Imperfect Justice

by Cara C. Putman

  He pushed the speed limit the whole way to Old Town and double-parked in front of her town house. When he pounded on the door he half expected a neighbor to call the police, but he didn’t care. He needed Emilie.

  The door opened after a minute, and her roommate stood there. “Is there a reason you’re pounding on my door at ten o’clock?”

  “I need Emilie.”

  “She wasn’t here when I got home a bit ago. I was about to check on her since she’s not returning calls.”

  “That’s why I’m here. My niece is supposed to be released tomorrow. We have to file first thing in the morning.” He could feel the adrenaline pulsing through him. He’d been planning for this moment for two weeks, but now that it was here, he was afraid they hadn’t found the key evidence necessary to do more than annoy Robert.

  “I dropped her off at the Haven, so that’s where I planned to check.”

  “I’ll go.”

  He turned and was halfway back to his car before she replied.

  He drove fast and arrived at the building within a few minutes. Emilie’s car rested in the parking lot along with two others—one was Jordan’s BMW roadster. Reid frowned and checked for his cell phone before climbing out. He tried Emilie again as he walked to the front door. It was locked, and the call again went to her voicemail. He slipped around to the back door and eased the unlocked door open. He didn’t know if there was an alarm, but he wouldn’t mind if it brought the police. Something wasn’t right.

  He shut the door with a soft thud and took a moment to get his bearings in the subdued lighting. He didn’t have any idea where Emilie’s office was, so he started down the hall, slowing to look inside each room. He reached one marked with her name, but it was empty.

  Reid continued down the hall and around to the next. A lone office at the end of the hall had lights on. Voices filtered from inside. Though he couldn’t understand the words, the tension was clear.

  He had shifted closer, phone in hand, when shots were fired. He flicked the screen on his phone and hit the emergency button and then the next, then eased closer to the door.

  “You don’t need to do this.” He felt a surge of relief at hearing Emilie’s voice.

  “911, please state your emergency.” The garbled voice sounded so loud in the empty hallway.

  “Who’s there?”

  Was that Jordan? His voice was reedy yet forceful.

  “Come out before I shoot the beauty across from me.” He cackled. “Get it. You’re the beauty, Miss Wesley. I’m the beast.”

  “Jordan, please don’t.”

  Reid chucked caution and closed the distance to the door. He stuck his head around the corner and quickly pulled back. A woman was dead at the desk, and Emilie and Jordan Westfall sat in chairs in front of it. Reid slipped his head back around for a quick look, and a bullet zinged past his head.

  “I’d be careful if I were you, Billings. I’d like nothing more than to take your head off.”

  “No need to do that.”

  “Reid, be careful. He shot Rhoda.” Emilie sounded scared, yet a cord of strength ran through her words. “I’m okay.”

  “911, you need to state your emergency.”

  Reid groaned and set the phone down. If the operator couldn’t figure out a gun had been fired at his head, then he’d have to handle this alone. “I’m coming in there.”

  As soon as he stepped around the corner, he noted that Jordan didn’t look so good. Blood streamed from a wound in the left part of his chest. It didn’t look high enough to be his heart, but Reid wasn’t great at anatomy. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Jordan.”

  “I expected you.” Jordan grinned wolfishly at him. “The only way to have Emilie for myself is to get you out of the way.”

  The guy wasn’t talking sense. There was no way he could know Reid would try to reach Emilie or track her down. Emilie took a deep breath and focused on Jordan. “Let me get an ambulance for you. Maybe we can still save Rhoda and keep this from being a murder charge.”

  Jordan cocked his head as he studied the woman on the other side of the desk. “I think it’s too late for her. You see what happens when you belittle me.”

  “Jordan, you don’t need to listen to any of those voices.”

  Reid edged forward as Emilie talked.

  “Don’t make this worse.”

  “Then choose me.” In his words, Emilie heard the eleven-year-old overlooked for every game. The fourteen-year-old stuffed in a locker. The twenty-eight-year-old still ignored by others except for his wealth.

