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BEHIND THE SCENES
SEASON 2
“WHERE’S THE HOPE?”
SEVENTEENTH IN THE SERIES
“Hey Cath ... ” Joe called out across the
office. “Can you come in here a second?”
“No
Joe never cracked a smile as he closed
the door behind her. Catherine frowned at his seriousness. “What is it,
Joe?”
He walked behind his desk and put his
hands on his hips and asked brusquely. “Where are you at on the
Catherine’s brows rose in surprise. “Um
... I interviewed the sister yesterday. She confessed that an old
boyfriend had been harassing the family and admitted seeing him
near the house the day before her brother was shot. The doctors think
the brother will wake up in the next few days but the mother swears that
before the ambulance came she thought he said the name Kenny ... which
just so happens to be the name of the boyfriend ... ”
Joe let a small smile escape. “Good ...
what about the Mandel case?”
Catherine shrugged. “The neighbor
confessed during questioning. We’re just waiting for the autopsy to
confirm the time of death.”
“
“No luck ... I had a few leads but they
didn’t pan out. I’ve got a couple of the interns tracking down people
from a list of phone numbers Rita gave me but ... ”
“Tell Escobar and the interns to turn all
the info over to Williamson when they get it ... he can take over from
here. What about the Riskowski case?”
“Everything is done. They don’t have a
defense. I think they’re trying to build one so they asked for a
continuance until next week but we’re ready for court. It should be cut
and dry ... ”
“Give the files to Cooper. He can
represent me in court.”
“Joe, what’s going on? You’ve never
questioned me before on my cases ... why now?”
Joe sighed as he sat down. “Do you
remember the Marci Walker case?”
Marci Walker was a woman who had been
continually abused by her husband. Each time he apologized, she would
find herself trusting him. She forgave him and took him back and then he
would wait a little while and abuse her again. Finally one day, she
stabbed him with a kitchen knife. The irony was not lost on Catherine as
Stephen Bass, an old boyfriend, had visited her about the same time, and
she was pulled into trusting him just as she always had in the past
until one day he kidnapped her, and Vincent had to come to her rescue.
“
Catherine snapped awake from her musings.
“Yeah, of course I remember.”
“About that same time you asked
“Yeah.”
“Well, I got one ... a big one. I could
really use your help.”
“Of course, Joe. You know you don’t even
have to ask.”
“I mean it, Cathy! I need to know that
you’ll be right beside me every step of the way ... ”
“Okay!”
“It might require a lot of late nights
... ”
Catherine rolled her eyes. “So what else
is new? C’mon Joe, fill me in.”
Joe grabbed a file and handed it to her
as he flashed a warning look. “It ain’t pretty!”
Catherine opened the file and looked down
at the first picture. Her stomach rolled in protest as she covered her
mouth and groaned. “Oh, God!”
“Sickening, huh?”
Tears were pooled in her eyes as she
looked at him. “He’s just a baby! He can’t be more than six years old!”
“He’s five ... he was five.”
Catherine thumbed through the other
pictures and each one was as equally disturbing as the first. “Where do
we start? Do the parents have any idea who did this?” Joe’s face clearly
held the answers to her questions and Catherine sputtered angrily.
“Don’t tell me they did this him!”
“Okay ... I won’t tell you they
did it. But one of them did it. The father is the one who’s being
accused. His defense is his wife did it. He claims she’s unstable. Get
out of here ... take the file home with you ... read the whole thing.
Tomorrow we’ll meet and come up with a strategy.”
Catherine stood and nodded. “Joe, I won’t
let you down. I promise.”
“Thanks, Cath. I knew I could count on
you to have my back.”
“You took a chance on me when I needed it
... I’m just repaying the favor.”
Joe laughed and punched her arm
mockingly. “You did that a long time ago, kiddo!”
Catherine smiled as she walked back to
her desk and started to organize her files.
******************************
To clear up odds and ends of her other
cases, Catherine stayed later at the office than she thought she would
before she finally headed home. She changed into her bed clothes and
then made herself a light dinner. She ate her dinner as she relaxed on
the sofa and watched the evening news. A reporter came on telling about
the arrest of Richard Nolan, a big shot on Wall Street, who was accused
of beating his son to death.
