Breaking Ties: An Ensemble Story (Read 251,591 times)

[Kpatch]

Sending Charley to camp before she's ready was a mistake. Kids can be so mean and nasty at that age.

[heroicmuse]

Week 503 - 5

Will came in with a big tub of popcorn as Sonny set up the TV to broadcast the Flamingo network.

“It’s strange not having Ari here,” Will said as Sonny flipped through the listings to get to the one he wanted. “She’d be trying to grab the remote and insist on putting on something completely inappropriate for an 11-year-old.”

Sonny laughed. “Yeah, can’t say I miss that.” He pressed a button on his remote and added, “The house does feel emptier and quieter without her, but let’s hope it stays that way. So far we’ve gone almost… let’s see… five hours without a call from the camp complaining about her behavior.”

“She’s feisty like her mom,” Will said, “Or her grandma Sami. Though don’t tell my mom I mentioned Gabi first.”

“Of course not. I want to stay alive.” Sonny smiled slightly. “How about you and that gigantic tub of popcorn come sit down over here and we take davantage of the peace and quiet while it lasts?”

“Sounds good to me,” Will said. His phone rang just then. He frowned. “I’d better take this.”

“It’s not the camp, is it?” Sonny sighed.

“No, thank God. But I do need to…” Will walked off to answer the phone, leaving Sonny to wonder what that was all about.


The girl who had tried to make all that trouble for Rubin had been placed in a very small holding cell, one with hardly any room to move in. She sat on the bunk, her head in her hands. “Juvie was better than this,” she said to herself. “How long they gonna keep me locked up in this tiny little cell, betting on me to go crazy or something?”

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. The girl stiffened as Rubin came up to the cell.

“What do you want?” she said.

Rubin crossed her arms. “Getting locked up hasn’t taught you manners, I see,” she said. “I thought you might be eager to do what it takes to get yourself the hell out of here, but I guess not. I’ll come back later.”

The girl swallowed hard. “Wait. Please.” Rubin turned around and the girl said, “I-I want to go home. What do I have to do to make that happen?”

Rubin came up to the cell. The girl shrank back. Rubin said quietly , “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hit you. I would never do that. But what I have to say to you is for your ears only. You want out, you need to tell me everything you know about Natalie Simmons’ illegal activities, especially how you ended up trying to mess with me for her sake.”

The girl’s jaw tightened. “I ain’t no snitch.”

“So what you’re telling me is, you need to stay here a while longer before you’re ready to talk.”

The girl’s shoulders slumped. She wanted to stay loyal to Nat, but she couldn’t do it. “No, I just meant… look, she’s only a few cells down and she’s gonna know…”

Rubin nodded. “Tell you what. I’ll have the guards take you to interrogation for questioning and we’ll talk there. In the meantime, ask yourself, is the loyalty she demands of you worth you going to prison for a very long time? Because if we can’t work something out, that’s where you’re headed for at least 25 years.”

Rubin turned and walked away. The girl gulped and grabbed tight to the bars as two guards came down the hall, ready to cuff her and escort her to interrogation for questioning.



Meanwhile, Saxon stormed up to the cell where Nat was being held. She got off the bed and said, “Oh good. You got them to let me out, right?”

“No, I didn’t.” Saxon crossed his arms. “You’ve dug yourself a bigger hole, Nat. HIring that girl to plant fake evidence makes you look guilty. Do you understand that?”

Nat glared at him. “It’s your job to fix it.”

“Maybe not for long.” Saxon’s voice was quiet. “I cannot do anything for you if you’re going to do stupid things that get us both in trouble. I had a hell of a time convincing that judge that I wasn’t in on this little scheme of yours. You know what would have happened if I hadn’t? I would have been escorted to my very own cell down here to await trial and lost my law license on top of it. And then what, Nat? How were you going to get out of this mess when your lawyer was in jail for helping you mess with the trial?”

Nat swallowed hard, but then she made her eyes wide and said, “I can’t believe you think I was behind this. That stupid girl acted on her own. Come on! You think I’d have done anything so amateurish? If I was about to fake evidence, I’d have made sure I didn’t get caught.”

“I have a better idea. Don’t fake evidence in the first place.” Saxon’s voice was very quiet. “I’m putting you on notice, Nat. Pull another trick like this and you’re on your own.” He turned and walked away.

