JP turned onto Soper’s street. He rolled to the end of the cul-de-sac, turned around, and parked just short of the front yard. The dead-end street was not as well-kept as the surrounding area, and Soper’s yard was by far the worst. His house was in dire need of a new paint job too.
When JP parked, he again asked Gene, “You sure you don’t want backup?”
“I don’t need backup with that punk.”
“You don’t have a weapon, do you?”
Gene’s brow furrowed, then he scoffed. “Don’t be silly; that would violate my parole.”
“Right, and this isn’t.”
Gene exited the truck, and JP stayed behind, watching as his brother knocked on the door. When Soper opened it, Gene pushed him inside and slammed the door behind him. JP waited, wondering every few seconds if he should go in. He didn’t want Gene to get hurt, but more likely, he didn’t want him to kill the guy or do permanent damage. Finally, JP couldn’t take it any longer. He opened his door to get out, then spotted Gene casually walking to the truck.
“I see you’re still alive,” JP said.
“Yep.” Gene didn’t offer more.
“Did you get anything out of Soper?”
“No.”
“Is he still breathing?”
“Just barely. The guy either didn’t do it, or he’s dumb as a rock for not telling me. I could’ve ended his miserable life.”
“Maybe he knew you wouldn’t.”
“You think I’m going soft?”
JP shrugged. “I don’t really know you.”
They sat in silence for a few seconds. “I still think he did it,” Gene said. “But he won’t break. Any ideas?”
“Not any good ones.”
Just then Soper rushed out the door and dashed toward them, bellowing something they couldn’t understand.
“We may want to leave,” Gene said.
“What did you do to him?” JP started the engine. “He looks madder ‘en a centipede standing barefoot on a hot rock.”
JP sped off, but Soper followed. Within a couple of blocks, JP could see the other truck getting close.
Chapter 53
Sabre walked into the attorneys’ lounge and found Bob perusing the day’s petitions.
“Are you on detentions?” Sabre asked.
“Yes, but there’s not much,” Bob said. “That abandoned-baby case that’s been in the news is here.”
“I haven’t been watching much TV lately. What happened?”
“Someone left a baby in a Walmart store. He was only a few days old. They can’t find the parents.”
“Don’t they have the incident on camera?”
“They’ve been able to figure out that some woman brought him in under her sweatshirt, then left him in a crib that was set up. They don’t have any good facial shots apparently. She kept her hair in her face and was always looking down.”
“I’ll never understand people,” Sabre said. “Why would anyone leave a baby at Walmart, of all places?” She paused, but she didn’t expect an answer. “Any record of a birth that matches the child?”
“Not yet. It looks like she delivered him outside a hospital. Either that or traveled a long way in two days. They’ve checked every hospital in a five-hundred-mile radius.” Bob looked through the rest of the papers in the bin. “That’s about it. What’s on your calendar this morning?”
“I have two review hearings in Department One, and Conner’s case is on calendar. The judge has made a decision on the 707.”
“I hope you win.”
“Me too. There’s no way that kid should be tried as an adult.”
“Do you need me to cover anything in Department One?”
“I don’t think so, but I’m headed over to see Conner now. Mike’s bringing him in. The hearing itself should be pretty quick.”
Sabre walked across the lobby to the interview room. Sabre checked each empty room, then entered the one marked A to wait for Conner.
Three minutes later, a deputy brought him in and handcuffed him to the bench.
“Thanks, Mike.”
Mike nodded and walked out, locking the door behind him.
“Hello, Conner. Are you doing okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Have you had any more problems with other inmates?”
“No, but I’m pretty much by myself. It gets lonely, but it’s better than getting beat up.”
“I think that’s the best we can do for now. Do you know why you’re here this morning?”
“They just said I had court.”
“The judge has made a decision on whether you will be tried as an adult. He’ll give his ruling this morning.”
“Then what happens?”
“If we lose, they‘ll give us a court hearing downtown. Then we’ll appear there for a preliminary hearing, which will likely be set for a jury trial.”
“And if we win?”
“We’ll still set it for trial, but the case will be heard here in juvenile court in front of a judge only. If we lose here, your sentence will be a lot shorter than adult court, and you’ll be placed in juvenile facilities with better programs.”
Conner seemed to understand, or at least he nodded as if he did. He had little expression on his face, and Sabre wondered what was going through his mind. She couldn’t believe this young man had killed anyone and her heart ached for him. If he was innocent, as she believed, how could this poor teenager possibly understand why he was wrongly accused and how much his life would change? Even if he had killed Bullet, Conner would still be in a lot of turmoil. What could have pushed him to that breaking point? Either way, she felt bad for the boy. Unless JP could find something more, she might not be able to help him.
“Conner, I need to ask more questions. Are you up to it?”
“Yeah.”
“When did you put the lock on your bedroom door?”
“About a year ago—when Morgan got afraid because guys were running around the house naked.”
“Who had keys to the lock?”
“Just me, Morgan, and…”
“And who?”