She knew the name sounded familiar as she
reached for the file in her briefcase. Seeing his name on the reports,
she sighed aloud. “Oh great! A high profile case! Every idiot in
She carried her dirty dishes to the sink,
then made a face as she went to her table to spread the file out in
front of her.
She glanced at the pictures briefly
before she set them to the side and started to read the report. Several
times she gasped as she held her hand over her mouth in horror. She
continually swiped at the tears falling from her eyes as she sat and
wondered what the last few moments of this boy’s young life had been
like. Despite doing her best to control her feelings, she knew Vincent
would have felt her distress and would be coming to her tonight.
*********************************
Vincent had felt Catherine’s deep
sadness for the past few hours. Having waited patiently for the darkness
to descend on the city, he walked into the library. “Father, I’m going
to see Catherine.”
Father nodded knowingly. “When you
mentioned earlier that she was overtaken with great sadness, I knew you
would be heading to see her. Is she still ... ”
Vincent interrupted. “Yes, I want to be
there for her.”
“Of course you do.”
“Goodnight, Father. Don’t wait up.”
Vincent turned to leave as Father called
out a warning to his back. “Be safe!”
************************************
A short time later, Catherine wasn’t
surprised to hear the light tap against the window, making her aware of
Vincent’s presence.
Sadly, she walked outside and looked up
at him. No words were exchanged, but he could see the mixture of
emotions on her face.
“What is it, Catherine? What makes you so
sad?”
“Sometimes I see things and I can’t help
but wonder if there’s any hope left for any of us.”
Vincent knew she was making a general
statement about mankind and he tried to figure out where this was headed
as he replied quietly. “I’ve known that feeling.”
“A father beats his child to death ... ”
she handed him a picture and Vincent went over to hold the pictures up
in the moonlight to get a better look while she continued. “What does
that say about us? About our world and the way we treat each other?”
Vincent’s stomach rolled as he looked at
the picture and slowly walked back. “Evil exists ... it’s real ... we
know that ... but when it touches real children ... ”
“It tells us that no one anywhere is
safe!”
Vincent stood next to her once more. “We
have children living Below with us who have suffered more in their young
years than anyone should be allowed to in a hundred lifetimes ... ”
“Where’s the hope?”
He reached out and gave her lower arm a
gentle squeeze. “Within you ... within us ... we must not let it die ...
we must protect it for each other ... ”
Catherine knew he was right and she was
trying desperately to rise up and fight against this atrocity, but she
kept thinking about how that little boy must have felt as he took his
last breath.
Vincent reached for her hand. “Are you
involved with this? Is this a new case?”
“Yes ... I’m backing Joe up. I’ll do his
footwork for him. While he mans the front line, I’ll feed him
information.” Vincent cocked his head curiously and she gave him her
first real smile as she explained. “He’ll be the one to actually speak
in court and as things come up I’ll hand him notes to help with the
case.”
Vincent nodded. “Do you trust Joe?”
“With my life, why?”
“Then trust that he’ll do everything in
his power to see that justice is served.”
Catherine nodded as she moved closer and
laid her head against his chest. “I know he will, but we have so much
work ahead of us if we want to make sure no one walks away from this.”
Vincent’s arms automatically came around
her as he lowered his head to whisper in her ear. “How can I help?”
Catherine lifted her head and looked up
at him. “I don’t know ... I should be reading the files over and over
again to see if there’s something in the parents testimonies that we’re
missing ... ”
Vincent slowly backed away. “Perhaps I
could read them with you. Maybe together we’ll be able to see
something.”
Catherine wavered uncertainly. “I don’t
want you to have to see the ugliness of my world.”
“Sometimes, Catherine, that ugliness
leaves your world and comes into mine. Please, I want to help.”
Catherine nodded and went back inside to
grab the rest of the notes. She and Vincent sat down at the table while
she began to read through everything. Vincent gasped in shock a few
times, but he remained quiet until she was through.
Catherine grabbed a pen and paper and
started jotting down notes. “Okay, supposedly the father was at dinner
with his older daughter, Amy, leaving the mother home alone with the
boy.”
“Yes, but the first officer on the scene
reported that the mother ... ” Vincent glanced at the notes. “Molly,
seemed confused and every time she told him what happened, her story
changed.”
