by Sharon Green
"It's Zyoril," Oldon said when he looked at the caller ID, then he pressed the answer button. "Hello, my friend. How are things going?"
"Things are going strangely," I heard his friend answer. "Those meals we got from you have been examined, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with them. Every bit of what was in them has been identified, and there was nothing that shouldn't have been there."
"How can that be?" Oldon asked, sounding almost bewildered. "Why would the food have been sent to me if it wasn't meant to harm me in some way?"
"That isn't the only question I have no answer to," his friend responded. "I tried to trace the being who arranged for the meals to be sent to you, and was only able to learn that the sender was female. Is there some female who might have ill feelings toward you?"
"Not that I know of," Oldon answered slowly, as if he consulted a mental file of some kind. "The only females I've crossed paths with who might have a grudge against me aren't walking around free, so I have no idea who the sender can be."
"Considering the fact that there was nothing wrong with the meals, I have a minor theory," Zyoril said, the words more of a drawl. "If it wasn't an enemy who sent the food, possibly it was someone who'd like to make your acquaintance. Is that possible?"
Oldon parted his lips, obviously meaning to comment, but nothing in the way of words came out. I was able to hear his friend chuckle, and then Oldon sighed.
"I appreciate your help, my friend, and if you find out anything else you know how to contact me," Oldon said. "Until then, I'm going to see about hiding my light under that proverbial bushel. I really don't enjoy the idea of being pursued by an ardent admirer. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer being the one who does the hunting."
His friend laughed out loud, and then they both said goodbye and disconnected. Eric and I had followed the conversation but the rest of the team hadn't, so Oldon took a deep breath.
"It looks like it was a woman who sent me those meals, and there was nothing wrong with them," Oldon told everyone. "If she ends up kidnapping me, I expect the rest of you to come to my rescue."
That comment made all of us laugh, and then we were helping Oldon speculate about who his secret admirer could be. The silliness went on for a while, and then Amiol held up a hand.
"Since there's nothing we can do right now about the lady in question, let's shelve the topic for a while," the dark elf suggested. "The games are waiting for us in the sitting room, and all we need now are Jack and Shell. They have to join us or the numbers will be wrong."
We didn't know what he meant by the numbers being wrong, but Eric went and got our hosts as the rest of us headed for the sitting room. Four chairs were arranged around each of two tables, and on the tables were something called Dark Tower. At one of the tables Freemont sat down with me and Eric and Shell, Amiol and the rest of our team and Jack sitting at the second table.
Freemont and Amiol explained the game to the rest of us, and then we began to play. Our pieces went around the board by turns, and there was even a dragon involved in the play. It was so much fun that we played a second game after the first, and so did those at the other table.
Happily, the Duracell batteries were only good for the two games we played. As it was, supper was late when Jack suddenly realized he hadn't even gotten the meal started.
We sat around drinking coffee – or blood – until the food was ready, and after supper we all headed for our apartments. Tomorrow… Tomorrow we'd be going to court…
Chapter Twenty-six
We were all up early, and breakfast was even waiting for us. There hadn't been much happening during my dreams, just Mykel and Regina taking walks and getting to know each other better, but more than a day or two had gone by. It looked like my dreams were moving faster than usual, but I still knew nothing of importance was being missed.
When the meal was over the team and I piled into the Explorer – leaving all weapons under the car seats - and we went to the courthouse. We had to ask more than a couple of questions before we found out which courtroom we needed, but finally we got there. We walked inside to find just a few people in the audience seats, but one of those was Allison. She looked straight at me and then deliberately looked away, nothing but a faint smile having shown on her face.
"Clearly we're not supposed to recognize her," Freemont murmured, speaking only loud enough for the team to hear him. "With that in mind, let's find seats closer to where the action will take place."
