Since then, all of Grisham’s books have been bestsellers, including The Pelican Brief (1992),
The Client (1993), The Summons (2002) and The Last Juror (2004). Several of Grisham’s books have been
made into films, including The Client (1994).
An avid baseball player when he was young, Grisham volunteers for the youth baseball organisation, Little
League. He and his wife have two children and homes in Mississippi and Virginia.

BACKGROUND
• United States District Attorneys are appointed for four-year terms by the President of the United
States. There is an attorney for each federal judicial district and they represent the US government in
lawsuits and in prosecuting federal crimes.
• The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) was established in 1908, and is part of the US
Department of Justice. Its headquarters are in Washington, D.C., and it has offices throughout the US.
The FBI is responsible for investigating over 250 kinds of federal crimes, including those connected
with organised crime, bank robberies, kidnappings, bombings and civil rights violations. It also gathers
intelligence on domestic extremist groups, and aids in criminal investigations by law enforcement
agencies in the US and abroad. FBI investigators are called special agents.
• The Federal Witness Protection Programme was established in 1970 to shield government witnesses
(many of them criminals) whose lives could be in danger because of their testimony against members
of organised crime, drug traffickers, or other dangerous criminals. Under the programme, witnesses
and their families are relocated to a new city and state and given new identities. In addition, protection
(especially for those testifying in court), financial assistance, housing and employment are also often
provided. Since its inception, over 7,000 witnesses and nearly 10,000 accompanying family members
have enrolled in the programme.
• The original Mafia was a network of crime groups, or ‘families’ (often truly related by blood) in
Sicily, Italy, which wielded a great deal of power in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the late 1800s,
some members emigrated to the US, where they established similar organisations, especially in
New York, New Orleans and Chicago. The Mafia still exists and is involved in a large variety of
criminal activities, many of which are conducted under the cover of legitimate businesses.
• Obstruction of justice includes withholding evidence or information pertaining to a crime and is
illegal. The exception to this is the right to refuse to provide self-incriminating information.
• Contempt of court covers a range of behaviour in a court of law, e.g. refusing to follow the judge’s
instructions or answer his questions. A judge can sentence someone to jail for the offence.
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 The Client

BEFORE READING

SUGGESTIONS FOR LEAD-IN ACTIVITIES

In pairs, students ask and answer the following questions. Alternatively, you can ask the questions and elicit
the answers from the whole class. (Some suggested answers are provided in italics.)
1. Do you think it is right to try to stop someone from committing suicide? Why? / Why not? (Yes: the
person often doesn’t really want to die, it’s a cry for help. No: maybe the person has a good reason for
wanting to die.)
2. What do you know about the Mafia? (It began as an organised crime group in Sicily, Italy, and still
exists mainly in Italy and the USA.) What films have you seen about the Mafia? Describe the film to
the class. (The Godfather; The Untouchables; Road to Perdition; The Firm; A Bronx Tale; Casino)
3. If someone has information about a crime, do you think they have a responsibility to report it to the
authorities? Why? / Why not? (Yes: it can be illegal to withhold such information; it’s the right thing
to do. No: if the criminals learn who the informer is, they might take revenge.)
4. Do you know what the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) does? (It investigates
organised crime groups and federal crimes, including bank robberies and kidnappings. It helps the
local police.)

K E Y V O C A B U L A RY
1. Pre-teach the words in bold on the theme of the law. Write the words on the board, and then the
following text (omitting the words in bold). Ask the students to copy the text and fill in the correct
words.
The murder trial of Brian Smith began today. Smith has been in jail since he was arrested and
charged with the crime a month ago. At the time, Smith’s lawyer had asked that his client be freed
on bail until the trial, but the judge had refused. As District Attorney Martha Jones entered the court
today, she told reporters, “This will be an easy case. There is plenty of evidence that Smith is guilty
of the crime, and there’s also a witness. I believe that Mr Smith will be convicted of murder.”
2. Ask the students to work with a partner, choose six of the above words and write a sentence with each
one. The students then read their sentences to the class, who should feel free to comment on correct
use of vocabulary, structure, etc.