“My dad. But he wouldn’t have put the gun there.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because he loves me, and he has always tried to keep me out of jail. He knows how awful it is.”
Sabre hoped he was right, but she couldn’t be sure, especially after what JP had told her about Gene and their father.
“I know he loves you, Conner, but sometimes adults make stupid mistakes too.”
“It wasn’t him.”
“Conner, whoever did this had to have access to your room on at least one occasion after the murder. Did your mom ever go in there?”
“Not after I put the lock on. I made it clear that no one could come in.”
“And your mom didn’t have a key?”
“No.”
“Do you think Morgan would’ve let her in?”
He shook his head. “I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have.”
“But you gave your dad a key. Why?”
“Because I trust him, and he’d never let anything happen to Morgan. I wanted him to be able to get in, just in case I wasn’t home and one of those creeps tricked their way past Morgan.”
“Do you know if any of those creeps got in?”
“I don’t think so. Morgan was very careful.”
“But you didn’t trust your mother enough to give her a key?”
“Not because she’d do anything bad, but she’s careless. And she never thought her friends did anything wrong. My mom means well, but she likes to party, and when she gets drunk, she doesn’t use her head.”
“Did anyone else ever come in your room?”
“Emily did. But only a few times, and I was with her.”
“And the day she saw the gun, did she say anything to you about it?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t even know she saw it.”
“Conner, I want you to visualize every
thing that happened from the time Emily came into your room.”
“Okay.”
“When she went to the closet, what were you doing?”
“I was taking a video game out of the machine. Emily went to the closet to pick out a new game. She doesn’t like the war games, so I told her to get a game she liked. She came back with the box and picked one.”
“Was she carrying a purse or any kind of bag with her?”
Conner thought for a second. “She had her backpack.”
“Did she usually have a backpack?”
“I think so.”
Chapter 54
“Sabre Brown for the defendant, Conner Torn, who is present in court,” Sabre said when her case was called.
“Marge Benson, deputy district attorney, for the people.”
Judge Feldman got right down to business. “After careful consideration of the evidence provided me regarding the fitness of this young man to be tried in juvenile court, I have come to the following conclusions. Conner Torn does not seem to have a high level of criminal sophistication for his age. Although his father has spent much of his life in custody, it doesn’t appear that he has taught his son the ways of the street. Among other things, I have considered the fight that took place in the Hall, in which Conner was not only an innocent victim, but unable to defend himself.” The judge looked at the DDA, who was fidgeting in her seat. “Before you object, Ms. Benson, I have considered many other things as well: his school record, the family dynamics, his lack of a criminal record, his demeanor, and the crime itself.”
It sounded like the judge was ruling in Conner’s favor, but he wasn’t done with his comments and Sabre kept waiting for the “but.”
The judge paused for a few seconds, and Sabre thought here it comes. The judge continued. “I did not consider SB 1391 in making my ruling. As I’m sure you all know, that bill to raise the age for a fitness hearing, from fourteen to sixteen, has passed both the Assembly and the Senate and sits on the governor’s desk for approval. I have only considered the merits and evidence of this particular case.”
Conner seemed to be holding his breath. Sabre wondered if he understood what the judge was saying.
“Under the present law of Welfare and Institutions Code 707, I find the defendant fit to be tried in juvenile court.”
Sabre gave a sigh of relief and smiled at Conner. Then she whispered to him to make sure he understood. “We won. You’ll be tried here in juvenile court. That’s a really big win.”
Sabre looked up at the judge. “Thank you, Your Honor. We’d like to set the matter for trial.”
They went off the record while Sabre and the DDA agreed on a date that worked for the court. The trial was set about a month out. Sabre made another attempt to have Conner released, but it was denied.
“That’s a long time,” Conner said.
“I know it seems like it, but we need time to prepare your case,” Sabre said. “You have to go back to the Hall now, but I’ll come on Sunday. Morgan has been asking to visit again.” Conner didn’t smile, but she saw his eyes light up a little. “Has anyone else been to see you?”
“My mom hasn’t, other than that one time. Grandma comes a lot, but I still don’t know where Dad is.”
Sabre whispered, “I haven’t seen your dad, but I do know someone who has. Your dad would come here if he could. He’s trying to find out who killed Bullet.”
Sabre wondered if she’d said too much. She hadn’t mentioned Gene before, because she didn’t want to tell Conner anything he might have to keep secret, or for him to get caught in a lie. When Conner smiled, she was glad she’d told him what she had.
“If you can pass the word, please tell him I miss him, and I know he didn’t kill Bullet.”
Sabre thought it was an odd thing to say, but she didn’t push Conner to explain.
~~~
JP sped away from Soper’s house, only to see that Soper was still following him.
“He’s gaining on us,” Gene said, looking back.
“He ain’t gonna make me run like a scalded dog,” JP said. Just then a shot rang out, and they heard the clang of metal on metal.
“You might want to re-think that,” Gene said.
