“Yes,” Michael agreed. “She hasn’t had any real roots since she was arrested the first time.”
“I’ve tried to make her feel at home at my places, but it doesn’t seem right to her.”
“That’s because she isn’t paying rent, I think. She says she feels like she’s crashing with you.”
“I’ve told her there isn’t any rent or any mortgage to pay. I own both houses outright. The only thing that I pay for, besides utilities, is the co-op membership fee that all the residents pay to keep up the maintenance on the building itself, and that’s only $150 a month. It’s not worth splitting it up between two people.”
“Now she has something of her own.”
The waitress placed cups in front of them.
“Yes. Something of her own,” agreed Maggie.
“And things have changed drastically in the few months she’s lived here,” admitted Michael. “I don’t know what it is, but I couldn’t sleep last night, and this morning I walked around the house as if I was lost. I’m not that worried about her; I know where she is and I know you’re on top of everything. But I can’t sleep in that bed without her. Am I going insane?”
“Michael! Of course you’re not becoming insane. You’re in love, sweetie.”
Michael shook her head as she sipped the hot beverage. “It is very bad.”
“Love?” Maggie was confused.
“No. The state I’m in. I cannot sleep without her beside me. I’m okay in my own house when I stay there on Monday nights, and I know she’ll have to be away on assignment from time to time but now, I know she’s a few kilometers away and I cannot stand it. I cannot stand knowing I cannot call her if I need to. I can’t hear her voice.”
“Oh, yes,” said Maggie with a big smile on her face. “That’s love if I ever heard it. Have you told her?”
“We tell each other every morning when we wake up and every night before we fall asleep.”
“Well, sweetie. I don’t know what else you can do about it.”
“There has to be something else.”
“Do you have something of hers that you can carry with you? That might help. That way, when you miss her, you can touch it and feel her.”
“Perhaps that might help, Maggie. It is a good idea.” Michael thought for a moment. “Her most treasured possession is a lapel pin her grandfather left her. She says she remembers playing with it when she was very small. It is a wave of gold washing over a rock but the rock is a diamond. He told her, I think, that the diamond was his love. It can never be washed away.”
“Then I can’t think of anything more appropriate for you to wear this weekend.”
Michael smiled contentedly.
“How has she been before this?” Maggie asked. “I haven’t talked to her in a few weeks.”
“Well, aside from finding those bodies in her backyard, she’s been fine.”
“You’re the one who originally found them, weren’t you?” Maggie asked.
Michael nodded. “It was gruesome.”
“I imagine it was.”
“And then finding the third body in the abandoned car was as bad.”
Maggie shook her head in sympathy. They were silent as they sipped their drinks.
Finally, Maggie said, “Craig said to talk with the judge before the hearing. I’ll introduce myself and see if Cam can be released to me. Craig prepared a warrant for her arrest.” Maggie laughed. “He really poured the charges on.”
She reached into her purse and handed Michael the warrant. As Michael read it through, her eyebrows rose.
The waitress placed the check on the table.
As soon as she walked away, Michael took a sip of her cappuccino, and then looked at Maggie and back at the warrant. “Selling? Transporting? Skipping bail? Attempted murder? He really pours it on.”
“Yes, he wanted to make sure they didn’t have any bigger charges than that to hold her here on.”
“Oh, and Jean-René hired a young barrister for her. It’s a young kid, just out of law school, so he probably won’t ask too many questions. He won’t get upset when they take Cam away.”
“Do we know who the judge will be?”
“Judge Josephine Starkley is scheduled. She quite strict. She doesn’t take shit from anyone. She’s a fair judge, though. She’s especially fair with minors. She should be easy to work with.”
“That’s good. I’m going to have to lay it all out for her. I won’t take the chance of lying to her.”
“I hope you don’t have a lot of problems. Do you think she’ll let you transport such a savage prisoner?”
