Law and Murder

by Rusty Ellis

  The paper in Averett’s shirt pocket bulged against his jacket. He could feel the corner of the folded paper against his chest. Reaching inside his coat he pulled the paper out and held it in front of him. The printout would include the person’s name, the courtroom number, the charges, and the time of the hearing.

  Averett reached to unfold the paper with both hands, but paused. If he opened the sheet of paper he would be trapped in the loop. He would be trapped in the endless cycle of serving at the behest of Sartori.

  I don’t have a choice. I simply, don’t have a choice.

  Averett opened the paper.

  Defendant’s Name: Victor Ruzzio

  Charge: Ex-Felon Possession of a Firearm

  Department: IX

  Hearing Time: 10:00 a.m.

  Averett peered down at his watch—10:03 a.m. He made his way to the elevator and up to the third floor. Reaching the wooden doors of Department IX, he opened the door and was met by several pews overflowing with people. Toward the front of the courtroom, normally where the jury would sit, sat about a dozen men and three women all wearing orange jumpsuits with chains around their waists attached to handcuffs at each wrist. Men in suits and women in dress suits hurried about chatting with the prisoners before the judge took the bench. A bailiff entered the courtroom and called the room to order. The judge entered the courtroom as the bailiff spoke and climbed the three stairs to her elevated bench and sat. She was wearing a traditional black robe and had on a gold chain necklace. Her red-rimmed glasses were in contrast to her blonde hair which was pulled back into a ponytail. She looked down at the papers in front of her and then nodded at the court clerk sitting just below her and to the left.

  The clerk called out the first case and the judge went through the formality of questioning the defendant about his competency. She then questioned his ability to pay for an attorney and determined he qualified to be represented by a Public Defender. She then turned the time over to an Assistant District Attorney to state the charges and their stance on the defendant being released on bond or being detained pending trial.

  The discourse turned to background noise as Averett searched the faces in the jury box. A sour-looking man with short cropped hair made eye contact with him and gave him a nod. Averett quickly looked away and back down at the paper in his hand. A flood of thoughts rushed through his head. His practice. His wife. His daughter.

  “The court now calls Victor Ruzzio, Case Number LCR-09487,” the clerk yelled to the crowded room.

  The sour man in the jury box stood up, “Here.”

  The judge spoke up, “Mr. Ruzzio. Do you have an attorney?” The judge looked around the room.

  “Uh, my attorney should be here, judge,” the man looked at Averett.

  “Is the attorney for Mr. Ruzzio here?” the judge asked again.

  Averett stood with his back to the door—silent. He made eye contact with Ruzzio and then looked down at the paper in his hand. Breathing out, he crumpled the paper and dropped it in a trash can next to the door. With one last look at Ruzzio, he pushed his shoulder against the door and stepped backwards out the door and into the hallway.

  No more.

  Averett walked back to the elevators and through the lobby. He continued out the doors, down the steps and back to the street corner. A sense of relief washed through his body. The feeling was quickly replaced by the reality of what he’d done. The dominos were now in place and he had tipped over the first one by not speaking up in the courtroom. They would definitely start to fall in succession around him.

  The light turned and he followed the robotic voice’s command to walk across the street. He walked up the three flights of stairs to the floor where his car was parked. An anxiousness clawed at his back and he couldn’t help but turn to look and make sure he wasn’t being followed. The parking garage was full of cars—empty of people. He made his way to his car and looked through the window. A grin lifted the corner of mouth at the sight of the empty envelope sitting on the driver’s seat of his car. The money was gone. It happened quicker than he’d expected.

  Averett sat down in his car and pulled his phone from his pocket. His decisions had repercussions. He needed someone on his side. He was committed to breaking the loop and the chains Sartori had in place.

  He pulled a card from his wallet and flipped it over. Reading the number on the back he took his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the number.

  “Walsh,” the voice answered.

  “This is Averett Turing, I need your help.”

  40

  “Are you sure?” Jimmy asked a second time. “Thanks, I’ll tell him.”

  Jimmy turned to Sartori who was reading a newspaper while drinking a cup of cappuccino.

  “Mr. Sartori,” Jimmy began.

  Sartori lowered the paper but kept the cup in his hand. The small ring of the cup looked dainty in his hand—amusing at another time.

  “Turing didn’t show.”

  Sartori furrowed his brow. The comment seemed to strike him as odd. He waited for Jimmy to continue.

  “Turing showed up at court but left. When they called Ruzzio’s case, Turing just walked out without a word.”

  Sartori set his cup on a saucer on the table, “Where is he now?”

  Jimmy shrugged. He hadn’t a clue where Turing had gone. The thought of Turing not showing up wasn’t even a consideration.

  “Send him a message,” Sartori said and picked up the cup and his paper.

  Jimmy dialed his phone, “Gianni. You need to find Mr. Turing. And after you find him, make sure he understands we’re not pleased.”

  41

  “Yeah, we’re still following her,” Rocks answered.

  “Pick her up and take her to Northtown,” Gianni stated and hung up.

  Rocks turned to Mikey, “When traffic thins out a little, give her a bump. The Boss wants us to snatch her and take her to Northtown.”

