Hand of Justice (Mara Brent Legal Thriller Series Book 3)

by Robin James

  She took the pad of paper from Sam and started writing.

  “We’ll give you a few minutes,” Sam said. He met my eyes. I rose and followed him out of the interrogation room.

  Sheriff Clancy waited for us in the hallway. He’d been on the other side of the glass and heard every word.

  “Jesus Christ,” he whispered. “She’s a psychopath!”

  “I think so,” I said. “She seems to honestly believe she was ridding the world of evil.”

  “I didn’t see it,” Sam said. He squeezed his eyes shut. Cocking his arm, he slammed his palm into the wall.

  “I didn’t see it!” he shouted. “I was so focused on Mickey friggin’ Harvey …”

  “She knew what she was doing,” I said. “She knew nobody in the world would suspect she was responsible for killing members of her own family. And she’s right. If Jody Doehler had simply kept his mouth shut, she might have gotten away with it.”

  “It was you,” he said. “My God. Mara ... if you hadn’t put it together. If you hadn’t made me listen to you at the Blue Pony.”

  “If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in beating Elise Weaver,” I finished for him. “I lost sight of it all too, Sam.”

  “Enough,” Clancy said. “None of that means a thing now. Let’s just get back to work.”

  “Jody Doehler,” I said.

  “Just got word,” Clancy said. “State troopers picked him up in Toledo. They’re bringing him in now. And we should have preliminary ballistics on Georgette’s gun. How the hell did you find that thing?”

  “I didn’t,” I said. “Lou gave it up. He told me he saw Georgette try to bury it behind their woodpile. He was lucid enough to remember to grab it. And I think he knows exactly what she’s done.”

  “My God,” Sam said. “I need a drink.”

  There was a commotion down the hall. Jody Doehler came through in cuffs. Two deputies had to drag him forward.

  “Grandma!” he shouted. “Grandma!”

  “Get him out of my sight,” Clancy said. “Interview two is open.”

  I pressed my back against the wall. I think I needed it to hold me up.

  “You okay?” Sam asked.

  I nodded. “I am. Do you need me for that interview?”

  Sam looked back at Jody. They got him back to his feet and pushed him inside the door.

  “I’ve got it,” he said. “But stay close.”

  “I will,” I said. “I’ve got a phone call to make. I need to tell Elise Weaver we’re dropping the charges against her client.”

  “I’m sorry, Grandma!” Jody Doehler’s wail echoed down the hall.

  “Oh Jody,” Grandma George yelled back. “Will you for once in your life just shut up!”

  39

  Twelve hours later, I stood in front of Judge Denholm to go through the formality of dropping the case against Mickey Harvey. The entire Harvey family had lined the back wall of the courtroom. The Sutters had wisely stayed away. Outside, Sheriff Clancy had called in support from the Ohio State Troopers, just in case.

  “Mr. Harvey?” Denholm said. “I hereby order the case against you to be dismissed in its entirety. These fine deputies here are going to see that you get processed out as quickly as possible. To the rest of you back there. We’ve had enough bloodshed spilled in this town. You’ve got a prosecutor here who was brave enough to do her job right in the end. I want you all to go on home. Welcome your son, your cousin, back with open arms. Plan a big party in his honor. I wouldn’t mind an invitation. But this feud is over. You understand? I don’t want to see any more of you back in my courtroom. The same goes for any Sutters who are out there. We clear?”

  Except we would see a Sutter in here again unless Graham Sutter pled out on his vehicular homicide charges. That was tomorrow’s project for me. Judge Denholm’s words seemed too little, too late. He’d let this trial turn into a circus. It worked to inflame the tensions all through town. I just hoped today’s message got through. As it was, I expected it would go viral. He got his show. I hated that I was just cynical enough to believe that was entirely his point.

  “Anything more from you, Ms. Weaver?” Denholm asked.

  “No, Your Honor,” she said. “My work in Waynetown is done.”

  “Have a safe trip back home then,” he said. “And we’re dismissed.”

  He banged the gavel with a bit more gusto than usual. Ed Harvey practically vaulted over the railing to get to his boy. The deputies let him. Elise got out of their way. As the Harveys began their celebration in the hall, it gave Elise and me a rare, quiet moment together alone. Soon enough, she’d be out taking her place on the courthouse steps to give the media the show they came for.

  “I have to admit,” Elise said, smiling. “I would have liked the chance to finish the battle in here. I had a hell of a closing.”

  I put the last of my files into my briefcase. “Oh, I’m sure you did.”

