The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (39 page)

“
Violent? Devious? I know what h
e’
s really like, Susan.
I’
ve taken that into account.
I’
ve assigned my investigator as your protection detail. His name is Justin Kottke. H
e’
s an ex-cop with a heart of gold. H
e’
d be embarrassed if he knew that I told you that. H
e’
s one of the good ones, Susan. H
e’
s helped piece this together
.
”

“
I, I ca
n’
t go home
.
”

“
We do
n’
t want you to
.
”

“
Where will I go
?
”

“
To Ramirez Ranch. I
t’
s about thirty-five miles north of the city. A dear friend of mine owns it. Arianna would love to have you. Sh
e’
s one of the bravest women I know. Yo
u’
ll like her
.
”

“
I wonder what sh
e’
ll think of me, for staying with Jerry. A coward, I bet
.
”

“
Sh
e’
ll understand better than you can imagine. Ask her about the work she does
.”
Ruby placed her hand on Susa
n’
s, and squeezed
.“
Yo
u’
re not at all to blame for what Jerald has done. And h
e’
s not going to do anything about cleaning up the mess h
e’
s made. We are. Is that arrangement okay with you
?
”

When Susan hesitated, Jasmine said
,“
You would
n’
t go alone.
I’
ll go with you and get you settled in at Ariann
a’
s. What do you say
?
”

“
Yes,
I’
d like that
.
”

“
Would you like me to stay in here with you? We can go into the courtroom together
,”
Jasmine offered.

“
That sounds good. Thank you both. I do
n’
t know what I would have done without you
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re very welcome, Susan
.”
Ruby rubbed her hands together and grabbed her PSC
.“I’
ll go meet with the prosecutor and judge. See you in court
.
”

“
She looked excited. She really likes her job, does
n’
t she
?”
Susan smiled.

“
Yes, she loves it
.
”

Susa
n’
s smile drooped as dark thoughts crept in.

“
Have you ever been around a horse
?”
Jasmine asked to distract her.

“
Not for years.
I’
ve always loved horses. I used to ride all the time. After I married Jerry, he told me I was too clumsy.
I’
d go and break my neck. Not wanting to worry him, I stopped riding
.
”

“
I
t’
s time to get back on the horse
.
”

Chapter 19

“
Ms. Miller
,”
the gangly man greeted her. He straightened his red tie, and brushed the sleeve of his crisp black suit.

“
Mr. Stark
,”
Ruby acknowledged, and strode to the cler
k’
s desk
.“
Hi, Nancy. Sorry to not have time to catch up
.
”

“
Next time, Ruby
.
”

“I’
m here for Susan Combes. Mr. Stark and I have important matters to discuss with the judge. May we head back to chambers
?
”

The clerk checked the judg
e’
s availability on her screen
.“
She just finished a conference. You may head back
.
”

Ruby turned
.“
Coming, Counselor
?
”

“
One minute
.”
He stood and scanned the gallery.

Ruby caught his gaze
.“I’
ll wait
.”
She joined him at counsel table, and said
,“
Congratulations on your promotion, Stark. Manager of the Community Prosecution Divisio
n—
tha
t’
s a lot of responsibility. Johnston must have great confidence in your abilities. And your first murder case. Welcome to the big leagues
.”
She thumped him on the back, and grabbed his arm as he toppled forward.

“
Thank you
.”
He tugged at his collar.

“
New suit for your new promotion, Stark
?
”

“
Why yes
.
”

“
Looks expensive. Too bad you wo
n’
t have the chance to break it in at tria
l—
not in this case anyway
.
”

He sniffed
.“
I presume your client will not be entering a guilty plea at toda
y’
s hearing
?
”

“
Since the complaint charges an offense punishable by life imprisonment, under eight-point-oh-two, subdivision two, my client cannot enter a plea. Yo
u’
re familiar with the rule? If the rules permitted it, sh
e’
d enter a plea of innocence
.
”

He cleared his throat, and rearranged his reference books
.“
Le
t’
s discuss the course of this case
.
”

“
Yes, le
t’
s
.”
She picked up a book
.“
What a wonderful relic. You tabbed it and everything.
I’
d highly recommend LegalSeek. Its search capabilities are astounding. Far more efficient, if you do
n’
t mind me saying, than flipping through that small forest
.
”

“
I
t’
s hemp paper, environmentally friendly
.
”

“
And still inefficient. I had this debate with a family lawyer before she went virtual. Sh
e’
ll never go back to hemp. I
t’
s important to recognize when ther
e’
s a better way, Stark
.
”

He snagged his book with a huff, and reordered it
.“
Le
t’
s talk about your killer client
,
” he said.

