Irrevocable Trust (Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller Book 6) (29 page)

Sasha immediately thought of Madeleine Albright, who had an assistant whose job was to carry her purse. If she were a judge, she
’
d at least press a law clerk into service. It didn
’
t seem very judicial to be weighted down with a Coach bag, she mused as she stood to greet the judge.

“
All rise. The Honorable Merry Perry-Brown presiding,
”
Bev intoned.

Sasha heard the shuffle of feet and the rustle of fabrics, as Connelly, Cole, and the assorted onlookers got to their feet.

She wondered for an instant if there would be an outburst from the gallery, but no one spoke.

Judge Perry-Brown deposited her purse on the bench and smiled down at the counsel table.

“
Good morning, counselors.
”

“
Good morning, Your Honor,
”
they parroted in unison.

They waited until she was situated then folded themselves back into their seats.

The judge scanned the audience, and her eyes settled first on Connelly and Cole. They stood out by virtue of sitting in the front row and because they were both wearing somber dark suits
—
Cole
’
s was brand new. Sasha had snipped the label off the sleeve just that morning.

“
Good morning,
”
the judge said to Cole and Connelly. The curiosity in her voice was bare.

“
Good morning, Your Honor,
”
Connelly replied.

He nudged Cole.

“
Good morning, Your Honor,
”
the boy mumbled.

“
And you are?
”

“
Agent Leo Connelly, Your Honor,
”
Connelly said.

Sasha suppressed the urge to turn around and ask him what precisely he was an agent of these days. Agent of change?

The judge arched a shaped brow and waited for further elucidation.

“
I
’
m Cole Bennett, Your Honor,
”
Cole finally said in a halting, strangled voice.

Will coughed discreetly.
“
Mr. Connelly and the young man are with us.
”

Recognition lit in the judge
’
s eyes.

“
Mr. Pulaski, Ms. McCandless, and Mr. Volmer
—
in my chambers. Now. You, too, Mr. Agent Man. Bring the boy.
”

She grabbed her purse and flounced back to her chambers.

Pulaski was muttering under his breath while he gathered up his papers.

Sasha tossed her notepad in her bag and snapped it closed.

“
You folks ready?
”
Bev asked, pausing in the middle of the well.

“
Yes, ma
’
am,
”
Will chirped.

“
Well, follow me, then.
”

She held open the small gate cut into the bar and let the attorneys pass.

Connelly and Cole met them in the aisle.

“
What
’
s going on?
”
Connelly whispered in her ear. His breath tickled her hair.

She just shrugged. If Connelly understood nothing else about the American justice system, he should know by now that judges could be as mercurial and unpredictable as any self-respecting three year old.

They tromped down the aisle behind the judge
’
s clerk.

As they neared the door, the man in the Army jacket tracked them with his hooded eyes.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Pat half-jogged through the alley. He skidded to a stop in front of Bricker and braced his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

Bricker jumped to his feet.

“
What happened?
”

Even though he hadn
’
t been running particularly hard, the homeless man put up a hand and wheezed, red-faced.

“
Chambers,
”
he panted.

Bricker balled his hands into fists and forced himself to wait while Pat caught his breath.

“
The judge brought all the lawyers back into her chambers. The agent and the kid, too.
”

“
Kid?
”

Pat nodded. He got his breathing back under control and said,
“
Along with the same lawyers from last time, some serious-looking guy
—
said his name was Agent Connelly—and a teenaged boy were there. Cole Bennett, that was the kid
’
s name. They came in with the lady lawyer. I don
’
t know what the relationship between Connelly and the kid is. They seemed tight.
”

Leo Connelly and Clay? Anger boiled in Bricker
’
s gut.

Stay in control. Don
’
t explode.

He tamped down the hot rage and said,
“
Go on.
”

Pat gave him a questioning look.
“
You okay, man? You
’
re sweating.
”

“
I
’
m fine,
”
he said between clenched teeth.
“
Get on with your story.
”

“
Uh, sure. So, I don
’
t know how long they
’
ll be back there. I asked some of the old farts
—
they
’
re regulars. They said usually a judge has a private conference back in chambers and deals with whatever the confidential things are and then they all come back out into the courtroom. But not always. They all stuck around, so they must think she
’
s going to do something in the courtroom. I thought I should let you know, though.
”

“
You did the right thing.
”

Pat stared at him.

