Phillip Margolin - Ties That Bind

Kerrigan thought for a moment. "Robard is a hard-ass," he said. "He won't grant one. And, even if he does, the odds are that it wouldn't stand up on appeal."

Lopez balled her fists. "I really want this guy."

"You'll get him, Maria. Guys like Dupre always trip over their egos. Trust me. It's just a matter of time."

Heads turned when Tim Kerrigan pushed through the courtroom doors and took a seat on the backbench of Judge Ivan Robard's courtroom--fewer than would have turned when he first joined the office four years ago, but enough to still make him feel uncomfortable. The bailiff, the court guards, and the other regulars were used to seeing Kerrigan, but some of the casual spectators cast excited glances his way and whispered to each other.

Tim saw his celebrity as a curse. It meant being constantly on display. He also thought of his looks as a curse. He was six two, tall enough to always be in plain sight, and he had wavy blond hair and green eyes that made him stand out in a crowd. More than once, he had daydreamed about walking into a courtroom unrecognized. He envied Maria Lopez. No one looked twice at her; strangers didn't stop her on the street or interrupt her meals to ask for autographs. Tim was certain that given the chance to be a celebrity, Maria would trade places with him eagerly. He would have swapped in an instant, without warning her to be careful about what she wished for.

Kerrigan had just gotten settled when Jon Dupre strutted into the courtroom in a dark, tailor-made suit, basking in the same stares that Kerrigan dreaded. He was tall, tanned, handsome, and muscular, and he walked with an easy confidence that came from growing up wealthy and pampered. A gold earring in the shape of a cross dangled from an earlobe--just one of many pieces of flashy jewelry that the light danced off as he walked.

Trailing behind Dupre was his lawyer, Oscar Baron, a short, nervous man who, rumor had it, took part of his attorney fee in the women and drugs that Dupre sold.

Lopez looked up from her case file when Dupre entered the bar of the court. The defendant ignored the deputy DA and took his seat at the defense table, but Baron paused to speak to his opponent in low tones. When the bailiff rapped his gavel, there was a broad smile on Baron's face and a grim look of defeat on Maria's.

Judge Robard entered the courtroom through a door behind the dais, and everyone stood. Most eyes turned toward the judge, but Kerrigan's stayed focused on Dupre who had been talking to a woman seated behind him in the spectators' section. Another spectator blocked Tim's view of the woman, but the man shifted slightly when he stood for the judge. Kerrigan's breath caught in his chest.

Every once in a while a man will see a woman whose beauty short-circuits his senses. This woman's raw sensuality stunned Kerrigan. Lustrous, jet-black hair framed her heart-shaped face. She had olive skin, full lips, wide brown eyes, and high cheekbones. The bailiff rapped his gavel a second time, and Kerrigan lost sight of her again when everyone sat, but he could not tear his eyes away from the spot where she'd stood.

"Nice ass, huh?" whispered Stanley Gregaros, a detective with vice who was working Dupre's case.

Kerrigan felt heat spread across his cheeks. "Who is she?"

"Ally Bennett," answered Gregaros as he slipped into the seat beside Kerrigan. "She's in Jon's stable. Calls herself Jasmine when she's working."

"She doesn't look like your typical hooker."

"None of Jon's girls do. They're all classy fillies. College kids, smart, sassy, corn-fed. Jon's clientele is rich and influential. A congressman or CEO isn't going to spend a grand or two on a crack whore."

"Call the case," Judge Robard ordered. The bailiff rattled off the case name and number as Maria Lopez stood.

"Are you ready to proceed, Miss Lopez?" the judge asked.

"The state has a problem, Your Honor. I'm asking for a setover."

"We object, Your Honor," Oscar Baron said, leaping to his feet. "This is the third time Miss Lopez has done this. The last time . . ."

The judge cut him off with a wave of his hand. He did not look happy. "What's the basis for your motion, Miss Lopez?"

"Our key witness has disappeared. We were in contact with her as late as two days ago. The witness was under subpoena and assured us that she would appear."

"But she hasn't?"

"No, Your Honor. I talked to my trial assistant before I came to court. We sent an investigator to pick her up, but she wasn't home."

"The last time I granted your setover request I told you that I wouldn't grant another. Can you give me one good reason to change my mind?"

Lopez cast a nervous glance at Jon Dupre, who looked bored to death.

"Mr. Dupre has been out of custody since his bail hearing. He has a history of violence toward women . . ."

"This is outrageous," Oscar Baron shouted. "Mr. Dupre has always claimed that he's innocent of these groundless charges. I'm not surprised the state's witness didn't show. She's probably worried about perjury. And to suggest that my client had anything to do with her disappearance . . ."

"There's no need for speeches, Mr. Baron," Judge Robard said.

He turned back to Lopez. "Does your case rest completely on the testimony of this missing witness?"

"She's essential, Your Honor."

"Then it looks like you're between a rock and a hard place. Mr. Dupre has a right to have his case tried. This is the time we've set for the trial. You're going to have to chose between proceeding or dismissing."

Lopez moved for dismissal and Baron moved for a dismissal with prejudice. While they argued, Kerrigan turned to the detective.

"What do you think happened, Stan?"

He shook his head. "No idea. Andrews seemed standup. But Dupre can be a scary guy. Maybe she got cold feet."

Kerrigan shifted his attention to the front of the courtroom when Judge Robard began to speak.

"I've heard enough. The case will be dismissed on the motion of the district attorney. Bail will be exonerated."

"Is that dismissal with prejudice, Your Honor?"

"No it is not, Mr. Baron. Court is adjourned."

Everyone in the courtroom stood when the judge rose, and Kerrigan moved his head slightly so he could see Ally Bennett again. She turned toward him for a moment, and his gut tightened. Bennett was dressed in a black tailored jacket over a cream-colored silk blouse. A string of pearls graced her slender neck. A short black skirt showed off lightly muscled and tanned legs.

A dispirited Maria Lopez stuffed her paperwork in a file and marched, head down, up the aisle. Kerrigan and Gregaros fell in step beside her.

"It's not your fault, Maria," Kerrigan assured his disconsolate deputy. "I've been through this. So have most of the DAs in the office."

"We'll find Andrews," Gregaros assured her. "Then you'll put that arrogant prick away."

As they passed through the courtroom doors, Kerrigan cast one more glance at Ally Bennett, who was having an animated conversation with Dupre. She looked upset. Then the door closed behind Kerrigan, and the couple was lost from view.

That evening, Tim Kerrigan braved his wife's anger and daughter's disappointment and stayed late again, but he only pretended to work. There were cases to prepare and legal briefs to write, but he was too distracted to concentrate. By six, only a few stalwarts were still working. When all of the deputies and secretaries in the area had left, Kerrigan wandered over to Maria Lopez's desk. The cleaning people were starting to move through the office, but Kerrigan was not concerned about them, and he had a story prepared if another deputy spotted him.

The loose-leaf binders containing the Dupre case were neatly stacked on one corner of Maria's desk. Kerrigan's hand trembled when he opened the top binder. It contained the police reports in the case. He leafed through them until he found what he wanted. Then he wrote Ally Bennett's address and phone number on a slip of paper and walked back to his office.