The Advocate's Justice

by Teresa Burrell

  “I know, but you like to swim, and I was just hoping.”

  Sabre looked at the clock on the wall. “I’m afraid it’s time to go, but I’ll see that Morgan gets back to visit you soon.”

  “Thanks,” Conner said. “I love you, Morgonster.”

  “Don’t call me that,” she said with little conviction. “I love you too.” Morgan choked back tears as she stood up with Sabre.

  JP remained seated. “I’ll meet you outside. I just want a minute with Conner.”

  When Sabre and Morgan were gone, JP said, “Conner, I know you don’t know me, or Sabre for that matter, but we’re here to help. The only way we can do that is if you are straight with us. We need to know everything.”

  “I told you what happened. I swear I didn’t kill him.”

  “I don’t think you did kill Bullet, but you’re holding something back. Chances are I’m going to find out what that is, one way or another. And if I can find it, so can the police. It’ll be a whole lot better if Sabre knows it before the cops do—so you might want to think about that.”

  Chapter 7

  The next day, Sabre and JP waited for Conner in the interview room at juvenile court prior to his detention hearing. Sabre re-read the police report. She summarized it for JP. “The report says the body of Carroll Hall was found near Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, just off Highway 79.”

  “His name was Carroll?” JP said.

  “Yup. That’s his name.”

  “That’s tough for a guy on the streets. No wonder he went by Bullet.”

  “He was shot in the chest, and he had a broken nose and lots of bruises.”

  “So, he was beat up and shot?”

  “Looks that way.”

  “Is there a coroner’s report?”

  “Not yet.”

  A deputy sheriff Sabre didn’t recognize brought Conner in through the back door to the interview room, handcuffed him to the chair, and left without saying a word.

  “Are you doing okay?” JP asked.

  “Yeah,” Conner said. “It’s even worse in there than Dad said though.”

  “Have you talked to your father?”

  “Not since I’ve been locked up.”

  “Have you talked to him since he left?”

  “Just once. He called me a couple of days after he left and said he was back in Donovan.”

  “Did he call from the prison phone?” JP wondered about his brother’s actual location.

  “He was using someone’s cell. He did that a lot.”

  “And you haven’t spoken to him since?”

  “No, but he always preached about staying out of juvie, or jail, or prison, because it wasn’t exciting like the tough guys pretend once they’re on the outside.”

  “Good advice,” JP said. “Did he talk much about prison?”

  “Not really. Sometimes I’d ask him questions, but he wouldn’t tell me much. He said it was better if I never knew what it was like inside. Then he’d give me his stay-out-of-trouble speech. I never thought I’d be here. One minute I’m breaking my pole-vaulting record, and the next I’m eating dinner with a bunch of gangbangers.”

  No one said anything for a second. Sabre broke the silence. “It appears Bullet was beat up as well as shot. Do you know anything about that?”

  “No,” Conner said quickly, then looked straight at Sabre, “He was fine when he left. Grandma was the one who got beat up.”

  “You didn’t touch him?”

  “No.”

  Sabre reviewed the police report with Conner, which, other than details about Bullet and his corpse, offered little more than what he had already told them. He gave the same details he had provided earlier. Bullet had a fight with his grandma, packed up his camping gear, and took off. No one had seen him since. Conner’s grandmother and mother gave the same account of the events.

  “Okay. Do you have any questions about what will happen in court this morning?”

  He shrugged. “Not really.”

  After a few more questions of her own, Sabre rang the buzzer for Conner to be picked up. Two deputy sheriffs came in the back door of the interview room. One took Conner back to a holding cell to wait for the detention hearing. The other, a friend named Mike McCormick, said, “I saw the inmate’s last name is Torn. Is he a relative?”

  “He’s my nephew,” JP said. “Keep an eye on him, will you?”

  “Of course. He’s been great so far. Very compliant.”

  “I’m more worried about him holding his own with the other kids in the Hall. He’s on C Unit, and I don’t think he’s very streetwise.”

