Unsympathetic Victims: A Legal Thriller (Ashley Montgomery Book 1)

by Laura Snider

  Katie pulled up outside the police station. “I’m going to call you a cab.”

  “But I—” Brooke began to protest.

  “I’ll pay for it,” Katie said, cutting her off. “I’ll prepay. We just need to get you out of here, and I’ve got to get a warrant for Christopher’s account.”

  Frustratingly, there were still no results back from the forensic lab on the knife Christopher had dropped, but Brooke had given Katie another angle to follow up on.

  “Go straight to the airport, and do not stop anywhere for anything. Do not answer your phone. In fact, toss your phone. Buy a new one at the airport. You don’t want him tracking you.”

  Brooke nodded and handed Katie her phone. “You keep it.”

  Katie accepted it. She would keep it in her desk drawer. She liked the thought of Christopher tracking Brooke to the police station. He can stew about that for a while, Katie thought. It would, hopefully, buy Brooke the time she needed to get on that plane and to the safety of her parents.

  For Katie’s next task, she needed to get a search warrant for Christopher Mason’s Wells Fargo account. She needed to find out who made that wire transfer. If she could not determine who sent the money, at least she could get the bank and the account number of the transferor. Then she could get a warrant for that account and determine the owner.

  She was getting closer. She could feel it. Christopher was the key.

  35

  Ashley

  December 16th – 10:00 a.m.

  Jacob tugged at his tie. It was baby blue with a pattern. Ashley did not initially realize what it was. It looked like three connecting circles at first blush, then she realized they were Mickey Mouse heads.

  Good God. I’m doomed, Ashley thought.

  Ashley and Jacob were in the courtroom, waiting for her bond review hearing to start. Jacob tugged at his tie again, pulling it from side to side.

  Ashley leaned toward him and whispered, “Stop fidgeting.”

  “Is it hot in here?”

  “No.”

  The courtroom was packed with people, just as it had been the last time Ashley was in court. That was Petrovsky’s sentencing. It was only six days earlier, but it felt like an eternity. She could feel the angry gazes from the gallery. Once again, it was full of townspeople. All of them hoping that Ashley would remain incarcerated. They did not care about guilt or innocence. They wanted her gone.

  Jacob shifted his weight. “Seriously. I think I’m going to have a heart attack.”

  Ashley turned toward him. His face was beet red and growing redder. She imagined his heart beating, a rabbit-sized heart pounding within a cavernous chest. If he didn’t relax, he probably would have a heart attack.

  “Calm down, Jacob. It’s going to be fine.” She patted the top of his hand. It was something her mother used to do. It always put her at ease. “Look at me.”

  Jacob turned to meet her gaze. Sweat beaded along his brow.

  “Take a deep breath,” Ashley said as she sucked in a long breath.

  He did the same.

  “Now let it out.” They exhaled together. “Breathe in,” Ashley said, breathing in deeply again, “and breathe out.”

  He followed suit. They did it a couple more times, and even Ashley was starting to feel a few pounds of pressure easing from her shoulders.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing, Ashley.” Jacob’s eyes flitted about the courtroom. “And there are all these people and reporters. What if I say something stupid?”

  Ashley’s first instinct was to smack him in the side of the head. Was he seriously worried about his image when her freedom was on the line? He was, but she couldn’t blame him for it. She had been guilty of the same when she’d occupied his seat. It was impossible to truly appreciate the direness, the desperation, in a defendant’s position.

  Ashley’s head swam, overcome with a sudden bout of dizziness. She really should have eaten breakfast that morning. Or dinner the night before. But there wasn’t anything she could do about it now, other than deal with it. She scanned the room, looking for someone who could lend her some strength.

  Her gaze fell on Tom. He stood in the corner in his brown jailer’s uniform with his hands clasped behind his back. He was unnaturally still, his expression carefully neutral. She watched him for a moment, willing him to look at her. And then he did. He caught her eye and nodded. It was the most he could do in the packed courtroom.

  Katie and George were also there, but they were not in their usual spot directly behind the prosecutor. They had chosen seating on Ashley’s side of aisle. A public statement that they were with her.