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES

The Before Reading activities in the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 8-11,
can be applied to The Client.
In addition to the activities in the general leaflet, students can do the following activities.
1. Read the first two paragraphs on page 7. What do you learn about Mark and Ricky Sway? (Mark is
11; Ricky is 8; they live in a trailer park in Memphis, Tennessee; Mark takes care of Ricky, protects
him and has taught him many things; their parents are divorced; their father was often drunk and beat
Mark and their mother)
2. Read the subtitles that some of the chapters have. What do they tell you about the story? (it takes
place in two different cities, Memphis and New Orleans; the story takes place in less than a week)
3. Look at the picture on page 9 and read the caption. What do you think might happen next and what
might be the result of this? (The man might get into the car and close the doors and windows. The
fumes could kill him.)
4. Look at the pictures on pages 12 and 15. Who do you think might be in the ambulance in the picture
on page 15? (the man from the car) Why do you think the cop has his hand on Mark’s shoulder? (to
stop him from running away; he wants to talk to him)

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 The Client

AFTER READING: EXTRA CHALLENGES

MAKE YOUR STUDENTS THINK

Here are some points that more advanced students can be asked to consider after reading the book.

1. Do you agree with how Mark acted after Romey’s suicide? Write a brief paragraph giving the reasons
for your opinion.
2. In what way(s) did Foltrigg’s character influence his approach to the investigation into Clifford’s
suicide?
3. Apart from seeing Romey shoot himself, what else do you think contributed to Ricky’s post-traumatic
stress disorder?
4. Explain what Dianne was referring to when she told Mark, “We’ve been through worse things
together.” (page 24)
5. List at least three reasons why the second article about Mark in the Memphis Press “shocked …
angered and frightened him”. (page 37)
6. Do you think Judge Roosevelt made the correct decision when he decided to put Mark into protective
custody? Why / Why not? Explain your reasons in a brief paragraph.
7. Why do you think Mark confided more in Reggie than in his mother?

DRAMA ACTIVITIES AND PROJECT SUGGESTIONS

1. Work with a partner. One of you is a television reporter, the other is Sergeant Hardy. Write the
interview you have about Jerome Clifford’s suicide. Then act it out in front of the class.
2. Design and make a business card for Reggie Love or Dr Greenway. Be sure to include their
professions and areas of specialisation.
3. Work with a partner. One of you is Mark, the other is a counsellor on a radio phone-in advice
programme. Choose a scene from the story where Mark must make a decision (for example, to phone
911 to report Romey’s body). Write a dialogue in which Mark discusses the problem with the
counsellor. Then act it out in front of the class.
4. Imagine that you are Dianne, after she loses her job and her home. Write an e-mail to a friend,
describing recent events.
5. Work with a partner or small group. Choose a scene to act out for a video clip to advertise a new film
version of The Client. Write a brief script. Act out the advert in front of the class.
6. Imagine that you are Mark in the detention centre. Write a diary entry about the place and how you
feel there. You can include your thoughts about deciding to escape and look for Boyette’s body.
7. Imagine that you are Larry Trumann. Your boss has called you into his office to find out how you got
the information about the location of Senator Boyette’s body. Write the conversation in which your
boss questions you and you give him the information he wants, then act out the conversation.
8. Work with a partner. One of you is Mark, the other is either Ricky or Dianne. Imagine your family’s
new life in Phoenix. Write the dialogue in which you discuss your new life, its good points and its
problems, etc. Then act out the dialogue in front of the class.
9. Watch the film of The Client (available on video or DVD) and write a brief report comparing it to the
book. Present your report orally.
10. Use an encyclopedia or other reference material, or search on the Internet for information about one of
the following topics: a. the US Federal Witness Protection Programme (the American spelling is
‘program’); b. the towns of Memphis, Tennessee and New Orleans, Louisiana. Present your report
orally or in writing. If you want, you may do this with a partner, and present the information in the
form of an interview conducted in front of the class.
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 The Client

AFTER READING: GROUP WORK

TO THE TEACHER:
1. Hand out some of the following statements to the groups.
2. The groups discuss the statements and find examples from the story to support each statement.
3. The group spokesperson presents the group’s ideas to the whole class.

