by Bob Cooper
The judge, in her chambers, sorted through the mounds of paperwork submitted by both sides in this case. The prosecution’s stack was much larger than what Tony had gathered. Most of it was the forensic findings at the crime scene and testimony from various witnesses that O’Malley provided. The biggest challenge was to keep the social and political issues out of the proceedings and provide the fairest trial that she could. The monitor lit up with a message from her assistant.
“Anthony Tarkington here to see you,” it announced.
“Let him in.”
Tony entered with his briefcase over his shoulder and smiled as he sat down in front of her desk.
“Good morning Judge Atkins, thanks for seeing me.”
She acknowledged him with a smile and a nod.
“What is it that you want to see me about?” she asked.
“I have here a list of witnesses,” he said, handing over a handwritten piece of paper. Raina’s name was on it. Further down the list, Acey and Hillary’s names appeared. She took off her glasses, laid them down on the desk, and looked at him.
“If you have any knowledge of where these defendants are located, you must tell me now, or you can be charged with obstructing justice and disbarred.”
“According to section 23.3b of the jurisprudence code of conduct, witnesses that are in harm’s way can be kept in seclusion with the permission of the trial judge.”
“But these defendants have been charged with a multitude of crimes.”
“But if you approve my witness list, then I can keep them secluded until they appear as witnesses.”
“Tony! There is no way that I can authorize this. These people are fugitives and are the defendants in this case.”
Tony stood up and walked in a small circle preparing his thoughts. Sitting down again, he took a deep breath. “Look, Judy. Several attempts have been made to kill Raina, my leading witness. Without her testimony, I have very little concrete evidence to present.”
“And how do you know this?”
“I know this because I have video of O’Malley seeing Raina in the hospital under the guise of her uncle.”
“That doesn’t prove he was going to do her any harm.” Judge Atkins looked at the list again. This was really stretching it, and she would definitely be challenged by the prosecution.
“Tony, I’ve known you since you graduated from law school. I gave you your first job as a public defender. I have seen you do great things defending your clients. However, this is skating on the edge, and you know it. I will grant you this concession, but if you cannot prove that these witnesses are in danger for their lives, I will pull them as witnesses and not allow the video as evidence. Is that clear?”
Tony sat back and released his breath while waiting for her to speak.
“Thank you, your Honor. I will do my best to live up to your expectations of me,” he said, closing his briefcase.
The monitor read “Five minutes to the start of the trial.”
“Showtime Mister Tarkington, she said.”
24
Tony entered the court through the side entrance avoiding as many of the reporters as he could. Security was tight, and they did an excellent job to usher him in without any incident. Walking directly to the front table, he saw Dirk and Aidan in shackles and chained to the floor. He smiled and took a seat next to them.
“I saw Acey. They are all well. I’ll tell you more at the break,” he whispered to both of them. Now I want you to focus and answer the questions without any elaborations. I will lead you as to what you need to say, and for God’s sake no physical outbursts,” he said, looking directly at Dirk.
Dirk was about to acknowledge when the Judge entered.
“All rise. This session of Superior Court is now in session, Judge Judy Atkins presiding.”
“Please be seated,” she announced still standing as they all sat.
“This trial will be conducted with the utmost respect for the due process of law, and I will not tolerate anything to the contrary. Anyone disrupting this trial will be escorted out and held in contempt.”
No one made a sound as she surveyed the packed courtroom.
“We will proceed with the opening arguments. The prosecution will begin.”
Tony listened intently as the lead attorney for the prosecution team recapped the entire saga to the jury. Looking at the witness list for the prosecution, he counted over fifteen witnesses. O’Malley was the last one to testify. He calculated the approximate time O’Malley would be called to testify. It would not be until late tomorrow afternoon. Tony’s list contained eleven—mostly character witnesses. Since Raina was the key witness, he wasn’t sure if he would ask Dirk to testify.
The prosecution’s case centered on the jury hearing the shouting match between Dirk and Bob Haskall shortly before his murder. They were arguing about adopting a budget that would all but eliminate manned missions.
Tony had to show that O’Malley was the one who murdered Bob Haskall and enlisted the Earthers, namely Raina, to plant evidence implicating Dirk. The discs that Bob Haskall sent to Dirk with O’Malley implicating himself in Dirk’s son’s murder were long gone, as was the evidence Acey found in the cave with Tai-Som. O’Malley’s motive—to limit space travel specifically to avoid uncovering any evidence that would tie him to the murders. All he had was Raina’s testimony and a lot of circumstantial evidence. Looking at Dirk and Aidan, he knew that their fate rested in him.
***
Trying to conceal her face with a scarf, Raina entered a pawnshop where she eyed the wireless recorder. After testing it out, she paid cash and left for an obscure bar around the corner. Adjusting the tiny microphone under her blouse, she tested it one more time. Raina was now ready to meet with O’Malley.