  Ashley flashed Katie a quick smile and turned her attention back to Jacob. “You will do fine. I will help you through it. If you don’t know what to say, you can always ask me.”

  Jacob nodded. As he did, the back doors flew open and Elizabeth Clement marched into the courtroom. Ashley did not turn; she didn’t need to. She could always identify the prosecutor by the heavy click of her heels. Elizabeth walked like she intended to put her heel straight through the floor with each step.

  “Good afternoon, Jacob,” Elizabeth said as she passed the defense table.

  “Afternoon, Elizabeth,” Ashley spat back.

  Elizabeth hardly knew Jacob. She should have called him Mr. Matthews. But she had used his first name to make him feel as though he was beneath her. It was an intimidation tactic. It would never have worked on Ashley, but Jacob was already nervous. Elizabeth didn’t need to destroy what little confidence he had.

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” Elizabeth said.

  “If looks could kill,” Ashley murmured to Jacob.

  “If looks could kill, Ms. Montgomery, you’d have died a long time ago. There’s not a single person in this town who doesn’t stare daggers at you. And then we wouldn’t be here today, now, would we?”

  “Well, no, Elizabeth. We wouldn’t be anywhere if I were dead. You might be here. But definitely not me. Unless you are in the habit of bringing dead bodies to court.”

  Elizabeth’s face reddened, and her voice dipped low. “You think you are so smart, Ashley. So much better than everyone else. Well, look at you now. You’re just a common criminal.”

  Ashley opened her mouth to respond, but just then, Judge Ahrenson entered the courtroom. Everyone shot to their feet. The judge took his place at the bench. “You may be seated,” he said, gesturing to the courtroom. He waited a few moments for everyone to sit. Then he continued. “We are here today for a bond review, is that right?” His gaze shifted to Jacob.

  Jacob nodded.

  Ashley elbowed him. “You have to answer out loud,” she whispered. “The court reporter cannot record nods in the record.”

  “I mean, yes, Your Honor.”

  “And a motion to compel discovery,” Ashley whispered to Jacob.

  “Oh, yes.” Jacob put a finger in the air. “And also, a motion to compel discovery.”

  “Is that a pending motion?” Judge Ahrenson said, turning toward his computer. He was silent for a few moments, studying the screen. “I see a motion to compel was filed yesterday. Is the State ready to proceed on that matter as well?”

  Elizabeth cleared her throat. “I’d rather not, Your Honor.”

  Judge Ahrenson fixed his icy blue gaze on the prosecutor. “And why not?”

  “Umm, because it was just filed yesterday.”

  “You don’t need witnesses to argue a motion of that nature, do you?” The judge’s words themselves were genial, but he put an edge on them. He had no tolerance for nonsense.

  “No, I don’t, Your Honor,” Elizabeth said. “I merely thought that we could deal with one thing at a time.”

  “That makes little sense, Ms. Clement. It’s a waste of the court’s time. We will deal with both motions today. Let’s discuss bond first. Mr. Matthews,” the judge said and turned to Jacob. “Call your first witness.”

  “Umm, yes, sir. My first witness is Keisha Adams.”

&nbs
p; Keisha came from the back of the courtroom. She paused to squeeze Ashley on the shoulder as she made her way to the witness stand. Keisha wore black dress pants and a white sweater. Ashley knew Keisha did not own any slacks. She must have gone out and bought some for this hearing.

  Judge Ahrenson swore Keisha in.

  Ashley leaned over to Jacob. “Remember, we aren’t trying the facts of the case here. The court determines bond based on two factors, whether I am a danger to the community, and whether I am a flight risk. The merits of the case do not matter right now.”

  Jacob nodded, swallowed hard, then began his direct examination. His questions were clumsy, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Keisha was smart, and this was not her first time testifying in a bond review hearing.

  “How long, um, er, have you known Ashley Montgomery?” Jacob asked.

  “For most of my life. She used to babysit me when I was little. I grew up in town here, and so did she. She hardly ever leaves. I’ve never even known her to leave Iowa. She’s not a flight risk.”

