Crime & Passion

by Chantel Rhondeau

  “I think that might be a conflict of interests,” she said.

  “I want to take this case. Let me help. I know Donovan’s innocent, no matter what paltry evidence they have. He’s family to us. It’s what Maria would want me to do.”

  The anguish in that last sentence convinced her. She needed to let him do this. They could always use him today and then find someone else later if it seemed he couldn’t stay impartial or do a good job. “What do I need to do?”

  “I’ll come down there and get things under control for Donovan. I hope he’s not said anything incriminating. He thinks those men are his friends, but they will twist his words. Happens all the time.” He paused and Madeline heard a scribbling noise, as though he jotted down some notes. “You, my dear, can head home for now. I hope to get everything arranged in a few hours, but I’ll call and tell you when to meet us at the courthouse.”

  “What will happen today? Does he have to plead not guilty or something?”

  “No. That happens at his arraignment. This is just the first appearance. The judge will make sure he understands the charges and set the amount for his bail.”

  That didn’t sound too bad. Getting him out tonight was the only thing that mattered. “Is there anything else I need to do?”

  “Bring your checkbook. I’m sure it will cost a bit to get him out.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “All rise. The honorable James Rothenberg presiding.”

  Donovan stood, pulling at the stiff collar of the dress shirt Jeremy brought him. He felt out of sorts. If the change in clothing was supposed to be reassuring, it wasn’t.

  He glanced over his shoulder at Madeline. She, too, had changed into a smart business suit. A gray blazer hugged her large breasts and the conservative skirt rose just above her knee level. She’d pulled her hair back into a perfectly straight ponytail, showing off her high cheekbones and wide eyes.

  When she noticed him looking, she gave him a small grin. “It will be okay,” she mouthed in an exaggerated fashion.

  Donovan nodded, more to reassure her than because he believed it. He returned his attention to the front of the courtroom and watched the judge enter.

  James Rothenberg’s mouth formed a grim line as he took his place behind the bench. Though Donovan had been in Rothenberg’s courtroom many times before, this was his first appearance as the defendant.

  “Be seated.”

  The judge put on thick, black-framed glasses and looked through the papers on his desk. He looked up at Donovan. “Would the defendant please rise?”

  Donovan stood, Jeremy standing with him.

  Rothenberg shuffled a paper to the top. “Will the defendant state his name for the record?”

  “Donovan Michael Andrews,” Donovan replied clearly.

  Rothenberg nodded and removed his glasses, toying with them in his hand. “The charges you face include two counts of first-degree murder, which may carry the maximum penalty of life in prison or death each. Do you understand the charges?”

  Behind him, he heard Madeline suck in a quick breath. Perhaps it only now dawned on her how serious the situation was.

  He cleared his throat. “I understand, Your Honor.”

  Rothenberg nodded. “We will now hear arguments for bail. Defense will go first.”

  Jeremy stood a little straighter. “Your Honor, Donovan Andrews is an upstanding citizen of this town. He’s been a decorated police officer for over twenty-one years, twelve of them in this town. He has strong ties to the community, coaching Little League and basketball, helping organize our local charity for needy children during Christmas. He even helped organize that soup kitchen up in Eureka last year. On top of that, the evidence against him is circumstantial.”

  “Keep it short, Mr. Rains,” the judge cautioned. “We aren’t conducting the trial right now.”

  “Sorry, Your Honor. Donovan has been a son to me, and Maria loved him very much. He’s not a danger to anyone and has no prior criminal history. I recommend he be released on his own recognizance.”

  Yeah, they’ll never go for that. Donovan almost wished Jeremy had made an offer of a reasonable bail, something he could somehow get his hands on.

  It was the prosecution’s turn. The D.A. smoothed his hands across the front of his jacket. “Mr. Andrews has no real family to speak of and no reason not to flee. In addition, due to the vicious nature of these crimes and the fact they are happening so close together, we feel there is imminent danger to the city. The State requests remand, Your Honor.”