Maggie smiled. “Pauly will be up here first thing in the morning. Can we pick him up? His plane lands here at 9:45.”
Michael laughed. “If we can’t, I’m sure Jean-René will. If he didn’t get to meet you and Pauly, he’d be livid. Cam and I have told my whole family so much about both of you.”
“That sounds ominous,” Maggie commented.
“Let me see if he’s in his office.”
Michael took out her phone and pressed Jean-René’s office number.
“Bon jour, Louise. Mon frère est-il?”
Her face showed surprise. “Vraiment? I am in Magog, aussi. I’ll see if I can catch him there.” There was another silence, then “Merci, Louise. Bon jour.”
Michael turned to Maggie as she clicked her phone off. “Believe it or not, Jean-René is here in Magog at the courthouse. His secretary is going to call him and make sure he waits for me.”
Maggie took a big sip of her cappuccino. “Should we go right now?”
Michael smiled. “No, relax, finish you cap. He’ll be there.”
* * * *
When they walked into the courthouse, Jean-René was sitting in the entry hall reading a newspaper.
“Bon Jour,” he greeted them.
“Bon Jour, Jean-René,” Michael responded. Then she turned to Maggie. “This is my brother Senior Sergeant Jean-René Gauchet.” Then she turned back to her brother. “Jean-René, this is the famous Dr. Maggie Thomason.”
Jean-René’s face lit up. “Ah! I am very happy to finally meet you!” He reached out to shake her hand. “Although I wish it were under different circumstances.” He looked at Maggie strangely. “You’re not what I pictured,” he admitted. “If I saw you on the street, I wouldn’t think you’d be able to control someone like Cameron.” Maggie was an average height and slender. She had a short shag haircut that was mostly brown but with a few small touches of gray.
“Well, it does stretch my abilities, but remember I am a psychiatrist. I’m trained to deal with people who are a little bit unbalanced.”
The three laughed.
“I’m still amazed,” he told her.
“Yes, Jean-René, me, too. I think my life revolves around getting her out of trouble. None of the other people I control are ever this difficult.”
“You should see how she’s doing it this time.” Michael pointed to Maggie’s purse. “May I show him?”
Maggie chuckled as she opened her purse and handed Jean-René the warrant. He looked at them wondering what this was. He opened the envelope and spread the paper out. He read it thoroughly. When he looked up, his eyes were wide.
“Really?”
Maggie grinned and nodded. “Really. The director felt her charges had to be severe enough that she’d be released to me.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Who did she try to kill?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I feel it was me. Craig felt he or I could probably have a heart attack with some of the things she does. I’m sure, however, that there are many who are on her list of targets.”
Jean-René laughed.
“I need to talk to the judge before the hearing. When do you think would be a good time?”
“Now would be good.” Jean-René looked excited. “I know she’s in her chambers. I saw her walk in there a few minutes ago.”
“Then wish me luck. Where are her chambers?”
“Come. I’ll show you.”
* * * *
After speaking with the secretary and waiting a few minutes, Maggie entered Judge Starkley’s chambers.
“Thank you for seeing me, Judge Starkley. I’m Dr. Margaret Thomason from the CIA.” She handed her identification to the judge who read it thoroughly.
“Yes, Doctor?” She handed the identification back and motioned to the chair. “What can I do for you? Is this about the American prisoner?”
“Yes, about Cameron Andrews. We ask she be transferred back to us.”
“Do you think that wise?” the judge asked. “Perhaps some time in a foreign prison would have a greater impact on her.”
“It’s far more complicated than that, your Honor.”
The judge waited for Maggie to continue.
