Corrupted (11 page)

“Here we go,” said the court stenographer, returning to the counter with the receipt. “My, are you okay, dear?”

“No,” Bennie answered, taking the receipt. “But thanks.”

 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sunlight struggled through the dirty windows, and Bennie watched as Jason made his way across the empty visiting room, his feet scuffing the gritty tile floor, his head downcast. Her heart went out to him, and she was still angry after what she'd read in the transcript, seeing how unjust his hearing had been.

“Hey buddy,” Bennie said, as Jason reached the table, and up close, she noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles underneath them.

“Hi.” Jason sat down heavily in the hard chair opposite her, slumping backwards.

“How're you doing?” Bennie heard shouting in another room, and the air smelled dirty and felt cold, though the ancient radiators knocked constantly.

“Okay.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Okay.”

“You should feel free to talk with me, even if you just want to complain.”

“I'm no whiner.” Jason swallowed hard, his little Adam's apple going up and down.

“It's not whining.”

“Whining and complaining are the same thing.”

“Not when the complaining is to a lawyer,” Bennie said, gently. “In fact, every lawsuit is started with a piece of paper that gets filed with a court. You know what that paper is called?”

“No, what?”

“A Complaint.”

“Really?” Jason's eyes narrowed with adult skepticism.

“Truly. If you don't tell me your complaint, I can't do my job. Now, let's start over. Did you sleep okay?”

“No.” Jason hesitated. “I was, like, afraid. It's dark, and there's weird noises, and these boys, they talk all night. They yell and I heard somebody crying.”

“That's sad. I would cry if I were in here, too.” Bennie wondered if Jason had cried. “Did you have any classes today? They're supposed to hold classes for you.”

“They said they'll do that later. I don't know how.” Jason bit his lip. “My teachers don't come here, do they?”

“No, they have different teachers.” Bennie wasn't sure how it worked, in fact.

“My grades, they're going to go down. I'm already so far behind. We had to read a book over the weekend.
The Giver
. I didn't bring it and I only got done eleven pages.”

“I'm sure you'll catch up,” Bennie said, though she was worried. She wondered if this was what being a parent was like, giving comfort you didn't feel and reassuring someone when you were worried as hell.

“I told my dad and he's going to bring more books tonight. I can read in my room, I keep away from everybody, and Richie and the boy next door to me, he's
seventeen.
They call him Wrinkles.” Jason lowered his voice. “I think he did something bad to a little girl. You know what I mean?”

Bennie's mouth went dry. “Stay away from him.”

“Oh, I will,” Jason shot back.

“What about Richie? How is he?” Bennie realized she was worried about Richie's being on the same hall as a sex offender. She never would've felt that way before, her loyalties newly confused.

“I stay away from Richie, too. I stay away from
everybody
.” Jason's eyes went rounder, his fear plain. “I just try to stay out of everybody's way, like school, only worse.”

“Are they bullying you already?”

“They call me names. The guard calls me Fats Domino.”

“I could do something about that, you know.” Bennie felt anger tighten her chest.

“No don't.” Jason's expression changed, his eyebrows flying upward in anxiety. “Let it roll off your back. Like a duck, remember I told you?”

“I won't say anything, but you have to make me a promise. If you are in any kind of physical danger, I want you to go to the guard and tell him. If anybody shoves you, or pushes you, or tries to touch you”—Bennie was choosing her words carefully—“then I want you to go to the guard and I want you to tell him you want your lawyer. I will come, any time of day or night. You understand?”

“Okay. I promise. So when am I going to get out? After you win in court, like in
Law & Order
?”

“Not exactly, and you—”

“So will I get out after the jury says so?”

“There's no jury, just the judge. I just filed some papers, trying to get the judge to take another look at your case.”

“What did he say?”

“He didn't say yet. It takes longer than—”

“So tomorrow?”