  Donovan’s stomach twisted. If it were anyone else, he would agree with the prosecutor. He prayed Rothenberg would consider all the good things Donovan had done for this town and remember he really was innocent until proven guilty.

  Rothenberg sat in thought for several minutes. He finally focused his attention on Jeremy. “I’m surprised to see you here, especially in defense of Mr. Andrews. I would think it would be in your interest to keep him behind bars.”

  Jeremy lifted his head proudly. “I believe in him, sir.”

  The judge nodded. “Bail is set at $700,000. The preliminary hearing will be held the twelfth of June at eleven in the morning.” He banged his gavel once. “Next case.”

  With that number, he may as well have granted the request for remand. There was mass confusion for the next few moments as the bailiff came forward to take Donovan into custody.

  Madeline leaned across the banister separating them and put her arms around him as she gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll get you out somehow,” she promised.

  Donovan sat quietly as the man cuffed his hands behind his back. How would she get him out of this? He certainly didn’t have that kind of money and didn’t figure a jobless schoolteacher did either. It looked like he’d be spending the night with Big Bubba. He hoped he made it through to the morning.

  ***

  Madeline watched helplessly as they hauled Donovan through a side door. Fear clutched at her insides. They might pursue the death penalty? That was ridiculous. Donovan was innocent. She wanted to trust the system, but knew it wasn’t perfect. What if they took Donovan away from her for good?

  “What do I do now?” she asked Jeremy as he stepped through the half swinging door to her side of the partition. “I don’t have that much money.”

  Jeremy nodded. “I know. Who does? You can hire a bail bondsman. There’s an office across the street. Problem is, you won’t get that money back, even when Donovan appears for court like he’s supposed to.”

  She waved that aside. “But it’s cheaper?”

  “Usually ten percent.”

  Madeline’s heart sank to her toes. “Seventy thousand dollars? How can I get that?” Madeline thought of the fifteen thousand sitting in her bank account, saved for the remaining ten months on her lease for the apartment. That would barely make a dent in what she needed. “I don’t really know much about Donovan. Does he have any family anywhere that will help him?”

  Jeremy shook his head, walking for the doorway. “Donovan was orphaned early in life.”

  “He was?” So much for learning more about each other. How could he not have told her about that?

  “He wasn’t ever adopted, and I gather his foster family wasn’t the best. He doesn’t talk about it much.” He led the way into the entry hall. “I can come up with some of the money. Maria and I are saving up for a cruise for our anniversary, but I’m sure she’ll say it’s okay to use it.” He stopped walking, as his words penetrated both of their minds. “Damn it.”

  “I’m sorry, Jeremy.” Madeline wrapped him in a hug. “And I know that doesn’t help at all, but I don’t know what else to say.”

  He clung to her for a moment, sniffling against her shoulder. “I just can’t seem to get a grip on reality sometimes. Right now, this doesn’t seem real.”

  Madeline hoped he could hang onto the feeling for a while. When reality came crashing in, she had a feeling he wouldn’t be doing quite as well as he was now.

 
He stepped back from her, wiping his eyes. “Donovan never has been good at saving money, so I doubt he’ll be much help,” he said in a brisk tone, once again all business. “I can easily get my hands on thirty thousand. We’ll have to get creative for the rest of it. Do you have any rich friends?”

  She shook her head. She could talk to her parents, but Mom would cause a fuss when she told them why she needed the money. Madeline could hear her now, ‘You want us to help a murderer?’

  Dad was more understanding and pretty much a bleeding heart. If she focused on the fact that Donovan was unjustly accused, he might wire her money. Then again, that ran the risk of causing problems between her parents. If it came down to that, she’d have to take that chance. She couldn’t leave Donovan.

  “There’s quite a bit of equity in my car,” she said. “I paid off the loan before moving here. I could borrow against that.”

  “How much is it worth?”

  “It’s practically brand new...fifteen maybe. I also have fifteen in my bank.” And then she’d have to figure out how to pay her rent next month. But that could be next month’s problem.