Catherine looked at her notes again and frowned. “Right, first she said
he was out at dinner, then she said he had in fact been there then left
and then she finally got angry and told the officer to ask her husband
himself if he wanted to know where he’d been ... .She’s clearly covering
for him, but why?”
Vincent looked away disgustedly. “Because
she’s probably being abused herself ... she’s afraid, Catherine.”
“How do you know that?”
“The signs are there.”
“I don’t get it! Her son ... her five
year old son ... was just murdered! How could she even think about
trying to protect her husband?!”
“Perhaps she couldn’t ... ” Vincent said
as he fixed her with a level gaze. “She tried but with no hope of
bringing her son back ... she knew that to put herself in further danger
would do the boy no good anyway.”
Catherine thought about it then nodded
slowly. “That explains the inconsistencies in her stories.”
“Yes, she was probably worried that the
same fate awaited her. Abuse usually follows a pattern. I’d be surprised
if this is the first time he’s ever hit anyone in the family.”
Catherine nodded. “I’ll look back through
the medical records of each of the family members. If you’re right, then
one or maybe all of them will have had unexplained bruises or broken
bones in their files.”
“It certainly wouldn’t hurt to start
there ... ” Vincent grabbed the pen and jotted down the idea. “So what
do you think your first course of action will be?”
Catherine thought for a second, then
answered. “I need to question Molly by herself. I need to get her to
admit that her husband did this. Even then, I’ll still have the hurdle
of the daughter’s testimony that she was with her father, but if I can
prove the daughter’s lying ... .”
“Most likely, the daughter was touched by
this same evil as her brother and she’s afraid of the father as well.”
“Well then Molly is going to have to tell
the truth for once!”
“Catherine, Molly’s feeling very
vulnerable right now. She’s alone and afraid. She’ll need a friend ...
she’ll need to have someone on her side who understands what she’s going
through.”
“But I still don’t understand it,
Vincent! How could she have let her child down like that?!”
“She’s been beaten and abused ... she’s
weak, Catherine. Not everyone has your strength.”
Catherine smiled as she lovingly looked
over at him. “Not everyone has you on their side supporting them.
Thank you, Vincent for being here.”
Vincent smiled shyly as he stood. “You’re
feeling better. I should let you get a good night’s rest.”
Catherine stood and took a deep breath.
“I am feeling better. We have a long road ahead of us. We’re
going to win this ... but it means I might not get to see you much
during the coming weeks.”
Vincent held her gently, then slowly
backed away. “Have faith that all will go well and know that I’m always
near.”
“Goodnight, Vincent,” she said as he
disappeared over the side of the balcony.
**********************************************
As was his usual custom, Vincent would
check in with Father before retiring for the night. He was headed to the
library when he was side tracked by a noise he heard coming from the
boy’s dormitories.
He stood in the chamber doorway and
looked inside. All of the boys were asleep, but Vincent could have sworn
he saw the image of the boy in the pictures he’d seen earlier on
Catherine’s balcony.
He blinked his eyes but the image was
still there lying on the bed. The boy was moving slowly and whimpering
in pain. Vincent blinked again and started to walk forward but the image
was gone.
He leaned back against the side of the
rock wall and sighed. He knew he’d be haunted by those images for quite
awhile. He pushed off the wall and headed to the library.
“Vincent.” Father smiled as he walked in.
“I just came to tell you I’ve returned.”
Father cocked his head curiously at his
son’s somber mood. “Is everything okay with Catherine?”
Vincent shrugged as he sat down. “She’s
working on the murder case of a five year old boy.”
“That must be heartbreaking.”
“What’s heartbreaking is that the father
is probably the one who murdered the boy.”
“Dear God!” Father gasped. “I will never
understand it! How could any person do that to their own child to ANY
child for that matter? How could they allow themselves to engage in such
a beautiful endeavor as childbirth only to destroy the amazing results
of their labor?”
“It’s despicable ... this man is
despicable!” Vincent lamented angrily.
Father frowned worriedly. “Well, all we
can do is hope that Catherine sees that justice is served.”
“Father, the images of that boy’s
lifeless, beaten body are haunting me as we speak.”
Father sighed and put his hand on
Vincent’s shoulders. “Son, we can’t save them all.”