“
Here?
I’
m astonished you want to address evidence that reflects so poorly on your boss in open court
.
”

“
What evidence
?
”

“
The evidence my paralegal transmitted to your office this morning. That was hours ago. Well,
I’
ve waited long enough.
I’
m ready to discuss this matter with the judge. Shall we
?
”

“
But . .
.
”

“
This is open-and-shut, right? Did
n’
t you say that my client is a killer? Well, what I have to say is confidentia
l—
and fascinating. You wo
n’
t want to miss this. Are you coming
?”
she asked again.

“
Yes, yes.
I’
ll be right along
.”
He fumbled with his stack of books, and scanned the courtroom. He stared at the heavy oak entry.

“
Are you willing it to open? If yo
u’
re waiting for Stu, h
e’
s unable to make it
.
”

“
How could you possibly know that
?
”

“
Come on back
,”
Ruby said simply
.“
Besides, as a material witness, he would
n’
t have been allowed in chambers with us. But you already knew that, did
n’
t you
?
”

“
Yes, of course
.
”

“
Johnston chose you to lead. Take charge, Stark
.
”

His knuckles turned white as he death-gripped his briefcase. His face soon matched.

“
Are you all right? Would you like to send someone else from your office down
?
”

“
No,
I’
ll proceed
.
”

“
Very well, then
.”
She motioned him ahead.

They pushed past the heavy divider and filed through a discreet door.

“
I appreciated the stat
e’
s timely disclosure of its discovery
,”
Ruby said
.“
Do you have anything further for me
?
”

“
No, the state has disclosed its discovery
.
”

“
Yo
u’
ve had nothing new all weekend
?
”

“
No
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s odd. Fortunately, my team conducted its own investigation and recovered that footage. You know which footage I mean, right? W
e’
d hate to see a miscarriage of justice, would
n’
t we
?
”

He shifted
.“I’
d have to review it again to determine if i
t’
s all that you say
.
”

“
I could re-send the discovery if you ca
n’
t locate it on your offic
e’
s server
.
”

He pulled his cell from his pocket, and checked
.“
Yes, well. It does appear my office received your discovery
.
”

“I’
m aware. Your legal secretary sent written confirmation to my office, as requested by my capable paralegal
.
”

“
I, I was running behind this morning
.
”

“
May I ask why
?
”

“
Traffic
.
”

“
When did you make it in
?
”

“
At nine
.
”

“
I
t’
s one
o’
clock, Stark
.
”

“
Yes. You can hardl
y
—”

“
Expect you to make the defens
e’
s disclosure in a first-degree murder case a top priority? Were you in court on another case
?
”

“
No, I, I was preparing for this hearing
.
”

“
By not reviewing the defens
e’
s disclosure? What could have possibly taken precedence
?
”

“
I had notes to review
.
”

“
Instructions from Stuart Johnston
?
”

“
Well, yes. If you must know
.
”

“
I bet he was rather detailed on how to pin the murder he committed on an innocent woman
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s preposterous! How dare you defame the county attorney! H
e’
ll have your bar card for such an unfounded and heinous accusation. Wher
e’
s your proof
?
”

“
In the discovery file I sent over
.
”

Stark stood still, jaw open.

“
I know of two others that followed St
u’
s instructions. One is dead. The other is missing. And they followed his orders perfectly
.
”

“
No, i
t’
s . .
.
”

“
I
t’
s what
?
”

“
I
t’
s all set. The grand jury is scheduled. I
t’
s open-and-shut
.
”

“
Do wha
t’
s right. This is
n’
t about you, Stark. I
t’
s about a woman who did nothing wrong. She deserves to go home
.
”

He stared back at the doo
r—
lost, silent.

“
See you in chambers. I trust you know the way
?”
She breezed down the hall, and into reception
.“
Hi, Regina.
I’
m here on the Susan Combes matter
.
”

When Stark entered, the Regina asked
,“
Wh
o’
s this
?
”

“
This is Eugene Stark. H
e’
s lead counsel for the state
.
”

Regina raised an eyebrow at Ruby.

“
An assignment made by the county attorney himself
.
”

“
I see. Go ahead
.
”

Without waiting for Stark, Ruby strode into chambers
.“
Good morning, Judge Penwick
.
”

“
Please, have a seat, Ms. Miller
.”
Not one to waste movement or time, she gave a curt nod, and asked
,“
Which matter
?
”

“
Susan Combes. Fourteen-eleven-seventy-one
,”
Ruby recited from memory.

The judge pulled the file and perused it
.“
Wher
e’
s the prosecuting attorne
y—
a Eugene Stark
?
”

“
H
e’
s still in with Regina
.
”