  “How, umm, do you, uh, know her now?”

  “I work at the Brine County Humane Society before and after school. I go to high school at Brine Senior High. Ashley volunteers at the animal shelter. She comes at five thirty to walk the dogs. She’s always there. She’s never missed one day. She’s so gentle and kind to the dogs. I’ve never once seen her hurt anyone or anything. She’s not a danger to the community.”

  Keisha’s testimony continued for the next ten minutes. She talked about Ashley’s other volunteer work at the children’s hospital. If Keisha had a day off, she would go with Ashley to visit the kids. She testified that the kids loved Ashley, and they missed her. It was a good start to the hearing. Then Elizabeth began her cross-examination.

  “Keisha, that’s your name, right?” Elizabeth asked. Her tone was mocking.

  Keisha tilted her head. “Yeah. That’s my name.”

  Ashley knew where this line of questioning was headed, and it wasn’t good. She pressed her hand down on the table, splaying all five of her fingers out. She could feel an indent below her hand. She picked it up and saw a word etched into the wood. It was the same one she had noticed during Petrovsky’s sentencing. A week and a lifetime ago. Unfreedom. That was what she was working toward. An unhearing that later bled into an untrial followed by unfreedom. What a fucking joke.

  “Last name Adams, right?”

  “That’s what I said earlier.”

  “Is your father Big Bob Adams?” Elizabeth asked.

  Ashley bit her lip. Bob Adams was in prison for multiple burglaries and arson. He also slapped women around, including his daughters.

  “Yeah. But I don’t know what that has to do with—”

  Elizabeth cut her off. “I’m asking the questions here, Ms. Adams. Now.” Elizabeth tapped her pen against the table. “Your mother, she is Shakira Adams, is that right?”

  Keisha’s eyes darted toward Ashley, wide and frightened. “Yes.”

  “Shakira is in prison for vehicle theft, isn’t that true?”

  “Again, I don’t know what that has to do with Ashley.”

  Elizabeth smiled cruelly. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Yes. My mom is in prison. But I don’t talk to my parents. I haven’t for years.”

  “But you are sixteen, aren’t you? Still in high school?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who takes care of you?”

  Keisha frowned. She sensed danger. A rabbit cornered by a fox. “I live with my grandfather.”

  “Your grandfather is in his nineties, am I right?”

  “Yes. Ninety-two.”

  “That’s probably too old to care for a sixteen-year-old girl. Does child services know about your predicament?”

  Keisha’s eyes blazed. “My grandfather is fine, and I am fine. Can we stop talking about my family?”

  “Oh, yes,” Elizabeth said, pretending to be apologetic. “Right. We don’t need to focus on your parents’ criminal history. Let’s talk about you.”

  Keisha crossed her arms. “Yeah. Let’s talk about me.”

  “You said Ashley volunteers at the animal shelter?”

  “Yeah. That’s what I said.”

  “And at the children’s hospital?”

  “Yes.”

  “Which are both pretty noble activities, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “But they aren’t noble enough to excuse the murder of two people.”

  Ashley’s back straightened, and she elbowed Jacob. “You need to object,” she hissed.

  “Objection?” Jacob said. It sounded more like a question than a demand.

  Judge Ahrenson sighed. “What’s the objection?”

  Jacob leaned toward Ashley and whispered, “What’s the objection?”

  “Burden shifting. I am innocent until proven guilty,” Ashley whispered.

  Jacob repeated the words to the judge.

  “Mr. Matthews has a point,” Judge Ahrenson said. “Objection sustained. Behave yourself, Ms. Clement.”

  “I’m so sorry, Your Honor,” Elizabeth said. But she did not sound the least bit remorseful. She had gotten what she wanted. And that was to tell the cameras that Ashley was a murderer.

  The remainder of the hearing continued in much the same manner. Ashley grew more and more despondent as Elizabeth continued to paint a picture of Ashley as a dangerous psychopath. Although Ashley’s insides writhed and screamed with indignation, she was careful to keep her expression even.