  “I would have won, too,” she said.

  I paused. “You sure about that? Because from where I sat, all you had was a bunch of tabloid headlines and family secrets. Your client was still lying about where he was the morning of the 18th. His cell phone still put him at the scene of the crime.”

  “You and I both know it was a different crime, Mara,” she said.

  I did know. Now. Georgette’s statement put him at Kevin’s house, helping him score.

  “It’s too bad he hadn’t just told the truth about that to Sam,” I said. “It would have saved him a lot of aggravation.”

  “You sure about that? It seems to me your Detective Cruz had his mind made up from the outset. He came at this investigation with a closed mind. So did you,” she said. “Though, I have to admit, it’s killing me that you were the one to figure out Jody Doehler was lying. I should have caught that one.”

  I pulled my briefcase strap over my shoulder. “You’re right. You should have. But of course, there was still the physical evidence, Elise. Your client had Skylar’s blood all over his clothing. Clothing he tried to dispose of. You still sure you’d have swayed the jury?”

  “A bloody nose,” she said. “Nothing more. Mickey grabbed an old shirt and gave it to her to clean up with. He forgot about it.”

  “A bloody nose,” I said. “One he probably gave her.”

  “You’d make a brilliant defense attorney,” Elise said. “You’d be great at a lot of things. I could use you. And I could pay you. Probably three or four times what you make here.”

  “Money isn’t everything, Professor Weaver,” I said. “I like the job I have.”

  “Hmm,” she said. “Well, all the same. I just regret the opportunity to wipe the floor with you. Next time.”

  This time, I laughed. “And I know you well enough to know you’re only saying that because you aren’t sure you could. Admit it. Denholm was a disaster. He let you get away with things you know he shouldn’t. If it weren’t for that …”

  I let my words trail off. If it weren’t for that … My own need to win might have had me put an innocent man on death row.

  “If it weren’t for that,” Elise repeated. She had a twinkle in her eye.

  We stood there, eye to eye. She had nothing left to teach me, but I had a lot left to learn.

  Finally, Elise raised her hand to shake mine. “Next time, counselor,” she said. “Next time.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  With that, she took her leave. The press hadn’t waited for the courthouse steps. They gathered in the hallway. Camera flashes went off as Weaver the Cleaver sliced up the day as her victory.

  Later, Kenya would ask me if it bothered me. It didn’t. Well, maybe a little. But the lesson I learned would stick with me. It was one her predecessor, Phil Halsey, had never learned. Winning didn’t matter. Justice did. Today, I thanked God I’d been open-minded enough to let it in.

  40

  One Week Later …

  “The star is crooked,” Will said. I took a step back and cocked my head.

&nbs
p; We made a change. Every year since Will was old enough to help, we’d put the tree in the dining room. This year, we put it in the corner of the living room so we could see it where we spent the most time.

  “I think he’s right,” Kat said. She sat on the floor cross-legged, unwrapping the next ornament.

  “Oh,” I said. “That one’s my favorite. Will, do you remember making that for me when you were six?”

  It was a painted horseshoe with Will’s picture glued in the middle. He sat atop Mulberry, a school pony he rode at a camp.

  Kat tested the hook and handed it to Will. He took it and found a middle branch to hang it on. The branch immediately sagged under the weight of, well ... a metal horseshoe.

  “Now there’s a design flaw,” Kat giggled.

  “Shh!” I said. Will delighted in unwrapping each new ornament. Most he’d made for me. Within minutes, our Douglas fir was festooned with cardboard gingerbread men, noodle candy canes, and paper mache Santas.

  My cell phone rang. I went to answer it, leaving Kat and Will on garland duty.

  Sam Cruz’s number popped up. I put him on speaker then walked into the study, closing the door.

  “Working on Saturdays again?” I asked.

  “Not for long,” he said. Before I could ask what he meant, he launched into the reason for his call.

  “I just wanted to give you a heads-up. All the labs came back on Georgette Sutter’s gun. There’s no doubt it’s our murder weapon. It’s all perfunctory now with her and Jody’s confessions, but I just thought you should know.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “You were on my list of people to call, anyway. Kenya just signed off on a plea deal for both Jody and Georgette. Second degree for her. First for Jody.”

  “Wow,” he said. “Surprised he went for it.”

  “It’ll keep the needle out of his arm,” I said. “But he’s never going to see the outside of a jail cell again. Neither will she.”

  “How’d she take it?” Sam asked.

  “Indignant,” I said. “Her lawyer will likely argue for leniency in sentencing due to her age. I doubt she’ll get it.”