Nat’s eyes narrowed. “I’m better as a friend than an enemy!” she called, but Saxon was already gone. She sank onto the bed in her cell, wondering what the hell she was going to do now.


While Marlena was waiting for John in the Thai restaurant, she stared at her phone, thinking about her doctor’s visit.

“Lab results usually take 24 to 48 hours,” Kayla had said, “but I’ll put a rush on them for you. Once we get them, they’ll hit your patient portal first, so feel free to look at them. But don’t panic, no matter what. Once we get the results, we’ll talk about what our next steps are.”

Marlena’s phone beeped now.

New notification from SalemHealth: you have a new test result available!

She swallowed hard as she stared at the screen.

[krw627]

Glad Nat's attorney put her on notice that this want going to help her case and that he would walk away the next time she tried something.

I hope Marlena's issue is treatable.

[André DiMera]

Wonder who called Will.

Well, this should be interesting. Hopefully this girl will tell Rubin everything once she’s in a different room.

I don’t feel bad for Saxon, he took a bad client. I hope Nat starts to realize that she (hopefully) won’t be getting out of this.

Wonder what the results are!

Ca; we please have previews, heroicmuse?

[Kpatch]

Ha! You've brought Salem University Hospital into the 21st Century. They have patient portals now and patients don't have to come to the office to get their results. I usually get my labs same day. As a doctor, Marlena would be able to interpret her labwork results.

[heroicmuse]

Thank you André DiMera , Kpatch , and krw627 for your comments this week!

Coming Up On Breaking Ties...

As the walls close in on Nat, she gets desperate. Not wanting to listen to her lawyer, she searches frantically for another way to get the freedom she wants. Will this next move succeed, or is she finally done for?

Meanwhile, at the safe house, Chanel is frustrated with not being able to testify or even know what's going on in court, and even more worried about Hannah. Jeremy supports her, but he may have a concern of his own about her mental health.

Elsewhere, Rafe's probable cause hearing finally draws to a close, with Justin adding another reason for the judge to dismiss the case. But is this nightmare finally over or will Judge Walston feel forced by the facts to hold the case over for trial?

Finally, Charley is surprised by the support she gets after being bullied at camp and Marlena hides her fear of what her test results might mean so she can enjoy her lunch with John, who doesn't even know she's been to the doctor.

[André DiMera]

Hopefully Nat’s finally done for!

Chanel’s been through a lot. Jeremy may be right to be concerned.

Really hope Judge Walston doesn’t make this go to trial.

Glad Charley will be getting some support. Hopefully Marlena will open up to John.

Thanks for the previews, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

I was afraid Charley would get bullied. I maintain that she is too young to be at sleepaway camp. Philip and Chloe should have started with a day camp to see how she does.

Thanks for the previews.

[heroicmuse]

Week 504 - 1

Charley clutched her ice cream cone tightly but didn’t move. Behind her, she heard Izzy say, “Some people know to keep their mouths shut unless they have something worthwhile to say and others just say whatever stupid thing comes in their head.”

“Like you’d know,” the kid who had made fun of Charley said. “Freak.”

“She is not,” Charley said under her breath.

Ari put her hand on Charley’s shoulder. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s show them we don’t care what they think.” She glanced over her shoulder and added, “ You too, Izzy.”

“Fine,” Izzy said, “as long as you don’t believe I’m a freak.”

Ari shook her head slightly. “You’re you,” she said. “Some people get jealous. That’s what my dads say whenever someone is mean because of who they are. Come on.”

Izzy and Charley followed her to a picnic table. Charley breathed hard, trying to stop herself from trembling with anxiety.


“Before you begin,” Judge Walston told Justin, “I want to remind you that the purpose of the defendant testifying is to rebut the evidence shared earlier in the hearing and make the case that there is not probable cause to hold a trial. It is not for him to provide the entire defense that he will presenting at trial, should we proceed to one. Additionally, Agent Hernandez, I must remind you that anything you say in court becomes part of the public record and thus the prosecution may choose to use it against you. Therefore, I must inform you that you have the right to refuse to answer any question that might incriminate you in this or any other matter. I will not be basing my decision in this matter on whether or not you chose to refrain from answering any question.”

“I understand, your Honor,” Rafe said, fiddling with his tie nervously. “Thank you.”

