Sunfall (Book 3): Impact

by Gideon, D.

  “You tell him I spoke, and that’s all there is to it,” she said. “Don’t let him get himself into any trouble.”

  Bill had made it back to Dotty’s house before Preacher, and he’d seen the man’s injuries when Simon brought him home. There was no use in telling her any of that. He just nodded.

  “I’ll try,” he said. “No promises.”

  Someone knocked on the door. “Five minutes,” Samantha’s voice called out.

  “Did Teddy come back last night?” Her face was hopeful.

  “No,” Bill said. “When he shows back up, I’ll let you know.”

  “Okay Mrs. Parker. Here’s what I hope will happen: I’m going to go talk to Judge Wilhelm and ask him to give you a bond hearing. Bill’s brought some money-”

  “Bill, you didn’t,” Dotty said.

  “Shush,” he said. “It’s for emergencies. This is an emergency.”

  Sorenson held up a finger to get their attention. “It’s enough that even if Wilhelm demands a sizeable bond, we should be able to put down ten percent. That’s the standard. I’m hoping we’ll have you out of here today, with a court date some time in the future. But it might not go that way. So cross your fingers, but try not to get your hopes up too far. We’ll know what we know when we know it. I’ll keep you informed.”

  Dotty nodded, and squeezed Bill’s hand. He could see tears welling up in her eyes.

  “Hey,” he said, turning her head. “We’re working to get you out of here. And come Hell or high water, I promise we’ll do it. You hear me?”

  She nodded, looking down. Tears fell on their joined hands.

  He kissed her on her forehead, and then led the three of them in a prayer.

  When Frank slammed the door open and told them time was up, he kissed her hands and left. She looked so small and alone, curled up with her knees to her chest and staring after him as he walked out.

  Frank slammed the door shut and slid the pin back into place.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve, coming down here and pulling this red tape shit,” Frank said. “Religious counsel, my ass.”

  “Judge Wilhelm allowed it, as he was required to, by law,” Sorenson said. “And now we’re going to speak with him again. If we could get by?” He moved around Stalls in exaggerated steps and then walked briskly down the hall.

  Frank stood glaring at Bill.

  Bill stared back for a moment, then stepped closer.

  “Officer Stalls-”

  “Chief Stalls,” Frank corrected.

  Bill tightened his jaw and smiled. “Frank,” he said. “There’s something you should remember.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “I wasn’t always a man of God,” Bill said.

  Frank snorted. “What’s that supposed to do? Scare me?”

  “That depends on how smart you are,” Bill said, then stepped around him and headed down the hall, where Sorenson stood waiting outside Wilhelm’s office door.

  Bill

  Bill sat across from Mayor Wilhelm with his hands pressed together between his knees. He was letting Bishop Sorenson do the talking, but it wasn’t going well. Wilhelm didn’t want to let Dotty go, and was manufacturing excuses as to why he couldn’t do a bond hearing.

  “You’ve got your main law enforcement officer right here,” Sorenson said, referring to Frank, who was looming in the doorway. “There’s no reason why we can’t review the charges and set bail.”

  “I don’t even have a Bible to swear everyone in,” Wilhelm said. “We’ll do it some other-”

  “I happen to have one handy,” Sorenson said. He flipped his briefcase open on his lap and slid a copy of the LDS Bible onto the desk with a smile. “Never leave home without it.”

  Wilhelm frowned and looked to Cindy Stalls, who was standing in the corner with her arms crossed. She didn’t acknowledge his unspoken plea for help, and he sighed.

  “Frank, please bring in the accused. And could you bring in another chair, please?”

  Cindy and Frank left.

  Sorenson leaned over. “I’ll need Mrs. Parker beside me. You can stand or sit in the back.”

  Bill got up and moved to the back corner of the office.

  When Frank walked Dotty through the office door, her hands were zip-tied. Bill bit back a remark.

  Cindy produced another chair, sat it on the side of Wilhelm’s desk, and promptly sat in it. She dropped a stack of papers on the corner of the desk. Then she pulled out a cellphone, tapped it a few times, and slid it to the center of the desk. It had a large screen on it counting up in seconds. Wilhelm raised an eyebrow at her.