“I know but, Father ... ”
“No, Vincent! Don’t do this to yourself.
We have to remember all of the ones we have been able to help. How many
abused children have been raised here and then gone out to become useful
members of the world Above? You were a part of making that happen ...
this entire community is a part of making that happen. Rejoice and be
thankful in that.”
Vincent sighed and nodded. “We have
helped out our fair share.”
Father smiled. “More than our fair share,
and we will continue to help any more that need it.”
“Yes ... ”
“Try to get some sleep, Vincent.”
“I will. Goodnight, Father.”
“Night, son.”
Vincent spent the night tossing and
turning in bed, caught up in the throws of a nightmare that wouldn’t end
until the boy he sought was resting peacefully.
******************************************
The next morning, Catherine headed to
work early. She and Joe came up with a plan of attack and the first part
included Catherine interviewing Molly. She told Molly her husband had to
pay for what he did to their son. Molly refused to testify against her
husband but it seemed like she was wavering in her answers. Catherine
later told Joe that Molly should be prosecuted for being an accessory to
her son’s murder because she allowed it to happen.
Joe explained that their only hope was in
Molly reneging on her earlier testimony. Catherine wasn’t sure they
could convince Molly but in a few short hours they would be going to
court to find out how long they had to do it in.
Joe and Catherine stood side by side in
the courtroom and listened in shocked silence as the judge awarded the
defense certain privileges with the case. Because Richard Nolan was such
a well known and respected member of Wall Street, he was going to allow
television cameras in the courtroom and the trial was to begin in
less than a week.
They left the courtroom and were
immediately bombarded by the news media. Catherine lagged behind as Joe
had microphones and cameras shoved in his face. He gave the standard
speech until one reporter pushed him too far and Joe grew angry,
snapping out a truly inspiring retort about justice being served. He and
Catherine hopped into an open elevator and they sighed with relief as
the doors closed on the frenzy.
Catherine smiled as they exited the
elevator. “Looks like you’ll be dealing with that throughout the whole
case.”
Joe grinned. “Yeah ... it will sure go a
long way towards securing positions for everyone in the DA’s office.
This case couldn’t have come along at a better time.”
Catherine’s face contorted with disgust.
“Thank God Richard Nolan brutally killed his son during an election
year!”
Joe winced when he realized how bad it
sounded. “I didn’t mean it like that ... ”
Catherine shook her head as she tried to
push her anger aside. She knew that Joe hadn’t meant it the way. “Let’s
just start focusing on our case.”
“Yeah ... ”
They went back to the office, sat down
and worked all afternoon together. Catherine furiously wrote down things
she would need to look up for Joe as he paced the room and rattled off
cases and precedence’s from other trials.
In disbelief because he was taken off the
case, Joe walked out of the office and left a stunned Catherine standing
alone. She thought about following him and explaining what happened but
she was in just as much shock as he was. She frowned at his back as she
saw him walk into the elevator. She knew he needed some time to think
things through and she knew he would come around eventually to help her
out.
Catherine took all the papers she and Joe
compiled to the conference room and spread them out across the top of
the desk. Knowing it was near quitting time, she quickly ordered several
of the interns to bring her various books from their library. She
remembered seeing Devin buried under a pile of books frantically trying
to put together a case and she wondered if she looked just as desperate
right now. She hoped her first draft wasn’t as rough as his was as she
slowly began to compose her opening statement for court.
Every once in a while she heard a noise
and looked up hoping to see Joe standing there offering his help. Each
time she was disappointed that it was only a janitor or one of the
security guards, and she would have to shake off the feeling of
loneliness and push on alone.
It was after
Vincent showed up not long after that. He
had felt her exhaustion and came to her. He slipped inside her apartment
where he took off her shoes and then covered her with a blanket.
“Sleep well,” he whispered before he
quietly let himself out once again.
************************************
The next day was no better; Catherine
went to court alone. She was surprised that Joe was nowhere around, but
she gathered her strength and presented their case.
She was given the same treatment as Joe
had been the previous day and as she left the courtroom, she was
bombarded by the media. She was furious with him right now, but she
wished he was beside her, helping her deal with this. Instead, she let
her anger get a hold of her and she admonished the media for treating
this case like it was celebrity news.
