Without Justice

by Carsen Taite

  “Sorry, boss.”

  “Not your fault. He’ll probably keep calling until the trial. Maybe after, if it doesn’t go well.”

  “Do you want me to get Elena on the line?”

  Leave it to Janice to anticipate her needs. She should talk to Elena to give her a heads-up that Jansen was on the warpath, but her mind was already whirring its way to another solution. “Let’s wait on that. Is Seth around this morning?”

  “He had a hearing in Judge Latham’s court, but I bet he’s back by now. You want me to have him come by?”

  Emily stood up. “No, I need to stretch my legs. I’ll wander by his office.” She wasn’t used to all the desk time her new position required. As an ADA, she’d moved around a helluva lot more, meeting with witnesses, complainants, police, and going back and forth to court proceedings. If she didn’t start making a point to get out from behind her desk, she was going to age exponentially before she finished serving out her term, and God knows she’d age enough from calls like Jansen’s.

  Seth’s door was cracked. She peeked in and saw he was on the phone, but he waved her into the room. She sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk and looked around the room while he finished up his call.

  “I know, I know,” Seth said into the phone. “I promise I’ll be there in time for dinner. Yes, black suit. I can pick out my own tie. Okay, okay. Got it.” He hung up the phone and sighed. “Is it just me or is it always painful meeting the parents?”

  “You haven’t met her parents?” Emily was genuinely surprised.

  “They’ve been on one of those round the world trips, planes, trains, cruise ships, since we got serious. Now they’re back, and it’s like I have to start all over again.”

  “I get it. You already got the girl, so you’ve gotten all relaxed. Don’t worry. You’ll wow them even if you wear the wrong tie.” The look on Seth’s face signaled her assurances weren’t having much affect. “When’s the meeting?”

  “Friday night. At the Petroleum Club. I’m sorry I’m going to miss your thing.”

  Emily waved him off. She was scheduled to be part of a panel at the local college, discussing the topic of law enforcement in the future. She’d learned pretty quickly after taking office her duties extended way beyond regular courthouse activity. Town hall meetings, panels, dinners, lunches, and breakfasts now consumed much of her time. “Don’t be sorry. I’d skip out if I could, even to have dinner with potential in-laws. But you can do me a favor—do you have a minute to talk about Ethan Jansen?”

  Seth scowled. “Is he still calling you?”

  “Just got off the phone with him. Pretty sure I’m on his blacklist now.”

  “Join the club.”

  “Talk to me about what’s going on. We have a solid case?”

  “Actually, I was going over the file with Elena yesterday, and I asked her to leave it here. She wanted some advice before the grand jury presentation.” Seth reached behind his desk, pulled out a folder, and started thumbing through the pages. “Okay, here are the facts. We have two witnesses who can ID a car that matches the description of the defendant’s leaving the scene of the accident. The next day, the defendant tells one of her friends she’s feeling guilty about something. She takes her kids to her mother’s and leaves them there, but she goes about her daily business for a whole week. After one of the sheriff’s deputies leaves a card on her door, she turns herself in and makes a full confession.” He closed the file. “That about sums in it up. Her car was parked behind her house, and the damage is consistent with the description of the incident.”

  “The confession is solid?”

  “Yes. She signed the acknowledgment of rights before she wrote out her statement.”

  “I thought we were going to start getting video statements.”

  “The sheriff’s office said they didn’t get the budget allocation they were promised.”

  Emily nodded, but she made a mental note to check further. She knew the sheriff’s office had received plenty of funding at the start of the new year, but she imagined most of the money had gone into the new SUVs she’d seen the deputies driving around town.

  One of her campaign platforms had been to provide a more transparent process, and recorded statements were one way to achieve that promise, but she had to rely on law enforcement to do their part. Unfortunately, Sheriff Nash had supported her opponent in the primary, and had only grudgingly offered his support when she became his party’s candidate. She hoped they could find a way to work together, but in the meantime she might have to find some funds in her own budget if she wanted to keep her campaign promises. For now, she’d have to make do with what they had on this case. “Any mitigating circumstances we need to be aware of?”

  Seth shook his head. “She’s got two young kids, but for all we know they were with her that night which only aggravates her culpability in my book. I imagine if she gets a decent lawyer, whoever it is will argue she panicked at the scene and was scared that if she was arrested, there would be no one to take care of her kids. She ultimately confessed, but we’ll be quick to point out she didn’t come clean until the sheriff’s office had already shown up at her door. Once we get the forensics back from the lab, we’ll have an indictment in no time.”

  Seth had the case well in hand, and Emily only hoped Mr. Jansen could find the resolve to wait through the process without burning up their phone lines. Emily stood. “Thanks for filling me in. We should have our new grand jury packet procedures ironed out before this case is presented. Can you get something to me this week?”