TO THE STUDENTS:
Discuss the following statements and find observations and details from the story to support them.

Statement Examples to support the statement

1. Mark was a mature, responsible boy.

2. Mark wasn’t always honest.

3. Trumann and other FBI agents made some

mistakes.

4. The local news media were interested in Mark.

5. Reggie acted as more than just Mark’s lawyer.

6. Judge Roosevelt acted to protect Mark.

7. Dianne wasn’t always available to help and

advise Mark.
8. Dianne and Mark had doubts about the
Federal Witness Protection Programme.
9. Foltrigg and Trumann tried different ways to get
information from Mark.

10. Ricky showed signs of recovery during the week.

See the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 13-15, for more After Reading
activities.

7

POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1. p.7: Mark taught Ricky how to do many things;
he protected him from aggressive kids at school
and from their father, who was usually drunk.
p.8-10: Mark tried to stop Clifford from killing
himself.
p.14: Mark called the police and told them
about Clifford’s body.
p.23-24, 36-37: To help Ricky, Mark told most of
the truth to his mother and Dr Greenway.
p.24: Mark told his mother that he was
responsible for everything.
p.39: Mark didn’t want his mother to know what
had happened in the elevator.
p.52: Mark told Judge Roosevelt he couldn’t
answer his questions because he was afraid
someone would hurt him and his family.
2. p.7: Mark didn’t tell his mother that he smoked.
p.11: Mark said he felt the gasoline fumes.
p.16-17: Mark lied to Hardy and his mother
about how he and Ricky found Clifford’s body
and about what happened to his face.
p.18 and 21-22: Mark lied to Hardy about why
he called Clifford ‘Romey’ and the fight at school.
p.23-24, 36-37: Mark didn’t tell his mother and
Dr Greenway the entire truth.
p.27-28: Mark promised Dianne he would stay
in the hospital, but he went to see Reggie.
p.58: Mark pretended to be sick.
p.60: Mark didn’t tell his mother about his
escape from the detention centre.
3. p.32-33: Trumann broke the law by illegally
questioning Mark alone.
p.39-40: FBI agents lost track of Gronke.
p.60 and 63: FBI agents didn’t see Reggie leave
her house. By the time they went after her,
Reggie’s car had disappeared.
p.63: The FBI agents made a mistake and didn’t
follow Reggie quickly enough.
4. p.37: There were school photos of Mark and
Ricky in the newspaper and an article about the
FBI’s interest in Mark.
p.42: Reporters and photographers surrounded
Mark and Reggie at the hospital.
p.47: The crime reporter had been getting
information about Mark from a nurse, and asked
Sergeant Klickman where he was taking Mark.
p.52-53: A reporter paid the court bailiff for
information about what happened in court.
p.53: Doreen read about Mark in the newspaper.
p.63: Clint watched the local TV news, which
was reporting Mark’s disappearance.
8
Group Work
5. p.42: Reggie held Mark’s hand in the hospital
and held it tighter when the reporters
appeared.
p.46: She consoled Mark and Dianne about the
fire, and helped them with insurance papers.
p.59-61: Reggie agreed to get Mark after his
escape and drive him to New Orleans.
p.64-66: Reggie co-operated with Mark in his
plan to look for Senator Boyette’s body.
p.70: Reggie was sad to say goodbye to Mark.
She said she loved him and would miss him.
6. p.45-46: He agreed to put Mark into protective
custody to keep him safe from Gronke.
p.49: The judge explained to Reggie why he
had put Mark into custody.
p.50-51: The judge told Reggie about the
Protection Programme. The judge also told
Reggie to advise Mark to act in contempt of
court. He wanted to keep Mark in the detention
centre for his own protection.
p.56: The judge decided to keep Mark in the
detention centre all weekend.
7. p.21: Dianne had to stay with Ricky while Dr
Greenway examined him and had to leave
Mark alone with Hardy.
p.24: Dianne fell asleep while Mark was
awake, thinking and worrying.
p.30-31: Dr Greenway said Dianne couldn’t
leave Ricky and see the FBI agent with Mark.
p.48: Dianne didn’t go to court with Mark.
8. p.53: Dianne wasn’t sure about the Programme
because they would have to lie about their past
and somebody from the Mafia might recognise
Mark and hurt him.
p.56: Mark told Reggie that he had seen a
movie about a person in the Programme who
was killed by the Mafia.
p.57: Dianne didn’t know the safest thing to do.
9. p.32: Trumann interrogated Mark.
p.35: Foltrigg told Reggie that he needed any
information Mark had.
p.45: Trumann suggested putting Mark into
protective custody, and Foltrigg thought that
would frighten him enough to make him talk.
10. p.30: Ricky recognised Dianne.
p.40: Ricky woke up, ate ice-cream and talked
to Dr Greenway about school.
p.43: Ricky woke up and began to answer Dr
Greenway’s questions.
p.70: Ricky was awake most of the previous
day.
 The Client

