They came out of the Joseph Hall Criminal Justice Center onto a four-lane highway. Two more Daphne police cars blocked traffic in both directions to permit the convoy to enter the highway.

The convoy turned left and moved at just under the speed limit out of Daphne and toward Fairhope. Several times, cars ahead of the convoy spotted the warning lights and, thinking it was a funeral procession, respectfully pulled left and slowed-or stopped-and looked in vain for the hearse and flower car.

In Fairhope, at a shopping mall, the convoy turned left off U.S. Highway 98, and then, a half-mile down a two-lane macadam road, turned left again into a complex of one-story brick buildings.

Daniels saw a sign: "Baldwin County Satellite Courthouse. "

The car with Daniels in it stopped about halfway down the building. As Kenny got out of the backseat, bright lights came on, and when Daniels got out, he saw that he was being videotaped by cameras bearing the logotypes of three different television stations.

With Kenny holding one arm and a state trooper the other, Daniels shuffled into the building and was led to a small courtroom. The courtroom, to judge by the signs on the walls, was often used as the place where driver's license tests were administered.

Roswell Bernhardt, Esq., was sitting at one of two tables facing the judge's bench. He stood up, gave his hand to Daniels, and then watched as Kenny removed the prisoner restraint system, and then motioned for him to sit beside Bernhardt.

The Philadelphia assistant district attorney, and another man who looked like a lawyer, sat down at the other table facing the judge's bench, laid briefcases on it, and then checked their contents. The young homicide sergeant and others took seats in the first couple of rows of benches.

A large man in a two-tone brown police-type uniform-he had both a badge and a large-caliber revolver-looked into the room, pulled his head back, and then, a moment later, stepped inside.

"All rise!" he ordered.

Everybody stood up.

A pleasant-looking man wearing a judge's robe-who looked as if he was no stranger to heavily laden tables- entered the room and sat down in a high-backed leather chair.

"The circuit court of Baldwin County is now in session, the Honorable Reade W. James presiding," the man in the brown uniform intoned.

"Good morning," Judge James said. "Please be seated."

Everybody sat down.

"The court recognizes the presence of the attorney general of Alabama," Judge James said. "And why are we so honored?"

The man sitting beside Steve Cohen stood up.

"Good morning, Your Honor. If it pleases the court, may I introduce Mr. Steven Cohen, who is an assistant district attorney of Philadelphia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?"

"Good morning, Mr. Cohen. Welcome to Alabama. You have business to bring before this court?"

"Good morning, Your Honor. May it please the court, a warrant has been issued in Philadelphia for the arrest of Mr. Homer C. Daniels alleging violation of Paragraph 2502(b) of the Criminal Code of Pennsylvania, which is Murder of the Second Degree. It is my understanding, Your Honor, that Mr. Daniels, who is present with counsel in this court, is willing to waive his rights to an extradition hearing and prepared to return to Philadelphia to answer this and other related charges."

"Which are?" Judge James asked.

"In brief, Your Honor, Murder of the Third Degree; Rape; Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse; Robbery; Theft; Receiving Stolen Property; Aggravated Assault; Simple Assault; Recklessly Endangering Another Person; Burglary; Criminal Trespass; Possession of Instrument of a Crime; and Abuse of a Corpse."

"Mr. Bernhardt," Judge James said, "may the court presume that the man beside you is Mr. Homer C. Daniels, and that you are serving as his counsel?"

Bernhardt stood up.

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Mr. Daniels-" Judge James said, and interrupted himself to say, "would you please rise, sir?"

Homer C. Daniels stood up.

"Have you any problems with Mr. Bernhardt serving as your counsel?"

"No, sir."

"Are you aware of the nature and specifics of all the charges being brought against you in Pennsylvania?"

"Yes, sir."

"And has Mr. Bernhardt explained that, should you desire, you have the right in the law to ask for an extradition hearing, at which you may offer evidence as to why you should not be returned to Philadelphia to face any and all charges laid against you there?"

"Yes, sir."

"And having been made aware of your rights in the law in this matter, you wish to waive same, which means that sometime within the next ten days, your person will be turned over to appropriate Pennsylvania law enforcement officers, who will then return you to Pennsylvania, there to face whatever charges have been laid against you."

"Yes, sir."

"This court is satisfied that Mr. Daniels is aware of his rights in this matter, and is voluntarily waiving same," Judge James said, and made a gesture which Steve Cohen correctly interpreted to mean that he could now place the appropriate documents before Mr. Daniels.

He walked to Daniels's table, laid a bound legal folder before Daniels, and handed him his pen. Daniels quickly scrawled his signature on them.

"May I approach the bench, Your Honor?" Cohen asked.

Judge James waved him to the bench. Cohen handed him the legal folder. James looked at it for a moment, then signed it.

"You understand, Mr. Cohen, that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must take Mr. Daniels into custody within ten days?"

"Your Honor, Sergeant Matthew Payne, of the Homicide Unit of the Philadelphia police department-and other Philadelphia police officers-are present in this court, and prepared to take custody of Mr. Daniels within the time prescribed. "

"Then that would seem to conclude this matter," Judge James said, and stood up.

"All rise!" the man in the two-tone brown uniform ordered.

Everyone stood up.

Judge James left the courtroom.

Sergeant Kenny began to place Daniels in the prisoner restraint system. When he was finished, Kenny and the state trooper led him shuffling back through the satellite courthouse and put him back in the rear seat of the Daphne police car.

Then the convoy left the satellite courthouse complex, went back to U.S. Highway 98, and turned left onto it. Three miles farther along, it turned left onto a two-lane macadam road, and half a mile down that turned into the Fairhope Municipal Airport.

There the convoy drove onto the parking tarmac and up to a Cessna Citation. There was an almost identical Citation on the ramp, and half a dozen other business aircraft.

Mickey O'Hara jumped out of the Lincoln and ran up the line of cars to be in place when Daniels was taken from the Daphne police car.

He was there in plenty of time to see the little ceremony.

The attorney general of Alabama got out of one black Mercury and walked toward the Daphne car holding Daniels. The driver and the state troopers moved quickly to stand behind him.

Steve Cohen walked up to the car. He had ridden with O'Hara in the Lincoln. Matt Payne and Joe D'Amata took up positions behind him. Chief Yancey, several of his officers, and Detectives Martinez and McFadden stood to one side.

At a nod from the man in civilian clothing, one of the state troopers opened the door of the police car and helped first Sergeant Kenny and then Mr. Daniels out.

"Mr. Daniels," the man said. "I'm Baxley Williams, Attorney General of the State of Alabama. And this is Sergeant Matthew Payne, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police officer, who has a warrant for your arrest."

Daniels did not reply.

Williams turned to Matt.

"You may now take custody of the prisoner."

Matt put his hand on Daniels's arm. Sergeant Kenny took his hand off.