Scowling down at her clerk, she whispered sharply. ‘Mr Drummond. The members of the gallery will find seating in precisely two minutes, after which I shall return to the bench and mete out consequences to those who are unable to do so.’
When she returned, Braun adjusted her robes and sat. Hardy was next to Freeman at the defense table. Glitsky and Ron Beaumont had retired to directly behind them, the first row of the gallery. Turning in his chair, Hardy recognized Valens and Kerry and they recognized him. If looks could kill…
Freeman whispered to Hardy. ‘Are all the players here?’
‘Except one.’
‘Who’s that?’
‘Jim Pierce,’ Hardy replied. ‘Caloco.’
‘You think he’ll show?’
Hardy’s face was set. ‘He’d better.’
When Braun returned to the bench, only one person remained standing. Sharron Pratt was in the aisle in the center of the gallery area.
‘Madame District Attorney. Good morning,’ Braun intoned. ‘Do you have business before this court?’
‘Yes, your honor. May I approach?’
‘Mr Hardy has a hearing scheduled. I’m-’
‘May I approach to discuss that hearing, your honor?’
Braun frowned at being interrupted. ‘All right. Mr Hardy?’
Hardy knew exactly where this was going. After the groundwork he’d laid down which he believed would predispose Braun to a favorable ruling, he had gone a long way toward precipitating it himself by serving his papers on Pratt and Randall. Hardy was, in fact, so primed that he had to work to keep his face straight.
He stood up. ‘I have no objection, your honor, but I presume my client is in the holding cell behind your bailiff, and I wonder if the court would call the case and allow her to enter the courtroom at this time, before we take up Ms Pratt’s request at sidebar.’
Frannie wore a tailored pair of tan slacks and a dark brown V-necked sweater. The deep-green malachite necklace and tiny matching earrings heightened the beautiful shade of her eyes, and she had pulled the long red hair back, tied it at her neck, and let the rest hang halfway down her back.
When the bailiff opened the door to the holding cell, she stepped out and gave Hardy a nervous, embarrassed smile, then let the bailiff escort her to the defense table, where she sat next to him. He kissed her on the cheek. ‘I love you. Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be all right.’
Then he stood and approached the bench.
Scott Randall got himself insinuated into the proceedings on Pratt’s figurative coat-tails, and the two of them now stood before the bench with Hardy and Freeman. Randall was doing the talking, passionate and persuasive as always, and Hardy was content to let him dig a hole as deep as he wanted. Normally, no one would be permitted to discuss the internal workings of the grand jury, but today Randall would have to put his cards on the table to justify continuing Frannie’s contempt citation.
‘The grand jury is in session in this very building as we speak, your honor, considering evidence surrounding the death of Bree Beaumont as well as those of two policemen who were involved in the investigation into her murder.’
‘Two policemen?’ Braun, of course, had heard about the deaths of Sergeants Griffin and Canetta, but the news of their connection to this case was clearly a surprise.
‘Yes, your honor. The state believes that there are three homicides related to the Bree Beaumont case currently before the grand jury. Because the homicide department under the direction of Lieutenant Glitsky has systematically refused to disclose evidence relevant-’
‘Your honor.’ Hardy was mild. ‘This is a habeas hearing whose only purpose is to vacate the contempt citation levied against my client. The homicide department’s handling of what might be other aspects of this case has no place in this proceeding.’
But Randall wasn’t buying that. ‘With respect, your honor. No part of this case belongs in this courtroom. This is a matter for the grand jury to decide. We shouldn’t even be discussing it outside of the grand jury room.’
Braun’s eyes were taking on a telltale flash that Hardy liked to see. ‘If you want me to keep someone in jail, Mr Randall, you have to give me a better reason than your say-so.’
‘With all due respect, your honor, you need no more reason than the witness refusing to answer material questions.’
Next to Hardy, Freeman’s elbow twitched against him, and he cast a quick acknowledging glance at his old ally. They had maneuvered Randall into this spot and now he had just played into their hands, belittling the jurisdiction of Braun’s courtroom, to which she would surely take offense.
And she did. Her eyes burned down at the young prosecutor. ‘I’ll decide what issues and what cases get resolved in my courtroom, Mr Randall. Do you understand that?’
Pratt decided to step in. ‘Your honor, perhaps we could adjourn to chambers?’
The judge directed her displeasure toward the DA. ‘We’ve only just gotten started here, Ms Pratt.’ She lowered her voice. ‘I’m sure you noticed that we’ve got several important people out there – among them possibly our next governor – and I’m not inclined to take any more of their time than is absolutely necessary. Anything we could say in chambers, we can say right here.’
But Randall, true to form, couldn’t seem to let it go and after a short non-verbal exchange with his boss, he piped right up. ‘We’ve got a very unusual set of circumstances here, your honor. I am at this very moment preparing grand jury subpoenas for Mr Hardy and Lieutenant Glitsky to testify on matters related to his case. They themselves may be open to criminal charges.’
Hardy shook his head, derision all over his face, but he remained silent.
‘Additionally,’ Randall continued, ‘the DA’s office has repeatedly requested an arrest warrant for Mr Beaumont, who is seated behind us in the courtroom today even as we speak.’
‘It ought to be easy to serve the warrant, then,’ Braun said drily.
‘Except that the warrant is not forthcoming, your honor.’
‘And why is that?’
Hardy finally had to say something. ‘Because there hasn’t been any evidence, your honor.’
‘That’s ridiculous!’ Randall exploded. ‘We have more than enough evidence for an indictment.’
‘So get one,’ Hardy snapped back.
Braun cast a stern eye. ‘Counsel will address the court, not each other. Is that clear?’ After accepting the nods of apology, Braun softened her tone. ‘Now, Mr Randall, correct me if I’m wrong, but Mr Hardy’s point seems to me to be well taken. If you have the evidence to indict Mr Beaumont, present it to the grand jury and it will order a warrant issued. That’s how it’s done. You should know that.’
Pratt spoke up in her assistant’s defense. ‘He does know it, your honor, but our investigation has been hampered at every turn in this case. Indeed, we believe that Mr Hardy has influenced Lieutenant Glitsky to use his position as head of the homicide department to engage in a systematic coverup of Mr Beaumont’s activities.’
Hardy raised his hands theatrically. ‘Your honor! This is really beyond the pale.’
But Braun, wanting to hear more, pointed him quiet. ‘These are serious charges, Ms Pratt…’
Randall took over again. ‘Which is why, your honor, we wanted to explore them with the grand jury, with the police department’s office of management and control, and with our own department’s investigative staff.’
‘In other words, Mr Randall, it sounds like you want to do all of this investigating except you either haven’t actually done it or you haven’t found anything.’
Blindsided, Randall stammered. ‘Well, no, your honor, of course not. We have strong evidence-’