The judge then turned toward Sloan and Trask. “I also want to remind the prosecution that the procedure is the same as when their witnesses testified. I will be handling all cross-examination of this witness, and there are to be no objections or other interruptions from the opposing counsel during testimony.” The judge leaned forward. “Are we all clear on the rules?”

“Of course, your Honor.” Trask smirked, but quickly stopped when Judge Walston raised his eyebrows at her.

“Good,” the judge said. “I do not wish to hold anyone in contempt, but if any member of this court chooses to act like a child rather than in a manner befitting a court officer, I will not hesitate.” He fingered his gavel. “Proceed, please, Mr. Kiriakis.”

“Thank you, your Honor.” Justin stood. He turned toward Rafe and said, “Let’s begin by having you state your name and rank for the record…”

A while later, Justin was getting toward the end of his questioning of Rafe. “Agent Hernandez,” he said, “we heard some extraordinary testimony earlier about civilians at the crime scene. Whose idea was it for Ms. Roberts and Ms. Brady-Horton to tag along to the scene of a probable hostage situation?”

Rafe leaned forward into his microphone. “Can’t remember if it was Kate or Sami who said it first, but whoever it was, the other one decided it was the best idea and wouldn’t be talked out of it.”

“So it wasn’t your idea?”

“No, sir.”

“And did you try to talk them out of it?”

“I did my best, but these two women… they’ve got the strongest wills this side of the Mississippi River. I’ve known both of them for a long time. I was married to Sami, for God’s sake. They don’t call her Hurricane Sami just for the hell of it, all right? Trying to get her not to do what she wants to do… well, that would have taken time I just didn’t have, not with her son missing.”

“I see,” Justin said. “What did you expect would happen with these two women tagging along?”

“I was hoping nothing,” Rafe said, “but I’m not stupid. I knew someone needed to keep an eye on them and I called for backup in case Cooper needed it.”

“So you were hoping Agent Cooper and other law enforcement officers would ensure that neither of these civilians caused trouble at the scene?”

“Course I did.” Rafe straightened his tie, hoping he was coming across as honest and straightforward.

“So, then, you didn’t plan in advance for either of them to shoot the suspect for you?”

“Even if I wanted to do that, which I didn’t,” Rafe said, “how the hell… sorry, your Honor… how would I pull it off? We didn’t know going in what we’d find at that cabin. We only knew the intel that Kate Roberts’ guy had given us that the perp had taken the victim there. The perp jumping out the window, that wasn’t a given.”

Jstin nodded. “Tell me what happened when you went inside the cabin.”

“I found Johnny Dimera lying on a bed. He was…” Rafe’s voice shook slightly and he took a deep breath to steady himself. “He didn’t have any clothes on and his eyes were all glazed over and my first thought was, dio en ciel, don’t let him be dead. It was only when I checked for a pulse and found he was still with us that I started begging God not to have let this man have done to him what I thought he had.”

Justin nodded. “And when the gun went off… where were you then?”

“Still with Johnny. I was wrappin’ him in a blanket when I heard the unmistakeable sound of a handgun being fired. I didn’t know what was goin’ on, but my first responsiblity was to make sure nothing worse happened to Johnny than already had happened, so I threw myself over him and I didn’t get up til I got an all clear from Agent Cooper.”

“I see,” Justin said. “So how long after the gunshot did you make it outside?”

“I dunno, maybe two minutes, three? There was a lot goin’ on with Johnny how he was and the EMTs arriving and all the noise outside that made me think something had gone sideways out there.”

Justin pulled on his tie, straightening it again. “And when you did get outside, what was the scene like?”

“EMTs were tending to the perp, who was on the ground in cuffs, and Cooper was telling Kate Roberts to put her hands behind her back.”

Justin sighed. “I have to ask this, Rafe. Agent Cooper testified that you ordered him to let Ms. Roberts go. Why did you do that?”

“Look. We have to make decisions every day about how justice will be best served. In Kate’s case, I didn’t think there was anything to be gained from us dragging a grandmother off in cuffs cause she shot the SOB who abducted and probably raped her grandson. That would just undermine public confidence in the cops and the FBI. THe perp was gonna live and was probably in cuffs cause of what she did, her grandson was safe, and I didn’t see any point to messing with her over it.”

SLoan shifted in her seat, making it squeak. Judge Walston raised his eyebrows and she stopped.