  Mikey nodded and checked his rear-view mirror. The Honda Accord he was following was headed down Maryland Parkway in the direction of UNLV. Traffic turned busier the closer they came to the college campus. They’d followed the girl before and were familiar with her route and regular parking spots on campus.

  The little red car made an unexpected detour and pulled into the left turn lane in front of the Maryland Mall. Mikey eased into the lane in their dark SUV and waited patiently for the light to change.

  “Wait ’til she pulls into the parking lot. We’ll do it there,” Rocks instructed.

  The light changed and Sara turned into the parking lot of the mall. Mikey followed close behind, waiting for his chance. The parking lot was sparsely dotted with cars with few people coming and going. Sara drove to the end of the long building and turned left into an aisle of parking spots. Mikey saw his chance and tapped the gas, bumping Sara’s car in front of them. He could see the girl’s head whip backward against her headrest. Mikey threw his car in park and jumped to rush up to her driver’s door.

  “Are you okay?” he asked and watched as Rocks made his way in between their vehicles and waited.

  Sara popped open her door and climbed out of her car holding her neck, “I think I’m okay.”

  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you stop. Come sit on your bumper while I get my information,” Mikey offered and escorted her toward the rear of her car. “Do you need an ambulance…”

  Sara rounded the back of her car and was met by a second large man in a suit, “Hello, Sara.”

  “Hello…”

  Before she could make any sense of the situation—and the man knowing her name—Rocks grabbed her in a bearhug and squeezed the air out of her. Sara kicked and tried to scream but couldn’t pull in enough air to make a sound. Mikey rushed to open the back passenger door and waited for Rocks to toss the girl into the vehicle and climb in after her. Mikey slammed the door and ran back around to the driver’s seat and backed the car up just enough to pull around Sara’s car and leave it sitting in the middle of the driving
lane with the door open.

  Rocks grabbed a roll of duct tape from the seat beside him and wrapped the tape around Sara’s wrists then her ankles, he finished with a piece taped over her mouth. Mikey could hear her trying to pull a deep breath through her nose. Looking in the rearview mirror, he could see the top half of Sara’s face and the look of terror in her eyes. The look put a smile on his face. He loved his job. He was a believer the sins of the father would fall upon their children. Someone had to be accountable. It was unfortunate for the girl, but orders were orders, and business was business. It was the attorney’s fault after all.

  He glanced in the mirror one more time and saw Rocks pull a hood over the girls head to block her view and then saw him shove her onto the floor behind his seat. Rocks nodded at Mikey and he continued north on Maryland Parkway to the spot where Gianni told them to take her and wait.

  42

  Averett got off the phone with Ransom and drove toward the place where they agreed to meet. He was prepared to tell them everything. To explain his part and how messed up the whole situation was. He didn’t care what they would think about him, he just couldn’t do it anymore and couldn’t place his daughter in harm’s way continually from his decisions. He couldn’t afford to lose her too.

  Through all the decisions, Averett had forgotten to call Sara. She should be at home after the scare Ransom and Detective Gardner put into her. He was sure it had been enough to make her stay put. He called Sara’s phone and listened while it ringed and turned to voicemail. Next he tried the house phone. The phone rang until the answering machine picked up and his daughter’s familiar voice came on.

  A spark of panic set in and Averett called Sara’s cell phone a second time. On the third ring there was an answer, a male’s voice, “Hello.”

  “Hello, Sara? I’m trying to reach my daughter. Who’s this?”

  “This is Officer Lauritzen with Metro, who’s this?”

  “This is Averett Turing, I’m trying to reach my daughter, Sara.”

  “Does she drive a red Accord?” the officer asked.

  The officer’s voice and questions heightened the panic in Averett’s voice, “Yes, yes she does. What’s happened? Where’s Sara?”

  “We just found her car in front of the Maryland Mall. The driver-side door was open and the car was running. Her purse and phone were on the seat with the windows open.”

  The information stunned Averett.

  Her car running? Her purse on the seat? The driver’s door open?

  “Hello? Sir? Are you still there?” the officer’s voice interrupted Averett’s thoughts.

  “Yes, I’m still here. I’ll be right there!”

  Averett hung up the phone and tapped the screen to find the last number called on his phone, “Hello, Ransom? They took Sara! Sara’s missing!”

  43

  Sara struggled to keep calm and not make any noise. She’d tried to sit up and was met with a smack in the side of the head. Her hands were taped in front of her and her fingers were turning cold from the lack of circulation. She could only hear a few of the words the men exchanged while the car was moving.

  “Turn in here,” the voice on the seat above her commanded. She could feel the man lean down close to her face, “Not a peep. You got it?”

  The man’s face was close enough she could smell his breath. Her first thought was to scream, but the tone of his voice kept her quiet, afraid of what he would do.

  She could hear the man in the front seat talking, “Yeah, our boss wants us to check on a few things.”

  “Okay, hang this on your rearview mirror while you’re here,” the unfamiliar voice instructed.

  “Got it, thanks,” was the reply from the front seat.