WORKSHEET 1: CHAPTERS 1-10

A. Complete each sentence with a word from the box.

reported trial warned safety bald unlocked pack guilty lawyer murder

1. Mark protected Ricky from older kids and ................................ him against drugs.
2. Mark and Ricky saw a fat, ................................ man get out of the car.
3. Jerome Clifford was Muldanno’s ................................ and came from New Orleans.
4. Ricky pushed open the ................................ door and lay down on the sofa.
5. Mark called 911 and ................................ finding Clifford’s body.
6. Foltrigg was frustrated because Muldanno’s ................................ would probably be postponed.
7. Muldanno had been charged with Senator Boyette’s ................................ .
8. Dianne had to ................................ some things to take to the hospital.
9. Foltrigg needed the senator’s body in order to prove that Muldanno was ................................ .
10. Reggie was worried about the Sways’ ................................ and asked for security guards.

B. Write True or False next to each sentence.

...................... 1. Clifford told Mark where the senator’s body was buried.
...................... 2. Ricky went into shock when Mark told him what Clifford had said.
...................... 3. Hardy realised that Mark was lying about something.
...................... 4. Trumann took Mark’s cola can to check his fingerprints.
...................... 5. Mark told Reggie everything except where the body was buried.
...................... 6. Reggie knew what Trumann said to Mark because she listened at the door.
...................... 7. Muldanno told Gronke to kill Mark.
...................... 8. Reggie told Mark that it was illegal to lie in a court of law.

C. There are three false sentences in exercise B. Correct them.

......................................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................

D. Change the following sentences from direct to reported speech.

1. “We have to go now because our flight leaves in an hour,” Foltrigg said to the men.
Foltrigg told the men that ................................................................................................................. .
2. “Have you read today’s Memphis Press?” Mark asked Reggie.
Mark asked Reggie if ........................................................................................................................ .
3. “I want to ask you about what happened yesterday, Mark,” Trumann said.
Trumann told Mark that .................................................................................................................... .
4. “We can meet here tomorrow morning,” Reggie suggested to Foltrigg and Trumann.
Reggie suggested that ....................................................................................................................... .
5. “I’ll fly to Memphis tonight,” Gronke said to Muldanno.
Gronke told Muldanno that ............................................................................................................... .

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 Worksheet 1: Chapters 1-10

ANSWERS

A. 1. warned
2. bald
3. lawyer
4. unlocked
5. reported
6. trial
7. murder
8. pack
9. guilty
10. safety

B. 1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. False
7. False
8. True

C. 2. Ricky went into shock when he saw Romey kill himself.

6. Reggie knew what Trumann said to Mark because she attached a tape recorder to Mark’s body.
7. Muldanno told Gronke to convince Mark to keep quiet.

