James Grippando - Leapholes
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- Название:Leapholes
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Dr. Coolidge said, "Are you sure that if I take the plea bargain, this will all be over? No jail time. That's it?"
"Well, there is one other condition to the offer," said the lawyer. "This ties in with the prosecutor's theory that you tried to keep the emerald as a fee for your emergency service. You can no longer practice medicine in this state. You must agree to forfeit your license."
Her eyes widened with panic. "But I've worked all my life to be a doctor."
"It beats going to jail," said the lawyer. "I'll give you a minute to talk it over with your husband, but you really don't have a choice. Either plead guilty now and take probation, or go to trial and take a serious risk of lengthy jail time. The fact that you're innocent isn't going to change that. I'm sorry. I wish I had better news."
The lawyer left the room, and Ryan's parents immediately embraced. Dr. Coolidge's voice shook as she looked at her husband and said, "I can't lose my medical license. I can't stop being a doctor. I didn't do anything wrong."
They held each other tight, sitting in silence, just the two of them in the room-with Ryan watching through his leaphole.
She sniffled and said, "You believe me, don't you? I didn't do anything wrong."
Mr. Coolidge fell silent, seeming to mull over his thoughts. Finally he said, "I know you didn't do anything wrong. I did."
"You did?"
He broke the embrace, then looked his wife in the eye. "Don't you remember, sweetheart? The day after you saved that little girl, you told me that you'd put the emerald in my camera bag for safekeeping. You asked me to be sure to return the stone to the owners. I told you that I had already returned it. But I lied to you. I never returned it. I kept it."
Dr. Coolidge looked at her husband, confused. "That's not true at all. I never told you about the emerald. I never asked you to return it to the owners. I couldn't have. I didn't even remember putting it in your bag in the first place."
"Listen to me," he said, his voice filled with urgency. "You heard what that lawyer said. You may be innocent, but your best bet is to plead guilty and put it behind you. But I'm giving us another choice."
"What are you saying?"
"/m pleading guilty," he said.
"What?"
"I told you that I had returned the emerald. But I never returned it. I kept it."
"That's not true!"
"Stop arguing with me, Sharon. From the minute we open that door and the lawyer comes back in here, that is going to be our story. Do you understand me? You can't stop being a doctor over this. And Ryan needs his mother."
"He needs a father, too."
"He needs you more." Ryan's father swallowed hard, as if building his resolve. Then he drew a deep breath and said, "So it's settled. I'm pleading guilty."
Ryan wanted to leap from his hiding spot and yell, Dad, don't do it! Get rid of that lousy lawyer and go back with Hezekiah! Let Mom go to trial!
But the minute he tried to say a word-the instant he consciously tried to alter history and change what had happened on that day-he felt himself being sucked from the room. He struggled to stay. But the force of the return leaphole was completely overpowering. He saw his mother crying and his father holding her tightly in his arms.
Then he saw that familiar bright light, and time was flying past him.
Chapter 37
Ryan's landing was much better this time, but he hardly noticed the improvement.
He didn't feel like talking when he returned. Hezekiah and Kaylee gave him some time to himself. He could hardly believe what he'd just seen. His father was innocent. So was his mother. In fact, no one had stolen anything. That stupid emerald had simply been misplaced. Yet the Coolidge family had been disgraced. Ryan's father was sitting in jail, and everyone in town assumed that Ryan was headed there someday himself. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right?
What more proof did he need that Legal Evil was alive and well?
"Now you know," said Hezekiah.
"Yes," said Ryan. "Now I know. But why didn't my parents just tell me?"
"It's a tough situation, Ryan. The prosecutor suspected that your father was protecting your mother. He warned them: 'If I get a hint from anyone that Mr. Coolidge is taking the fall for his wife, I'll come after Dr. Coolidge with a vengeance. No deals, no mercy. I'll do everything in my power to put her away for the maximum sentence."
"So they couldn't tell anyone. Not even me."
"Not even you, Ryan."
"Then how do you know all this?" said Ryan.
"I was their first attorney, remember? Then your mother fired me. You think I wasn't curious to know what happened? I was shooting down a leaphole to State versus Coolidge as soon as your father went to jail."
"That's something else I don't understand. The prosecutor recommended no jail time. Why was my father sentenced to prison?"
"Just because a prosecutor promises to recommend no jail time doesn't mean that, the judge will honor the agreement. Usually, if a prosecutor strikes a deal, the judge goes along with it. But the judge in your father's case didn't."
"Why not?"
"Ah, Legal Evil strikes again, Ryan. Your father's a journalist, right?"
"Yes. He writes for the Tribune."
"Three years ago, your father wrote an article that exposed some very questionable conduct by a certain judge. As luck would have it, he turned out to be the judge in your father's case. That grumpy old codger was all too happy to disregard the prosecutor's recommendation of no jail time and put your father behind bars."
"That stinks," said Ryan.
"That's what I'm up against every day," said Hezekiah. "Why do you think I need more people like you on my side?"
Ryan nodded, glad to be on the team.
"You should get home now," said Hezekiah.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm pretty eager to see my mom." Then a wry smile came to his lips. "And my dad."
Hezekiah returned the smile. "Tell your father hello for me, will you?"
Little more needed to be said. They both realized that Ryan had a lot to talk out with his father. Ryan would be seeing a lot more of his father, even if he was in prison. "I sure will," said Ryan.
"You want me to give you a ride home?" asked Hezekiah.
"Aren't you a little old to be driving a car?"
"I didn't mean by car. I'll take you on my horse."
Kaylee groaned. "No way, Hezekiah! You nearly killed me and you on the ride here. Ryan, you can borrow the horse and bring it back later. Come on. Let's get our four-legged friend outside where he belongs."
Ryan reached out to shake Hezekiah's hand, but the old man pulled him close and hugged him. Ryan smiled and whispered, "See you soon." Then he and Kaylee led the horse toward the door. It behaved like a skittish thoroughbred at the gate as they lowered its head and led it through the doorway. Finally, it settled down when they were outdoors.
As Ryan climbed up on the horse's back, Kaylee asked, "Do you remember your way home from here?"
"I'm pretty sure I do."
"Good. Now, remember. If you need any tips or have any questions about being a junior Legal Eagle, call me. I mean, if you want."
"I'd like that. I think I will."
She smiled. "Good. I'll see you around, then. Right, L'new?"
"Yeah, definitely. And by the way."
"What?"
"The name's Coolidge. From now on, I'm Ryan Coolidge."
"That's a good name, too."
"Yeah. I didn't always think so. But now I do." He gave her a little mock salute, and she fired one back.
"Oh, one more thing," she said. "This horse is very-"
Ryan barely laid a heel on the horse's ribs, and he was off like a rocket.
"Sensitive," she added, chuckling under her breath as Ryan raced toward home on the back of Hezekiah's one-hundred-and-forty-seven-year-old thoroughbred.
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