“Damn! He hit my truck. Hold on.”
JP pressed the gas and squealed around the corner. He was heading west and looking into the blinding sun. Houses flashed past. JP raced through the neighborhood, gaining distance between them and Soper, who hadn’t turned onto the same street yet. JP made another right and quickly discovered it was a narrow alley with a dead-end. He slammed the brakes, threw it into reverse, and backed up. “Can you see him?”
“Not yet,” Gene said. “I take that back. There he is.”
JP shifted again and took off down a different street, but he had lost ground. Another shot rang out. It missed. JP accelerated, wanting to get away before someone got shot, but afraid he might hit a pedestrian.
JP tossed Gene his cell phone. “Call 9-1-1.”
“I’m not calling the cops. They’ll take me in. Just lose him.”
When they had three or four blocks between them, JP turned right, made a quick left, and then another right.
“I can’t see him,” Gene said.
“Good.”
JP had finally reached an area he was more familiar with. Businesses had started to appear. He pulled into an Arco station and drove behind it, where his truck couldn’t be seen from the street.
“I think we lost him,” JP said. “Give me my phone.”
“Are you calling the cops?”
“I need to report this. A madman is driving around shooting at people.”
“He’s only after us, and he probably doesn’t know where you live—which means he’ll come after me.”
“Does he know where Derek lives?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it.”
Just as Gene handed JP his phone, it rang. It was Sabre. He considered answering it, but then hit the button declining the call.
“Have you confronted her?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Are you sure she’s cheating?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw her messages from some guy on a dating service, and I went to their meeting place. I saw them together.”
“Were they intimate?”
“No, but it looked like a first date.”
“Then maybe there’s still time.”
“Why would she join a dating service if she wasn’t done with me? She deserves better anyway. I’m too old for her.”
“Sorry, bro,” Gene said, sounding sincere.
JP swallowed and took a deep breath.
“Dump the bitch,” Gene said. “Let’s go out tonight and find some ladies. We could both use the comfort.”
Chapter 55
Bob was waiting for Sabre when she came out of the delinquency courtroom. She must’ve looked happy, because he said, “You won, didn’t you?”
“We did. Conner will be tried as a minor. That is huge! We still need to find out what really happened, but no matter what, he won’t be spending the rest of his life in prison.”
“That’s great, Sobs.”
“I know.” Sabre removed her cell phone from her pocket. “I have to call JP and let him know.” She hesitated.
“What’s wrong?”
“JP won’t answer my calls, and he hasn’t returned any either. He won’t talk to me, so I don’t know what’s wrong.” She started to put her phone back, then stopped. “I’m calling him.” She waited as it rang four times, then left a voicemail: “Hello, JP. The judge just gave us a ruling on the 707 hearing. Please call so I can tell you what happened.”
Sabre hung up. “If he wants to know what happened, he’ll have to call me.”
She and Bob finished their morning calendar, but Sabre kept thinking about the conversation she’d had the night before with Morgan, as well as what Conner had told her earlier.
; “Want to go to Pho’s?” Bob asked.
“I need to see your client, Morgan. I have to ask her some questions about when Bullet was killed. Do you want to tag along?”
“Does that mean we’re not eating?”
“It means I’m not eating at Pho’s. You can do what you want.”
“What the heck. Let’s go. I’ll even drive.”
“It’s a deal, but you’ll have to stop at In-N-Out to pick up lunch for Morgan.” She winked.
“I’ll make the sacrifice.”
They walked to Bob’s car. He removed files from the front seat and tossed them into the back, where they landed on a pile of other folders.
“Nice filing system,” Sabre said.
“I thought so. It’s very handy.”
When they drove off, Bob asked, “Do you want me to talk to JP and see if I can find out what’s going on?”
“No, he’ll think I sent you. I don’t want that. He’ll come around.”
When they arrived at the school, Sabre and Bob went into the office and signed in. The receptionist recognized Sabre.
“Hello, Ms. Brown. Are you here to pick up Morgan?”
“No, but I brought her lunch.” She nodded toward Bob. “This is Bob Clark, Morgan’s attorney. We need to talk to Morgan, and the timing worked, so we thought we’d eat lunch with her. I’ve already checked with her teacher, and she offered her classroom so we could have some privacy.”
The receptionist handed her two nametags that said Visitor. “You know the way.”
Morgan was excited to see Sabre and even more excited to get the burger, fries, and vanilla shake. “I hope you don’t mind sharing your fries with me,” Sabre said. “I know you usually can’t eat them all.”
“Totally,” Morgan said. She looked at Bob. “You can have some too, if you want.”
“Thanks, but I have some.” He picked up the burger bag and grinned.
“Want to see my science project?” Morgan asked Bob. “It’s a volcano. Sabre has already seen it.”
“Sure,” Bob said.
Morgan led Bob to a long counter at the back of the room with rows of handmade volcanos. Bob picked hers out and bragged on the quality. Morgan beamed.
The Advocate's Justice Page 20