The Judge Who Stole Christmas (19 page)

Then she cracked open the door and looked down. She stared at a gray plastic crate with a door on one end that had miniature bars over it. It had a Christmas card on top with the names Hannah, John Paul, and Elizabeth on it, and Theresa knew it could mean only one thing.

She stooped and looked through the bars. “Awww,” she said before she could catch herself. It was an itty-bitty cocker spaniel—white with light brown markings—all curled up and shivering in one corner of the crate. “You're so cute,” Theresa said, thinking about Tiger's request on national television.
But how can I deal with a puppy right now?
Behind the crate, someone had also left a small bag of puppy food, a box of bone-shaped puppy treats, a water bowl and food bowl, a leash, a miniature orange squeaky basketball, and a rope with frayed ends.

She dragged the crate and accessories inside, putting them on the tile kitchen floor. When she opened the crate, the puppy looked out at Theresa with big, sad eyes under a furrowed brow, eyes made even more pitiful by its long, floppy ears. She felt her heart melt and gently picked up the puppy, noticed it was a he, and held him against her body. She felt the little guy quiver. Then she saw a manila envelope taped to the side of the crate.

She placed the puppy on the floor and opened the envelope. There were a number of papers, including a certificate of pedigree. A purebred! Theresa looked down at the little furball, who was already exploring, nose to the ground, floppy ears dragging along. Elizabeth had pulled herself up at the gate and was squealing with excitement.

The puppy's mom was named Brown Eyed Daisy; the dad, Oliver Wendell Holmes. There were four generations of cocker spaniels listed, all with fancy names and colors noted. There was also the name of a breeder on the certificate. Theresa decided to give him a call.

But first—the puppy was chewing on one of Tiger's old sneakers that her son had left by the front door! Theresa picked the puppy up again, resisting the urge to give him a name because she knew she wouldn't be able to give him up if she did. How could she possibly deal with a dog in the midst of all the other turmoil going on in her life? He would need shots, food, and house-training. And she had no idea how he might do with the toddlers she cared for all day long.

She carried the puppy over to Elizabeth. “Puppy,” Theresa said. Elizabeth tried to repeat the word, but it sounded more like “puh-puh-puh.” “Puppy,” Theresa said again. She guided her daughter's hand to help her pet the puppy without grabbing its hair. Elizabeth's eyes lit up and she bounced up and down.

Theresa knew that if Tiger and Hannah saw the puppy, it would be over. This called for quick thinking and decisive action—neither of which she considered her strong points. She hugged him tight to her chest because he couldn't stop shaking, the puppy was so nervous. And then—yuck! A warm wetness drizzled down her arm. She rushed toward the trailer door with her newest problem child.

He had gone all over her!
The story of my life,
she thought.
You're not the first one with that idea, little fella.

She set him down outside, and he scurried around the yard, sniffing and wagging his tail as if he had finally found his perfect family. And every time Theresa made a move toward him to pick him up again, he darted away. The game was on. It took her ten minutes and two puppy treats to get him back inside.

Jasmine tried to act nonchalant as Theresa detailed her problems over the phone. Theresa said she would understand if Jasmine couldn't do it. She knew how hard it could be to represent Thomas. After all, she was married to him. But Theresa and Thomas had talked it over—they
really
wanted Jasmine to handle their case instead of this fancy lawyer from Reverend Hester's organization.

Jasmine fully intended to say yes. She had thought long and hard about the way Coach Barker had deserted her sister's team. Her own dad's anti-quitting rhetoric had been ringing in her ears since last Saturday. Now she was being given a second chance. But she also knew how to take advantage of leverage. And she would never have more than she did right now.

“Will Thomas follow my advice?”

This brought silence. “Yes, I certainly hope so. But he's not willing to tell the judge that he won't go back out there.”

“So we're back where we started.”

More silence. “I guess so, Jasmine. I don't know what else to say.”

The next request surprised Jasmine. “Can you hang on for a second?”

“Sure.” Jasmine heard Theresa set down the phone, and she immediately started second-guessing herself.
Did I push too hard? say something that offended her?
It was a long couple of minutes before Theresa got back on the line.

“Sorry,” Theresa said, “I had a little emergency.” Much to Jasmine's relief, Theresa explained about her still-nameless puppy, the one who had just eaten half a sock and thrown up all over the kitchen floor.

This time Jasmine didn't try to play it coy. “I'm ready to represent Thomas,” she said. “I think we can win this case on appeal, and I think we can get a decision before Christmas. But I'll need a supervising lawyer, and nobody knows the case as well as Arginot. Maybe we could ask him to stay on but let me be the lead lawyer.”

This suggestion was met with silence.

“Or maybe not,” Jasmine said. “But I thought it was at least worth suggesting.”