  She watched while Seth looked at his calendar and frowned. She suspected his expression had more to do with his disagreement with her new policy than it did about his schedule. She’d promised the local defense bar that part of her move to transparency would include the right to present a packet of information to the grand jury to try to convince them not to indict a case. The DA’s office would still have veto power if the packet contained information more likely to inflame than inform, but the new process would allow defendants to try to convince grand jurors the charges should be tossed before the case was held over for trial.

  She saw the procedure as a win-win. If the grand jury decided to no-bill, or to not indict the defendant, then the people had spoken. If they decided to true-bill, or indict, in spite of whatever pitch the defense made, that only made her case stronger going forward. But some prosecutors, Seth included, saw the move as ceding sacred ground. The grand jury had always been the secret sanctuary, dominated by the prosecution. They acted like letting the defense in, in any capacity, was the end of the world.

  “It can be really simple, but I want the new policy in place before this case is heard. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Seth said with a resigned tone. “I’ll get it done before I head to Dallas Thursday night.”

  “They’ll love you, you know.”

  “What?”

  “Vivian’s parents. I know parents can be intimidating, hell, look at mine, but you’re smart, handsome, and you have a great job.”

  “They might be a little more impressed if I was you.”

  “A woman?”

  “No, the district attorney.”

  Seth’s smile was laced with a tinge of regret, but Emily couldn’t tell if he regretted he’d said the words or regretted he’d said them out loud. “Oh please. You’re one of the best trial lawyers I know. They’d be lucky to have you as a son-in-law. You can tell them I said so.”

  Seth laughed, for real. “I might just do that. Now, go boss someone else around so I can get some work done.” He shooed her out the door.

  On the way back to her office, she paused at the top of the stairs and looked out one of the tall windows. In the middle of the day, the square was bustling with activity. It was almost lunchtime, and many of the people who worked downtown were walking to their favorite lunch spots. It was a vastly different atmosphere from the night she’d run into Cade in the dark, cold, and silent night. She close
d her eyes for a few seconds and conjured up the image of Cade, standing at the foot of the courthouse steps, dashing and handsome.

  She’d looked for Cade in the week since, scouting every face she saw, looking for a smile of recognition, but she’d come up empty. She contemplated asking one of the investigators at her disposal to assist, and then laughed at herself. No way was she going to raise questions about her ethics by using county resources to find a woman who she only knew by her first name, but who had occupied her thoughts since the moment they’d met.

  Emily sighed. Time to get back to the work that defined her life. She’d take a few more months to get settled into her new role, and then she’d find a woman to fall in love with, get married, and raise a family. But right now she had duties to fulfill, and chasing strangers with eyes she could drown in wasn’t one of them.

  *

  Cade hung her coat on the back of the office door and put her bagged lunch—leftover white bean and chicken chili that would taste even better today than it had last night—in the mini refrigerator by her desk. Making her own lunch was only one of the many ways her life had changed. Lately, she’d spent her nights watching cooking shows and jotting down recipes. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to start packing on extra pounds, which would require buying new clothes, which meant shopping. When had she started to measure her life by the various ways she could figure out how not to leave the house?

  “Hey Cade, there’s a woman out front who asked for you.”

  Cade turned to see Harry Spader standing in the doorway. Harry was a student, working his way through his degree by putting in hours at the library. She studied his face for signs of something, anything to tell her whoever was asking about her wasn’t nefarious, but she couldn’t get a read and she didn’t want to ask. “Did she say who she was?”

  “Kennedy. That’s all she said. You want me to tell her you’re busy?”

  Kennedy. This was the first time she’d shown up at her work, and that put Cade on alert. Was something wrong? Was she in danger? She looked around the office she shared with two other librarians. It was private right now, but any moment someone else could come in. Better she talk to Kennedy about whatever it was far from here. “No, tell her I’ll be right there.”

  She took a moment to steady herself, forcing calm breaths and fixing her face into a neutral expression, and then strode out to the circulation desk. Kennedy was standing off to the side. She probably thought she was being discreet, but Cade would have made her as a cop within seconds even if she didn’t already know. The familiar bulge in her jacket, the way she feigned nonchalance while standing at full alert—all signs she was on the job. Cade watched Kennedy’s eyes track her as she approached, but she didn’t call out a greeting, instead she waited until they were right next to each other before saying, “Not here.”

  She led the way with Kennedy on her heels. The student union was two buildings down, and, although they covered the distance in about five minutes, by the time they got there, Cade was freezing because she’d left her coat back at the library office. She walked straight to the snack bar and ordered a coffee from the young woman behind the counter.

  “Hi, Miss Kelly. Good to see you.”

  Cade frowned. Did she know this girl?

  The girl took her reaction in stride and shot out a hand. “Darcy Winters, future microbiologist. You helped me find some reference texts from another school a few weeks ago. Saved my butt and my paper. I never forget a life saver.”

  Ah. She remembered now. Darcy had been desperate when she learned the campus library didn’t have one of the source materials she was relying on, and she didn’t have funds to order the expensive texts online. Cade had made a few calls and managed to borrow what Darcy needed from another library, making special arrangements for a quick delivery. Like most of her interactions with strangers, Cade had kept her head down and her focus on the details of the transaction. For the first time, it occurred to her this method of hiding out also meant she didn’t have an opportunity to notice details about the people around her, which was equally as dangerous as being recognized for her past life.