Clearing her throat, she called O’Malley’s office using the bar’s public phone. It went directly to his com unit.
“Hello, this is John O’Malley.”
“Listen closely. I have a proposition for you regarding my testimony in court. It will benefit both of us, so I suggest you do as I say. Meet me at Cactus Bar and Grill on Cushing Street in an hour.”
Hanging up before he could respond, Raina took a seat in the far corner. O’Malley knew exactly who called him. Totally frustrated from the previous failed attempts to get rid of Raina, he knew this was his last chance. It was very risky, but he decided to go for it. Raina’s life exploded into total disarray immediately after her mother died. The discovery of her new family gave her the courage to put the past behind her and start a new chapter. First, she had to make right the wrong against Dirk and Acey.
***
Hillary was the first to discover Raina missing. Rousing Acey, they frantically woke everyone else.
“Did anybody hear her leave,” Acey asked.
No one heard or saw Raina after Tony left last night and they all went to bed. The com link buzzed, and Billy answered it.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Billy. This is Raina. Can I please speak to Acey?”
“Where are you? You shouldn’t be out in your condition,” he said, handing the com link to Acey.
“It’s Raina.”
“Raina, what are you doing?” Acey asked.
“Acey, just listen. I don’t have much time. Call Tony and tell him to have the Citizen Guard at the Cactus Bar and Grill on Cushing Street in one hour. Do not come here! I repeat DO NOT COME HERE.”
“Raina, what are you doing? You can’t ….
The com link went dead, and Acey stared at everyone.
“What’s going on?” asked Hillary.
“I don’t know, but we can’t let her do whatever she’s doing. Not without our help. Get ready we’re going to see what she is up to.”
***
It was Tony’s turn for his opening statement. The prosecution built its case on what O’Malley told them, and the physical evidence found at the scene—Dirk’s hammer. As Tony approached the jury, the court attendant entered the room and appro
ached the judge. All eyes rested on him, and no one dared to interrupt as he proceeded to the bench. After whispering something to the judge, he left.
“Will counsel please approach the bench?” she said.
“Mr. Tarkington, you have an emergency call. This better be an emergency because I will not tolerate these interruptions in the future. Is that clear?”
“Yes your honor,” he said, looking puzzled.
The prosecuting attorney was about to object when the judge ordered a fifteen-minute recess.
Tony took the call in the judge’s chambers.
“Hello, this is Tony.”
“Tony, this is Acey. Raina’s gone. I got a call from her telling me to have the Citizen Guard at the Cactus Bar and Grill on Cushing Street in one hour.”
“Hold on. Where is Raina, and why isn’t she there with the rest of you?”
“She took off early this morning while everyone was asleep. I don’t know what she’s up to, but if she wants the Citizen Guard involved, it can’t be good.”
“Look, I’ll alert the Citizen Guard to a possible situation, but I need you and Raina here in court this afternoon. If you’re not here, the judge will not allow you to act as witnesses and will hold me in contempt for lying to her. Is that understood?” he said as emphatically as possible.
“Yes, we will be there,” Acey promised.
Tony hung up and sat down, holding his head. This was not working out well at all. Judge Atkins opened the door.
“We’re ready to resume Mr. Tarkington,” she said.
“Yes, your honor, I’ll be right there.”
Tony made a quick call to a sergeant he knew at the local Citizen Guard precinct and asked him to check out a potentially dangerous situation involving one of his clients. Then he walked into the courtroom. Dirk and Aidan watched him as he proceeded to his seat.
“Mr. Tarkington, will you please begin your opening statements,” the judge said before he could tell Dirk and Aidan what was going on.
***
Franz dropped O’Malley off at the corner. Staring out the window, O’Malley knew this would be his last chance. He had to make it work.
“Okay. You know what to do. This is the only way in and out of this joint so watch for us,” he said, leaving the vehicle.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” replied Franz.
O’Malley walked into the dingy bar. There were still some patrons there from the night before trying to drink themselves sober before making it out in the morning light. No doubt Raina picked it because it was off the beaten path. He stopped and waited for his eyes to acclimate to the hazy, smoke-filled room. No one acknowledged his presence as he looked around. Besides the few leftovers and the bartender, he did not see anyone else. He walked through a puddle of spilled beer to the other side of the room before he noticed a woman huddled in a booth. He sat down across from her. She didn’t look up.
“Hello, Raina. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
***
Billy had his Grandmother’s land cruiser waiting in the back of the building. The vehicle was an antique, but she kept it meticulous. He was getting into the driver side when Acey eased him aside.
“Let me drive. I know where this place is,” she said, getting into the vehicle.
“Uh, okay I guess,” Billy said, getting into the back seat with Hillary.