D. 1. Foltrigg told the men that they had to go then because their flight left in an hour.
2. Mark asked Reggie if she had read that day’s Memphis Press.
3. Trumann told Mark that he wanted to ask him about what had happened the day before / the
previous day.
4. Reggie suggested that they / she, Foltrigg and Trumann could meet there the following / next
morning.
5. Gronke told Muldanno that he would fly to Memphis that night.

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 The Client

WORKSHEET 2: CHAPTERS 11-21

A. Match the words in A with their definitions in B.
A B
1. jail ..... a. solemnly promised
2. judge ..... b. full of people or things
3. swore ..... c. a place to confine criminals
4. news ..... d. something that shows an intention to hurt someone
5. refused ..... e. said that he or she would not do something
6. crowded ..... f. someone who decides cases in a court of law
7. threat ..... g. recent, important information

B. Complete each sentence with a phrase from the box.

looking for turned off woke up get off drove away
1. When Ricky ................................ , Dr Greenway decided to try to talk to him.
2. Trumann assured Reggie that they were ................................ Pirini.
3. Reggie got into her car and ................................ before the FBI agents saw her leave.
4. Reggie ................................ the flashlight so nobody could see the light.
5. “ ................................ my property!” the neighbour shouted to Mark and Reggie.

C. Match A and B to form sentences.

A B
1. Boyette was killed ..... a. and disappeared into the woods.
2. Nobody saw Mark leave ..... b. wouldn’t see each other again.
3. Two men ran out of the garage ..... c. Mark and Reggie smelled a terrible odour.
4. Mark threw the rock ..... d. because he opposed the Mafia’s plan.
5. When they got to the garage, ..... e. until he fell asleep.
6. Reggie sat with Mark ..... f. as hard as he could at the window.
7. Mark knew he and Reggie ..... g. the emergency room.

D. Who said each of the following sentences? Write the character next to each sentence.
Mark Reggie Judge Roosevelt Trumann Dr Greenway
1. “The memory is still too frightening for him.” ................................
2. “I want you to advise Mark not to answer my questions.” ................................
3. “Next time she comes, she has to think I’m really sick.” ................................
4. “We’re in a motel in New Orleans, registered under false names.” ................................
5. “Thank you. Your information will help us put a murderer in prison.” ................................

E. Circle the correct word in each sentence.

1. Clients (who / which) have got the money pay Reggie a lot.
2. Dianne hit the policeman (whose / who’s) job it was to take Mark to the detention centre.
3. The room at the detention centre (where / that) Mark stayed had two beds.
4. Mark sat on the bed and remembered the days (which / when) his life had been simple.
5. Clint watched the local TV news (whose / which) was already reporting Mark’s disappearance.
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 Worksheet 2: Chapters 11-21