Meaning closer to the prosecution and defense tables. That was a good idea, so we moved toward the front of the courtroom before taking chairs of our own. It was still early, but we only had to wait about ten or fifteen minutes before court personnel began to come in. Once they were in place it was the prosecutor's turn, and last was the defense attorney. Roland Helms was brought in next to last by a guard, and then, finally, the judge appeared.
"All rise," a court official intoned when the judge walked in. "The honorable judge William Brice presiding."
We all stood up until Judge Brice was seated, and then we were told we could sit down again. The judge was a man in his middle years with light hair and light eyes, his face looking more tired than hard. He moved some papers around on his bench, and then he looked at the prosecutor.
"Are we ready to begin, Mr. Forbes?" the judge asked. "If so, present your case."
"Your Honor, Mr. Roland Helms was arrested when a group of shapeshifters he hired to assault some people were captured by the intended victims and then he was identified by those shapeshifters," the man Forbes droned out. "As Mr. Helms has the means to flee the jurisdiction, the state is asking that he be refused bail."
"Objection, Your Honor," the defense attorney interrupted, immediately getting to his feet. "We challenge the identification made, inasmuch as the claim was made by a group of felons who were certainly looking for an easing of their own situation. By naming Mr. Helms, who has never met or associated with them, the felons thought to buy themselves an easier ride. We ask that all charges be dropped and that Mr. Helms be released immediately."
"Was that the only reason for the defendant's arrest, Mr. Forbes?" the judge asked, looking again at the prosecutor. "The accusation made against him by those who were themselves arrested?"
"The accusation was made without hesitation, your honor," Forbes said, also on his feet. "We were given no reason to doubt–"
"It isn't doubt or belief involved here, Mr. Forbes," the judge interrupted, now sounding annoyed. "Only facts and proof count, as you should know. With that in view, I'm going to–"
"Just a minute, Your Honor," I said as I stood up, taking my turn at interrupting. "Doesn't the matter of Helms's fingerprints on the money paid the attackers count as proof? The prosecutor seems to have forgotten about that little gem. Not to mention the additional fact that Helms has a reason for wanting to attack my team."
At that point everyone started to shout at the same time, making me wish I could smile out where that same everyone could see it. At first I'd thought the judge had been bought, but now it definitely looked like the prosecutor was the one who'd been for sale.
"Quiet!" the judge finally roared, pounding on the bench with his gavel. "I'll have quiet in this courtroom or I'll have the bunch of you behind bars! Bailiff! You and your people are to arrest anyone still making noise, and that includes both the prosecutor and the defense attorney!"
That statement quieted everyone at the same time, but it didn't make me sit down again. I wasn't through clearing up the muddied waters, and the glare Forbes sent me said he knew it.
"Finally," the judge said, doing his own glaring at those in front of him. "Now, Mr. Forbes, I'd like an answer to the question that young woman asked. Do you actually have fingerprints in this matter that you simply forgot to mention?"
"I've been told nothing about fingerprints, Your Honor," Forbes growled in answer, his entire being showing how enraged he was. "With that in mind-"
"Everyone was told about the
fingerprints," I said, again interrupting. "Are you trying to claim that people are keeping secrets from you?"
"Shut your mouth!" Forbes screamed, turning to send kill daggers at me. "You have no standing in this courtroom so I'm going to demand that you be put out by the bailiffs if you speak one more time!"
"That's something for me to do, Mr. Forbes," the judge said, his expression showing how unhappy he was. "Assuming that that something does have to be done. And you've been asked a question I'd also like to hear the answer to."
"Your Honor, there was some kind of claim about proof made, but I've seen nothing to show that there really is such a thing," Forbes answered, looking only at the judge. "I can't base my arguments on hearsay and theories, which is why the matter wasn't mentioned."
"Judge, there's nothing of hearsay about those fingerprints," I countered, seeing that the judge had turned his attention to me again. "There's also the matter of the first attempt the defendant made to have me killed, something he hasn't been charged with yet."