“You obviously are close with Ms. Roberts,” Justin said. “So again, apologies for having to ask, but why should the court believe you didn’t conspire with her to cover up this shooting?”

“Cause it’s not true, for one thing. For another, that would have to be the stupidest cover up in the world. We had how many witnesses to me telling Cooper to let Kate go?”

“Right. Of course. One last question. The prosecution has shared evidence with us that you met with Ms. Roberts several times after the shooting. Why was that?”

“We’re friends. We hang out. And on top of that, as soon as I was suspended cause of this investigation into my activities, I thought I should give her a heads up that she might be in some hot water legally too.”

“When you say a heads up, were you… trying to interfere with the case against her or stop her from being arrested?”

“Course not. I just thought she should hire a lawyer, that’s all.”

“What about the statement that you gave to the police saying you shot at the suspect? What was your intention there?”

Rafe hesitated, trying to find the right words to use so he wouldn’t get himself in trouble. “I misspoke, that’s all. Like I said, there was a lot going on and when I was questioned so soon after the fact I was mixed up about what happened.”

“Thank you for your honesty,” Justin said. “Now, one more thing. Tell me about what happened between you and Melinda Trask when you attended your sister Gabi’s release hearing.”

Trask gasped and Sloan jumped up. “Your Honor!” Sloan said. “I know you said no objections, but come on! He’s about to try to slander ‚—”

“Sit down,” the judge said firmly. “When I said no objections, I meant it. If this turns out to be irrelevant or nothing more than an attempt to smear Ms. Trask’s character, I will put a stop to it. For now, I will trust Mr. Kiriakis not to go there. Go ahead, Agent Hernandez. Answer the question.”

Trask scowled but had the sense to say nothing. Rafe said, “I was waiting outside for court to open and Ms. Trask approached me. She said that she’d make sure that my sister didn’t go free unless I confessed to the exact crime I’m on trial for. Obviously, I turned her down, and… well, the judge knows the rest cause it happened in his courtroom.”

Sloan jumped up again. “He just opened the door for me to file a motion to recuse, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“I already denied that motion once,” the judge said, “and I also told you to sit down and be quiet. That’s two strikes.”

Sloan threw herself back into her seat and glared at nothing.

Judge Walston said, “I am indeed familiar with this case, so there is no need to rehash it. If this were a trial, it would be another story, but I’d like to save time by not repeating things I already know during this hearing. Thus I will enter into the record that your contention is that the altercation with Ms. Trask that led to the loss of her law license caused her to work with another ADA to find a way to put you on trial for these crimes.” Judge Walston turned toward Justin. “Anything else, MR. Kiriakis?”

“No, your Honor. Thank you.” Justin straightened his tie and sat down.

Rafe’s heart pounded as the judge turned toward him to cross-examine him.

[André DiMera]

Glad Ari was there for Izzy and Charley.

Apart from Trask and Sloan’s nonsense, 8 think that went fairly well. Hopefully the judge questioning Rafe will go well, too.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

I relate to Charley so much and I didn't know that was going to happen. I'm glad Ari stepped in, but this is just day 1. I don't know how she can survive the rest of the time. Hope it's a short stay.

[heroicmuse]

Week 504 - 2
Marlena glanced at her results in the patient portal. “Low iron?” she said to herself. “That could be the cause of all of this, but the question is, why? That could mean… no, that’s not possible. My brain is as sharp as ever and as soon as Kayla gets me on iron supplements or whatever she decides to do, the issue will be resolved and I will be back to my old self.”

“They say talking to yourself’s a sign you need to talk to a shrink,” John joked, sliding in across from her.

Marlena flinched, startled. “Oh. John. Hi. I was so absorbed in my phone I didn’t see you come in.”

“That’s a fact.” John’s smile got widened. “What’s got your attention? New pictures of our granddaughter?”

“No. Just looking through some old ones. Though Claire had better send us some soon. Another year and she’ll be graduating high school.” Marlena made herself smile. “Anyway, enough about that. Let me just put this away and that way I can focus on you.” She put her phone in her purse and leaned forward to kiss John.

Her phone buzzed -- no doubt Kayla calling about her results -- but Marlena ignored it as best as she could.


Nat paced around her cell. “What’s my next move?” she said to herself. “Cause I’m not going to jail and I’m not putting up with being disrespected by my lawyer, either. I knew I shouldn’t have hired him. He was always so wishy washy about my case. I need someone who’s going to fight for me no matter what, not someone who’s going to roll over and accept a deal from that freaking bitch who wants to put me away.”