ANSWERS

A. 1. c
2. f
3. a
4. g
5. e
6. b
7. d

B. 1. woke up
2. looking for
3. drove away
4. turned off
5. Get off

C. 1. d
2. g
3. a
4. f
5. c
6. e
7. b

D. 1. Dr Greenway
2. Judge Roosevelt
3. Mark
4. Reggie
5. Trumann

E. 1. who
2. whose
3. where
4. when
5. which

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 The Client

FINAL TEST

A. Choose the correct answer.

1. Mark got out of Romey’s car after
a. Romey had killed himself.
b. Romey had drunk too much whisky and
fallen asleep.
c. Ricky had run home.
2. Mark told Sergeant Hardy that
a. he and Ricky had found Clifford’s body.
b. they had seen Clifford shoot himself.
c. he had spoken to Clifford.
3. Trumann knew that Mark had been in
Clifford’s car because
a. Mark admitted it.
b. fingerprints in the car matched Mark’s.
c. Reggie gave him that information.
4. To frighten Mark into not talking, Gronke
a. arranged for Dianne to lose her job.
b. told Pirini to kill Reggie.
c. threatened to kill Mark, his family and
lawyer and then burned the Sways’ trailer.
5. Judge Roosevelt didn’t want Mark to answer
his questions until
a. everything was organised for the Witness
Protection Programme.
b. Mark had spent one night at the
detention centre.
c. Reggie agreed that he should answer.
6. Mark wanted to find out if Romey had told
him the truth so that
a. Reggie could give the information to
Trumann.
b. he could talk to the FBI before going
into the Witness Protection Programme.
c. he would know if he had to enter the
Witness Protection Programme or not.

30 points (5 points each)

B. Choose the correct answer.

If Mark Sway hadn’t agreed to show his brother Ricky how to smoke, they (1. wouldn’t have seen /
wouldn’t see) Jerome Clifford trying to kill himself. To try to stop him, Mark (2. pulled out /
locked up) the hose that was bringing gasoline fumes into the car, but Clifford saw him and pushed
him into the car. First Clifford told Mark that he was a (3. threat / lawyer) from New Orleans. Then he
told him that his client Barry Muldanno, (4. who / which) was in the Mafia, was responsible for the
(5. murder / news) of a US Senator. Finally, he told Mark where Muldanno (6. has put / had put) the
body. While he talked, Clifford drank a lot of whisky, and had difficulty staying (7. awake / pale).
The moment Clifford fell asleep, Mark got (8. from / out of) the car and ran home with Ricky.
Afterwards, Mark became very (9. proud / frightened) that the Mafia would kill him if he told the FBI
what he knew, but fortunately, he found Reggie Love’s business card. (10. Otherwise / No longer) he
might not have received the advice and help that he (11. has been needing / needed). Reggie always
answered his questions quickly and (12. honestly / eventually). In addition, she always (13. reported /
assured) him that she would try to protect him as much as possible. However, (14. according to /
despite) this, Mark himself made the important decision to look for Boyette’s body – and showed once
again how (15. mature / unfair) he was.
45 points (3 points each)

C. Choose one topic and write a paragraph. Your paragraph should be at least 60 words long.
1. Explain how Mark’s early childhood experiences influenced his behaviour throughout the story.
2. Do you agree or disagree with Mark and Dianne’s doubts about the Federal Witness Protection
Programme? Explain your answer.
3. Using examples from the story, explain why Mark and Reggie were very sad when they said
goodbye to each other.

25 points
13
 Final Test

ANSWERS

A. 1. b 3. b 5. a
2. a 4. c 6. c

B. 1. wouldn’t have seen 6. had put 11. needed

2. pulled out 7. awake 12. honestly
3. lawyer 8. out of 13. assured
4. who 9. frightened 14. despite
5. murder 10. Otherwise 15. mature

C. Accept all logical and grammatically correct answers.

Possible points for inclusion:
1. Mark’s early childhood experiences – a father who drank a lot and beat him and his mother – made
him responsible and independent from a young age. He also had to act like a father to Ricky, and he
taught him many things. This maturity and responsibility influenced the way Mark behaved at the
beginning of the story, when he tried to stop Clifford from killing himself. These characteristics also
made him decide to find a lawyer to help him and not to worry his mother when she had other
problems. He also acted independently when he decided to escape from the detention centre and
look for Boyette’s body.
2. I agree with Mark and Dianne’s doubts. One thing they were both afraid of was that the Mafia
would be able to find Mark even if he was in the Programme, and I think they were right. The Mafia
has got a reputation for finding people who have given information about them and killing them. In
addition, Dianne didn’t like the idea of always having to lie, and never being able to tell anyone the
truth about the family’s past. I think this would be difficult to do. It would be easy to forget and
make mistakes when talking to others about your life. I also think it would be difficult to have to
leave your home town suddenly.
I disagree with Mark and Dianne’s doubts. After moving away and getting new identities, the Mafia
would have no way of knowing where or who they were. The FBI was also going to protect them
and I think they should have trusted the FBI. I think that if they had stayed in Memphis, the Mafia
would have found them easily and would have possibly killed Mark.