  “You’ll need someone to represent the State,” she said. “I’m the closest thing you have to an attorney, unless you want to go comb through the unwashed masses in the gym. And this needs to be recorded.”

  Wilhelm looked at Sorenson. “This will be a little unorthodox, but being that these are emergency measures…”

  “We’ll take that into consideration,” Sorenson said. “We’re just setting bail, after all.”

  Wilhelm had both Frank and Dotty swear in, using Sorenson’s bible. Wilhelm went over the charges against Dotty aloud. Attempted murder, interfering with a police investigation, and resisting arrest. Bill opened his mouth to object, but Sorenson silenced him with a sharp look over his shoulder. When Wilhelm asked if she understood, Dotty said yes. Cindy smiled.

  “Defense?” Wilhelm said.

  “Your Honor, my client is an upstanding citizen in this community. She’s lived on Washington Street for many years, worked at the local hardware store for most of those, and is currently unemployed. Her family lives here in town. She attends a local church, and donates much of her time and her personal food stores to that church for the needy. Given her work status, which limits her income, as well as the emergency situation we find ourselves in without access to fuel, I believe she is not a flight risk whatsoever. She poses no risk to the community, which she is deeply involved in and cares for as if they’re her extended family. She’s an excellent candidate for bail.”

  Wilhelm snorted. He actually snorted. Bill took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  The Mayor tapped a paper in front of him. “Chief Stalls, in the statement I’ve got here, you claim that Mrs. Parker confessed to these crimes. Could you detail for me the manner in which this occurred?”

  “You were standing right there,” Dotty said, and Sorenson put his hand over hers.

  “Any more outbursts from the Defendant, and she’ll be returned to her cell,” Wilhelm warned.

  Frank detailed everything that had gone on the previous morning. Bill wasn’t sure if he elaborated or not, given that he hadn’t been there at the time. But it sounded like it meshed with what Thomas had told him.

  Then Wilhelm asked Cindy if the State had any objections to releasing Dotty on her own recognizance.

  “The State has many, Your Honor,” Cindy said. “The Defendant has established a clear pattern that she is unwilling to work with any government or law enforcement official in any capacity. She refused to sign papers that the City presented to her concerning the numerous code violations and federal codes for historical buildings that she is currently breaking. The Defendant refused to fill out the census form that the City provided to all of the residents, forcing the City to issue a warrant for a full search and inventory of her property.”

  Bill could see Dotty’s shoulders tense up. He tried to silently will her to stay quiet, but he was having a hard time with that himself.

  “She’s encouraged and orchestrated others to act on her behalf to interfere with the City’s law enforcement operations,” Cindy continued. “I was informed that she even organized a revolutionary meeting on her property-”

  “Objection,” Sorenson said. “Hearsay.”

  “Considering the word ‘revolutionary’, this seems pertinent enough that I’ll allow it,” Wilhelm said. “Please continue.”

  Cindy gave Sorenson a withering look before c
ontinuing. “A revolutionary meeting on her property where she encouraged fellow residents of her street to not comply with the emergency measures put into place by the Governor and by the City’s Council. Also, she is suspected of orchestrating a theft of the City’s census forms from this very facility.”

  “Objection,” Sorenson said. “Hearsay, again. Your Honor, we’re here to discuss facts, not rumors and speculation.”

  Cindy didn’t wait for Wilhelm’s response. “The facts,” she snarled, “are that Mrs. Parker confessed to this crime not once, not twice, but at least three separate times. We have two witnesses who were present at her first confession. She signed a statement confessing, and we have recorded video of yet another confession. There’s no question she attempted to kill the victim, and therefore the idea that she poses no threat to the community is preposterous.”

  “What about flight risk?” Wilhelm asked.

  “She’s been establishing her own lordship over on Washington Street and spurring an uprising there. It’s not out of the realm of reason that she would use that network to procure a means of flight, Your Honor. The State believes that Mrs. Parker should not be released on bail.”

