“Happy and completely bushed. The four hours of waiting for that verdict took years off of my life. If they were going to find me not guilty, why did it take them so long?”
“It didn't,” Qual said. “I talked to the jury foreman and she explained what happened.”
The chatter stopped, and everyone turned toward Qual as he reached into his pocket for a piece of paper and continued to speak.
“She says as soon as they got back to the jury room, she called for a written vote. It was unanimous. They all agreed Ron was innocent without even discussing it among themselves. It took them less than five minutes to vote and to count the ballots.”
Ron slapped his forehead and groaned. “Then why did they take so long before coming back into court?”
“Blame that on Kay. Do your remember her closing statement? The very last part of it? The jury did. And they got into a knock-down, drag-out argument over who had actually killed Dale Matthias. They finally took a vote on it, a voice vote.”
Qual consulted his piece of paper. “Chrissie Matthias and Lyle Kaupu were tied with three votes each. The foreman says those two factions got really angry at each other. There was even some name calling. And several of them were still furious when they filed out. Willa Matthias got two votes and so did Kimmie Uchima. Joyce Joaquin got one vote.”
“That's only eleven votes,” said Kay. “Did someone abstain?”
Qual shook his head. “Nope. Remember the sleepy guy in the back with the glasses? He opted for the Orient Express solution. He figured every one of the real estate agents, including Reggie and Quentin, and the wife and the ex-wife, all got together at the office and each took a whack at Dale.”
***
I had figured I had some papers to sign, and I wanted to shake completely loose from the law just as soon as possible. So I broke away from the crowd and followed the clerk as she started out the rear door of the courtroom.
She let me into the chambers and told me the judge would be there in a moment and to make myself comfortable.
A judge's chambers can be pretty impressive. This one sure was. It was lined with a dark-stained koa. One wall had floor to ceiling books and, even from where I was sitting, I could tell they weren't just law books. Judge Raines must have been interested in all sorts of subjects.
And the shelves had a dozen different kinds of orchids and other flowers still in their pots. Their perfume added something very feminine to the room which wasn't exactly the kind of room you'd expect a woman to occupy. A big, perfectly white orchid sat on the corner of her desk. The oversized leather chair was the kind it would have been easy to nap in. And from it I could look through the big window facing out to Napua Harbor.
As I said, the room was impressive. But it was nowhere near as impressive as Judge Raines. I heard her come in through a side door, and I struggled up. My knees hadn't fully recovered yet from the trip from the witness stand to the defense table. In their weakened condition, they almost made me collapse back into the leather chair, especially after I got a good look at her.
She'd taken off her judicial robes and was wearing a jade green dress matching her eyes. It did wonderful things for her figure, which really didn't need any doing to. Her hair was down and was pulled forward over her left shoulder and a well-rounded breast. Her high cheekbones looked softer somehow, now that I could see them against the half frame of her black hair.
She smiled, and the insides of my elbows began to feel like the backs of my knees. When she walked over and held her hand out, it took all my will power to reach out and shake it. It was cool and soft, and much smaller than I'd expected.
“Please sit down.”
She walked to the back of her desk, and those shapely, slender legs gave me no chance to recover.
“Congratulations on the verdict. I'm convinced the jury's decision was a wise and just one.”
I think I mumbled some kind of a thank you.
“But I asked you to come and see me for quite a different reason.”
I think I was supposed to say something about then, but I was concentrating on trying to recover feeling in my arms and legs.
“The testimony at the trial made it rather evident you are a real estate agent.”
She smiled that smile again, which didn't help my knees and elbows any. I managed a nod.
“And people who have dealt with you seem to hold you in high regard.”
I nodded again.
“Recently, I became interested in purchasing a small acreage. The town is beginning to encroach on my present residence. Would you happen to know of anything that might be suitable?”
There weren't many things which could have shaken me out of my numbness, but the prospect of a sale could certainly do it.
I came to life, and before I knew it we'd made an appointment to go out and look at some listings at ten the very next morning.
***
Leilani had reminded Craig how John Pak was not much for alcohol, but Craig was insisting the reticent and reluctant John Pak join them in a toast. He resisted, but finally gave in.
Craig raised his glass and said, “To Kay for being absolutely brilliant. And to Ron for being innocent and for convincing a jury to believe him.”
The crowd drank and cheered.
Kay turned to Qual and asked, “Did the foreman say why the jury thought Ron was innocent. I'll bet it was Abang's testimony that cinched it?”
Qual smiled and took another sip from his glass. “Nope. And it wasn't your truly eloquent summation that did it either. It was the parade of character witnesses that made the difference. The foreman said a couple of the jurors claimed they would never have voted for conviction from the moment they heard Reggie Kaufman testify. Wouldn't Ikeda love to hear how a prosecution witness convinced the jury to free the defendant?”
John Pak had just downed his champagne in one gulp and was beginning to tell those around him, in a loud voice, about his childhood days in Korea. “I was six years old when I left, but I can remember those fields as clear as if I'd been out there on them yesterday.”
Corky had drifted over to where Ron was standing listening to John wax eloquent.
She asked. “Where did you disappear to after the verdict? I tried to find you to congratulate you.”
“The court clerk said the judge wanted to see me.”
Corky looked puzzled. “That's strange. What for?”
***
I'm not sure why I ever thought Sergeant Medeiros was so attractive. I guess it's because I didn't get to talk to her very much. I hate to say this, but my impression of her at the victory party was that she was really kind of dumb.
When she asked me what Judge Raines wanted to see me about, and I told her the judge was interested in buying some real estate, Sergeant Medeiros just looked kind of stupid standing there with her mouth open.
Meantime, I got to thinking I might ask Judge Raines out to lunch after we look at some of the listings. Maybe I'll wear my gray suit.
I don't suppose there's even a remote chance she'll be willing to go to lunch with me.
But you never know.
END
No Time for Death: A Yoshinobu Mystery Page 17