She went back to the office and noticed
Joe’s door closed and the lights off. She looked over at the
receptionist and pointed to his door. “Hey,
“He left earlier, Cath. He said he had to
do something for his mother ... ”
Catherine grabbed her files and headed
home and once again fell into an exhausted sleep.
That same night, Vincent was walking the
streets, being haunted by the images in his mind of the little boy. He
rounded a corner and stopped in surprise as he saw Catherine’s face on
every television screen in the front window of the local electronics
store. The first thing he noticed was how tired she looked and the
sadness in her eyes. Then he listened to her words and felt a burst of
pride at her strength and determination.
He heard a noise behind him and once
again chased after an elusive shadow that wouldn’t leave his mind.
Joe managed to avoid Catherine most of
the morning by going to court with some of the less important cases.
By afternoon, she was able to corner him
in his office. “Hey, I’m interviewing Molly Nolan in a minute. Do you
have some time to sit in there with me?”
Joe looked up and shook his head. “No ...
I’ve got an appointment. We had a lead on the
Catherine tried to hide her anger at his
hiding behind an excuse of a case that had no hope of going to
prosecution. “Can’t Williamson interview the witness?”
“Are you the only person working here?
Williamson needed help! We’ve come to find out it was a professional
hit. The witness is probably going into the Witness Protection Program
... This is what ... the 2nd or 3rd talk with
Molly Nolan ... you can handle it, right?”
Catherine tried to hide her hurt and she
bit her bottom lip as she turned away. “Yeah! I can do it alone!”
She left his office and headed to
interview Molly in the conference room. Molly said she would testify
tomorrow and Catherine was pleased she was able to convince her to stand
up for herself and her son.
As Molly began to leave, she turned to
Catherine. “I hope I can do this ... ”
Catherine saw the fear in her eyes and
nodded. “You can!”
After Molly left, Catherine sat heavily
down in her chair. She knew that if Molly wavered in her testimony they
wouldn’t have a strong enough case to convict Richard.
She worriedly gathered up all of the
paperwork and headed for her desk. Joe’s blinds were closed but his
light was on and she tapped lightly on the door.
“Yeah?” his voice called out. Catherine
squared her shoulders and stepped inside and Joe frowned as he sat back
in his chair. “What’s up?”
“Molly said she would testify tomorrow.”
“Yeah, good!”
“I’m worried she won’t be able to do it.
If she backs out ... ”
“You’ve got no case!”
“Yeah ... what do I do then?”
Joe shrugged nonchalantly as he got up from his chair and grabbed his
coat. “Worry about it when it happens.”
Catherine stood there in stunned silence
as she watched him leave. She headed to her desk and sat for another
three hours and worked in the now empty office.
Exhausted and feeling alone and like the world was conspiring against
her, she left work, then headed Below.
************************************
Catherine stood in Vincent’s door and
looked into his empty chamber, a single candle the only source of light.
“Vincent, is that you?” Father’s voice
carried around the corner.
Catherine stepped out into the tunnel
way. “No, it’s me, Father.”
“Oh, Catherine! It’s late.”
“I ... came by to see Vincent ... I ...
only wanted to see him for a moment but ... ”
Father sighed. “He’s not here.”
“I can see that.”
Seeing her distress, Father cocked his
head knowingly. “What’s wrong, Cathy. Can I help?”
Catherine’s eyes filled with tears as she
shrugged. “I don’t know ... I just needed to talk to Vincent.”
“To Vincent or to anyone?” Catherine
shrugged again and Father stepped forward and put his arm around her.
“Will a grumpy old man with a sympathetic shoulder do?” The tears fell
freely as she nodded and he patted her shoulder comfortingly as he
steered her to the library. “Well, come on then ... tell me.”
He sat her down in a chair and poured her
tea, then sat back quietly as she began to unload her problems.
“I was assigned to an abuse case in which
the father is accused of murdering his son.”
“Yes, Vincent mentioned it.”
“I was supposed to help my boss, Joe,
with the case ... you know ... research everything ...”
“The leg work ... ” he interrupted.
“Yes.” Catherine smiled before she
quickly looked down again. “Then our boss comes in and announces that
I will be the one who will be speaking in court, not Joe.”
Father frowned as he looked at her. “But
that’s a good thing isn’t it? Congratulations, Catherine.”