  “That still leaves us ten short.” Jeremy opened the door and they stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine. “Either way, it looks like we’re not getting him out tonight. You can’t get the loan until tomorrow. Maybe by then we’ll figure out how to get the remaining money.”

  The thought of Donovan stuck in there overnight with actual criminals tore at her heart. “It’s not fair.”

  “No, it’s not, but I was afraid Judge Rothenberg would refuse bail at all. We at least have a chance to get him out. It could be a very long time until we’re ready for the trial. I’d rather he not stay in there.” He ran a hand through his silver hair. “Visiting hours are over at six. Why don’t we go to the jail and see him real quick?”

  Madeline nodded, though part of her didn’t want to go. How could she tell Donovan they were ten thousand dollars away from his freedom?

  ***

  Donovan followed the guard into the visitor’s area. Cafeteria-style tables were scattered throughout the room. Unadorned cement walls and a grimy white-tiled floor completed the prison-chic decor.

  He looked down at his orange jumper, thinking how well he fit in with it all. A few other ‘guests’ sat at tables with either family or lawyers, talking in hushed tones. Donovan’s feet slid around in his shoes as he slowly approached the table Jeremy and Maddie sat at. They’d stripped him down of anything that could be dangerous, including removing the shoelaces from his sneakers.

  Madeline jumped up as soon as he reached them. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded, unable to voice the lie. He was sure she knew he wasn’t anyway. Who could be okay in a situation like this?

  His new best friend, the guard, stepped away from the table, but stood against the wall a few feet away. Donovan knew the guard was there for his safety, in case one of the other people in the room decided to jump him, but it still made him feel more like a criminal.

  “Here’s where things stand,” Jeremy said, opening his briefcase and pulling out a yellow legal pad. “Madeline and I can come up with sixty thousand. Do you have any way of getting the other ten?”

  Donovan shook his head and sat down. “That’s way too much money. Leave me in here.”

  Madeline sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “We aren’t doing that and that’s final. If you don’t know how to get the rest of the money, I can ask my parents. Maybe they’ll help.”

  Donovan inhaled deeply, replacing the stench of his cellmates’ body odor with Madeline’s wonderful scent. He knew it would have to hold him over. He needed to break things off with her. He would likely be in jail for a long time, and it wasn’t fair to hold her back.

  “Don’t ask your parents,” he ordered. “You guys can’t put up that kind of money. I’m going to stay in jail.”

  Madeline’s body stiffened beside him. “Stop talking like that. You are not staying here.”

  “I’m a cop, Maddie,” he said. “I make a cop’s salary. I could never pay you back. You two save your money.” He looked across the table at Jeremy. “It’s safer with me in here. Whoever’s killing people will stop now. I’m locked away. They won.”

  Jeremy pulled his pen out and wrote $10,000 across the top of the page. “You know it looks better if you are out on bail when it comes time for the trial. Juries aren’t supposed to be swayed by those kinds of things, but they are.”

  Donovan shook his head. “That won’t matter. It’s not like I’ll get a fair trial anyway.”

  “If you don’t care about the jury, at least care about me,” Madeline pleaded. “What if the killer wasn’t just after you? What if he still wants to kill me? I need you out of jail.”

  Donovan folded his hands together in front of him, trying to conceal the way they shook. What if she was right? The killer would have freer access to her with him out of the way.

  “The killer will feel safe now that I’m arrested,” he said. “There’s no reason for him to see you as a threat anymore. I don’t think he really wanted you dead, only wanted to keep you quiet so he didn’t get caught.” Donovan hoped that was the case. In any event, he couldn’t help Maddie now. He would call Brice Carter. If there was any part of Brice that still believed in Donovan’s innocence, he would keep an eye on Madeline. It was the best Donovan could do for her.

  Her continuing to defend him might actually put her in more danger. The killer wanted to frame Donovan and wouldn’t want Madeline helping him get out of jail. Donovan tried not to think about how good the killer had done with the frame job, but the facts were, with all the evidence against him, a jury might find Donovan guilty.