  “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you. Must have been the apron.” She smiled. “Can I get a coffee and whatever my friend here wants?” She pointed at Kennedy who shot her a curious look before ordering a coffee, black.

  A few minutes later, Cade led the way to a table in the back of the room, far from any other activity in the union building. She didn’t waste any time getting to the point. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “And you couldn’t just call?”

  “I wanted to check on you, see how you are doing.”

  “Showing up at my work isn’t a good idea.”

  “It’s a college campus,” Kennedy said. “There are tons of people here. Showing up at your house is a helluva lot more conspicuous than dropping by the library. Besides, maybe folks will start thinking you actually have some friends.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Hiding out in your house all the time will draw more attention than having some semblance of a social life. Every neighborhood has a Gladys Kravitz, and I’m betting yours is already gossiping about the recluse who moved in last November, has everything delivered, and only leaves her house to go to work.”

  Kennedy’s words stung, but she had a point. Cade thought back over the past couple of months. The first few weeks, she’d ventured out after work only to gather necessities. She’d practically starved as her first few attempts at home cooking went horribly awry, but a simple pizza delivery seemed too risky. Now that she was fairly confident in the kitchen, her forays into town had tapered off and she was becoming more and more of a hermit. Except for last week when she’d been compelled to check out downtown Bodark, and ran into Emily Sinclair.

  A flush of warmth coursed through her at the memory of Emily standing in front of the courthouse. Her survival skills should have directed her to walk away from Emily the moment she saw her, but she’d stayed put, unable and unwilling to deny the attraction between them. What would the neighborhood nosey think if she had a ringside seat to the fantasies Cade had harbored since running into Emily?

  Kennedy stared at her with a curious expression, and Cade shook her head to clear away the crazy, hazy fantasy. “Sorry, you’re right, of course. Every time I go out I feel exposed. I’ll feel a lot better when Fontana’s in custody. Any updates on that front?”

  Kennedy shook her head. “The FBI in Chicago had what they thought was a good lead but it didn’t pan out.” She grimaced. “They’ll find him, and I promise you’ll be one of the first to know when it happens.”

  Cade didn’t necessarily believe her. The longer Fontana eluded law enforcement, the more likely it was they’d never bring him to justice. If they did catch him, and he didn’t rat out any of his associates, there would be a trial. She’d have to testify, which meant sitting across the room from the man who’d tried to kill her. She shifted in her chair. The prospect of seeing Fontana again even if he was wearing an orange jumpsuit instead of wielding a gun filled her with dread so deep she couldn’t bring herself to examine it. Desperate to change the subject, she feigned nonchalance. “So, checking up on me—that’s really the only reason you’re here?”

  “Pretty much. It’s my job. Is there anything you need?”

  Cade laughed. “That’s a leading question. Let’s just say nothing. I don’t need anything you or your marshal pals can get for me.”

  “Cade, you should live your life. I’m not saying don’t be careful, but…”

  “But this is my life now and I should get used to it.”

  “That’s pretty blunt, but yes. I’ve been doing this a while and I know it can’t be easy, but it can be more than what you’re making it. Make some friends, leave your house for something besides work. Besides having the benefit of making you less conspicuous, you might actually have a better quality of life.”
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br />   Build relationships based on lies. That’s essentially what Kennedy was telling her to do. What kind of relationships could she have under these circumstances? Her mind flashed to Emily Sinclair. In another time, under different circumstances, they would be peers. Now, if her fantasy came true and they did have a date, would the conversation be strained because she couldn’t share too much for fear of being discovered? Would Emily think less of her because her conversational skills were limited?

  Before all of this, she’d been totally and completely dedicated to her job. Her friends were fellow prosecutors and cops. They did everything together—played softball, drank beer—and all they ever talked about was the job. Without it, she was a shadow of her former self. Her topics of conversation, once colorful and bold, were now gray and boring. Circulation desk anecdotes didn’t hold a candle to courtroom war stories. She wondered if Emily was the same way—married to the job, defined by it. Hell, she was the elected DA. If anything, Emily was probably more immersed in her work than Cade had ever been.

  Emily Sinclair was out of reach for the person she’d become, but maybe Kennedy was right. She needed to have some sort of social life or she would go crazy. Maybe she would start by striking up a conversation with one of the professors who did research in the library. One in particular, a cute blonde who taught art history, was always hanging around, and Cade had picked up on the fact she wasn’t there just for the books. She’d ignored her attempts to flirt so far, but she resolved that next time, she would talk to her about something other than the Dewey Decimal System.

  After Kennedy left, Cade walked back to the library. For the first time in a long time, she felt empowered, ready to try something new. When her boss asked if she’d mind working a little late to be on hand for a panel discussion that evening, she volunteered to stick around. Maybe she’d have the opportunity to try out her newfound resolutions.