Chapter 21 #2
“What the hell is the meaning of this? My word is indisputable. You can’t challenge a sitting judge.” Ingram’s face was turning a dangerous shade of red.
Fuller frowned. “Sit down, Judge Ingram. I’m going to remind you that this is my courtroom, not yours. Plus, no judge is infallible, you included. Mr. Rooney, let’s hear both motions then I rule on one or both, depending on the findings. Is everyone ready for this hearing?”
“Yes, your honor,” Henry answered quickly while Mr. Payne whispered with the two Faust men.
“Mr. Payne?” Judge Fuller asked. “You’ve already argued this case to get the warrant, so let’s hear it.”
“Yes, we’re ready, your honor,” Mr. Payne replied.
“Good. Now, you’re the prosecutor on this case. Please present the evidence you previously provided for establishing the warrant.”
Ingram was called to the bench and Payne walked him step by step through the alleged assault.
Ingram was looking for his mentally unstable wife who had kidnapped his children and possibly murdered her attorney.
He was a good father, desperate for his kids when Nellie allegedly assaulted him after he asked her where Sue Ellen and the children were.
Pictures were shown of the injuries and then evidence from the blood they collected from under his nails and on his knuckles that matched Nellie’s DNA.
Payne rested his case and wore a matching smirk as Ingram waited to be cross-examined.
“My, you are a handsome man. No wonder women are committing all these crimes in Holland Springs.” Henry’s compliment left Ingram looking confused. “What does your brother do for a living, Judge Ingram?”
Instantly, Nellie saw the flash of anger in Ingram’s eyes. “He’s a doctor.”
“And do you know if Nellie Katherine Hale is a patient at your brother’s clinic?”
Ingram’s jaw tightened as he tried to find a way not to answer. “She is,” he reluctantly told the court.
“That’s all the questions I have.” Henry turned his back on Ingram as Judge Fuller told him to step down.
Mr. Payne called up the sheriff, who swore that he’d taken the photos of the injuries and had taken the victim's report.
“Sheriff,” Henry said, not standing up from behind his desk, “can you verify one more time the exact time of the attack on Judge Ingram?” The date and time were read again into the record, and Henry was done with that witness. Mr. Payne rested the case.
Nellie was getting ready to testify when Henry stood up and called Olivia Townsend-Fox to the stand. Nellie turned to look and saw Mr. Payne already jumping up and objecting. Olivia smiled a smile that had Ingram’s smirk dropping from his jerk of a face.
“What objection do you have to Mrs. Townsend-Fox testifying?” Judge Fuller asked.
“She’s not relevant to the actions surrounding the warrant. In fact, she has nothing to do with this case.”
Judge Fuller turned to Henry. “Your honor,” Henry said, looking relaxed as his suit sent golden rays of light throughout the room when the sun hit it. “Mrs. Townsend-Fox will explain her relevancy in the third question I’m going to ask her. And the first two are her name and occupation.”
“Okay then, I’ll give you three questions, Mr. Rooney.” Judge Fuller sat back as Olivia took the stand.
“My name is Olivia Townsend-Fox and I’m an attorney,” she said clearly, her eyes never leaving the prosecution’s table nor Ingram.
Henry asked her where she was during the time of the alleged assault on Ingram Faust, and Nellie wished Rowan could be sitting next to her.
She needed a hand to squeeze. “I was at my brother’s house, Dr. Rowan Townsend, sharing a bedroom with Nellie Katherine Hale. ”
“That’s a lie!” Ingram shouted, causing Mr. Payne to shush him before Fuller held him in contempt.
“May I continue, your honor?” Henry asked, not bothering to hide his smile.
“Go on.”
“And what were you doing at Rowan Townsend’s house all night long?”
“I was cockblocking him like any good older sister would do. And to do that, I had to spend every minute with Ms. Hale, which I did. We stayed up talking until after one in the morning, which is well beyond the time of the alleged attack. So, your honor, you can clearly see that Judge Ingram has lied.”
“That’s all I have, your honor.” Henry sat down and turned to Nellie with a grin. “Watch this,” he whispered as Mr. Payne stood to cross-examine her.
“And we’re just supposed to take the word of Ms. Hale’s boyfriend’s sister that she was conveniently with you all night?”
