T. Bunn - Winner Take All

As the photographers caught them in impermanent flashes, Heller switched to English and related, “I have informed the press that we are entering suit without delay. I will start with a Schriftsatz , an initial motion accusing Erin Brandt of child abduction.” She turned back to the cameras and continued in irate English, “My brief will anticipate the flaws within the German legal system. Each parental abduction case becomes an inspection of all the bad things within American society-guns in schools, terrorist threats, drugs, and so forth. The defense attorney will link himself to the judge, saying how we know Germany is a better place for this child. We know it would be bad to uproot the child a second time. We know the child is better here, in this good and orderly land.”

Her rage was so forceful she crumpled the pages as she shook them for the cameras. “Together the defense attorney and the judge will do their best to overlook what has really happened. That the mother abandoned both child and husband, and disappeared for months . That she returned and kidnapped the baby, and now has refused to appear before the American judge as ordered.”

Heller then turned and gave Kirsten a hard-eyed smile. “Your turn.”

It would have been better to discuss this first with Marcus. But there was a momentum building, and she had to go with what her gut was saying. Which was, “Because the pattern of German courts is well known, we are also instituting an action in the European Court of Human Rights. Not against Erin Brandt. Against the entire German family court system. For their abject failure to protect the rights of this kidnapped little girl.”

She might as well have doused the reporters with gasoline and set them alight. The chamber became filled with the baying of journalistic hounds. Heller had to shout the words “That is enough for now. My office will have more information for you tomorrow.”

As the PR agent took that as his cue and began shepherding his charges outside, Heller steered Kirsten around and guided her up the stairs. “Leave them panting for more, isn’t that what you Americans always say?”

Thursday morning Judge Sears opened the court proceedings with “I fail to see either the mother or the child here this morning, Mr. Caisse.”

“Extenuating circumstances make it impossible for her to arrive on such short notice, your honor.” He rifled through his briefcase to avoid meeting Judge Sears’ eye. “I have letters from the German opera house and several high officials begging the court’s understanding on this matter.”

She accepted the papers and perused them briefly. “Mr. Glenwood, do you care to respond?”

“Your honor, we ask that the court issue an order of contempt against Ms. Brandt.”

“You have the relative papers?”

“Filed this morning, your honor.” Marcus lifted two notarized copies from his briefcase. He handed one to Hamper Caisse and another to the judge. When he returned to his table, he could not help but cast a mournful glance at the open case. Beneath his files lay the videotape received that morning from Kirsten. No note had been attached. When he called her London hotel he had learned that she had checked out the previous day. No word as to where she might now be.

“You anticipated this event, then.”

“Up to now, all we’ve had is a series of smoke and mirrors, your honor. It was fairly safe to assume that anyone willing to lie so freely would continue to defy this court.” Marcus pulled a second sheaf of papers from his case. “We ask that attached to the contempt order, the court assign costs to both Ms. Brandt and her attorney.”

She gave the papers careful inspection. This was a critical issue, for it would effectively hold Hamper Caisse liable for all of Marcus’ costs in the event that Hamper’s client did not appear. Court costs were shared between client and lawyer only when the court believed the attorney was involved in subverting justice, but did not have sufficient hard evidence to open criminal proceedings.

“Mr. Caisse?”

“Your honor, I am here as directed.”

“But your client is not present.”

“As I explained, she could not appear on such short notice.”

“Have you had any communication with your client?”

“Any discussion between client and counsel is confidential, as this court knows.”

“I am hereby asserting my judicial authority. The principal issue before this court is the welfare of this abducted child.”

“The child was not abducted, your honor. Far from it.”

“Then why is your client not here to attest to this fact personally?” Judge Sears leaned forward. “The court is hereby ordering you to disclose any information related to the whereabouts of this child.”

“With respect, your honor, I must refuse.”

Marcus tensed. Hamper’s calm obstinance did not bode well.

“Mr. Caisse, you seem awfully relaxed for someone who is only two steps from being held in felonious contempt along with his client.”

“Your honor, I feel this court may be missing something of grave importance here. But I wanted to wait for opposing counsel to finish cantering around the courtroom on his high horse before we got down to business.”

“Proceed.”

“Your honor, it has come to my attention that opposing counsel has had direct contact with my client, and without my being present.”

Judge Sears gaped at Marcus. “You went to Germany?”

“London, your honor,” Hamper corrected. “And it wasn’t Marcus. It was his fiancée.”

“Is this true?”

“Not only is it true, but the woman is still there! I heard from my client earlier today that this woman has actually followed her back to Germany.” Hamper Caisse slipped pages from his briefcase, dropped one set into Marcus’ lap, then carried the others to Judge Sears. “Hot off the press, your honor. Faxed to me this very morning.”

Beneath the London Times logo and yesterday’s date was a society photograph. Kirsten stood beside a smiling dark-haired Erin Brandt. The look on Kirsten’s face knotted Marcus’ gut far more than the fact that she was with Erin. Or how Hamper knew more about Kirsten’s whereabouts than he did himself.

“Well?”

Marcus wrenched his gaze away from the photograph. “I asked her to go over for me, your honor, and find a private detective to serve the papers.”

“I can’t understand what possibly caused you to take such a course of action.”

“Well, I most certainly understand!” Hamper Caisse commanded the stage’s center point. “Opposing counsel doesn’t trust his own client! Mr. Glenwood here decided to send his own fiancée over on this sneaky, underhanded mission to try and find out just exactly what is going on! Just look at that picture, your honor! Does Mr. Glenwood’s lady friend look disgusted with what she’s found out? Of course not! She’s seen the truth! And the truth is, Dale Steadman is a liar and a fraud. He’s not fit to be in the same room with that poor child, much less hold sole guardianship!”

“That’s enough. I am required to recuse Mr. Glenwood only if his being a witness to actions could be prejudicial either to the case or his own client.”

“But his fiancée was over there acting on his behalf, your honor! He’s dancing too close to the flame here!” He almost shouted with adrenaline glee. “It’s completely improper for him to have had this sort of communication with my client! Most especially when I was four thousand miles away, and without giving me proper notification. For all I know, he has used his fiancée to obtain factual information which has a direct bearing on the outcome of this case.”