Hillary inched closer to him as Acey slammed down the accelerator, which shoved her against Billy. She smiled at him and straightened up. Stopping at an intersection, people gawked at the relic she was driving. Billy and Hillary slumped down in the back seat as far as they could, hoping not to be noticed. An older gentleman gave them the thumbs up as he crossed the intersection. She thought it was clear sailing from there until she came to a construction crew working on an overpass. Waiting for the sky cranes to finish setting the girders in place would take a long time. Traffic was backed up in a long line behind him, and there was no way out.
“We can’t wait here any longer. We need to get moving again,” Acey said. Seeing a parking garage off to the left, she swung the vehicle over the median accelerating as oncoming traffic swerved to avoid her.
“The entrance is on the other side. This is the exit you’re entering,” Billy said.
“And your point is…” Acey barked, maneuvering the oversized vehicle around the irate commuters.
Acey held her breath as she jammed down the accelerator. The automatic warning systems buzzed and blinked with warnings of impending collisions as she swung the beast into oncoming traffic on the exit ramp, sending vehicles flying in all directions. Once in the garage, she careened through the winding ramps and made it out onto the street without further incident.
“Now that’s what I call driving,” Hillary said, giving Billy a high-five.
As Acey settled back into her seat, she saw the flashing red lights rapidly approaching her from behind.
***
Raina squirmed in her seat at the sight of him. This had to work. It was their last chance to get any kind of decent evidence.
“I have a proposal I believe will benefit both of us,” she said, hiding her nervousness.
“Why should I deal with you? You and your friends will rot in jail.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that. With my testimony about you paying me to plant the hammer at Bob’s house, it won’t be so cut and dry.”
“It’s my word against yours. Who are they going to believe, an Academy flunky who joined the Earthers or me, a well-respected member of society?”
Raina bit her tongue fearing that she would lose it and blow the whole thing. “I plan to tell the court how you had my mother killed. Tony said he has enough information about your activities and where you were during that time that will cast a heavy suspicion on you—enough to call for an investigation. Even if we’re convicted, there will be enough dirt that will come out that will end your career at the Academy.”
O’Malley shook his head and snickered.
“You are delusional. None of that will happen. I’ll make sure you suffer in prison, but I do want to hear your proposal, so go ahead.”
“I want money in exchange for me not testifying on the stand. I also want to know the truth about what happened to my mother.”
O’Malley played along with her, believing full well she would never make it to court to testify with the plan he’d hatched with Franz.
“How much money?”
“A million credits should let me start over nicely.”
He stared at her for a while and noticed the amulet around her neck.
“That’s doable, but I want the amulet before we leave here.”
“This was given to me by my mother. It’s the only thing I have from her.”
“That amulet should have been rightfully mine,” he said, raising his voice.
“The recordings we found on Antares had the hard evidence of you killing Dirk’s son and daughter-in-law. But you had them destroyed. You had my mother killed because she knew about you killing them,” Raina shouted, standing up at the table.
O’Malley noticed the bartender and the other patrons taking notice of them at the table.
“Your mother was a loudmouth bitch who was going to spoil everything that was rightly mine. She needed to die,” he screamed back, pulling the amulet off Raina’s neck. Raina fell back in the booth as O’Malley left in a hurry. Once outside, he signaled Franz to get ready.
***
The Citizen Guard patrol vehicle was directly behind them. Acey had to decide—stop or kick Grandma’s antique into overdrive and outrun the law. Neither option seemed like a winning situation. The antique whined as Acey overrode the speed control software and pushed the accelerator to the max, pinning Hillary and Billy deeper into the back seat. Weaving through traffic, she left the main highway and careened on to the back streets. Better chance of losing them, she thought. Looking at the rear camera, the patrol vehicle was right on their tail.
“How far away
are we,” Hillary asked.
Acey was so totally immersed in making sure she didn’t hit anything or anyone. She didn’t answer her for a minute or two.
“It should be just around this corner.”
The patrol vehicle was about ten feet behind her. She could see the guards motioning to her to pull over. Approaching the intersection, she was about to make a hard right when she saw the roadblock up ahead.
“Hold on,” she said as she pushed the accelerator as far as it would go and fishtailed around the corner.
***
Raina was livid that O’Malley took the amulet and ran after him.
“Call the guard,” she shouted to the bartender as she pushed opened the door.
Franz saw her running out of the building and swung the vehicle into motion. She ran into the street chasing O’Malley but froze when she saw the vehicle bearing down on her. O’Malley turned around to watch his plan unfold.
***
Acey jumped the curb onto the sidewalk knocking over several vendors’ tables and sending people scurrying for their lives.
“There she is,” screamed Hillary.
It took Acey a second to see Raina and the situation she was in. She broadsided the vehicle as it was about to hit Raina, sending Franz into a spin before flipping over several times. The pursuing Citizen Guard caught the tail end of Acey’s vehicle spinning it around so that they were facing each other.
“Are you alright,” Hillary asked Acey.
Wiping the blood for her forehead, she didn’t answer, but got out of the vehicle and ran over to Raina. Grabbing her, she pushed her off the street where they both fell.