Chapter 14
Wednesday morning
Judge Hammouri agreed to hear the ex parte matter in chambers before the morning calendar.
Present were Judge Hammouri, Ethan Vale, Deputy District Attorney Smithers, and Sabre. The bailiff quietly closed the door behind them.
Judge Hammouri looked around the room. "Ms. Brown, Mr. Vale tells me you requested this hearing."
"Yes, Your Honor." Sabre handed copies of the three text messages to everyone present.
The judge read them silently. She looked up. "When did these all come to you?"
"Yesterday."
"The same sender?"
"As far as we can tell, yes." Sabre explained what Greg Nelson had learned. "All three messages came from the same prepaid cellular phone. Detective Nelson believes it's a burner. The phone was purchased with cash and wasn't registered to anyone."
Judge Hammouri looked toward Ethan. "Have you seen these?"
"I received copies this morning."
The judge folded the pages together. "Tell me why you're bringing this to the Court."
Sabre answered without hesitation. "Because the first message threatens Bay Mercer. I don't know whether the threat is credible, but I believe the Court should know someone is attempting to influence these proceedings."
Judge Hammouri nodded thoughtfully. "The third message references Hannah. Do you know who that is?"
“I believe she’s a missing child from a case I had over eight years ago. Detective Nelson has reopened that investigation to determine whether there's any connection to the Maddox homicide."
"Are these texts the reason you declined the appointment?"
"No, Your Honor, but it certainly adds to the reason I’m declining."
"You believe accepting the case would create a conflict?"
"Yes, and I believe someone is attempting to manipulate the appointment of counsel."
The judge sat quietly for several seconds.
When she finally spoke, her tone was measured.
"I don't intend to speculate about the sender's motives."
She looked directly at Ethan. "But I do intend to protect the child currently before this Court. I've been on this bench long enough to know that most threats are designed to frighten."
She glanced again at the three messages lying on her desk.
"But every once in a while, someone means exactly what they say."
Ethan nodded. "Of course."
Judge Hammouri continued. "Effective immediately, Ms. Mercer is to have no visitors except counsel or those specifically authorized by this Court. Probation is not to release transportation schedules or housing information outside those with a legitimate need to know."
She looked at Sabre. "If additional messages are received, Detective Nelson is to receive them immediately, and this court as well.”
“Of course, Your Honor," Sabre said.
"Good."
Judge Hammouri gathered the papers into a neat stack. "One more thing. If someone is trying this hard to influence a juvenile case, then I suspect we're dealing with something much larger than a homicide."
No one disagreed.
The judge rose. "We'll let Detective Nelson find out what.”
The ex parte hearing ended without another word.
~~~
When Sabre stepped in, the dependency courtroom was already humming with voices and papers shuffling. Everything was normal. That was the word Sabre kept coming back to. Everything here felt normal, which made everything outside of it feel worse.
She took her place at the table just as Judge Hekman glanced down at the calendar.
“Counsel, let’s try to keep things moving this morning,” the judge said. “I have no interest in spending all day on matters that should take ten minutes.”
A few attorneys murmured agreement. Sabre suppressed a smile. If anyone slowed things down in the courtroom, it was the judge. Some things never changed.
Her first case was quick, a placement review. The second took longer than it should have. A dispute between caregivers that had nothing to do with the child and everything to do with pride.
When Sabre stepped back into the hall, she checked the clock: 10:32 a.m.
She had time to call JP, then talk to Bay for a few minutes.
JP answered on the first ring.
“Did you find anything that proves Bay and Hannah are the same child?”
“No, but I can’t prove they’re not either. We don’t have enough information about Bay, and everything on Hannah is eight years old.”
Sabre approached the door to the interview room. “Anything else that will help?”
“Not really,” JP said. “All I really know so far is that Hayes changed his story about where he was during the critical time and that he drove a dark, older model car. Which is what the crossing guard said Hannah was picked up in.”
“That’s right, I remember that.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to do yet about the Mercer case?”
“We had an ex parte hearing this morning and I informed the court of the text messages. I expect it’s out of my hands now. But I’m going to talk to Bay again. Hopefully, I’ll get some answers.”
Sabre hung up and stepped into the interview room. It felt colder than it had the last time.
The girl sat at the table, hands folded, posture still, eyes alert. She was watching Sabre closely. She was always watching.
Sabre closed the door and took a seat.
“I knew you’d come back,” Bay said.
Sabre set her file down and jumped right into it. “Are you a smoker?”
Bay blinked. The question clearly wasn’t what she expected. “No.”
“Have you ever been?”
The girl made a face. “No. It’s icky.”
Sabre held her gaze. “Do you know anyone who smokes Marlboros?”
Bay hesitated. “No.” Then she shifted in her chair. “I don’t hang around people like that.”
Sabre let the silence stretch just a second longer than comfortable. “Do you know someone named Hannah Caldwell?”
Bay’s eyes flickered, then her deadpan gaze was back. “No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever hear the name?”
Bay shook her head. “No.”
Sabre held her gaze long enough that Bay shifted again. “All right.”
Bay frowned. “That’s it?”
“For now.”
“You think I’m lying.”
“I think you’re careful,” Sabre said. “I haven’t agreed to represent you,” Sabre continued. “I’m not going to walk into something blind.”
“I told you what happened.”
“You told me part of it.”
Bay’s jaw tightened. “I told you enough.”
Sabre shook her head. “Not enough for me to represent you.”
“Do you believe me?”
That was the problem, Sabre thought. She did believe part of the girl’s story. “I think you’re afraid.”
“I was.”
“But fear doesn’t explain everything.”
“You want names,” the girl said.
“Yes.”
“You’re not getting them.”
“Then I may not be able to help your attorney.”
The words landed clean. There was no anger, no threat, just truth.
“You are my attorney,” Bay said.
“I haven’t agreed to it. Nor has the judge.”
“You came back,” the girl said. “You’re asking the right questions.”
Sabre almost smiled. “That’s not the same thing.”
“You’re not like the others,” she said. “You don’t stop when something doesn’t fit.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just know.”
Sabre held her gaze. “And that’s why you asked for me.”
“Yes.”
Sabre stood.
Bay’s eyes followed her. “You’re leaving?”
“For now.”
Bay frowned. “My hearing’s in less than thirty minutes.”
“I know.”
Sabre moved toward the door.
“He would’ve hurt her,” the girl called softly.
Sabre turned and gave a small nod. “I know.” Then she stepped out and closed the door.
As Sabre walked toward the courtroom, one thought stayed with her. Bay saying she didn’t know the name Hannah Caldwell.
But Sabre knew Hannah’s case, and until she figured out the connection, she still didn’t know which way to go.