“I'm sorry,” Theresa responded. “I've got nothing against Mr. Arginot. It's just that Thomas and I don't want to be used as a fund-raising tool by Reverend Hester. We've got problems with some of his theology.”

“I can understand that.” Then Jasmine had a thought. “Would you be willing to let Arginot stay on if Hester couldn't use your case to raise money?”

“I guess so.”

“Good. Then I'll immediately file a motion to get back in the case and note our appeal.” Jasmine swallowed hard—she didn't like demoting people, even people as deserving of a demotion as Arginot. “I'll call Arginot so you don't have to.”

There was a long pause, and it sounded like Theresa was sniffling. “I can't tell you how grateful we are,” she said at last. “This whole thing has just been overwhelming.”

“I can't even imagine,” Jasmine replied. “But things will calm down in the next few days. They've got to.”

“I sure hope you're right,” Theresa said, though she didn't sound convinced.

Jasmine was a charter member of the Internet and IM generation, so she hated making phone calls. The rules of her generation were simple: Do everything online. IM is preferred; e-mail is old school. Cell phones are best used for text messaging and for talking to friends. Cell phone calls to a stranger are to be avoided at all costs and are almost as outdated as snail mail. Never, ever write a letter!

But this afternoon Jasmine was out of choices. She had two phone calls to make and neither would be any fun. She dialed the cell phone of David Arginot, hoping for voice mail. Instead, he answered.

After they exchanged pleasantries and Jasmine told him what a good job he was doing on television (a small lie that wouldn't really do much harm), she jumped right into the real reason for her call. “Thomas and Theresa have retained me again to serve as lead counsel for the rest of the case. I filed the paperwork with the court about an hour ago. Since I'm only a third-year law student and I need a supervising lawyer, they're asking you to stay on as well, though I'm the one who will take the lead in court.” She paused and braced herself.

Arginot laughed out loud. “Let me get this straight. You want David Arginot to carry the bags of a third-year law student who's never tried a case?”

“What I want doesn't matter. But yes, that's what the client wants. And did I mention you'd have to do it for free? Reverend Hester will have to agree not to use this case for fund-raising purposes.”

Arginot snorted. “Nothing personal, Jasmine, but that's not going to happen. Since you're just a law student, let me explain a few facts about the real world. Number one, David Arginot never works for free. Number two, you've got to file a motion asking the court to allow you back into the case—”

“Done.”

“Congratulations. Number three, you've got to find someone to supervise you, because I'm sure not going to do it.”

“I can find someone else if I need to.”

“And number four, the judge has to allow this to happen, which I doubt she'll do. Even if she's willing, she won't do it without a hearing. And since I'm busy working on the appeal right now, I won't be available for a hearing until sometime later this week, and by then it will be too late.”

Jasmine waited a few beats in order to calm down. Yes, he was condescending. And yes, he was arrogant. But Jasmine needed someone to supervise her on this case, and Arginot was the only other lawyer up to speed right now.

“The judge thought you might say something like that,” Jasmine replied. “So after she read my motion to rejoin the case, she called me and asked me to make this phone call at her secretary's desk, just outside the judge's chambers. She said if you objected, I should come inside her chambers, and we could call you back on the speakerphone so we can resolve this situation immediately.”

Jasmine smiled at the judge's secretary as she heard Arginot inhale sharply. “You're at the judge's office?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And she asked you to do it this way?”

“She did.”

“Don't you see, Jasmine? She just wants you to handle the appeal so that she won't get overturned. She knows I'll get her reversed.”

“Do you want me to get her on the speakerphone in her office so you can tell her that yourself?”

A big sigh. “No, that won't be necessary. You can take the lead in the courtroom, but you need to at least allow me to handle the press.”

Jasmine considered this for an instant. It wasn't perfect, but then things seldom were. “At no cost.”

“What's your client got against Hester?”

“
Our
client, Mr. Arginot. And that's beside the point. Are you willing to do this pro bono, or should I get somebody else?”

“All right,” he said. “I don't like it, but it doesn't appear that I have much choice unless I'm willing to let you bumble through this case without me. And as we both know, the precedent at stake is too important for me to do that.” Jasmine smiled to herself as she listened to this face-saving lecture. “Tell your client it's an early Christmas present,” Arginot sputtered.

Jasmine thanked him and got off the phone as quickly as possible before Arginot could change his mind. Ichabod leaned against her door and smiled. “Nicely done,” she said.

“Thank you, Your Honor.”

“Now go do us all a favor and tell your client to learn a little respect for the rule of law. You can still appeal my decision even if he's not sitting in jail.”

Jasmine didn't know what to say. She was grateful that Judge Baker-Kline had allowed her back on the case, but this was pushing a little too hard.

“I understand that, Your Honor. But Mr. Hammond has his reasons.”

“So do I, Ms. Woodfaulk. So do I.”