  “How’d the old man take it all?” Sam asked.

  “Grandpa Lou? Well, Nikki Sutter is taking him back to Seattle with her. She’s getting him into a great facility out there where she can visit him every day. She says he seems happy about it. Knowing what he knew about Georgette was eating at him.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll ever get over all of that,” Sam said.

  “Me either,” I said. “But so far, it seems like the town is. That’s all that really matters. Graham Sutter pled out as well.”

  “There’s a for sale sign up on the Sutter farm and all the houses,” he said. “Gotta admit, it was weird to see.”

  “End of an era,” I said.

  He was silent for a moment. “Sam?” I said. “I want you to know. You did good work on this case. Nobody could have guessed that Georgette killed her own grandkid. The case against Mickey was solid. If you’re getting blowback, I’ll be the first to …”

  “I’m not getting blowback,” Sam said. By the change in his tone, I guessed he was smiling. “I’m getting promoted. That’s one reason I called.”

  “Promoted?” I asked.

  “Clancy offered me lieutenant. I’ve accepted.”

  “That’s fantastic news! Though, I’ll admit, it’ll be a real loss not having you handling my murder cases for me. How did Gus take the news?”

  Detective Gus Ritter was still the oldest and saltiest detective in Maumee County. He’d mentored Sam.

  “Haven’t told him yet,” he said. “I’m hoping he doesn’t notice.”

  This got a laugh out of me. “Well, congratulations. It’s well deserved.”

  “Anyway, they’re throwing kind of a party for me next week. Not sure whether it’s a don’t-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-way-out-of-the-bureau kind of deal or a welcome to command. But it’s at the Pony, Friday after work. You should come. Uh, your whole office should come.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” I said. From the other room, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” started playing.

  “I’ll let you get back to your weekend,” he said. “See you Monday.”

  “See you Monday,” I said. “Congrats again, Sam. It’s great news.”

  “Thanks,” he said, and we hung up.

  I went back to join Kat and Will just in time to hang the last strand of garland. Kat gave me a quizzical look, asking me “who was that” with her eyes.

  I shook my head, dodging the question. We each stepped back. I put an arm around Will as Kat got the lights. We admired the sparkling splendor of the tree.

  “It’s perfect,” I said.

  “The one at Dad’s is bigger,” he said. “But this one’s my favorite. Maybe don’t tell him.”

  Kat and I laughed together. “It’ll be our secret,” I said.

  “You’ll have a Christmas party?” Will asked.

  “I will,” I said. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll have you in the morning. Then we’re all getting together downtown on the 26th. Kenya’s idea.”

  “I like her,” Will said.

  “Me too.”

  “You know, Mom,” Will said. “It would maybe be a good idea if you got a boyfriend too.”

  I froze. So did Kat. She shrugged her shoulders, showing she had no idea he was going to say that either.

  “A boyfriend?” I said. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”

  “You are,” he said. “And I like when you smile. Dad stopped making you smile. You should be with somebody who makes you smile.”

  Nobody in the world could fill my heart like Will could. So I smiled, big and full, as the Christmas lights twinkled. I saw Will’s sweet face reflected in the ornaments. I held him tight. Together, we looked forward to the bright promise of the New Year ahead.

  Up Next for Mara Brent…

  Mara must get inside the mind if a sadistic killer if she wants to serve justice. But this time, when evil touches her, it may not let her go. Don’t miss Mark of Justice.

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  About the Author

  Robin James is an attorney and former law professor. She's worked on a wide range of civil, criminal and family law cases in her twenty-year legal career. She also spent over a decade as supervising attorney for a Michigan legal clinic assisting thousands of people who could not otherwise afford access to justice.

  Robin now lives on a lake in southern Michigan with her husband, two children, and one lazy dog. Her favorite, pure Michigan writing spot is stretched out on the back of a pontoon watching the faster boats go by.

  Sign up for Robin James’s Legal Thriller Newsletter to get all the latest updates on her new releases and get a free digital bonus prologue to Cass Leary Legal Thriller series. http://www.robinjamesbooks.com/newsletter/

  Also by Robin James

  Mara Brent Legal Thriller Series

  Time of Justice

  Price of Justice

  Hand of Justice

  Mark of Justice

  With more to come…

  Cass Leary Legal Thriller Series

  Burden of Truth

  Silent Witness

  Devil’s Bargain

  Stolen Justice

  Blood Evidence

  Imminent Harm

  First Degree

  Mercy Kill

  With more to come…