  Bill felt his fists clenching and unclenching, and tried to make them stop. Cindy Stalls was making Dotty sound like some would-be warlord. It was ridiculous. And he couldn’t say a thing.

  “Well, given the State’s position, I’m inclined to deny bail,” Wilhelm said.

  “Your Honor, Father Bill is willing to deposit a sizable amount of money to assure the Court that he will have Mrs. Parker present for any trial date you might set,” Sorenson said. “I can easily produce witnesses that would refute the character assassination occurring here-”

  “It’s not a character assassination, it’s the truth!” Cindy spat, leaning forward and jabbing her finger into the desk. “She’s hoarding food when the City and its residents are in need. We’ve got witnesses that have seen the amount of food she has. Yet when we went to inventory it, it was all gone. She’d rather destroy that food than share it with her community. Is that typical of a caring, sharing, church-going woman? She’s a menace who won’t comply with government or law enforcement, and openly flaunts that fact and encourages others to do it. She’s starting her own lordship over there, and it’s my belief that she plans to attempt a coup of the lawfully-elected City Council so that she can install her own leadership. And now she’s admitted--admitted--to shooting a child!”

  “Your Honor,” Sorenson said, his voice heavy with patience.

  “She needs to be made an example of,” Cindy raved on. “If you let her go, you’ll just be encouraging others to take the same actions. She needs to be tried and convicted, immediately. Michael is coming. We don’t have the time or the resources to drag this out.”

  “Your Honor,” Sorenson tried again, but Wilhelm held up a hand.

  “The State brings up a number of good points,” Wilhelm said. “The City does not have access to a proper jail, and the county Sheriff refuses to allow us access to his. Our resources are quite limited, given that the National Guard has left town. The longer we keep Mrs. Parker, the less food we have for the other residents in our shelter.”

  “A perfect reason to allow her to return to her home,” Sorenson cut in.

  Wilhelm shook his head and looked at his watch, then Frank. “Would the State’s witness be available this afternoon? Say, around four?”

  Even Frank looked a little shocked by this, Bill noted. Interesting. Apparently this was as off-the-cuff as it appeared to be.

  “Yes sir,” Frank said. “I can gather up my men who were also there, if necessary.”

  Wilhelm nodded. “Do that, just in case. I’ll make sure the victim is present. Mrs. Stalls, you’ll be available?”

  “Absolutely,” Cindy said. “And I’ll also have a witness to the other issues I raised. The hoarding food, and such.”

  “Those issues don’t pertain to the situation that allegedly occurred last night, Your Honor,” Sorenson said. “Also, I need significantly more time to prepare. I need copies of statements-”

  “It’s settled then,” Wilhelm said, cutting Sorenson off. “We’ll have the trial this afternoon at 4pm. Chief Stalls, escort the accused back to her cell.” He banged his fist twice on the desk and stood.

  Dotty looked back at Bill, her mouth agape and eyes wide. Frank crossed the room and lifted her bound wrists, and she naturally followed them up.

  “Your Honor this is unprecedented,” Sorenson argued, leaning forward. “We’ve got bail money, we can set a more reasonable trial date-”

  “I’ve made my decision,” Wilhelm said. “Either be here at 4pm ready to defend your client, or...don’t. The trial will be held either way. Good day, gentlemen.”

  Sorenson snatched his bible from the desk and tucked it away before slamming his briefcase closed. He watched Dotty be led from the room and nodded his head for Bill to follow him out.

  In the lobby, Bill stopped. “What the-”

  “Not here,” Sorenson said, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward. “Hold it in. Not. Here.”

  They broke out into the late morning sun and walked briskly to Sorenson’s car. When the Bishop finally let go of his arm, Bill turned on him and jabbed a finger back towards the building.

  “What in God’s name was that?” He yelled. “I’ve been to dozens of bail hearings and I have never seen such blatant, ridiculous-”

  “I know. I know,” Sorenson said. “But right now he’s the elected judge, and his is the highest court we’ve got. I could file appeals to the state board, but how am I going to get them there? And in a matter of mere hours?”