"Objection!" the defense attorney shouted as he jumped back to his feet. "It isn't permissible to mention any prior claims against my client as such mention would be extremely prejudicial."
"Excuse me, but mention of prior acts is allowed if the mention shows a pattern of action," I countered at once, knowing the point of law from a television program I'd once seen. "And speaking of prior actions, I'd also like to know why Mr. Helms wasn't charged at the time. I was never called in to counter his claims of innocence."
"That has nothing to do with the matter currently at hand," Forbes growled, giving me a glare before sending his attention back to the judge. "Since I have nothing about those fingerprints in my file, all I can do is move to dismiss-"
"No," another voice said rather loudly, and then a man was moving up from the back of the room to stand near the divider behind the two tables. "The people do not move to dismiss charges against the defendant, Your Honor, and we apologize for this horrendous display of shameful behavior on the part of the former prosecutor."
"Mr. Rhodes," the judge said with something like satisfaction as Forbes froze with his face pale and his mouth open in shock. "The District Attorney is always welcome in my courtroom, especially at a time like this. I take it Mr. Forbes has been … naughty?"
"His bank records show that he's been paid large sums of money three times," the man Rhodes answered, looking his disgust at Forbes. "The first instance was the time Mr. Helms should have been prosecuted before now, the second after charges were dropped, and the third… Well, that time is now. Too bad there won't be a fourth time, as Mr. Forbes will need as much money as he can get to pay his own attorney. Please take him into custody now."
The DA had turned to talk to some of the others in the room, and Allison was the one directing the people who came forward to make the arrest. Forbes was trying to protest being arrested, but the try didn't do him any good. He was cuffed and led out of the courtroom, and then the DA turned to look at Helms and his lawyer. The two men were very busy ignoring the goings-on, but that didn't help them.
"There will also be charges leveled at Mr. Franklin for his part in this mess," the DA said, gesturing toward the lawyer sitting next to Helms. "That leaves Mr. Helms without an attorney for the moment, but I'm sure he'll be able to find someone at some time. In the interim, Your Honor, we do have that fingerprint evidence, therefore the people move that the defendant be held without bail."
"So granted," the judge stated, glaring at the two men who were almost as shocked as Forbes had been. "Someone who goes so far as to bribe a prosecutor won't hesitate to flee the jurisdiction, so Mr. Helms will spend his time until trial in a cell. Court is adjourned for ten minutes."
As soon as the gavel fell the judge got up and walked out, which left everyone able to do as they pleased. The lawyer Franklin was taken into custody too, Helms was led off by his guard in spite of his attempt to shout out his unhappiness, and then Allison had come to stand near us.
"That man will have more than a little trouble finding another lawyer," Allison said to me, her expression showing how satisfied she felt. "Franklin will probably be disbarred and charged as an accessory, and very few lawyers want to get involved with someone who puts them into that kind of a fix. And we're still checking on murder victims from the recent past, so there just might be more charges leveled against Mr. Helms in the near future. Because of that I think we all deserve a pat on the back for a job well done, so let's go somewhere and have coffee to celebrate. I'd suggest lunch, but it's too early."
"Not to mention the fact that we'd rather go back home for lunch," Freemont put in as we all laughed and agreed. "And speaking of lunch, why don't we go back home for that coffee before we invite Allison to join us for the meal? Then Oldon can get rid of his day coat and hat and join us with something other than coffee."
"Yes, I'd appreciate that," Oldon agreed, which let Allison make up her mind.
"Okay, you've sold me," she said with a wide smile. "On the location for the coffee as well as joining you for the meal. From the things Taz has said, I'm looking forward to finding out why you all enjoy your new location so much."
Her decision settled the matter, and after we introduced her to Bari – and made sure Bari's rent would be taken care of like ours - we all headed for our cars. Allison followed us in her own vehicle, and when we got back to the house we introduced her to Shell and Jack, all got our various drinks, then went into the sitting room and found chairs. Now that Jack knew we'd have company for lunch, we shouldn't have a problem with the amount of food we were given.
