“You know, I don’t even know enough about cooking to know if that sounds delicious or gross,” I said, handing her a glass of rosé.
“Well, I guess you’ll find out,” she said as we clinked glasses.
Ashley cooked so much food, frying, baking, mashing, steaming and seasoning until the entire apartment complex smelled like heaven. She loaded a couple of plates with fried chicken, whipped potatoes and green beans she’d snapped herself. I hadn’t even known green beans snapped.
We sat down together at the dining table I normally used as a home office and when I finally got to taste the food, it was beyond delicious.
“Ashley, I’m not kidding around, this is some of the best food I’ve ever tasted.”
“I’d argue if I could. I’m the fourth generation to receive these recipes, they’re tried and true. I can hardly go out to restaurant and not be disappointed.”
“I don’t doubt it,” I said. “So, what did you do? I’ve always wanted to be a better cook. I grew up on frozen French bread pizzas and canned soup. I’ve been told I’m quite good at both.”
Ashley shuddered. “Lesson two. Real food tastes better. I’ll give you some recipes and next time you can cook something for us.”
Since Ashley did the cooking, I cleaned up after. Then the two of us took a seat on the ‘divan,’ as Ashley called my sofa. I loved all these little Southernisms she dropped so casually.
We armed ourselves each with another glass of wine to help ease the difficulties of the day and found ourselves digging into fun stories from our lives, while Shortbread snored softly between us.
“You know, cutie-pie here is going to outgrow this little apartment in a matter of months,” Ashley warned gently.
“Yeah, I know. I never planned on getting a dog. Let alone one that’s going to grow almost as tall as me.”
“Well, I never planned on being single this long,” she said. “And the house has always felt too big for just me. If I get it back—”
“When you get it back,” I corrected.
“When I get my house back, y’all should consider moving in. You saw the yard. It’s big enough for him.”
“That’s so sweet, Ashley.”
“One thing though, this is a purebred boarhound and it’s incumbent upon us to make sure he acts like one. Until you can have him formally trained, you must take him with you everywhere you go.”
“Everywhere?”
“Yes, Kari,” Ashley said gravely. “You cannot keep this majestic creature cooped up in here. I already see chew marks on the legs of your divan. If you think it’s tough now, try a four-foot, hundred-pound puppy that doesn’t know how to behave. This little guy needs to know you have his back at all times. Then he’ll be calm. Plus, you’ll have a friend for life.”
“Okay, Ashley, here’s to friends for life!” I said, clinking her glass again. “I wonder if they’ll let me take him to work?”
After a few more desperately needed puppy-care tips, Ashley started in on an anecdote from her elementary school students: “So kids, I love ’em, right? But, my lands, they can do some dumb things sometimes. I think that’s why God made them so cute, so it’s easier to forgive them.”
I patted Shortbread on his head. “I’d never thought about it like that, but it makes sense, I guess,” I giggled.
“So, one time, it was the beginning of the school year and I always do this to get to know my students. We go around the room, telling our age and birthday. I like to make them little gifts when it’s their special day.”
“Aw, that’s sweet, but what about––”
Ashley beat me to it, knowing my question. “Summer birthdays. I just pick a random day and surprise them with a present. All the kids love it. They even brought me something this year without me having to drop a hint. I about cried. But back to the story.”
I nodded, taking another sip of rosé.
“Anyway, we’re going around the class, I get to just the cutest little boy, Hubert. Family name, poor thing. His birthday had been the week before and, so, I thought it would be nice to bring Hubert a gift the next week. So, I spent that time finding out what he liked, and it was superheroes, his favorite being Captain America. So, I painted him a picture of Steve Rodgers and presented the first gift of the year. Excitedly, he unwrapped it, but when he saw it his little face fell, and I was worried I did something wrong. Turns out I did.”
“Oh no. What?”
“So, I don’t, or back then I didn’t, know a lot about superheroes and little Hubert told me, quite seriously, that he didn’t like Steven Rodgers because he is too much of a goody two shoes. He likes Bucky Barnes as Captain America and then he went on for almost an hour explaining the entire Captain America history. I didn’t want to stop him because he seemed to genuinely want to educate me on the subject. I’d never known it was so complicated.”
She rolled her eyes, but also chuckled at the memory and I laughed along with her. Obviously, Ashley loved her job.
I didn’t get to spend a lot of time around kids. Being an only child and not having a large extended family, it just didn’t happen. But I had always found them to be adorable. They were always doing cute things, like Shortbread.
“Now at least once a week, he brings in his comic books and action figures and tells me all about the different superhero universes. At the end of the year, he even let me keep one. It sits on the bookshelf in my bedroom.”
That was one the sweetest things I’d ever heard. She seemed to be an amazing teacher to inspire such love from her students.
By this time, I had finished my second glass of wine and I was crazy tired. Not just wine-tired, but also ‘it’s been a long day and I wasn’t getting enough sleep’ tired. I hadn’t realized just how much this day had taken out of me. I knew I needed to get to bed soon. I showed her where the guest room was.