“No, at best, by the end of the week. The judge could deny my motion, which means he could just say no. We could lose. So try not to get your hopes up.”

“Why would you not win, if you're right?”

“Good question.” Bennie wasn't sure she could explain it. “Because the judge has the power and he can be wrong. He already has been, hasn't he?”

“Do you have to ask the
same
judge? Oh no.” Jason sighed, his soft shoulders sagging. “The judge isn't going to change his mind. He's mean. Why can't you go ask another judge?”

“That's not how it works. I'm going to do everything I possibly can, Jason.” Bennie reached across the table and patted his hand, which felt warm. “Just hang in there, can you?”

“The guard took Richard the Strong and my other bricks. They said I couldn't have them. They weren't approved.”

“Who did that?”

“Just leave it alone. They put them in a box and they said my dad can have them next time he comes.” Jason rallied. “He said he'll come tonight with my pictures.”

“Pictures of what?” Bennie thought she'd burst into tears if Jason said his mother.

“Of Patch. I know, that sounds dumb, but, well, she always sleeps on my bed.”

“It doesn't sound dumb. My dog sleeps on my bed, too.”

“Cool.” Jason's face lit up, for the first time. “Patch likes to run around at night. My dad always lets her, but my mother never did. She was too worried she'd get hit by a car.” He frowned. “I'm worried she might, too.”

Bennie remembered she had thought the same thing. “I'll ask your dad to keep her in at night. Would you like that?”

“Yes.” Jason's eyes filmed. “She should stay in until I get home.”

“Yes, at least until then,” Bennie repeated, her throat constricting.

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Bennie charged up the courthouse stairwell, her determination renewed by her visit with Jason. She reached the judge's chambers and opened the door on the secretary. “Hello, I'm—”

“Yes, I remember.” The secretary was standing by the coatrack, putting on her parka.

“I'm checking to see if the judge was able to take a look at my petition.”

“Yes, and he issued the order during the morning recess.”

“Great!” Bennie said, surprised. “May I see the order? Did he give the Commonwealth three or ten days?”

“I'll give you a copy of the order. I sent it to the clerk for filing, but it may not have been docketed yet.” The secretary crossed to her desk, opened a manila folder on top, slid out a paper, and handed it over.

“Thank you.” Bennie skimmed the single paragraph, which read:
The Commonwealth shall file a responsive pleading in no more than three (3) business days.
She almost cheered. “This is wonderful! Thanks so much!”

“Now, excuse me, I'm on my way to lunch, and we keep chambers locked.” The secretary walked to the door and held it open, but Bennie wasn't leaving just yet.

“According to this, he didn't schedule a hearing.”

“I'm sure he will make that decision after both parties have filed their pleadings.”

“Do you think it's possible to get the hearing by Christmas?”

“That isn't for me to say.”

“Court isn't closed next week, is it?”

“No, it's closed only Wednesday, Christmas Day.”

“By the way, is the judge in now?”

“No.” The secretary gestured to the door again. “Please?”

“Okay, thanks.” Bennie left chambers, went downstairs, headed for the exit doors, and hit the cold. She squared her shoulders, tilting into the wind as she headed to the parking lot. She reached the car, turned on the ignition, and pressed Matthew's number into her phone. The call rang once, then was picked up. “Matthew, good news. The judge ordered the Commonwealth to respond to our petition in three days.”

“That's good?” Matthew sounded disappointed.

“Yes, remember, I told you, on the way in?”

“Yes, but Jason will have been in a whole week by then. He already feels like he's been there forever.”

“I know, he told me. It's the best we could have hoped for, at this point.” Bennie realized the only thing worse than being a child who was incarcerated was being the father of a child who was incarcerated.

“Well, thank you. What happens next?”

“If the Commonwealth files its response on Friday, I'm hoping that the judge clears his desk by the holidays—”

“So Jason would be home by Christmas!”

Bennie reminded herself to check him. “I'm trying, but that's not a guarantee.”