“Yes, all her arrest and court records are correct but not complete. She is a convicted felon but her crime was staged. She is an undercover agent for our DEA. She went to prison to clear up a case that was happening in that venue. Hagerville Women’s Detention Facility had drugs and drug-related deaths running rampant there for several years. We put one agent in there as a guard. He was stabbed in the heart. Next, we put another agent in there as a prisoner but someone found out about her, too. She spent five years in a mental institution with brain damage from an overdose before she finally passed. Cameron volunteered to take on the case. She had been working for the Baltimore Police department, doing quite a lot of undercover work, but her face was becoming too well known there. When she took on this job, she thought it would be safer if she really was a felon so anyone checking on her would find the police reports and court records.”
Starkley looked up in amazement. “Really? Who knew about this?”
“Very few, your Honor. Three upper level officers of the CIA and DEA, the two people who trained her, tomyself, who was subsequently assigned to be her control and Agent Paul Tarelli. He was, at the time, an officer of the Baltimore Police Department and also a good friend of Ms. Andrews. He became her back-up and eventually transferred to the CIA. When that case was completed, she volunteered to keep that cover and has worked many cases with it since.
“Now she was helping Senior Sergeant Jean-René Gauchet of the RCMP to find dealers and sources. The local police department fell into this much too soon. The RCMP wasn’t prepared.”
The judge looked up at her.
Maggie went on to explain Cam’s history.
“If you need to verify this, you can contact Sergeant Gauchet or Craig Roberson, in Washington.” She took one of Craig’s cards out of her purse and handed it to Starkley.
“How did Sergeant Gauchet enlist her?” the judge asked.
“They’ve been friends for a few years. I believe she met him through his sister.”
“Yes, I understand that that’s a very outstanding family…all RCMP.”
“Yes, Sergeant Michelle Gauchet was instrumental in Cameron’s training.” Maggie took a deep breath. “We’ve prepared a warrant so you have cause to release her.” She reached into her purse and produced the papers. “I think the charges are much more serious than what she’s charged with here so it wouldn’t cause questions if you release her to us.” Maggie handed her the warrant Craig had prepared.
As the judge read it, her eyes got wider.
“These are very serious charges,” she commented. “Are they true?”
“Partly, your Honor,” Maggie said. “The first two actually happened when she was working for the east coast drug cabal to learn routes and destinations. She closed that case and the principals were all arrested and convicted. The final two were added to make this look more serious. The charges were never removed from her record, so she’d been able to use that identity in several other cases.”
“Incredible,” the judge mumbled. “Now what?”
“Release her to us. We’ll get her out of here and her cover will remain intact.”
The judge thought for a moment. She reached for Cam’s case papers. After reviewing them for a moment, she said “There is a problem here, Dr. Thomason. I can’t release her to you. You’re listed in her personal papers as next-of-kin.”
Maggie sighed. “I was afraid of that. Perhaps you should call Washington. Director Roberson may have other ideas.” Then Maggie had a thought. “Or Senior Sergeant Gauchet is in this building. He was in the foyer talking with his sister when I came in.”
Judge Starkley reached for her phone and called her secretary. “Janice,” she said. “I understand Senior Sergeant Jean-René Gauchet is in the building, perhaps in the foyer. Would you ask him to come into my chambers, please?” She put the phone down and then she said to Maggie “I want to believe you but releasing a felon of this magnitude is very sensitive. I can’t do it on your word alone.”
“I totally understand, your Honor.”
While they were waiting for Jean-René, Maggie filled her in on Cameron’s background.
“Judge, Cameron is one of a kind,” Maggie continued. “She has a sharp mind and an incredible acting ability.” Maggie continued with a smile. “She’s posed as a rich Canadian heiress, a drab Spanish social researcher, a tough-as-nails convict and in truth, when you get to know her, she’s as soft as a rose. She graduated from Harvard-Radcliffe, has a master’s degree in International Affairs from El University de Barcelona, speaks fluent Spanish, and can read and speak fairly well in French.”
“Good God,” Starkley exclaimed, “then why did she put herself in a job like this?”
“It was out of respect for her family, your Honor. Her brother died of an overdose the first semester he was in college and her parents were killed in an automobile accident with a man who was DUI. I guess that was reason enough for her.
