Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“Jonathan Myers for the prosecution,” the prosecutor says.
“Bridget Bagley from the public defender’s office for the defendant,” opposing counsel says.
“All right.” Judge Barnes scans her documents. “Mr. Pollack, you’re accused of two counts of murder in the first degree. One count of assault and battery with intent to kill. How do you plead?”
Guilty.
Luke told us this morning that Pollack had agreed to plead guilty.
Pollack, his hands bound, clears his throat.
“I’m waiting,” the judge says.
“Not guilty, your honor.”
“Jesus Christ,” Buck says under his breath.
“Wasn’t he supposed to plead guilty?” I ask.
“That’s what I thought.” He glares at Luke.
“All right, not guilty it is,” Judge Barnes make some notes. “Ms. Bagley?”
“We ask that the defendant be released on his own recognizance,” Ms. Bagley says.
Judge Barnes laughs. She actually laughs. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
“Your Honor,” Myers says, “we ask that the defendant be held without bail. He’s currently under immunity from the federal courts, but with this new crime, that has been revoked. He will go to prison one way or the other. Due to the extraneous issues in this case, we also request a speedy trial.”
“I can’t think of a better place for him,” Judge Barnes says. “Ms. Bagley, your request is denied. Mr. Pollack will be held without bail pending any additional hearings. I will be granting the prosecution’s request for a speedy trial. Trial date is set for next month.”
“Next month?” I whisper to Buck.
“That’s actually damned speedy,” he says. “I guess we’re staying in LA for a while.”
“Why didn’t he—”
The bailiff interrupts me. “Next on the docket: State of California versus Margo Caprice, also known as Nancy Louise Mosely.”
Nancy comes in then, also in an orange jumpsuit and also bound at the wrists. Her dirty blond hair hangs in strings over her shoulders.
“Jonathan Myers for the prosecution, your honor.”
“And Bridget Bagley for the defense.”
“Ms. Caprice,” Judge Barnes says, “you are accused of one count of kidnapping. How do you plead?”
“Ms. Mosely would like a plea agreement, your honor,” Bagley says.
“All right. Has the prosecution agreed to one?”
“We have, your honor,” Myers says. “We’ve agreed to six months jail time and three years’ probation.”
“Very well.”
“Wait a minute!” I rise.
“Ma’am,” Judge Barnes says, “I’m going to have to ask you to remain seated.”
“You don’t know what she did to me. The hell I’ve been through, and the—”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’re going to have to sit down. I cannot allow disruptions in my courtroom.”
“But I was sent to that island! By her! And I—”
Buck rises, pulls me into his arm, kisses my forehead. “Aspen, please. She can send you to jail. We’ll get through this.” He grabs my hand and leads me out of the courtroom. “I’m sorry, baby,” he says. “You can’t just talk to a judge like that.”
“It’s a woman judge. She’ll understand.”
“Maybe she will. But do you want to take that chance? I don’t want you spending a night in jail.”
He’s right, of course. I know better. It’s just… “Pollack was supposed to plead guilty.”
“I know, but it’s okay. No jury will dare not convict him after we all testify.”
“I suppose not. And then he’ll get what’s coming to him.”
“He will. You need to trust the system.”
“All right.”
But I don’t trust the system.
Katelyn comes out a moment later, tears streaming down her face, Luke holding her hand.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Luke says. “I promise you this will be okay.”
“But he was supposed to be sent away. Today.”
“I know. I’ll take care of this.”
Buck looks at Luke.
Katelyn looks at me.
Something is brewing.
I don’t know what it is, but perhaps Pollack will get what’s coming to him without a trial.
31
BUCK
Darnell drives home to Colorado. There’s no reason for him to stay here for a month while we wait for the trial date.
Katelyn and Aspen are both distraught, and they decide to have some wine on the deck and play with the dogs.
Just as well.
Luke and I need to talk.
Once we’re in his office, I start the conversation. “What are you going to do about this?”
He raises his eyebrows. “You’re not asking me to break the law, are you?”
“What if I am?”
“Then I’ll tell you that my immunity deal is contingent upon me being a law-abiding citizen.”
“Right. Even though you held Chris Pollack in a safehouse and—”
“However”—he gestures for me to stop as he clears his throat—“I do know people who will break the law. For a price.”
“A price that can’t be traced back to us?”
“Aren’t you the honorable military man,” he says with a wry smile.
“Shut the fuck up, Raven—”
His jaw clenches. “Wait just a fucking minute.”
I hold up a hand. “That’s who you are to me and who you always will be. But this matters to you just as much as it does to me. Pollack is the man who tortured your fiancée. And he’s also the man who killed Gloria Delgado and her husband. He’s not a good man.”