“You took the word of Ingram Faust, a judge with a history of domestic violence and DUIs. Or am I wrong about that?”
“Objection,” Mr. Payne shouted.
“Stick to the facts of this case, Mrs. Townsend-Fox,” Judge Fuller told her, but cast a disapproving look at Ingram.
“What you’re saying,” Mr. Payne said, looking cocky again, “is that all we have is your word while we have physical evidence that Miss Hale assaulted Judge Ingram.”
“He had stolen and planted evidence you mean. Do you see any bruises or scratches on Ms. Hale beyond the one Micah Faust gave her today?” Olivia sat back and crossed her legs.
Mr. Payne didn’t respond. “But, if you wanted documented evidence that she was with me, all you had to do was ask. Of course I have it.”
Olivia picked up her phone. “Here are time-stamped photos of us together. Further, here’s a time-stamped text messages from me to my husband, Sheriff Granger Fox, with said pictures of Nellie Hale and me.
All clearly time-stamped and addressing what we were doing at that time.
” Mr. Payne sputtered and turned to look at Ingram as if he were just now realizing Ingram had, in fact, lied.
“Should I read them?” Olivia asked casually.
“I’m a judge!” Ingram declared, suddenly jumping up from his seat. “Who are you to question me?”
“I’m an officer of the court, as you are,” Olivia responded. “In fact, let’s whip them out right now and see whose reputation is bigger and better. I’ll win. I don’t have a single ethics complaint against me, but you have twenty-three. So, yeah, I’ll take my word over yours.”
Henry chuckled even as Judge Fuller was banging the gavel to tell Ingram to sit down and to quiet Olivia.
“No more questions,” Mr. Payne snapped as he glared at Ingram and whispered for him to sit down and shut up.
“I have one more witness. Mrs. Greta McDougal.” Henry turned and smiled at the older woman whose grandchildren Nellie knew from school.
Both Ingram and Robbie Payne looked unsure of why she was being called. Robbie tried to argue it, but again Henry promised to get right to the point and Mrs. McDougal was allowed to testify.
“Mrs. McDougal,” Henry said, smiling at her. “Where do you live?” She rattled off her address in Holland Springs. “And where is that in relation to Dr. Faust’s medical clinic?”
“Right across the street,” Mrs. McDougal’s sweet, elderly southern voice practically sang in response.
“Do you have a video camera on your property?”
“I do. One at the back door, another at the front door, and I also have one on my mailbox. My son insisted I put them in. My husband passed away last year and I put the cameras up after some hooligans knocked down my mailbox.”
“Can you play the video your mailbox camera recorded from the day before Judge Ingram’s assault? I believe it was the past Sunday evening?” Henry asked her as her phone connected to the large television.
Mrs. McDougal found the video and pressed play.
The image came to life and a very clear picture of the front door to Dr. Faust’s medical clinic came into view as two cars pulled up.
The front door of the medical center was five feet from the curb.
Then it cut, and she moved to a second video.
Now two men were seen walking to the front door of the clinic and stopping. “Who are those men?” Henry asked.
It was very clear who they were. Judge Ingram Faust and Dr. Griffith Faust.
“Why is it still here?” They heard Judge Ingram ask.
Ingram leapt to his feet in the courtroom and began shouting incoherently at the screen. Nellie watched wide-eyed as Tristan moved to control Ingram while the judge yelled at him to sit down or be held in contempt. Finally, the room was under control and Henry pressed play on Mrs. McDougal’s phone.
“Nellie had her blood draw Friday after the lab already picked up the box. They don’t pick up on weekends, so it’s still here. But it will be gone by eight tomorrow morning.” They all heard Dr. Faust’s voice as he pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the metal lab box.
There was silence as he moved around in the box and held up a vial of blood. “Here it is.”
Henry stopped the recording.
“Mr. Payne,” Judge Fuller said, not sounding friendly anymore. “Would you like to withdraw the warrant or would you like me to do it for you?”
Ingram went off again.
“I think he might have a heart attack,” Rowan whispered from behind her.
“If only we could be so lucky,” Nellie whispered back as Judge Fuller threatened Ingram again with contempt and more, which made Nellie wish she was recording this to show Sue Ellen.