  “I am so sorry. Forgive me for not seeing you.”

  His jaw slipped open.

  “I can’t explain it or make it better, but I am genuinely sorry.” She clasped her hands in front of her, almost begging him to stay focused on her as Reid stepped closer to his chair. Then the sound of a police siren jerked Jordan back. “Please let me get you help, Jordan. There’s so much blood.”

  He looked down at his shirt, but his motions were so slow, as if his body couldn’t quite follow instructions. “I’ll be okay.”

  Reid caught her attention, motioned her down with his eyes, and she nodded. “Jordan, I want to help you.”

  “You can’t.” His words were slurred, and Emilie jumped from her chair as his gun hand rose, wavered, floated in response. He pulled the trigger, but Reid forced his arm up as Emilie slipped behind the desk to Rhoda.

  “Rhoda, can you hear me? Stay with me.” She wanted to take a pulse at her boss’s neck, but there was so much blood, she reached for her arm instead. She grappled with her hand, placing two fingers along the ridge of bone, not feeling anything.

  “Police! Everyone put your hands where I can see them.” The officer sheltered partly behind the door, speaking into his shoulder radio as he kept his gaze on them. “Officer requesting backup.”

  The next minutes were a blur. More officers arrived, then paramedics, but it was too late for Rhoda. Emilie began to tremble and couldn’t stop as a second team of paramedics worked on Jordan while an officer questioned Reid. An officer moved Emilie out of the way and into a vacant office. All she could do was huddle in the chair, a blanket draped around her shoulders, as an officer took her statement. She answered questions, but couldn’t clear the image of Rhoda’s body from her mind. She might never understand how, but she knew Jordan was her stalker. As the paramedics whisked him from the office on a gurney, she knew it would be a long time before he could harass her again . . . if he even survived.

  It seemed like a lifetime passed before Reid came to her. He leaned down and pulled her close. She felt the strength of his arms and began to weep. His hand smoothed her hair and she felt a safety she’d never known. “Why did you come?”

  “You needed me.”

  CHAPTER 46

  When Emilie got home, she couldn’t sit still. No matter how many cups of hot tea Hayden placed in her hands, she felt chilled to the core. “I should be okay. My stalker’s gone.”

  Hayden sank next to her on the small love seat in her basement. “I’m so sorry.”

  Emilie leaned into Hayden’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of sisterhood and friendship. “I’m so tired, but I know I can’t sleep.”

  “Maybe a bath would help.”

  “No, Reid said Kinley’s coming home tomorrow. We’re out of time. I need to review the motions one more time for first thing tomorrow. I just wish . . .”

  “What?”

  “That we could win.” The words felt so heavy, simple as they were. “I know what happened in that house, but I have no way to prove it. I didn’t get to ask Rhoda why she helped Kaylene get the gun.”

  “Let’s lay out what you do have. You’ve worked so hard on this case, I know there’s more than you remember.”

  Emilie doubted it, but as she and Hayden talked through the evidence she felt a whisper of hope. “I’m going to check one more time for the 911 call. I just want one look into what happened in the house.” She rubbed her temples where te
nsion throbbed, then pulled out her phone and did another Internet search. Still nothing. But when she checked her e-mail there was something from Detective Gaines.

  The forwarding officer forgot to include the 911 call you requested. I thought you had it last week. Sorry about that. My gut tells me there’s more going on, but I can’t find the thread that will pull. Let me know if you learn something.

  Short and to the point, the message had a WAV file attached. “This is it.” She could hardly hit the button, so much hope and adrenaline coursed through her.

  “Here, I’ll do it.” Hayden reached over and clicked the button.

  A moment later the file opened.

  Operator: 911, what’s the address of the emergency?

  Female voice: She has a gun.

  Static.

  Operator: I have your location from your phone. Tell me what’s going on.

  Male voice: She has a gun.

  Girl’s voice: Daddy?

