43
Julia approached the entrance with Paul and Bennie, the three of them subdued.
She’d barely slept, and it killed her to think that Courtney had spent the night in isolation, terrified for her life.
The story of the murders at the prison had broken overnight, and media flocked outside the courthouse, shouting questions and holding up cameras, videocameras, and cell phones.
“Ms. Rosato, any comment on the events of last night? Were you there? Did you get to meet with your client?”
“Bennie, how’s your client this morning? Have you talked to her?”
“Bennie, any comment on the murder of Alex Dudek? Were you at the prison with him?”
Bennie ignored them, barreling ahead with her head down, and so did Julia and Paul.
One reporter shoved a microphone in his face.
“Is your wife guilty of killing her grandmother? Why did she do it? Do you have any comment?” Another reporter thrust a cell phone at Julia.
“Were you at the prison last night, Ms. Pritzker? What’s your role, anyway? ”
Julia felt shaken but didn’t let it show as they hurried along. Lawyers in suits and dresses hustled past them, giving them and the press wide berth. Court staff did the same, their laminated IDs swinging as they hurried into work holding Yetis.
Julia, Paul, and Bennie entered the graceful arched door of the courthouse, leaving the press behind.
They climbed wide marble steps into a spacious lobby, illuminated by lighted globes on bronze stalks.
The clacking of heels on marble and the chatter of conversation filled the air, which smelled dusty.
Pillars ringed the space, and there were offices at every arch under a marble balcony.
They passed an office door with frosted glass that read DISTRICT ATTORNEY JIM WILSON, FIRST ASSISTANT JENNIFER LONG-FITSON, DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SARAH KUO.
Julia wondered which prosecutor was assigned to convict her best friend for a murder she hadn’t committed.
They climbed the marble staircase, passed several courtrooms on the first tier, and entered the last one, which was large and lined with rich mahogany panels and maroon curtains.
A carved mahogany dais awaited the judge, and the gold seal of the Commonwealth hung on the front wall, flanked by flags.
The gallery was packed with spectators and members of the media, but Julia kept going, her face front. Bennie showed her and Paul to the first pew, where they took seats on the smooth wood, then Bennie walked through the bar of court to counsel table, since Courtney’s case was docketed first.
Julia glanced at Paul, who sat rigidly still, pale under his morning shave and stiff in his suit.
She patted his hand, and he held hers, which touched her.
Meanwhile court personnel hustled to their desks, uniformed bailiffs stood against the wall, and the stenographer took her seat behind her machine.
A preppy in a gray suit hustled up the aisle and through the bar of court, and Julia realized he must be the prosecutor.
“Jim Wilson,” he said, shaking Bennie’s hand quickly, then sitting down at counsel table and pulling a thick red accordion file from a leather briefcase.
Julia recognized the name as the district attorney himself, and he gave off the requisite camera-ready vibe, with a professional smile and brown hair slicked back.
Suddenly a panel door opened at the front of the courtroom, and uniformed marshals escorted Courtney into the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit, with handcuffs attached to a thick leather belt at her waist and shackles around her ankles.
She looked around in dazed shock, her lovely green eyes moving back and forth, as if her bewildered gaze didn’t know where to rest.
Julia felt tears spring to her eyes. Instinctively, she raised her hand, and Courtney spotted her, bringing tears to her eyes, too.
Their gaze connected across the courtroom, and Julia could feel her best friend’s pain and grief in that moment.
Courtney had to know about Alex’s murder, in addition to the murder of her cellmate, and Julia couldn’t imagine how Courtney was bearing up.
Paul cleared his throat as Courtney was led shuffling to counsel table, where her handcuffs were taken off and left jangling from the thick belt. Bennie helped Courtney sit down in her ankle shackles, which made Julia want to cry.
The bailiff shouted, “Oyez, oyez! Court is now in session! Please rise for the Honorable Kenneth Ericsson!”
Julia rose next to Paul as Judge Ericsson entered the courtroom. He was tall, thin, and older, with gold-rimmed bifocals and snowy white hair. He ascended to the dais, then he sat down, his hooded gaze sweeping the courtroom.
“Good morning, please sit down,” Judge Ericsson said, his voice ringing with authority.
He began reviewing papers amid a tense silence and scattered coughing.