  “I’ll do what I can when he’s here in court, but other than that, I have little control,” Mike said. “But I have a friend who is a correctional officer in the Hall. I’ll ask him to help out. He’s a good guy.”

  “I’d appreciate that. Thanks.”

  ~~~

  Sabre and Conner were seated at the counsel table after waiting for nearly half an hour for the detention hearing to commence. Conner fidgeted in his seat. Sabre reminded him to try to sit still if he could. Judge Gerald Feldman took the bench. He was in his fifties, with a receding hairline and a horseshoe pattern of dark hair sprinkled with gray on the back of his bald head and a salt-and-pepper goatee. After the clerk called the case, the attorneys introduced themselves for the record. The judge looked at the petition, then said to Conner, “The address for your father is listed as unknown. Do you know his whereabouts?”

  “He’s in Donovan,” Conner said.

  The deputy district attorney, Marge Benson, stood up, reaching a height of about five feet four inches tall. Her short, boy-like haircut and her drab brown suit added to her plain-Jane look. “Your Honor, we’ve checked the prison system. According to their records, Gene Torn is not in Donovan or any other California state prison. It’s possible he’s incarcerated in some other state, but so far, we haven’t found him.”

  Sabre saw the frustration on JP’s face and wondered what was going through his mind. She glanced at her client. Conner shared the same expression. Neither said anything, nor did they so much as twitch. She suddenly saw the family resemblance.

  “Are you certain you don’t know where your father is?” Judge Feldman asked Conner again.

  “No, sir, I don’t.”

  Conner pled not guilty to the petition, and a 707 hearing was set to determine if he should be tried as a minor or an adult. Since juveniles did not have a right to bail, Sabre asked to speak regarding the detention of her client.

  “Your Honor, Conner has never been in any kind of trouble. He has no criminal record, gets good grades in school, and has a good attendance record. He’s on the school wrestling team, has recently started pole vaulting on the track team, and has been working with a disabled children’s sports program. Keeping this minor in a juvenile facility would only be detrimental to him, Your Honor.”

  “Neither of his parents are present in court,” the judge said. “Where would you suggest we detain him, Ms. Brown?”

  “His uncle, John Torn, is ready and willing to take him into his home. Mr. Torn is a respected member of this community. He served in the United States Marine Corps for two years, and in the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for almost twenty years, until he was injured in the line of duty.” Sabre knew JP’s history well and was proud to tell it. “Mr. Torn was also the youngest sheriff to ever make detective in San Diego. He has worked the last ten years as a private investigator, primarily for juvenile court attorneys. He understands the system and his obligation to see that the child is present for all court hearings.”

  The Deputy DA, still on her feet, argued against the detention. “This minor is charged with a capital offense that appears to be pre-meditated. I’m sure Mr. Torn means well, but it’s my understanding that up until a few days ago, he didn’t even know he had a nephew. How could he possibly know what Conner may or may not do?”

  “That is true, Your Honor,” Sabre said. “However, we would not object t
o the court placing Conner under house arrest with an ankle bracelet. Mr. Torn is perfectly capable of providing a safe, disciplined home for his nephew. The Department of Social Services is evaluating his home right now for detention of Conner’s sister with him. The two siblings are very close, and it would be a healthy environment and added incentive for both children to thrive.” Sabre stopped as she realized she was making an argument that better fit in Dependency Court than in Delinquency.

  Benson didn’t waste any time pointing out to the court that their job was to protect the community.

  “The minor will remain in juvenile hall until the 707 hearing, at which time, we will revisit the matter of detention,” the judge ordered. “This hearing is adjourned.”

  Chapter 8

  “You don’t happen to be on detentions this morning, do you?” Sabre asked Bob as they walked into juvenile court together. Bob had been her best friend for years. They’d met in juvenile court when they were both rookies. They had worked closely on a very difficult case and soon discovered they made a great team. Sabre and JP socialized occasionally with Bob and his wife, Marilee, but mostly, she and Bob saw each other at court and had lunch at Pho’s, a local Vietnamese restaurant, nearly every day of the workweek.

  “No, why?”

  “JP’s niece is on calendar this morning. I want the minor’s attorney to be someone reasonable. JP doesn’t want a bunch of strangers coming into his home. It’s bad enough the social workers are there. You know how private he is, and some of these attorneys can be real pains. There’s no way the court will appoint me; there’s too big a conflict. But they might appoint you.”

  “Most of the attorneys here have used JP at one time or another for investigations,” Bob pointed out. “Nearly everyone has some type of conflict.”

  “Except those who don’t do any investigation for their cases, and we sure don’t want one of them representing Morgan.”

  “What courtroom is it in?”

  “I don’t know,” Sabre said. “I haven’t seen the petitions yet. They should be out by now. Let’s find out.”

  They entered the cramped attorney lounge, which was an old broom closet that had been converted to give the attorneys some privacy. Sabre sorted through the petitions and found the one for Morgan Torn. “It looks like we’re in Department Four, Judge Chino. The Public Defender has already conflicted off the case because they represented Gene Torn in the past. That leaves the panel attorneys who are on detentions today, Richard Wagner and Terry Chucas. I’m sure they’ll work with us.”

  Bob read the petition and started through the report. “Whoa! Did you see this? I want to represent the mother. Did you know she was having sex parties?”

  Sabre grabbed the petition from him. “Yes, I know she has sex parties, and I’m sure you’d love to challenge the issues in court. But JP and I need you to help Morgan.”

  “You know I will, Sobs, if the court lets me.” Sobs was Bob’s nickname for her—based on her full name being Sabre Orin Brown, making her initials S.O.B. He loved to tease her about her name. “I’ll take care of this, honey. Don’t worry.”