Nat knelt by her bed and pulled at the metal frame. A small piece was loose and came off in her hand.

She stared at it. “I could make a pretty good shiv out of this,” she said, “but what good will that do? They’ll take it from me before I get to court. Besides, I can’t get close enough to do much damage.” She slid the piece of metal under her pillow. “I have to do something to get back at that DA, put her in her place. But first I have to get out from under these charges, so I’d better come up with a new plan.” She threw herself on her bed and put her head in her hands, thinking.



The girl who had tried to frame Rubin had been brought into an interrogation room in handcuffs. Rubin said to the guards that escorted her, “She’s been checked for weapons?”

“Yes, ma’am,” one of the guards said. “Strip searched before she was removed from the cell and patted down before we brought her into the room, just in case.”

Rubin nodded. “Take the cuffs off her,” she said. “I’m not afraid of her.”

The guard said, “If you’re sure, but we’d recommend.”

“She and I are just going to talk,” Rubin said. “Isn’t that right, Ms. Clayton?”

The girl nodded, her eyes wide. The guard took his time uncuffing her and said, “Behave. We’re right outside and if you try anything you’ll be sorry.”

The guard left. Rubin said to the girl, “Rub your wrists so you can get some circulation going.”

“I don’t get it,” the girl said. “I lied on you, why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because I read your file.” Rubin crossed her arms. “You’re fourteen years old, Melanie. You don’t need to throw your whole life away for Nat.”

“I’m not. I…”

“Yes, you are.” Rubin’s voice was very soft. “If you’d let that girl who was testifying do it before you started your nonsense, you’d have heard directly from someone just like you. She started up with the Fire Lions when she was fourteen too, thought they were the family she’d been looking for all her life, and got stuck in a nightmare. She’s in a safe house right now cause Natalie Simmons would rather kill her than let her tell her truth. But her testimony, which she is still going to give in a bit, will help protect girls like you from falling into the same trap. Maybe you can get some education, make something of your life…”

“How? By snitching on Nat?” Melanie crossed her arms. “Maybe I’m not as brave as that girl on the TV in the court, but I gotta do me.”

“It’s not as hopeless as you think,” Rubin said. “Look, if you choose to stay loyal to Nat, that’s your business. You’ll end up in juvie til you’re 18 and then Statesville for another 20 years or so. You’ll come out an adult, but one who hasn’t known anything but jail, but maybe then at long last you’ll want to do something besides be a criminal. It’ll be late, but as long as you’re alive, there’s hope. In the meantime, Nat won’t lift a finger to help you. She’ll tell the judge it was all your idea to try to get herself out of trouble and plot to get her friends on the inside to make sure you keep your mouth shut about why you’re behind bars and who’s to blame. But, like I said, if that’s what you want, I won’t stop you.”

Melanie swallowed hard and Rubin knew she’d got her. She leaned forward and said, “Look at me, Melanie. Tell me the truth. Whose idea was it for you to make a fake video of me to try to interfere with Nat’s trial?”

[André DiMera]

Hopefully it is jus5 low iron, and Marlena can focus on her time with John.

Or maybe stop thinking about revenge and just get on with it. Of course, if she weren’t obsessed with getting revenge, she wouldn’t be Nat.

So glad Rubin told Melanie the truth about Nat. Hopefully it sank in.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

Melanie Clayton? That's not the same as Melanie Layton, is it?

Marlena should tell John what's going on.

[heroicmuse]

Week 504 - 3
In their room, Jeremy was giving Chanel a back massage. “It sucks that you steeled yourself to testify and then didn’t get to. But it’s not over, right? They could call you later?”

“Yeah.” Chanel sighed deeply. “It’s not knowing that’s getting to me. The judge could throw the whole case out and make the DA start again, and then what? Being locked up like this for a few weeks is one thing, but I know how the court system works. I’ve been on the other side too many times, and trials take, like, months to get going. I can take being stuck here half a year but it’s not fair to you at all.”

“Hey.” Jeremy squeezed Chanel’s shoulders. “I want to be wherever you are, okay? I mean, yeah, I miss my dad, especially now that we’re finally getting back on track, but he’s been on the other side of the world for years so whenever I get out of here is good enough. Besides, I never did time for a whole lot of crap I should have, so if I have to lose my freedom for a little, it’s okay. Besides, I’d rather be with you than in jail.”

