Chapter 36 Sydney - Posting Bond
Chapter 36
Sydney - Posting Bond
I put my earbuds in and called Venus on my way to the truck.
“I hate to bother you with this,” I started, “but Austin got arrested at our front door. For DUI and reckless endangerment. I’m following them to Central Booking now. Do you have the name and number for his lawyer?”
“Of course. Give me a minute and I’ll text it to you. This is terrible. I’ll let the rest of the hive know you two won’t be joining them today. Please keep me informed about what happens in court.”
As I traveled to the courthouse, my thoughts bounced back and forth. Austin needed help. The evidence of his drinking problem had been mounting for months and could no longer be ignored. At a stop light, I looked at the back of his head through the rear window of the cruiser. I didn’t want him to go to prison, I really didn’t.
But prison could be a real possibility with the charges levied against him.
Venus texted me that Austin’s lawyer would meet us at the courthouse. I took a seat in the pew three rows from the front. One by one, the defendants entered their plea and the judge set bail. It felt a little like being at the DMV, waiting for an eternity to hear your number called.
The bailiff delivered Austin to the defendant’s pool and uncuffed him. My heart broke as Austin searched the room and found my face. His jaw locked, and he looked pale. When they called his docket number, he stood in place in the defendant’s box. His lawyer stood and took her place at the defendant’s table.
“Hannah Stewart representing the defendant, Your Honor. I have been advised of the charges. I need a moment to confer with my client.”
“Let’s make it snappy, Counselor. I have a full docket today, as you can see.” He waved his arm across his bench.
“Yes, of course, Your Honor.” She straightened her suit jacket and sashayed over to Austin. Her long, blonde hair was pinned back in a perfect bun. She wore a tailored navy suit jacket with a white V-neck blouse underneath it. Her coordinating pencil skirt stopped below her knees and the pleated hem flared out at the bottom, complimenting her fit figure. The bright red heels she wore gave her an extra three inches. Her makeup seemed just enough for court without being too much. Her lipstick highlighted her lips without drawing extra attention to them. I guessed she was in her early forties.
Austin leaned over the side of the railing, and she spoke with him for a minute. Then he stood up, and she turned to face the judge.
“Thank you, Your Honor. I am ready to proceed.”
The court reporter read the charges against Austin. Then the Assistant District Attorney spoke. “We recommend $100,000 bail and surrender of the defendant’s passport.”
“Objection.” Ms. Stewart said. “In relation to the charges, that amount is egregious. My client will be admitting himself to a thirty-day residential rehabilitation program, and setting such a high bond will prevent him from seeking treatment. He has no prior criminal history. He has gainful employment, ties to the community, and will not be a flight risk.”
The judge reviewed the documents in front of him. He took off his reading glasses and scrutinized Austin. “These are serious charges against you, Mr. Mitchell. How do you plead?”
“Not guilty, Your Honor,” Austin responded .
“Bail is set at $50,000. The defendant will surrender his passport and enroll in a treatment program. I expect to see evidence of completion of this program when we meet again.” He reached over to his gavel and hit the mallet on the wood once. “Next case.”
The bailiff took Austin. I rose from my seat and followed his attorney out of the courtroom. I caught up to her and touched her elbow. She stopped walking and faced me.
“Hello, Ms. Stewart. I’m Sydney Campbell, Austin’s roommate. How do I go about posting bail for him?”
“Austin mentioned you, but I haven’t had the pleasure.”
“This wasn’t exactly how I saw my day going. He’s going to owe me,” I joked.
“It takes them a while to process the paperwork, and I have another hearing in twenty minutes. Austin is lucky I was in the neighborhood.” She pointed to her left. “Three doors down on the left is where you can post his bond. Then I would wait for him in the lobby. Paperwork takes forever in this building.”
“I have plenty of games on my phone if I get bored. Thank you for your help.”
“My pleasure.” She checked her gold Gucci watch. “Can you please tell Austin to call me tomorrow? I’ve got to run.”
We parted ways as she strode down the hall to the right and I continued down the hall to the left. After I posted his bond, I went outside to wait on an empty bench at the bottom of the stairs.
I pressed the icon for my favorite matching game, but I didn’t get to play. My phone rang.
“Hi, Venus.” I filled her in on the hearing. “This place is like sitting in purgatory with Beetlejuice.” It could be twenty minutes or twenty years; it felt the same.
“I have numbers for rehab places. They’re all good out here. They have to be. I’m sorry this is happening, but he’s going to get the help he needs.”
“You’re right. I wish it hadn’t come to this. ”
Venus remained pragmatic. “All we can do is move forward. Call me if you need anything else.” She hung up. Her clipped, efficient mannerisms at work helped her keep her distance and maintain her professionalism. Since we had become good friends, I realized why she kept her distance with her celebrity clientele.
I shoved my phone in my back pocket. Austin stood at the top of the stairs, leaning against the railing. He shielded his eyes with his hand and scanned for me. I waved and he came down the stairs to join me.
I stood and shook my head at him. “You need a ride?” I started walking to the parking garage. He followed behind me on the right, not saying a word. I knew he had a strenuous day, but he wasn’t the only one. There were about a thousand things running through my mind—things I wanted to say, but the timing wasn’t right. Just keep swimming, right?
Journal Entry
Boy, was I glad Austin’s lawyer showed up today. I’m not sure how he would have fared with that judge if she hadn’t been there.
I’ve stood beside Austin since we came out to L.A. But it’s not fun anymore. Actually, the fun stopped a long time ago, but I foolishly kept hoping that things would turn around and he would get his act together. Sitting on that bench today, waiting for him, I realized this is my wakeup call, too. He’s my friend and my roommate and my coworker. He’s a big part of my life, and I’m a big part of his. Which means every time he goes down, I go down. Barring a magical twist of fate, I don’t see Austin changing his stripes. And that makes me sadder than anything.
I put my dreams aside to take this once in a lifetime opportunity. It doesn’t feel like that anymore. It’s hard and it’s heartbreaking. I still want to be a music teacher. I want to travel while I’m young. I don’t want to come sliding in to home plate at the end of my life and face a mountain of regrets. And I don’t want this experience to become one of them. It’s definitely something to think about.