  ~~~

  Bob left with a copy of the petition and found Wagner and Chucas, who both agreed to take the parents on the case and let Bob have the minor. He then spoke to Dave Casey, the assistant county counsel.

  “I’m asking to be appointed on this case for the minor, Morgan Torn, who is the niece of my friend, JP Torn.”

  “The private eye?”

  “Yes.”

  “I know him,” Dave said. “Good guy.”

  “JP has done investigations for a lot of attorneys here on juvenile cases so most everyone knows him. If that’s the standard, it’ll be very difficult to find anyone who can take this case. Admittedly, I know him better than most, but since he’s not a party in this case, I don’t see an issue. The Department is recommending detention with JP, so he will be involved. Barring any unforeseen concerns from their clients, the parents’ attorneys are willing to waive any conflict issues, so that leaves you.”

  “I don’t see it as an issue. I’ll put it on the record.”

  “Thanks,” Bob said, and left the courtroom. He sought out Sabre and told her it was all set.

  “Thanks, honey,” Sabre said. “You’ll like Morgan. She’s a sweet girl in spite of all she’s been through.”

  “Do you know if Wagner talked to his client yet?” Bob asked.

  “He’s with her now.” Sabre pushed her hair back. “The social worker said Morgan’s mom wasn’t going to fight temporary detention with JP, but she denied the allegations in the petition, so Wagner will likely set it for a jurisdictional trial.”

  “It’s probably easier to have sex parties with the kids out of the house.”

  “Having them there didn’t seem to stop her,” Sabre said flippantly.

  “Attorney Sabre Brown to Department One,” a voice called over the loud speaker.