“Well, me too,” Chanel said. “Obviously.” She sighed deeply. “I know this sounds crazy cause she hates me, but I’m worried about Hannah. Being stuck here’s been super hard on her cause of that year she spent in Salem City. I guess it brings back memories or whatever but I feel like she’s falling apart and if we havce to start again she’s going to back out of testifying for her own sanity, and then Nat wins.”

Jeremy kissed the back of her neck. “I love you for being so concerned.”

“Yeah, well, it’s who I really am. Chanel, she did drugs and stupid things, but Brianna, she has a big heart.”

Jeremy squeezed her hands. “It kind of weirds me out that you put it that way. You’re still the same big-hearted girl I fell hard for no matter what name you use. You know that, right?”

Chanel smirked. “What, you think I got that thing where you turn into like five people and you never know which one of me you’re talking to? Uh uh, that’s not me. It’s just, I want to make a clean break from the past, you know? I was supposed to be Brianna Hansen all along and I want to set things to rights. Only I can’t, not fully, not til after this trial. If I ever get to testify, it’ll be the last thing I do as Chanel Dupree and then as soon as we’re free I’m asking my lawyer how I get my name changed back to the one I was supposed to have.” She swallowed hard. “I’m not, like, weirding you out, am I?”

“Nah. Never.” Jeremy made himself smile. “So which name should I call you when I do this?” He tilted her chin up so he could kiss her.


Judge Walston asked Rafe, “It sounds like your testimony is that you were inside during the shooting and did not see who shot Mr. Montague. Is that correct?”

“Yes, your Honor,” Rafe said.

“So then, you have no idea whether Ms. Roberts shot Mr. Montague or not?”

“Not really.” Rafe leaned into his microphone. “Like I said, I came out to find Cooper arresting her. My whole involvement in this thing is telling him not to, and last I checked, that wasn’t a crime.”

Judge Walston wrote something down on his pad. “You testified that you spoke with Ms. Roberts to let her know she might need a lawyer. Now, I have to ask, given your experience as a police officer and federal agent. Did it not occur to you how that behavior might be interpreted?”

Rafe sighed. “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t thinking about it. I was thinking like a friend, not a cop.”

“I see.” Judge Walton made another note. “And were these meetings in public or private?”

“We met at the cafe for lunch, right in the middle of the Square.”

“So they were out in the open, then, where people might have seen or heard you?”

“I’d hope I”m not being spied on but I’ve lived in Salem long enough to know that it’s likely someone was eavesdropping.” Rafe smiled slightly.

“One last question, and then I’ll let you go.” Judge Walston sighed. “I know you were close with Johnny Dimera. Is it possible that your concern for him clouded your judgment on the night of the shooting, and that is why you chose to let Kate Roberts go when this all could have been avoided if you allowed her to be arrested and to stand trial herself?”

Rafe hesitated, playing with the top of the microphone while he thought about it. Then he said, “I learned a long time ago to separate my feelings from the case. Even when it’s someone like Johnny. But even if I wans’t thinking straight, I sure as… um, I didn’t do any of what I did cause I wanted to cover things up.”

Judge Walston thanked Rafe and told him he could step down. Then he said, “Mr. Kiriakis, you have no further rebuttal witnesses, correct?”

“That is correct, your Honor,” Justin said, “but I also want to state for the record my intention to file a motion to dismiss this case on the grounds that my client is charged with covering up a crime that nobody has been charged with. Ms. Roberts was not indicted and therefore, in the eyes of the court, no crime exists and therefore there is no case against my client either. Furthermore, given the evidence presented thus far, I hope you will agree that this is a case of vindictive prosecution, for the purpose of getting back at the defendant for causing Ms. Trask to lose her law license.”

Trask glared in Justin’s direction, but stayed quiet. Judge Walston fingered his gavel as he said,
“I will take that into consideration while making my decision about whether to hold this case over for trial,” Judge Walston said. “Until then, this court is adjourned.”

The judge went back into his chambers. Justin put his hand on Rafe’s shoulder. “Now for the hardest part,” he said. “We wait for a decision and pray that the judge makes the right one.”

Rafe nodded slightly, trying to hide how nervous he was.