Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
The Judge’s name seemed to carry considerable weight with the two officers. Apparently she wasn’t someone to cross. Reluctantly, they agreed to let Torus and Molly come to the Richmond PD and answer questions after they visited the courthouse and heard the verdict, which was being held up by their absence. They even allowed Molly and Torus to ride back in Lone’s ship—providing that one of the officers came with them, while the other waited for the ambulance and back-up to deal with Karen and the body.
It all passed in a blur. Earlier Molly had been sure she was going to burst into tears, but now a kind of icy calm had descended on her.
I’m in shock, she thought distantly, but if so, it seemed to be a good thing. She didn’t want to break down in front of everyone. There was still too much to do—too much to get through.
Torus freed her hands—which had been going numb from lack of circulation—and helped her to her feet. Molly took a step and stumbled—clearly she wasn’t quite as steady on her feet as she needed to be.
“Here, sweetheart.” Torus swung her into his arms and Molly didn’t even protest. She simply closed her eyes and breathed in his warm, cedar and spice scent. In his arms she was safe and for a minute she could push away all the awful events of the past hour.
Torus carried her into Lone’s ship. While the other Kindred went to check on his twins—who were sleeping in the back—she changed into a new blouse which he had offered her.
“It’s Lizabeth’s, but I’m sure she won’t mind,” he told her.
“Thank you,” Molly said numbly. But when she tried to button the buttons, her hands were shaking too badly to manage it.
“Here, sweetheart.” Torus brushed her hands aside and buttoned the blouse himself. Then he pulled her close again. “Are you all right?”
“Fine—I’m fine,” Molly heard herself saying. She felt like she was in a dream that just kept going. She wished she could wake up, but there was no stopping it—it had to run its course.
Before she knew it, they were back at the courthouse. Torus let her walk on her own but he kept one long arm protectively around her shoulders, guiding her down the hallway.
When they opened the doors to find the judge and jury waiting for them, Molly saw Zach’s eyes go wide with shock.
“What the fuck?” she heard him mutter as she and Torus passed him. He turned to his lawyer. “I have to go—I need to get out of here!”
“You can’t go anywhere until the jury reads the verdict,” the lawyer hissed back. “Now settle down please, Mr. Wyndham!”
“There you are!” Judge Hudson looked annoyed. “I understand from Councilor Paige that something happened to hold up your return but we’ve all been waiting for over an hour!”
“Your Honor, I’m officer Hatchet,” the policeman who had come along with them in Lone’s ship said, speaking up. “I can attest that these two were late because the woman was kidnapped and her husband, er, Mate, was searching for her.”
There was a collective gasp from the jury and the judge’s eyes went wide.
“Kidnapped? By whom?” she exclaimed.
“By a man and woman that he hired.” Molly threw out an arm, pointing at her ex. “Mandrew Pate and Karen Geners. Zach had them take me out to an abandoned building. He told Pate to…to kill me and bury my body where no one would ever find it!”
Molly’s voice was shaking and she could barely get the words out, but she had to speak her truth. She was afraid if she didn’t get it out now, she never would.
There was another collective gasp from the jury and Zach’s lawyer started shouting,
“Objection, Your Honor! Objection!”
“Order! This courtroom will come to order!” Whack-whack-whack! Judge Hudson pounded with her gavel, raising her voice over the confused babble. Slowly, the noise died away. “Now—you, Officer… what did you say your name was?”
“Officer Hatchet, Your Honor,” the policeman said. “I can’t say who was behind the kidnapping, but the lady in question was definitely in the act of getting assaulted when her husband, er, Mate came in and stopped it.” He nodded at Torus.
“Your Honor, I must object—this kind of talk is going to taint the jury!” Zach’s lawyer exclaimed again. “In fact, it probably already has! I move for a mistrial.”
“Overruled and denied,” the judge snapped back. “You know good and well that the jury has already returned a verdict—we’re all just waiting to hear it. As for the rest of this mess, Officer Hatchet, I am directing you to take Mr. Wyndham into custody directly after this trial concludes, so you can get to the bottom of all this.”
“Yes, Your Honor.” The police officer nodded respectfully.
“I object!” Zach’s lawyer shouted again.