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Authors: T. Davis Bunn
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rose to his feet, certain now he was hooked, hauled in, gutted,and descaled. “Your honor, as I stated in the beginning, I merely intended to apply for an
ex partae
order.”
“Do you have any questions for this witness?”
“How am I supposed to, your honor, when this character assassination has hit me utterly out of the blue?”
She turned to the witness. “You may step down, sir.”
Hamper waited until the Wilmington official had stepped through the barrier and seated himself in the front row to declare, “Your honor, Marcus Glenwood is not the star of this show, much as he would like us all to believe otherwise. This is about protecting a child.”
“The child your client abducted,” Marcus pointed out.
“She had no choice,” Hamper shot back. “None.”
“The same child,” Marcus continued, “Ms. Brandt previously abandoned.”
“She did not abandon the child, your honor. That is a misconception fostered by her ex-husband. The custody agreement proves this. The person who deviated from the plan was the husband.”
“My client denies this, your honor.”
“Let me get this straight. This is the same client who denies ever abusing her?”
“Absolutely.”
“Or the baby?”
“Your honor, I object to these baseless accusations.”
“Oh. Wait now.” Hamper paused long enough to cast Marcus a malicious glint. “This objection is being made by a man who couldn’t even protect his own children in their hour of direst need?”
The judge revealed a serrated edge to her Southern cadence. “You will apologize to counsel, or you will be censured by this court.”
“Of course I apologize, your honor.”
“Not to me.”
“Marcus, excuse me. I simply got carried away by the concerns of this moment.”
“Mr. Glenwood, do you have a motion that you wish to place before this court?”
Marcus recognized the offer of an out. “Only that this matter be carried forward until next week so that I might have time to prepare.”
“So ruled. I am away Monday. I expect you both to be here first thing Tuesday with answers to questions I haven’t dreamed up yet.” Judge Sears applied her gavel. “Next case.”
Marcus’ intention to waylay Hamper Caisse outside the courtroom was stymied twice over. The attorney was instantly snagged by a frantic client. Then Marcus found himself confronting a very excited Omar Dell. Which was not altogether a bad thing, he decided. There were certain risks to assaulting another member of the bar in the district courthouse lobby.
The court reporter said, “That man just tried a smash and grab.”
“I still can’t see why you’re so interested in a custody dispute.”
“I told you before, Mr. Glenwood. You’re nothing but fireworks and fame in the making.” The man’s eyes held a joy too fresh for this courtroom. “Give me something. There’s bound to be some lead you can pass on that won’t breach your client’s confidentiality.”
Marcus nodded a grim commitment to the case. “In time.”
CHAPTER
———
6
I
N
A THENS , THE YOUNG WOMAN starts to make a formal complaint to the police. But she walks away when the looks they give her and the questions they keep repeating filter through the lingering fog of drug and pain. She leaves Athens the day her passport and traveler’s checks are replaced, both of which the Dutch backpackers have stolen
.
She spends almost two months running from herself. Then she wakes up in a Barcelona hotel with a vicious sangria hangover, and she can’t even say what country she is in, or how long she has been there, or why she continues to leak tears even in her sleep
.
When she arrives in Switzerland, late September rains have transformed the highland roads into rivulets of fading autumn colors. She finds a waitressing job in Zermatt’s top hotel. That lasts until the maître d’ makes it plain there is only one way she will be allowed to stay
.
She moves to a bar at the base of the Valais glacier, the local
ex partae
order.”
“Do you have any questions for this witness?”
“How am I supposed to, your honor, when this character assassination has hit me utterly out of the blue?”
She turned to the witness. “You may step down, sir.”
Hamper waited until the Wilmington official had stepped through the barrier and seated himself in the front row to declare, “Your honor, Marcus Glenwood is not the star of this show, much as he would like us all to believe otherwise. This is about protecting a child.”
“The child your client abducted,” Marcus pointed out.
“She had no choice,” Hamper shot back. “None.”
“The same child,” Marcus continued, “Ms. Brandt previously abandoned.”
“She did not abandon the child, your honor. That is a misconception fostered by her ex-husband. The custody agreement proves this. The person who deviated from the plan was the husband.”
“My client denies this, your honor.”
“Let me get this straight. This is the same client who denies ever abusing her?”
“Absolutely.”
“Or the baby?”
“Your honor, I object to these baseless accusations.”
“Oh. Wait now.” Hamper paused long enough to cast Marcus a malicious glint. “This objection is being made by a man who couldn’t even protect his own children in their hour of direst need?”
The judge revealed a serrated edge to her Southern cadence. “You will apologize to counsel, or you will be censured by this court.”
“Of course I apologize, your honor.”
“Not to me.”
“Marcus, excuse me. I simply got carried away by the concerns of this moment.”
“Mr. Glenwood, do you have a motion that you wish to place before this court?”
Marcus recognized the offer of an out. “Only that this matter be carried forward until next week so that I might have time to prepare.”
“So ruled. I am away Monday. I expect you both to be here first thing Tuesday with answers to questions I haven’t dreamed up yet.” Judge Sears applied her gavel. “Next case.”
Marcus’ intention to waylay Hamper Caisse outside the courtroom was stymied twice over. The attorney was instantly snagged by a frantic client. Then Marcus found himself confronting a very excited Omar Dell. Which was not altogether a bad thing, he decided. There were certain risks to assaulting another member of the bar in the district courthouse lobby.
The court reporter said, “That man just tried a smash and grab.”
“I still can’t see why you’re so interested in a custody dispute.”
“I told you before, Mr. Glenwood. You’re nothing but fireworks and fame in the making.” The man’s eyes held a joy too fresh for this courtroom. “Give me something. There’s bound to be some lead you can pass on that won’t breach your client’s confidentiality.”
Marcus nodded a grim commitment to the case. “In time.”
CHAPTER
———
6
I
N
A THENS , THE YOUNG WOMAN starts to make a formal complaint to the police. But she walks away when the looks they give her and the questions they keep repeating filter through the lingering fog of drug and pain. She leaves Athens the day her passport and traveler’s checks are replaced, both of which the Dutch backpackers have stolen
.
She spends almost two months running from herself. Then she wakes up in a Barcelona hotel with a vicious sangria hangover, and she can’t even say what country she is in, or how long she has been there, or why she continues to leak tears even in her sleep
.
When she arrives in Switzerland, late September rains have transformed the highland roads into rivulets of fading autumn colors. She finds a waitressing job in Zermatt’s top hotel. That lasts until the maître d’ makes it plain there is only one way she will be allowed to stay
.
She moves to a bar at the base of the Valais glacier, the local
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