“That would be reason enough for a lot of people.”
There was a knock on the door, and at the judge’s call, Jean-René entered. He greeted both of them.
“First of all, Jean-René, I need your verification that this woman is who she says she is.”
Jean-René smiled at Maggie. “Yes, she’s a respected psychiatrist in Baltimore and an outstanding control for the CIA. We were discussing this morning how difficult it must be to be Cameron’s control. I’m sure you saw her identification. It is real, Josephine.” Jean-René sat down in the other chair next to Maggie. “It is quite all right to release Cam to her.”
“Well, we have a problem with that. Ms. Andrews listed Dr. Thomason as her next-of-kin.”
Maggie went on to explain the guise they had used when Cam was in prison and on several cases after that.
“We posed as lovers in several cases. I am not a lesbian, Judge, but she is, so that worked rather well.”
“This is getting much more complicated than I foresaw,” Judge Starkley muttered.
“I understand Agent Paul Tarelli will be here tomorrow morning. You could release her to him,” Jean-René suggested.
“Yes, but even under regular conditions, I wouldn’t release a prisoner for transfer to only one person.”
The three of them studied each other as they thought of a solution.
“We could have Washington send another agent with Tarelli,” Maggie suggested.
“Or I can call Chuck Carver down in Newport. He’s been working this case from the States side. He could be Tarelli’s back-up. I’ll call him right away and make arrangements.”
“That would save money and time,” Maggie agreed.
“Are you really going to transfer her back to Washington?” the Judge asked Maggie.
“No. She actually owns property on the States side of the lake. I believe she wanted something out of the way where she could rest between assignments.”
“Yes, she purchased the Whitburn place right over the border.”
The judge nodded her understanding. “I would suggest she stay on the States side for the near future.”
“I agree.”
“Well, I see no reason to hold such a violent felon here in Magog a
s long as she can be escorted by Sergeant Carter and Agent Tarelli.”
“Thank you, Your Honor. We’ll get her out of here as soon as we can.”
Judge Starkley smiled. “When this is over, tell Ms. Andrews that I’m impressed by her background. I would like to meet her sometime. She seems like an incredible person.”
“Thank you, Judge.”
Chapter 26
When Maggie and Michael got to the courthouse late the next morning, Pauly, Chuck, and Jean-René were waiting for them. Michael introduced Chuck to Maggie.
“Well,” Maggie told Pauly, “the judge understands the circumstances and has agreed to help. Cam will be remanded to you and Chuck for transportation back to the US.”
“Yes. Jean-René has been telling me all about it,” Pauly responded. “Do I want to hear Cam’s whole story?”
“I don’t know it all yet. We’ll have to ask her tonight.” Then she looked at him. “Have you eaten?”
When Pauly shook his head, she said, “Let’s go get something and we can talk this through so you appear official.”
They laughed.
“I have work to do before the trial,” Jean-René told them, “so I’ll leave you here but I’ll see you in court this afternoon.”
Pauly held out his hand. “Thanks for meeting my plane. I am very happy to finally meet you.”
Jean-René shook his hand. “Et moi, aussi,” he said as he turned away.
Michael pointed the way to her car.
* * * *
Michael checked to see which room the hearing was in. Jean-René was already there. Maggie slid into the back row next to him, Michael beside her. Pauly and Chuck sat next to them. The room was filled with spectators.
At that moment, the court bailiff announced. “All rise, court is now in session. The Honorable Judge Josephine Starkley presiding.”
The judge entered and sat at the bench
The bailiff announced, “You may be seated.” She turned to the judge and handed her a stack of papers.
“These are the seven individuals arrested in a house that was raided by the City Police on Wednesday.”
“Bring them in.”
The bailiff nodded to another court attendant and the door on the far side of the bench was opened and seven people in their street clothes were led into the court and sat down in the line of chairs behind the defender’s desk. Cam was the fifth in line.
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