Catherine snorted sarcastically. “Yeah
... Except he’s only using my past as a victim in hopes of getting the
sympathy support of the community.”
“I’m sure that’s not true, dear ... ”
“Oh, he admitted it, Father!”
“Oh.” Father thought for a moment, then
shook his head. “No! That can’t be the only reason. Surely he wouldn’t
take the chance of losing the case. He must have faith in your
abilities.”
“Abilities! I’ve only been to court a
handful of times, Father! He knows that! He’s taking an awful big
gamble!”
“Perhaps ... but I know if you put your
mind to it, you’ll do a fine job.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
“I’m sure ... um ... Joe ... is it ...
will help you gather the information to make your case.”
Catherine shook her head as tears pooled
in her eyes. “Joe was so upset about being pulled off the case he walked
out on me earlier.”
“Vincent said he was a good man, he’ll be
back.”
“And if he doesn’t?
I’ve been working alone all night tonight ... I feel like I’m in
over my head. I don’t know if I can do it and the murdering bastard is
going to walk free and it will be my fault!”
He could see the exhaustion in her eyes
and on her face and he felt for her as he reached over and patted her
hand. “So you came here tonight in search of some comfort from Vincent?”
Catherine swiped the tears from her eyes
and nodded. “I guess I just needed a hug.” She realized what she said
and her eyes opened wide in horror. “I ... mean ... ”
Father laughed aloud as he stood suddenly
and gave her a quick hug. “I understand ... but you may have to settle
for that, I’m not sure when Vincent will be back.”
She smiled weakly as he sat back down.
“Do you know where he is?” Father frowned and looked away and Catherine
grew concerned. “Father?”
“He’s not sleeping well. The news of this
case has disturbed him greatly.” Father sighed. “Catherine, he told me
he keeps seeing images of the boy who was killed. He dreams the child is
crying out to him for help and he can’t ... he’s frustrated that there’s
no way to get to the boy.”
“I never should have told him about it.
Now I’ve brought this ugliness to his world.”
“Don’t be silly, Catherine. You should be
able to share things with him. You had no way of knowing what Vincent
goes through when this touches our world.”
Clearly puzzled by his comment, Catherine
frowned. “What do you mean?”
Father looked down and played with a
piece of paper on his desk. “The abuse that happens in your world often
filters down to ours.”
“Vincent said almost the same thing.”
“Catherine, haven’t you wondered why
there are so many children Below?”
“I ... Vincent told me that people come
here to heal and to learn to be strong. I remember when Margaret came
back and we were searching for information on you, I was surprised by
how little Vincent knew about your previous life ... he told me then
that the past is often left behind and your community respects that
privacy about one another.”
Father shrugged. “Privacy for adults is one thing but the children who
manage to find their way Below ... ”
“Yes?”
“Most of them were found alone in the
streets up top. They were abandoned or abused ... left to fend for
themselves. One of us or one of the helpers finds them and we bring them
Below. That’s when the real work begins.”
“What do you mean?”
“They have no concept of trust. Sometimes
they’re almost animalistic in behavior.”
“That’s hard to believe! Looking at any
one of them now, you’d never believe they had a hard life.”
“The ones we get under ... say ... the
age of five are a little easier to deal with. Mary, Sara, and myself are
usually able to safely handle them.”
“Safely?” Catherine wondered aloud.
“Yes, sometimes when they’re older ...
they ... um ... need to be restrained first.”
“Restrained! Don’t tell me you tie them
up!” Catherine gasped angrily.
“No, of course not! But we do put them in
seclusion in a chamber, alone with an adult who works with them to
establish that trust.”
“For how long?”
“For as long as they need. Each case is
different.”
Catherine thought about the anger of some
of the kids when she went to the juvenile homes searching for Eric and
Ellie. “And if the child refuses help and starts to fight back?”
Father grimaced. “A terrified child has
an amazing amount of strength and only someone with an equal amount of
strength can restrain them.”
Catherine’s eyes grew wide with
realization as she sat back in her chair. “Vincent has to do it, doesn’t
he?”
“Yes.”
“It must take a terrible toll on him each
time.”
“It does, the stories he hears the
children tell ... are horrifying.”