  He scooted away from Madeline, breaking the contact between them. “You’ll be fine without me.”

  Jeremy tapped his pen against the paper, and finally wrote down, ‘Madeline’s parents.’ Under that he wrote, ‘Mortgage my house.’ He looked back at Donovan. “Any other ideas? I’m a little old to be taking out another mortgage on my house. I don’t want to leave my girls with a burden when I join their mother. I can put it up as collateral against the bond, no problem. I know you’ll show up to every court hearing and I won’t be in any danger of losing it. However, I’d rather not take a loan against it.”

  Donovan pulled his hands through his hair, digging at his scalp in frustration. “Neither one of you are paying anything.”

  Jeremy wrote ‘Cash out IRA.’ “You’re not safe here, Donovan. You and I both know what happens to cops who enter the system.”

  “You are not doing that, Jeremy.” Donovan pointed at the paper and shook his head. “I’ll be fine. They can put me in protective custody in Eureka.”

  Madeline whipped her head toward the nearby guard, her ponytail brushing against Donovan’s face with the force of her movement. “You’re watching him tonight and making sure no one harms him, right?”

  The guard nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  She settled back, though still seemed ruffled. “We’ll have you out of here before they transfer you, Donovan. I’ll find a way.”

  “You guys aren’t listening to me.” Donovan had to stop them. Paying that amount of money could ruin their lives...especially Madeline. She was a substitute teacher and a dog walker. She’d never recover from that kind of financial setback.

  Besides, letting Madeline get serious about their relationship now was a bad idea, no matter how much he cared about her. She’d already been through a lot with that jerk, Cameron.

  What if the system failed and Donovan went to prison? What if he received the death penalty? He wouldn’t put Maddie through that. But he’d have to hurt her now—he knew she’d never leave him otherwise.

  “You’re wasting your time, Maddie,” he said, putting as much scorn into his voice as he could muster. “It’s not like we really mean anything to each other.”

  Her eyes widened. “What? How could you say that? I thought—”

&nb
sp; “You thought wrong,” he cut in. “All I wanted was a piece of ass, but I thought I’d get better ass for longer if I pretended I actually cared about you.” He snorted. “It’s not like I’m looking for anything long term.”

  Her brown eyes welled with tears, and Donovan wanted to throw himself at her feet and apologize for being a dog. He forced himself to look down his nose at her, as though her pain didn’t affect him at all.

  “You’re lying,” she finally said. “I know you are. Why are you saying these things?”

  “All I want is for you to stay away from me, Maddie. You’re too much trouble, getting all serious. Suzie’s more my speed.”

  A tear slipped over the edge of her eyelid and streaked down her cheek. “Please don’t say that. You don’t mean it.”

  She didn’t believe him, even with the Suzie dig. His last attempt was sure to work, but he knew it would crush her. He warred with himself against telling her she was right, he didn’t mean any of it.

  He couldn’t do that though—for her sake. Maybe if the court acquitted him before Madeline found someone else, he could make things up to her. For now, he had to break things off.

  He forced himself to shrug in an off-handed manner. “Face it, Maddie. Suzie’s got a better body than you. And, really, you could stand to lose a few pounds.”

  The sting of her hand slapping his face was far less than he deserved. The sound echoed around the room and all heads turned to face them.

  Madeline’s stood abruptly. “You’re an asshole, Donovan Andrews!” She ran across the room, pounding on the door until the guard on the other side unlocked it. Her quiet sobs filled the silent room.

  Pain shredded through Donovan as he watched her leave. He was an asshole, but he couldn’t let her ruin her life and end up in the poor house because of him. No matter what he wanted, there were no guarantees he’d be able to have a life with her now.

  “Well, that was unpleasant.” Jeremy folded his arms, drawing Donovan’s attention. “That’s one thing I never thought I’d see. You’ve always been somewhat of a jerk to women, but Maria and I always had faith you were actually a good guy.”