  The SUV drove a short distance further and made a sharp turn before coming to a stop. Sara could hear the front door open and heard another metal door creak open from outside the car. The car door near her head swung open and she felt two hands grab her around the biceps and pull her into an upright position outside the car. She felt something in her midsection and wrap around her legs as she was lifted off the ground. The man was carrying her over his shoulder. Sara could feel the sun on the back of her head and arms as he took a few steps, then the warmth disappeared, a blast of cold air and darkness enveloped her.

  “Take her into the office,” a voice sounded from somewhere behind her.

  Footsteps echoed around her from her captors. The echos were far off, bouncing around in what sounded like a large room with a cement floor.

  Sara could hear a door creak and she was plopped down into a chair. The room felt dark through the thick mesh of the mask. She heard the click of what sounded like a light switch and could see a shade of bright light lighten inside the mask. A hand reached under the edge of her mask and ripped the tape from her mouth.

  Her mouth now free, she timidly asked, “Where am I? Why did you…”

  The voice from the back seat answered, his face close to her ear, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut up unless you’re asked a question!”

  Sara could hear the other man behind her snicker at his partner’s response. She fought her lower lip as it uncontrollably quivered. Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked hard in an attempt to control her emotions, releasing a tear down her cheek in the battle. She sniffled and fought a second wave of tears and could hear the men both laughing in concert. She decided her safest decision was to remain quiet and do what they said.

  Her father would find her. He had to find her.

  44

  The flow of blood to Averett’s head sent a pounding headache through his temples—accompanied by pangs of anger, anxiety, and fear— with the thought of his daughter being held by Sartori’s men. The anxiety of not knowing where she was or what they were doing to her. And the fear of losing her in the same fashion he’d lost his wife.

  Averett fought to keep his head together long enough to make it to the mall where the Metro officer had found Sara’s car. He had no choice but to ask for Ransom and Detective Gardner’s help at this point. Bringing the police in caused another level of anxiety. He was afraid of what Sartori and his men may do further to his daughter knowing he had contacted the police. The only spark of hope was the knowledge that Sara was the only leverage they had over him. Without Sara, he could throw caution to the wind and just turn his back on Sartori and his thugs. Life without his wife and Sara was no life at all. He knew it. Certainly Sartori knew it. Or at least Sartori would know it through Jimmy’s advice and counsel.

  Jimmy was another issue. His smug attitude and being a “spokesperson” for Sartori made him just as culpable. As Sartori’s counsel, or better known as his consigliere, Jimmy was the one who kept track of the web for Sartori. He kept all the pieces in play and advised his Boss as to how decisions would play out in the grander scheme of things.

  Averett’s phone rang and he looked down to see the number was blocked. He tapped the screen and listened without a response.

  “Hello, Mr. Turing?” Jimmy’s familiar voice came through the line.

  “I’m here.”

  “It looks as though we had a miscommunication this morning.”

  Averett chose to be silent. Nothing he said would change the dialog or the fact they had his daughter.

  “We asked you, in a professional capacity, to go to court and represent one of the family’s staff members,” Jimmy continued. Averett remained quiet and Jimmy proceeded, “We were notified that you went to the courtroom but didn’t participate or offer your professional services, even though we paid you this morning for those services.”

  Having Jimmy scold him and his ethics as an attorney began to boil over in Averett’s blood. For Jimmy to lecture him on the scruples of being an attorney and turn the current situation into a question of breach of contractual services caused Averett to grip his phone tight enough to test the protective case.

  Averett carefully chose his next words. Sara’s safety was foremost in his mind, �
��I will return the money.”

  “Let’s not be so hasty, Mr. Turing. The money isn’t the issue. The money was simply a means to bind the contract between client and attorney. It could have been $20 for all that matter, though, as you know, we recognize your skill and dedication as an attorney and have provided compensation in that regard.”

  Averett pulled to a stop at the red traffic light directly in front of the mall. He looked over to see two black and white patrol cars parked near Sara’s car, along with several other bystanders attracted to the sight of the Metro police cars in the parking lot. The sight of Sara’s car struck a painful emotional chord in Averett. The man on the phone more than likely knew where his daughter was. For now, he was the only connection Averett had to Sara.

  “What do you want me to do?” Averett asked as the light turned green.

  “Sounds like you’re thinking clearly, Mr. Turing. We appreciate that. The initial hearing was continued until tomorrow afternoon. We’re confident that today’s decision was…well…let’s call it a slight misjudgment on your part. Please take care of the hearing tomorrow, thank you.”

  Averett could hear Jimmy’s intent to hang up and pleaded, “Jimmy, wait!”

  “Yes, Mr. Turing?”

  “What about my daughter? What about Sara?”

  Jimmy hesitated before answering, “Once you take care of the initial hearing tomorrow, we’ll discuss that issue.”

  Before Averett could plea further, Jimmy hung up the phone. Averett was nearing the parked police cars and noticed a lone, dark sedan speeding through the parking lot on an intercept course with him and the police cars. As Averett stopped near the scene, he made out Ransom in the passenger seat of the dark sedan. A spark of relief and anxiety rushed through Averett at the sight of him.