3. Reggie and Mark became very close, which is why they were very sad to say goodbye to each other.
There are many examples in the story that illustrate this closeness. Reggie was the only person
Mark told the entire truth to about Clifford, and she never passed this information to anybody else.
He felt comfortable enough with her to let her hold his hand when they faced the reporters in the
hospital. Mark also called Reggie, not his mother, for help after he escaped from the detention
centre. Reggie was always honest with Mark, even when she said things he didn’t want to hear. She
also got involved with his family, as when she helped Dianne with the insurance papers after the
trailer was burned and when she tried to convince Dianne to go into the Witness Protection
Programme.

14

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN THE READER
These answers relate to the questions on pages 72-75 of the reader itself.
Chapter 1
1. Mark had taught Ricky how to throw a football
and ride a bike. He’d warned him against drugs
and protected him from older, more aggressive
kids at school. He had protected Ricky from
their father, who was usually drunk and had
often beaten Mark and their mother.
2. He put one end of the hose into the tail pipe of
the car and the other end into the left back
window. Then the man got back into the car and
closed the door.
3. The man was crying and shouting. He angrily
put the hose back into the tail pipe, got back
into the car and shut the door.
Chapter 2
1. Suddenly, the man grabbed the gun from Mark
and held it in front of Mark’s face. Mark put his
head down and began to scream and the man
pulled the trigger. The bullet flew above Mark’s
head and hit the window behind him.
2. Muldanno had killed a US senator and had told
Clifford where the body was. Clifford was
scared that Muldanno would kill him so that he
couldn’t tell anyone.
3. He pulled himself onto the back of the car and
sat against the window. He put the gun into his
mouth, closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.
Chapter 3
1. Ricky began to run towards the trailer park. He
was breathing hard and fast, and he was making
strange noises.
2. He knew the narrow road was hardly ever used
and if he didn’t make the call, Romey’s body
might not be found for several days.
3. Mark told Hardy that he and Ricky had found
the body when they were playing in the woods,
and that he had been in a fight at school.
Chapter 4
1. It would give Fink and Foltrigg more time to
find Senator Boyette’s body. Without it, it
would probably be impossible to prove that
Muldanno had killed him.
2. He instructed Trumann to have the FBI
investigate Clifford’s movements in the days
and hours before his suicide.
Chapter 5
1. Mark was worried about Ricky and wanted him
to wake up, but he was also afraid that Ricky
might tell the doctor the whole story.
2. Hardy told Trumann that Mark was lying about
something, and pointed to Mark’s cola can so
that the FBI could get Mark’s fingerprints.
15
The Client
3. He thought he might need a lawyer if the police
ever found out that he had lied about Romey.
Chapter 6
1. Foltrigg hoped to find out everything that
Clifford had said to Mark, and also where the
senator’s body was buried.
2. Mark shouted that he didn’t want to talk to the
FBI agent and then said more calmly that he
didn’t want to keep on talking about what had
happened.
Chapter 7
1. There were children’s books and some toys on
the desk. Most of Reggie’s work involved
abused children and the books and toys were for
them.
2. She was frightened Mark would tell her where
the body was. She told him not to tell her where
the body was, and not to tell the FBI yet.
Chapter 8
1. Reggie wanted to record Mark’s conversation
with the FBI agent. She wanted to find out if the
FBI agent was going to obey the law and not
question Mark without a parent in the room.
2. He said that he hadn’t attempted to question
Mark when his mother wasn’t with him, and
that he hadn’t advised Mark to avoid lawyers.
Chapter 9
1. The report from the fingerprint lab said that
Mark’s prints on the cola can were identical to
those that were found on the gun, the door, the
hose, even the whisky bottle.
2. Maybe Reggie would let Mark talk if she knew
that the FBI would protect the Sway family.
Chapter 10
1. Gronke pushed Mark into a corner and held a
knife to his throat. He said that if Mark repeated
what Clifford had told him, he would kill Mark,
his family and his lawyer.
2. It was illegal to lie in a court of law. Also Mark
might make a mistake in his story and then
everyone would know that he was lying.
3. If Gronke hurt Mark, they wouldn’t ever get the
information they needed.
Chapter 11
1. He asked for investigations by government
environmental agencies, and criticised the plan
to the press and in lectures at town meetings.
2. If Muldanno were innocent, he wouldn’t have
sent someone to frighten Mark.