He passed some papers to a bailiff, who crossed the bar of court to give copies to Bennie and Courtney, then returned to his post as Judge Ericsson read off a docket number, then said, “This is Commonwealth versus Horan. Whom do I see before me, counsel?”
Bennie rose. “May it please the Court, I’m Bennie Rosato in for defendant Courtney Horan.”
District Attorney Wilson stood up. “May it please the Court, Jim Wilson for the Commonwealth.”
“Please sit down, Counsel.” Judge Ericsson nodded. “Will the defendant please rise?”
Courtney stood up, and Bennie steadied her by the elbow.
“Miss Horan, you are here on a general charge of murder in connection with the homicide of Kay Patterson. Do you understand the charge against you?”
“Yes,” Courtney answered, her voice thin and shaky.
“Your attorney has been given a copy of the complaint accepted for filing pursuant to Rule 508. Have you been provided with that copy?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Your attorney has also been provided with copies of the warrant for your arrest and supporting affidavits. Have you been provided with that copy as well?”
“Yes.”
“Are you aware that you have the right to secure counsel of your choice?”
“Yes. Bennie Rosato.”
“Are you aware that you also have the right to a preliminary hearing?”
“Yes.”
“Are you waiving your right to a preliminary hearing?”
Courtney hesitated, looking down at Bennie, who shook her head. Courtney answered, “No.”
“Then the Court shall fix a day and hour for your preliminary, not to be later than fourteen days from today. Your counsel will be duly notified, and you will be given notice both orally and in writing. You may sit down.”
Courtney sank into the chair, and Bennie popped up.
“Your Honor, we request that bail be granted in this matter. The prosecution’s case is so thin I cannot fathom how the district attorney could charge my client at all. There’s no evidence linking her to this crime—”
“May it please the Court,” District Attorney Wilson stood up. “We request that bail be denied in this matter. Murder is not a bailable offense in the Commonwealth.”
“Ms. Rosato.” Judge Ericsson waved her into silence. “Please save your argument for the jury. The prosecution is quite correct.”
“Your Honor, regardless of the rule, to keep Ms. Horan in custody would be manifestly unjust.” Bennie stood tall.
“Ms. Horan owns a home in Philadelphia and is a regional sales manager at a national company and has no criminal record. If you incarcerate her pending trial, she will lose her livelihood. She poses no flight risk whatsoever. She will return for the preliminary hearing and any other dates the court may set.”
Judge Ericsson frowned. “Ms. Rosato, as I’m sure you know, bail is not available in the Commonwealth for these very grave charges.
” He picked up the gavel and tapped it. “Bail is denied. Defendant is remanded into custody at county jail until further notification. The date for the preliminary hearing will be—”
“Your Honor, this is a travesty of justice!” shouted someone in back. “Courtney is innocent! You’re putting her through hell!”
Julia turned, shocked to see Susan rising in the gallery. She had on light makeup and was dressed in a black knit pantsuit, with her hair in its stylish silvery coif.
Bennie’s eyes flew open. Courtney whirled around, her lips parting.
Judge Ericsson craned his neck. “Did somebody say something?”
“Your Honor, please!” Susan made her way out of the pew and straightened as she turned up the center aisle.
“Kay was one of my oldest friends, and you can’t do this to her granddaughter!
She could have been murdered in prison! Her cellmate was murdered but it could have been her! She doesn’t belong in prison!”
Julia felt a surge of pride in Susan, who looked mad as hell. The gallery burst into excited chatter.
“Your Honor, she shouldn’t be behind bars!
I know her, she’s innocent!” Susan didn’t stop shouting even when the bailiffs reached her, took her arms, and started moving her backward.
“Judge, you need to look into this! There’s a conspiracy to cover up whoever killed Kay!
The local police are in on it! Chief Glushenko is, and probably the district attorney, too! ”
Wilson reddened. “Get that crackpot out of here!”
“How dare you!” Susan shot back, trembling with anger. “You’re supposed to serve the public! You should be spending your time finding out who killed Kay! It certainly wasn’t her granddaughter, and you know it! You don’t fool me for one minute! You think I was born yesterday?”
Crack! Judge Ericsson banged the gavel. “I’ll have order in my courtroom!”
“Judge, you can’t do this! Judge! Judge!” Susan shouted as the bailiffs hustled her out the double doors of the courtroom.