  Tom, however, was not. His nostrils flared, and his hands formed tight fists. He looked like he wanted to jump over the prosecutor’s table and wring Elizabeth’s neck.

  After the presentation of all evidence, Judge Ahrenson issued his ruling. “I am granting Ms. Montgomery’s motion for bond reduction.”

  Ashley’s breath caught. It sounded good, but she knew better than to start celebrating until after the court issued its full ruling.

  “Bond will be lowered to twenty-five thousand dollars, cash or surety. On each charge.”

  There it is, Ashley thought, her heart sinking. She was a public defender. She did not have that kind of money.

  “That is bullshit!” Tom shouted.

  Judge Ahrenson turned to look at him. His expression was a mixture of shock and rage.

  “I was with Ashley all night of Petrovsky’s murder. In the same bed. She could not have done it. This is wrong, and you know it.” Tom pointed an accusatory finger at Elizabeth.

  The entire gallery of onlookers gasped, then broke out into excited whispers.

  Judge Ahrenson tried to regain control of the courtroom, but Tom’s outburst was too shocking. The room deteriorated. There was no way the judge was reconsidering his ruling or addressing Ashley’s motion to compel discovery today. Elizabeth had gotten everything she wanted.

  Ashley’s head dropped to the table. Damn it, Tom, she thought. I told you not to do this. She had warned him of this exact scenario. Now she would be stuck in jail. He would be suspended. And her already unbearable life would get a whole lot worse.

  36

  Katie

  December 16th – 5:00 p.m.

  Night fell quickly. Brine’s streets shimmered with freshly fallen snow. Katie sat on the curb outside the law enforcement center, elbows resting on knees. Christmas lights sprang to life around her, bathing the trees in red and green. On its surface, it was a cheery sight, like the cover of a Christmas card. But Katie only saw what others would not. The darkness surrounding the light.

  She dropped her head in her hands. The cold bit through her uniform, its teeth gnashing at her skin. She did not mind the pain, she welcomed it. It, at least, was reliable. The cold was what it purported to be; it was cold. It didn’t parade around pretending to be something it wasn’t.

  She could not say the same about the criminal justice system. At least not anymore. Ashley’s bond was denied, and Katie didn’t know what would happen to Tom. He would probably lose hi
s job. It was unfair. Unjust.

  The door behind her creaked on its rusty steel hinges. She didn’t look to see who was there. The door slammed, and footsteps approached her.

  “Yes, George?” Katie said. “What can I do for you?”

  He sat beside her, groaning as he lowered himself to the curb. She stared ahead. She didn’t want to hear George’s I told you so. Because George had warned her before the hearing. He had said not to get her hopes up.

  They were silent for a long moment, then he handed her a box. “It’s from the jail,” he said. “Tom asked me to bring it to you.”

  Katie opened a corner of the lid and glanced inside the box. It contained several items that she recognized. A red-and-black crossbody bag. A hairbrush. Lotion from Bath and Body Works. She tossed it aside. It skidded across the snow.

  “Don’t be like that, Katie,” George said. “Tom’s in trouble. They can’t catch her with these things. He’d lose his job for sure.”

  Katie looked up, a small surge of hope blossoming in her chest. “So they didn’t fire him?”

  George shook his head. “Not yet, at least. Administrative leave.”

  “Who is going to run the jail, then?”

  There were only three other jailers aside from Tom, and they were all new hires within the past few months. The job was hard work, and Brine was not a booming metropolis. Most jail employees came for a while, then left for work in larger cities or took a higher-paying job as a deputy or officer with a sheriff or police department.

  George sighed. Katie’s heart plummeted.

  “Who is it?” She couldn’t bear the suspense.

  “You aren’t going to like it.”

  “I don’t like that you aren’t telling me.”

  “It’s John Jackie.”

  Katie’s breath caught. Had she heard wrong? It could not possibly be the same officer that issued the arrest warrants for Ashley. The same officer that was blackmailing defendants. He had it out for Ashley. For reasons that Katie did not know or understand, but it didn’t matter. Officer Jackie would make Ashley’s life hell.