“I know it isn’t home, but I hope it will work for you. You can move things however you want to. I can help. Whatever you need to feel at home.”
“Thank you, Kari. Thank you so much.” She had Shortbread under her arm. “Don’t try to stop me from sleeping with your puppy tonight.”
“Never.”
Ashley turned to give me another hug. I hugged her back, squeezing for that extra sense of comfort.
“You’ve no idea how much I appreciate this, girl. I shudder to think that I could’ve been alone in the motel tonight. You didn’t have to go so above and beyond. I’ll never forget this.”
“Neither did you and neither will I, Ashley,” I said seriously.
I said good night and then made my way to bed. Taking my clothes off and just throwing them on the floor, I jumped into bed without any of my nighttime routine. The second my head hit the pillow, I was asleep––tucked safely away until the next morning.
When I woke up, I’d almost forgotten that Ashley was staying with me because she wasn’t there. I’d gone through my morning routine and there were no sounds except for the ones I was making. While brushing my teeth, I’d remembered and wondered where she was, but nothing stood out until I went downstairs. I found a note waiting for me on the table.
Thank you so much for last night. After the day we had, I did not expect to have so much fun. I’ve already left for work, but I’ll see you and SB later in the evening. This time you can make me dinner.
Ash
It was a cute little note and I appreciated that she left it. I walked to the kitchen to get some breakfast and looked over to the microwave clock. Holy moly! It was only 6:30 in the a.m. I was always amazed at how early teachers have to get up.
This was a tad early for me. Usually I was up closer to 7:30. Business at the firm didn’t begin until nine––another small-town work perk. Meanwhile, Ashley had been at work for more than two hours. They were really an undervalued work force in our country. Especially Ashley, from what I’d heard last night.
Since I got up earlier than expected, I took my morning a little slower. I showered in a leisurely
manner, dressed as comfortably as work would allow and hitched Shortbread to his leash for a nice little stroll to work.
I hadn’t forgotten what Ashley had said about keeping Shortbread with me, or how she’d said it, like she was redirecting the behavior of one her first-graders. I’d felt terrible, anyway. I hadn’t the faintest idea how to take care of any dog, much less one that would grow to pony-size. And I hadn’t yet made the time to figure it out. I’d assumed he needed food and love and I’d given him plenty of both, plus walks.
But Ashley’s was the first practical advice I’d run across so far and I embraced it. If anyone wanted to separate me from this puppy, they were going to need a very good reason.
We headed to my office, a stack newspapers under my arm. I was going to need them.
I had been prepared to argue a whole case about letting Shortbread stay with me at work, but I didn’t have to. No one cared, except Tammy, who couldn’t get enough of him.
“Oh my stars and garters, this handsome gentlemen’s going to be with us every day? How am I supposed to get any work done, Kari?”
After carefully laying down two layers of newspaper over my entire office floor, I’d decided to get started on the appeal for the restraining order. There would be some red tape, so getting this done as soon as possible would be best. I didn’t want Ashley to be tied up in the courts longer than necessary.
I wondered if it would be possible to get another judge. Probably not in such a small town. Especially since I didn’t have evidence of misconduct. Could be senility for all I knew.
Plus, trying to investigate whatever was happening between June and Judge Houston would just take away from my work on the appeal. I’d just have to hit this one out of the park and get the order thrown out the first time.
I’d been on the paperwork for a few hours and was about to take Shortbread out on my lunch break when I got a phone call. It was from the Sherriff.
“Hello, this is the Appleton Sherriff’s department. Am I speaking to a Miss Kari Jacobs?”
His tone immediately alerted me that this was probably not going to be a pleasant phone call.
“Um, yeah. This is she. Is something wrong?”
“Your client has been arrested and we are holding her. She’s requested your presence. If you could come down as soon as possible.”
My client? My first thought was that they must be mistaken. The only client I had was…
“Ashley Butler?” There was no way she had gotten arrested. No way. “This must be some kind of mistake.”
“No, ma’am, I mean, yes, ma’am. We are holding a Miss Ashley Butler. She gave us your number and named you as her attorney.”
This was not good. Did she confront Miss June?
I knew she wasn’t happy with the decision, but I’d thought she’d understood what we were trying to accomplish. I needed to know the exact charges against her then I could prepare to sift through our options.
“What are the charges against my client?”
A stress headache was beginning to form, and I rubbed my forehead to calm it down.
“She’s been arrested on suspicion of murder.”
Oh no, no, no. There was no way. I mean, Ashley? I began to go through all the time I had spent with her and thought, Do I know her well enough to assume her innocence? I’d always believed I was a good judge of character, but I didn’t have all that much to go on. Did that even matter? The woman who made me her mama’s baked fried chicken last night could never commit…
“What?” I said absently into the phone.
Chapter Six
July 14th
I hauled myself down to the jail, Shortbread in tow.
After talking in great detail with the Sherriff, I found out that Ashley was being accused of murdering Miss June. A murder where she allegedly stabbed Miss June multiple times. And then the kicker, whoever did this placed a tulip on June’s chest which is also the type of flower that June ripped out of Ashley’s yard.