“
What?
”
Bricker hissed.

“
What should I do now?
”

“
What do you mean, what should you do? Get your ass back in there!
”

Pat snapped to attention instantly.

Bricker wondered if he was a combat veteran.

“
Yes, sir!
”

He turned around and hauled himself back toward the court.

Bricker hoped the man didn
’
t drop dead from exertion. At least not until he reported back on what the devil McCandless was up to and why she
’
d brought his eldest son into court.

Now he wished he
’
d risked creeping closer to the front of the building to see them arrive. At the time, he
’
d decided to hunker down in the alley so as not to tip off McCandless or whichever of her pathetic male lackeys were tagging along with her.

But he would have liked to have laid eyes on Clay once more, even from a distance.

He slumped back against the wall and resumed his seated position, resting his head against the cool bricks as if he were just another hungover vagrant dozing in an alley.

But his mind raced as he imagined Clay lapping up Connelly
’
s pro-government propaganda.

No. Not Clay.

But the words rang hollow. Clay had deserted him
—
and the cause
—
at the compound. He
’
d piled the younger kids in the car and had fled. Like a coward.

Bricker reached inside his jacket and stroked the Beretta.

During his trial, the story had emerged that Connelly and McCandless had been instrumental in helping his children leave the compound.

He
’
d never properly conveyed his feelings about that fact.

Today was his chance.

Keep a lid on your temper and wait for your shot.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Judge Perry-Brown unzipped her robe and stepped out of it. Then she tossed it over the back of her leather chair and lowered herself into the seat.

She waved her hand in the direction of her three guest chairs. As if by unspoken agreement, Connelly and Will stepped back and leaned against the wall, leaving the chairs for the others.

Pulaski claimed the one closest to the judge
’
s desk. Sasha took the one furthest from Pulaski and tried not to stare at the judge
’
s attire.

In her experience, most judges
—
male or female
—
wore business attire under their robes. Not Judge Perry-Brown. She was wearing a light red t-shirt that made Connelly
’
s rattiest shirt look like high fashion. It was worn paper thin, almost bare in spots, which was hardly surprising considering that the faded black letters proclaimed the wearer a member of the
“
Upper Saint Clair High School Swim Team 1974.
”
The judge
’
s t-shirt was literally older than Sasha.

Once Cole was settled into the chair between Sasha and Pulaksi, the judge leaned forward and rested her tanned forearms on her desk.

“
Okay, people, we
’
re going to do this without a court reporter. So I
’
m telling you upfront, Mr. Pulaski
—
anything we discuss in here and any decisions I make will be considered off the record and unappealable. Got it?
”

Pulaski arranged his face into a hurt expression.

“
Yes, ma
’
am. But is there some reason that comment is directed solely to me, Your Honor?
”

The judge twisted her mouth into a dour expression.

“
Come on, Andy. Do you really need me to answer that?
”

He didn
’
t respond immediately, so she continued,
“
I don
’
t know Ms. McCandless or Mr. Volmer personally, but I do know that
their
reputations don
’
t precede them. You
’
ve earned a short leash. They haven
’
t.
”

Pulaski
’
s face darkened, but he held his tongue.

“
Moving on. I have to say I
’
m not sure what to do about maintaining the secrecy of your client
’
s identity, Ms. McCandless and Mr. Volmer. The courts are open for a reason. That said, if you want to make a compelling argument for closing this proceeding, I
’
m all ears.
”

Sasha and Will exchanged a look.

They
’
d anticipated this issue and had spent a considerable amount of time hashing out a response that they, Hank, and the Bennett kids could live with.

Will nodded to indicate that Sasha should take the lead.

“
Well, Your Honor, to be perfectly frank, the Department of Justice doesn
’
t share your concerns, or ours. They
’
ve terminated the Bennett children from the witness protection program.
”

“
What?!
”

The judge exploded out of her chair like a firecracker.

“
Justice and Homeland Security are taking the position that Alison Bennett was the protected witness, not the children. She
’
s gone. So they
’
re out.
”
Sasha didn
’
t sugarcoat the facts.

Judge Perry-Brown wheeled around to face Connelly.

“
Agent Connelly, tell me your wife
’
s mistaken.
”