  “How are we supposed to prepare anything by four o’clock?” Bill said, pacing. “We can’t! They’re not even going to give you the documents you need!”

  “Probably not,” Sorenson said. “It seems like it's going to be a kangaroo court all the way around.”

  “Then what the hell do we do?” Bill said. “They’re sending her up for attempted murder! They could lock her away for the rest of her life!”

  “Bill,” Sorenson said, his voice suddenly quiet. Bill stopped and looked at him.

  “You heard what they both said about not having a jail and the resources to keep her jailed. I don’t think we’re talking about years, here. I’ll have to check my books and look at this Civil Officer title that the Governor conferred to Wilhelm, but it’s likely there’s nothing we can do to get this extended or fight it given the emergency declarations. I’m going to go home and get right on that.”

  “And what am I supposed to do?” Bill said.

  “You gather everyone together that you can that we might use as character witnesses, and you pray for guidance,” Sorenson said. “Pray hard.”

  Dotty

  The sound of the metal clasp on the restroom door being rattled jerked Dotty alert. She’d gotten lost in thought staring at the unopened MRE packet and bottle of water in her lap. She set them on top of the folded wool blanket at the head of her cot and stood up.

  Frank Stalls came through the door, followed by Stella. Stella wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  Coward, Dotty thought.

  “Mrs. Parker, it’s time. Hold out your hands, please.”

  Dotty kept staring at Stella while Frank wound a new set of zip-ties around her wrists and pulled them tight. Stella kept staring at the floor.

  “Move over here and face the wall, please,” he said, pointing to the space by the sinks where the hand dryer hung, defunct.

  Dotty was confused. “We’re not leaving?”

  “I need to restrain your ankles,” he explained.

  “It’s not as if I can outrun you-”

  “Against the wall, Mrs. Parker.” He produced a small, boxy device from his pocket with two silver nubs protruding from the end. With the push of a button, the device gave a low hum and electricity sparked between the two posts. Dotty’s eyes flew wide.

  “Is that a taser?”
<
br />   “A personal stun gun, but it’ll get the job done. The wall?” He indicated the space again.

  Dotty moved over and waited as Frank gave Stella the taser and squatted down to wrap zip-ties around her ankles. She looked down and watched his hands in a disconnected state. It was as if this were happening to someone else.

  Frank was quick and efficient. A shorter loop around each ankle, connected by a larger loop in-between. She wouldn’t even be able to take a full step; not that her stride was long to begin with. She’d be shuffling like an old woman.

  “We’re going to exit the restroom, turn left, and head down the hall,” Frank said. He took a firm grasp of her upper arm and guided her to the door. Stella still wouldn’t meet her eyes. Dotty had an urge to say something spiteful, something that would sting. She pressed it down. Bill had told her what he’d learned talking with the shelter residents: able-bodied people were expected to do whatever was asked of them. The first refusal carried a penalty of no food for the day, for both that person and any members of their family. The second refusal resulted in the family being evicted from the facility.

  Stella was nearly as much of a prisoner here as she was.

  When they stepped out of the restroom, she could hear raised voices coming from the lobby. For an instant, she thought she heard Corey and turned to look, but his voice was shouted down quickly by someone threatening to throw everyone out if they didn’t quiet down. Frank yanked her to the left and got her moving. Stella took up position on her right side.

  “Was that my grandson I heard?” she asked.

  Neither of them answered.

  “Was that my grandson?” she said again.

  “They’re all out there,” Stella said, her words quick. “And they brought other people, too. That’s why we’re going this way.”

  “No talking,” Frank ordered.

  They walked--or shuffled, rather--her past the office where the parody of a bail hearing had been. They passed more doors, some of them open. Some had paper taped to them; hand-written signs in bold marker stating things like “Residence: Wilhelm”, “Residence: Stalls”, and other names she didn’t recognize. She caught glimpses of cork-boards and dry-erase boards on the walls, colorful graphics and motivation posters, and cots like hers. Only these had actual pillows, and were lined with fluffy comforters.