  Woman’s voice: I’ll do anything. I’ll say anything. Just put that away.

  Operator: Sir, who has a gun?

  Teenager’s voice: Get back.

  Man’s voice: Calm down.

  Teenager’s voice: No. I’m done listening to you. Stay back.

  Woman’s voice: Sweetheart, what are you doing?

  Teenager’s voice: Ending this. He’ll never hurt us again. I’m going to do what you couldn’t.

  Woman’s voice: No. Watch out.

  Shot.

  Another shot.

  Operator: Sir! Sir!

  Man’s voice: Omigod, she’s shooting our daughter.

  Operator: Officers are on the way and will be there any minute.

  Man’s voice: That’s enough time.

  Shot.

  Operator: Sir, you need to tell me what’s happened.

  Shot.

  Woman’s voice, sobbing: What are you doing?

  Man’s voice: She’s got the gun.

  Click. End of call.

  Silence settled. Emilie’s thumb hovered over the play button as tears streaked her cheeks. It was surreal and painful to listen to the call. “This will help.”

  Hayden nodded. “But it’ll still be a reach.”

  “With everything else I have it might be enough. ‘That’s enough time’?” A shiver ran through her as she recalled the cold-blooded statement.

  “I’ll transcribe it while you amend the motions. It won’t take long at all.” Hayden squeezed her. “Then we’ll sleep.”

  The next morning Emilie called Taylor to pick up her files and bring them to Daniels, McCarthy & Associates. It would be a while before she could work from the Haven without reliving the prior night and seeing Rhoda slumped and bleeding across her desk. It only took a little time to get the motions and supporting documents finalized. At nine thirty she walked them to the General District Court and talked to the clerk.

  “The hospital plans to release Kinley at noon, so I need an emergency hearing before then.”

  The clerk nodded as she scanned the calendar. “How soon can you have your witnesses here?”

  “For the preliminary motion I was going to rely on documents and my client.”

  “Have him here along with anyone else in an hour.” The clerk reached for the phone. “I’ll call opposing counsel, and you can get the documents to her.”

  “Thank you.” Emilie rubbed the back of her neck. The moment she left the clerk’s office, she called Taylor. “Get the motions to Darlene Wright immediately.”

  “On my way. The copies are already faxed to the hospital.”

  Emilie called Reid next. “We’re set for ten thirty. The hospital has our motions. I’ll call the attorney there next to let him know that we have a hearing and not to release Kinley. Robert’s attorney will let him know any minute.”

  “I’ll be there.” She could hear the fear and hope warring in his voice.

  “Great. I need to make a couple more calls. See you at court.” Next she called Detective Gaines. “Thank you for the file.”

  “It was due.”

  “I have one more request.”

  He huffed out a laugh. “I thought you might.”

  “Could you be at Alexandria General Court at ten thirty?”

  “Why?”

  “I need to validate the file. Normally I wouldn’t need you for a preliminary hearing, but opposing counsel has made it clear she’ll fight hard.” She left and dirty unsaid.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  After that Emilie paced the halls praying and working on her notes. At ten fifteen Taylor and Hayden accompanied her to the courtroom.

  Hayden gave her a quick hug. “Hanging in there?”

  “As much as I can on so little sleep.”

  “You’ll do great. Taylor and I made sure everything you could possibly need is in this set of files. I’ll sit next to you and hand things to you.”

  Emilie glanced between the two of them. “Thank you.”

  “Let’s protect this little girl.” Hayden gave her another quick hug, then slipped through the doors and into the courtroom, Taylor right behind her.

  Emilie paced some more, watching for Reid.

  When he arrived he placed his hands on her arms and stared at her. “You okay?”

  “I will be once we get Kinley home.” She let herself see the hope in his eyes and then led him into the courtroom.