  “I have to go. I’ll be back after this hearing. I should be done before you are.”

  ~~~

  Sabre’s hearing took longer than she expected, and when she returned, Bob was just exiting the courtroom.

  “Is it over?” Sabre asked.

  “The judge detained Morgan with JP. He can pick her up any time.”

  “Anything else happen that I should know about?”

  “Wagner was appointed for the mother,” Bob said. “And the jurisdictional hearing was set for a week from Tuesday. Chucas wasn’t appointed for the father because no one knows Gene Torn’s whereabouts.”

  “Morgan’s mother didn’t know either?” Sabre was skeptical.

  “She thought he was in Donovan just like everyone else.”

  “JP’s already started looking for him,” Sabre said. “That father needs to be here for both of his children.”

  “It doesn’t sound like a high priority for him. How is JP taking it?”

  “He’s angry at his brother, but that’s old news. They’ve had a strained relationship for a very long time.”

  “I know what it’s like to have a sibling who’s a pain in the ass. I have several.”

  “I guess I’ve been lucky in that department.” Sabre had warm feelings for her brother.

  “Can you have lunch?” Bob asked.

  “I would, but I better go with JP to pick up Morgan. He’s a little nervous about this whole thing. A few days ago, he didn’t even know he was an uncle. Now he’s going to be in a parental role.”

  “He can handle it.”

  “I know he can. I’m just not sure he knows he can.”

  Sabre called JP and told him the news, then agreed to meet him at his house so they could go together to Polinsky. Before she left the courthouse, she stopped by the attorney lounge and picked up reports from her mailbox. One was a supplement to the police report on the Conner Torn case with photos of the evidence they had obtained, plus the ballistics report. She made a copy for JP and left.

  ~~~

  Sabre and JP waited in the lobby at Polinsky for Morgan to be brought out. Sabre took the new report out of her bag and handed it to JP. “This came in today. Hopefully, it’ll be of some help in your investigation.”

  JP flipped through the pages without reading thoroughly. When he got to the third page, which contained the evidence photos, he stopped. “What the hell?” JP reared up.

  “What’s the matter?” Sabre asked.

  “I’ve got to go.”

  “Where?”

  “To find that asinine brother of mine.”

  “You can’t leave. We have to take Morgan home, and I don’t have a car here.”

  JP ran a hand through his hair as he paced back and forth.

  Sabre reached up and gently touched the side of his face. She could feel the tension. “We’ll take Morgan to your house, get her settled, and figure out what to do next. I don’t have court this afternoon, so I can help out.”

  JP took a deep breath and blew it out. “You’re right.” They both s
at back down.

  “What did you see in the report that got you so riled?” Sabre asked.

  “The gun. I recognized it. It once belonged to my dear father.” The sarcastic emphasis was unmistakable.

  Chapter 9

  JP watched Louie greet Morgan with happy licks when they came in the house. She pushed him away from her face, dropped her things, and gave the dog a big hug. “I think he likes me. Last time he scared me a little.”

  “He was just being protective,” JP said, smiling at the Morgan. He wondered how his brother had created such a precious child. “Now he knows you’re part of the family.”

  She looked up at him and gave a slight nod. “Thanks for stepping up, Uncle Johnny.”

  He reached down and toussled her hair. “Come on, Munchkin; let’s have a look at your new room. It’s not as pretty as the one at Sabre’s, but it’s comfortable.”

  JP, Sabre, and Morgan walked down the hallway. The room had a queen size bed with a plain blue comforter, a simple oak dresser, and no pictures on the wall. Morgan looked around at the sparsely furnished room.

  “I’ve never had my own room before,” she said. “It’s perfect.”

  “I thought maybe you and I could go shopping this afternoon and find some things to decorate with,” Sabre said. “I would’ve done it before you got here, but there wasn’t much time, and I thought it would be fun if you picked them out yourself.”

  Morgan grinned from ear to ear, then her face went solemn as she glanced at both of them. “Do you have another room for Conner when he gets out of juvie?”

  “I’m afraid it’s going to be a while before he can come home,” Sabre said.

  “But yes, I have another room we can fix up,” JP said. “It’s sort of my office, but I do most of my work in the living room anyway.”

  Sabre smiled at him.

  JP couldn’t believe he was going to be a parent.

  “Take your time and put your things away,” Sabre said. “We’ll be in the other room when you’re done.”

  JP and Sabre left, but the dog stayed with Morgan.