“That's what lawyers always say, isn't it?”

“No, I'm not just saying it. There's too many variables that we can't control. By the way, I did go visit Jason, and he says, please don't forget to bring his book and pictures. Also I think he'd feel better if you kept the dog in at night.”

“Okay, I'd better be going.” Matthew sounded newly official, as if someone was in earshot. “Thank you, bye.”

Bennie hung up and left the lot, driving through town while she returned calls from her clients. She had just hung up with one when the phone rang, and she picked up. “This is Bennie Rosato.”

“It's Declan, checking in. Did you file the papers?”

“Yes, and the judge gave the Commonwealth only three days to respond.”

“That's good!”

Bennie warmed. It was nice not to disappoint someone. “Did you get a lawyer for Richie?”

“I hired the guy I told you about.”

“Great. If you send me his contact information, I'll send him a copy of what I filed. He should file one, too, ASAP.” Bennie drove out of town, past the snow-covered trees. “Jason told me there's a sex offender on his hallway. Also, Richie's spending too much time with the wrong kids.”

“That doesn't surprise me. I was planning on going over after work.”

Bennie tried to visualize a state trooper walking into a juvenile detention center. “In your uniform, in those hats, with the chinstrap?”

“No, I change at work. We have lockers. We don't wear uniforms off duty. And those hats are called campaign hats. The chinstrap is tradition. Show some respect.” Declan chuckled. “Were you okay at the house this morning?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“Where are you now?”

“Heading home.”

“Hey, I'm off this weekend. I'd like to drive to Philly and put our heads together. You free?”

“Sure. When?” Bennie thought it could help, but wasn't exactly a necessity.

“Saturday's best for me. I can be there for dinner. We can grab a bite.”

“Okay,” Bennie answered, wondering. Saturday night was date night, but this wasn't a date.

“Eight o'clock. I'll buy dinner if you don't bill me for the time.”

“Deal.” So it wasn't a date.

“Sorry, I'm getting a radio call. Can I catch you later?”

“Sure.”

“Drive safe. Stay off the phone. Bye.”

“Bye.” Bennie hung up, hitting the gas. Fifteen minutes later, she got a text, which she read when traffic came to a standstill. It was from Declan and said simply:

It's not a date.

 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It took Bennie until after the close of business to get back to the office, and she stepped off the elevator to find Mary, Judy, and Anne hanging around the reception desk with the firm's private investigator, Lou. Marshall must've left for the day, and the associates looked like they were ready to go, too, dressed in their heavy coats and carrying their purses. They all turned to face her as she entered the room, but stopped their happy chatter. Only Bear came bounding toward her, wagging his tail.

“Hi, everybody.” Bennie leaned over to pet the dog, scratching him behind his ears. “Is something the matter?”

“Nothing,” DiNunzio answered quickly.

“Nothing at all,” Judy added.

“We're happy to see you, boss,” Anne said, smiling her dazzling smile.

“You don't
look
happy to see me.” Bennie managed a smile.

Mary waved her off. “Of course we're happy to see you.”

Judy added, “Yes, welcome back.”

Anne chimed in, “How was your trip?”

Bennie turned to Lou. “Something's going on. What is it?”

“This.” Lou stepped aside to reveal a pile of luggage stacked behind the reception desk. “They're knocking off next week and they're afraid you're going to yell at them.”

Mary said, “That's not true.”

Judy added, “Not true at all.”

“Not in the least,” Anne chimed in, still smiling, because she used to be a catalog model.

Bennie faced the associates. “What's not true, that you're not going anywhere or that you're not afraid I'm going to yell at you?”

Mary cleared her throat. “The thing is, after we talked about whether the office was going to be open next week, you said we should make our own decisions. So we did.”

Judy added, “All of our cases are quiet, which never happens at the same time, so we thought we would plan a trip together. We found some good fares and we're going to Miami together.”