It was hard to picture a clumsier frame-up. However, given that the police found Ashley to be the only one with motive and opportunity, she was arrested.
After my talk, I went to find Ashley. Again, I prepared for a fight over my dog and, again, no one cared.
The three of us sat together in her cell and I briefed Ashley on what I knew.
“So, the Sherriff told me quite a bit. There was a tulip found on Miss June’s chest. Because of the case the two of you were wrapped up in yesterday, they felt you had the most motive and opportunity. I haven’t had a chance to look at the evidence myself, but I will as soon as we’re done here.”
Forlornly, Ashley nodded. She wasn’t crying now, but from the redness of her eyes, I could tell that she had been. It was as if all the light had been drained out of her, the dark, shadowy aura of the cell adding to the grief.
“I need you to know I didn’t do this. I could never…”
“I know, Ashley,” I said, “but––”
Before we could finish our conversation, some officers came down to the cell, barking at us that it was time to go.
“Ladies? We have to get to the courthouse for the arraignment.”
I had planned to read over the evidence and then get a defense together for Ashley, but, once again, there was an unexpected turn in the case. If I were paranoid, I’d think someone was trying to keep me off-balance. I wanted to protest, but I knew there was nothing these officers could do. They were just following orders.
Ashley was bundled off to the arraignment hearing and Shortbread and I followed closely behind.
Back at the courthouse later, I was scrambling.
I was reunited with Ashley after we got inside, and to my dismay, Judge Houston was presiding. I literally could not believe this kept happening.
The prosecution laid out their case with piece of evidence after piece of evidence. It was all circumstantial but, when added up and interpreted in the way I knew it would be, it looked bad. It looked really bad.
They started off with the harassment and the order that had just been signed, the one instructing Ashley to remain 100 feet away from Miss June at all times.
Apparently, a newspaper delivery boy saw Ashley driving away from her house in the early hours of the morning that Miss June was killed. Clearly a violation of the order added to her other links to the crime, the flowers and the testimony from yesterday.
Yesterday. So much happened yesterday and now today was shaping up to be the same.
Ashley pleaded not guilty, obviously, and I argued her unimpeachable character: “Ashley Butler is an upstanding member of this community. She not only teaches your children, but she cares for them deeply. What happened between her and Miss June was a simple dispute over a property line. Nothing that would move any gentle soul to murder. And even less so Ms. Butler. Someone like her could never hurt someone the way Miss June was hurt. All the evidence presented today was circumstantial and I demand all charges and spurious court orders against my client be dropped and that she be released immediately and allowed to go home.”
Why pull punches? I knew it would all fall on deaf ears.
Houston charged Ashley with murder.
“While counsel likes to think they can demand release of their client with kind words about her character, it wasn’t enough to convince me that Miss Butler is innocent of this crime. Thus, I am charging her with murder in the second degree and the defendant is to be remanded without bail. That is all.”
The judge still had his impassive stature, not seeming to care about anything that was going on.
I had to say more, especially on the subject of bail. “Begging your pardon, Judge Houston,” I said, but I’d never beg this man for anything, “I believe my client at least deserves to have a bail set. She isn’t––”
But he left without acknowledging me or listening to anything I had to say. Ashley and I were left standing there, waiting for the police to escort her back to jail.
Never had I seen due p
rocess be anywhere close to this delinquent. I had expected a day, or at least a few hours, to prep myself. But this was a summary judgement and a gross injustice. It was insane. Ashley’s life had been destroyed in like one hour.
Something was up, and I needed to fix it. I needed to find out what was going on behind the curtain.
The Sherriff came back and handcuffed Ashley, guiding her outside. I followed them all the way to the Sherriff’s car.
Ashley was in tears, telling me about how she was arrested in front of her class. “It was mortifying. I don’t know what’s going on. Someone must be setting me up. That’s the only thing that makes sense. I didn’t kill Miss June. You don’t believe me, Kari, I can see it in your eyes. But you have to.”
“I do believe you, Ashley. You know I don’t doubt you,” I said, placing my hand on her shoulder since hers was cuffed behind her back. “But I need to know. What was that thing with the paper boy? Did you go back to your house?”
A part of Ashley deflated, and I knew that she had broken the order.
“I wanted to get ready at home because I’m used to it and Miss June is never up so early. I thought I could get in and out undetected. I never imagined something like this would happen. It’s so surreal. What am I going to do?”
I didn’t have a chance to answer because she was placed into the car and the door closed. I shook my head, realizing this was going to be an uphill battle. This admission was not good for her case but, as the car drove away, I made a silent promise to figure out exactly what was going on.
Chapter Seven
July 15th 10:30am
I needed to gather my thoughts. Too much was happening and way too fast. A plan of attack was necessary, but I was low on fuel. A trip to the local coffee shop would get me back in working order. I was going to bring Shortbread, but Tammy offered to puppysit and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Miss June's Judgement Page 4