  “You can sit here.” She indicated the seat on the left side of the table. She’d place herself between Reid and Robert, serve as the barrier to keep the competing men apart. Hayden sat immediately behind her, a stack of files ready on the chair next to her. Emilie set her briefcase on the table, unzipped it, and then pulled her client file and legal pads from it. Next she grabbed her blue and red erasable pens. Red to capture things opposing counsel and witnesses said that she needed to address. Blue to capture other thoughts and details. Then she zipped up her bag and set it behind her, out of the way.

  Hayden leaned over and briefly explained how the files were organized.

  “Thanks.” Emilie puffed out a breath and braced her shoulders. She couldn’t risk revealing one iota of weakness, not when Robert would sniff it out. The minutes ticked by as Emilie sat at the table waiting for anyone to enter. The judge wouldn’t come out until the court reporter let him know all parties were accounted for. As time rolled on, Robert and his attorney were still absent. But so was Detective Gaines. She really needed him.

  The door to the courtroom thundered shut behind them. Emilie about jumped out of her skin, but knew she couldn’t let Robert Adams or his attorney see how rattled she was. She kept reminding herself that this was a preliminary hearing and everything didn’t have to be perfect, though it would have to be practically so to convince the judge that Kinley must go home with Reid.

  Her fear was the standards defaulted too much to biological parents.

  She knew that most of the time that line fell in the correct place. But today she felt the inadequacy of the law. It didn’t recognize that certain standards didn’t always fit.

  Would the 911 call be enough, when added to all the steps Kaylene had taken to prepare to leave with her girls? Would the letter from Kaylene add weight to the other evidence?

  She turned and looked around the courtroom again, relieved to see Detective Gaines in a seat in the last row. He met her gaze with a nod. She released a breath and felt herself settle.

  Reid seemed relaxed as he sat next to her, legs kicked out in front of him and ankles crossed. He looked every part the successful financial investor in his suit, monogrammed shirt, and classic tie. But she could sense the tension in his tightened jaw and clenched fists.

  So much rode on this hearing.

  She needed to use that pressure to channel her arguments, but all she felt was a stampede of fear chased by regret.

  CHAPTER 47

  All rise.” The bailiff’s voice carried, and Emilie lurched to her feet, then urged Reid up.

  Judge Robinson sailed into the
courtroom with a firm set to her lips. She sat on her chair and studied them over her rhinestone-rimmed glasses. “You may be seated.”

  After they were all settled she read the docket number, the purpose of the hearing, and the names of those present. “I did not think I’d see you here so quickly. Mr. Adams, I’m glad you honored us with your presence today.”

  “Your Honor.” He tipped his head but didn’t look the least apologetic. His dark hair was long enough to curl at the ends, and his arms looked crammed into the button-down plaid shirt. Was he going for the Brawny man look?

  The judge turned to Emilie. “I’m almost as surprised by your motion as I was by Ms. Wright’s Friday.”

  “Yes, Your Honor.” Emilie kept her gaze firmly locked on the judge. “We believe this motion is critical to the safety of a young girl.”

  “All right.” She paused until everyone focused on her. “We have no more than an hour for this hearing. Ms. Wesley, you may present your evidence. At that point I’ll determine whether there is enough for a preliminary protective order and temporary guardianship. If there is, then, Ms. Wright, I will allow you to put on evidence. Who is your first witness?”

  Emilie indicated Reid, and the judge swore him in. After he stated his name and relevant information for the record, Emilie began. She had him explain why he decided to pursue obtaining custody of Kinley. Answering her questions, he mentioned the card from Kaylene, the diamonds, her many visits to the Haven to plot her escape.

  “Kaylene’s letter confirmed what I already knew. That she wouldn’t have murdered her daughter.”

  “Objection: it’s a statement of opinion.” Wright partially stood.

  “I’ll allow it since there’s no jury. You may proceed.”

  “Thank you, Your Honor.” Next Emilie walked Reid through the encounters at the hospital. “Would Robert let you see Kinley?”

  “No. After my first visit, he made sure I couldn’t see her unless someone was willing to look the other way. That’s why I’m convinced we can’t wait to protect her.”