Chapter 12
1. Dianne had been crying because she had got a
letter informing her that she had lost her job.
2. Ricky closed his eyes and began to cry. He
didn’t respond to anything anyone said to him,
and was soon asleep again.
3. Gronke put a box against the door of the empty
trailer. Thirty minutes later, the box exploded,
set the trailer on fire and destroyed it.
Chapter 13
1. They wanted the judge to put Mark into
protective custody. Mark would be safe from
Gronke and being in jail might frighten him
enough to make him talk.
2. Klickman was making Mark go to the Juvenile
Detention Centre and Mark had to go to court.
Chapter 14
1. Judge Roosevelt was a friend of hers and a fair
judge. He always considered what was best for
the kids who came into his courtroom.
2. If Mark refuses to answer the judge’s
questions, the judge can send him back to the
detention centre for contempt of court.
Chapter 15
1. Mark and his family could enter the Federal
Witness Protection Programme. He also
wanted her to advise Mark not to answer his
questions about Boyette or Muldanno.
2. Mark was afraid someone might hurt him and
his family.
3. New names; new birth certificates; credit
cards; driver’s licence; bank account; house;
good school; money and a good job.
Chapter 16
1. Mark wanted Doreen to think that he was sick
because he had made a decision to escape and
look for Senator Boyette’s body.
2. They would have to lie about their past and
one day, somebody from the Mafia might
recognise Mark and hurt him.
3. The FBI agents wanted him to put a salt shaker
with a bug in it on the table where Gronke and
Muldanno were sitting, so that they could hear
their conversation.
Chapter 17
1. Reggie told them that Muldanno was sending
someone to kill her. She told them that there
The Client
were FBI agents everywhere. They were in the
hospital and they were following her too.
2. The judge said that Mark was in contempt of
court again and ordered him to stay in the
detention centre that weekend.
Chapter 18
1. Reggie thought the police and FBI would be
looking for her own car the moment Mark was
reported missing.
2. Mark could tell the truth without going into the
Witness Protection Programme because the
Mafia wouldn’t care.
Chapter 19
1. Trumann got permission from the hospital to
tap the phone in Ricky’s room.
2. Muldanno was worried that Mark might
already be talking to the FBI. He told Pirini to
forget about Reggie. He had a job for him in
New Orleans.
Chapter 20
1. They moved the boat to one side and saw a
thin layer of concrete. Using hammers, they
began to break the concrete as quietly as
possible.
2. An alarm began to ring, then the owner of the
house appeared holding a gun and began to
shoot. The people in the neighbouring houses
came out to see what had happened and soon
two police cars arrived.
3. They saw a black plastic garbage bag. When
Mark made a hole in the bag, he and Reggie
saw the decomposing face of Senator Boyette.
Chapter 21
1. Mark began to cry about leaving Memphis and
about everything that had happened in the past
week. Reggie put her arms round him and sat
with him until he fell asleep.
2. Trumann had to organise a private plane to fly
Dianne, Mark and Ricky to Phoenix. The FBI
had to organise Ricky’s treatment there and pay
all the costs. Dianne had to get a monthly
salary for three years so that she wouldn’t have
to work until the boys were older.
3. They were sad. Mark’s eyes filled with tears
because it was the last time they would see
each other. Reggie felt as if her heart was
going to break. She said she would miss Mark.