"We're now going to have to reopen every case Forbes handled as a prosecutor," Allison said once we were all settled. "Happily, though, that's only going to be a small nightmare. The man was hired and put to work no more than five months ago."
"That's lucky, but you'd better look at all sides of the matter," Bari put in while the rest of us made sounds of understanding. "If Forbes let himself be paid off for letting the guilty escape prosecution, he might also have let himself be paid for prosecuting someone innocent who'd been set up."
"Yes, that thought occurred to us," Allison said, her expression no longer as pleased as it had been. "There could be innocent men and women behind bars now, so we can't afford to drag our feet. It's too bad we won't be able to get all the details involved unless we make a deal with Forbes."
"No, you definitely don't want to do that," Bari agreed, knowing as well as the rest of us how distasteful Allison found the idea. "You might want to try getting a search warrant for Forbes, and also for Helms. Then you'll know exactly what you need to without having to make a deal."
"We already have search warrants for the two of them," Allison said, looking at Bari with a small bit of confusion. "Once their homes and offices are gone through we might get some of the evidence we need, but certainly won't get all of it."
"That's not the search warrant I had in mind," Bari said, her smile somewhat on the evil side. "If a search warrant can be issued for a felon's home and office, why not get one for his mind? If you feed the guy one of those date-rape drugs, the one that lowers resistance, and then get a hypnotherapist to put him under and order him to tell the truth, you'd have everything you need."
"We would, but that would be against the law," Allison said, obviously wishing she could go along with the idea. "Don't forget that a person can't be made to testify against himself, and that's what your idea would accomplish."
"Not really," Bari disagreed with a grin. "You have to remember that when that law came into being, it was only possible to get someone to testify against himself by torture or intimidation. Which means the confession couldn't be counted on to be true. Using the drug and hypnosis would be benign and humane, not to mention able to get the complete truth. Which is what courts of law are supposed to be trying to do, and it won't even be a matter of testifying, just providing information."
"And if a lawyer stood by to make sure only information about
the crime was asked for, it could be considered legal," Freemont put in with sudden enthusiasm. "I like that idea, I really do!"
"So do I," Allison agreed, now looking thoughtful. "I don't know if we can get a court to agree with us, but it would be worth the effort. And that effort would not be an intrusion into someone's privacy, not when people aren't allowed to plan and/or commit crimes and then claim privacy to protect themselves. Yes, I'll definitely have to discuss the idea with the DA and his people."
That decision made us feel considerably better, so we just chatted while we waited for lunch to be ready. Once we went into the dining room and sat down to the meal, it became clear that Allison was learning why we enjoyed our new home so much. She stuffed herself as much as the rest of us did, remarking about Oldon's meal as something she hadn't known was out there.
We all had fun during the meal, and afterward I took Allison up to my apartment to show her around. She was duly impressed with what she and her people had provided for us, and afterward I walked her to the door.
"By the way, I haven't seen George around," she said, stopping next to the door. "Is he busy with something?"
"He was with us in court, I was able to tell that, but he stayed invisible to keep problems from happening," I told her. "Afterward he left again, probably to go back to visiting with his family. They're all so pleased to have him back again, even as a ghost."
"I don't blame them," Allison said with a warm smile. "Give him my best when he gets back, and I'll let you all know if anything comes of Bari's suggestion."
I said I would before letting her out the door, and once she was gone I took the opportunity to call Rolfe to let him know what had happened.
"What's up, Taz?" Rolfe asked once he'd answered the call. "You have good news, I hope."
"Good as well as satisfying," I answered. "Helms and his lawyer tried their usual garbage at the arraignment, but this time it didn't work. They'd paid off the prosecutor, but now the prosecutor and the Helms lawyer are both under arrest, and Helms himself has been remanded to custody without bail."