“Your honor,” Mr. Payne said after getting Ingram to shut up and sit down, “if it pleases the court, I’d like to withdraw the warrant against Nellie Katherine Hale and drop all assault charges against her.”
“Granted and dismissed.” Judge Fuller wrapped his gavel and stood up. “You might, however, want to think about pressing charges against Mr. Faust,” Judge Fuller said coldly and the hearing was over. She wasn’t going to be arrested.
Ingram turned to her. And not just to her, but to Rowan too. “You lied!” he yelled at Rowan. “I know you’ve seen my children. Where are they? I’ll have your medical license for this.”
“I would have thought you would have learned not to threaten people in front of two sheriffs, two lawyers, and a judge. You’re not very smart, are you?”
Nellie snorted as Tristan and Deputy Kordell King moved forward again.
“Are you having difficulty finding your way out of the courthouse or are you staying for the bond hearing on Micah Faust?” Kord asked, using his height to intimidate Ingram.
“This isn’t over, Nellie Katherine. If you’re here, Sue Ellen isn’t far away and I will find her. She could never do anything on her own. You’re the only reason she left me.” Ingram was seething.
“I tried to get her to leave you for years. I wish I had the influence you think I do.” Nellie smiled then. And it wasn’t a nice one. “Mr. Payne, you might want to escort Ingram out the back. I’ve heard there are some reporters asking a lot of questions out front.”
Ingram tried to shove past Robbie Payne and Kordell to lunge at Nellie. Immediately, Henry, Rowan, Granger, and Tristan were between them. Judge Fuller was banging his gavel and lecturing Ingram on decorum.
“Deputies, escort Judge Ingram from my courthouse, please,” Judge Fuller ordered.
“Gladly,” Tristan said, turning to Kord as they both placed their hands on Ingram’s shoulders. “Sometimes I miss being an assassin. I didn’t have to put up with this kind of behavior. I just shot them.”
Ingram shut up, even though Nell could tell he was fighting it.
“Mr. Payne,” Olivia said smoothly. “It might be worth re-examining the narrative going around your town regarding Ingram Faust and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Sue Ellen Hale. Here’s what I found on a quick search.
If I found that, imagine how much more is out there.
Which side of the law do you want to be on when it all comes out?
Is Ingram really a friend to lose your law license over?
” Olivia handed the Holland Springs prosecutor a file at least four inches thick.
Nellie watched as he opened the file and frowned.
Nell could see the pictures of Sue Ellen’s injuries from here.
“By the way,” Nellie said, pulling out her phone, “turn on your AirDrop.” Ten seconds later the video feed of Ingram beating Sue Ellen landed on the prosecutor’s phone, along with the video she took when Sue Ellen tried to report it.
“You’re a good guy, Robbie. At least I always thought you were.
Do the good guy thing and make this right.
Ingram can’t be anywhere near Sue Ellen.
He’ll kill her. You know that explosion was him.
Sue Ellen didn’t accidentally blow up her own car or whatever nonsense he’s trying to feed people.
Sue Ellen is going to file the divorce papers at some point. Can you guarantee they’ll get filed?”
Robbie stood, watching the videos on his phone.
Finally, he looked up and shook his head.
“Sue Ellen’s attorney needs to file for a change of venue and a restraining order.
I don’t have anything to do with family court.
But if you tell me when the motion is coming, I’ll try to make sure it gets on the judge’s desk and not lost in the clerk’s office.
” He let out a long breath and shook his head. “You tried to tell us.”
“I did. When her car was blown up on the way to her attorney’s office—an attorney who just happened to be murdered after Sue Ellen didn’t die—you can see why she’s not keen on coming back to Holland Springs.
Especially since we hear what’s being said about us.
Sue Ellen and her children are survivors of domestic abuse and they’re being re-brutalized through that slander every day. ”
“I’ll look into this,” he said, tapping the packet Olivia gave him. “And stay safe. I don’t know if you’re staying here in Shadows Landing, but it might not be safe for you anymore.”
“She’s safe here,” Rowan told him, putting a protective hand on her shoulder.
Robbie nodded as they stepped into the hall while Micah Faust was brought in for his bail hearing. Nellie didn’t care what happened to Micah. She was ready to talk to Sue Ellen and make sure she was protected.