“I can imagine ... ”
Father nodded. “Some of them are less
horrifying then others ... You, of course, know about Mouse. We don’t
know how he came to be Below but Vincent had a horrible time keeping a
hold of him. He was one child I thought we would have to
restrain. He would get away, then let Vincent catch him again. I guess
he thought it was a game. Vincent spent many hours afterwards teaching
Mouse to eat civilly and to speak.”
“I could guess that Mouse was a handful,”
Catherine smiled.
“Zac was worse! He was only eight and
spoke like a truck driver. His father had abandoned him on the
interstate. He was a real fighter! We locked him in Vincent’s chamber
for almost a week before Vincent felt Zac had calmed enough to be around
other people.” Father let out as small chuckle. “He came around
beautifully, and Laura, you know was abandoned in the park. She was
easier to handle because she was so young, but her hearing loss
presented its own unique challenges.”
“Of course. Who else?”
Father blew out a long breath. “Geoffrey
was found sitting alone in an apartment. He was only five when the
helper who owned the building noticed a horrible smell in coming from
their room. He opened it to find Geoffrey’s grandmother dead. She had
passed away a week earlier. The poor boy was crying in hunger. The
refrigerator was opened and the food was spoiled but somehow he had
survived. He had eaten all the dry cereal and peanut butter and jelly he
could find but ... ”
“He couldn’t get out?”
“The door had a deadbolt he didn’t know
how to use. He was so scared when the helper walked in he hid under the
bed his grandmother was lying in.”
“Oh, that poor baby, I’m surprised Child
Protective Services didn’t take him.”
“The helper who owned the building had
been raised in the foster care system. He knew Geoffrey had no other
family so he coaxed him out and brought him to us.”
“How was he?”
“Well, Vincent’s voice, as you know, can
be quite soothing. I held Geoffrey tightly while Vincent sat behind a
curtain and read stories to him. Geoffrey relaxed and after a few days
got the courage to peek around the corner of the curtain.”
“What happened?”
“He climbed up on Vincent’s lap and fell
asleep.”
“I know exactly how he felt. He trusted
Vincent just because of the kindness in his voice.”
“I wish they were all that easy.” At
Catherine’s curious look, he continued on relating stories. “Kipper was
found hiding in the park. The other children brought him Below when they
were playing with him and discovered some infected wounds on his arms.
They were cigarette burns he got from the aunt who was raising him.”
“Ohhhhh, Father!” Catherine gasped.
“His parents had died and the biological
uncle had died three months before. The aunt was an alcoholic who didn’t
want the responsibility of a child ... ”
“Thankfully he got away from her!”
“Yes, and we healed his wounds but
sometimes you can’t heal everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“One of them has had such a traumatic
event in her life she may still experience emotional trauma later in
life.”
“Who?”
“Dear Samantha is the worse case we ever
had. Vincent sat with her and held her and read to her from almost every
book in the library. He would read for hours on end each day, then watch
over her as she whimpered in her sleep. The next day it would start all
over again. It was weeks before he gained her trust.”
“What happened to her?”
“She was found sitting on a curb in
Catherine’s stomach rolled as she thought
about what came next. “Oh, my God! Father, please tell me he didn’t ...
”
Father nodded his head as tears came to
his eyes and he brushed his hand over his beard. “He did ... but it gets
even worse. A group of men had paid for the honor of being the ‘first.’
From what she told Vincent she was made to stand naked in front of them
and ‘auctioned’ off to the highest bidder.” Catherine gasped and tried
to catch her breath as Father continued. “The ‘boss’ then auctioned off
second, third, and fourth place.”
“That poor, poor little girl!”
“Yes, it took time but she’s adjusted
well enough. I think most times she’s basically a happy child. I’m
worried about when she discovers boys in the next few years. We may have
some old memories to deal with.”
“Maybe you’ve been able to show her
enough real love that she won’t be as affected.”
“From your lips to God’s ear.”
“If there’s ever anything I can do ...
any way I can help ... ”
“We’ll ask, I promise.” Catherine tried
to hide a yawn and Father patted her hand. “You should go and try and
get some sleep.”
“Yes, I am tired. Thank you for
listening, Father,” she said as she stood and kissed his cheek.
Father smiled weakly. “You are quite
welcome my dear.”
“Tell Vincent I’m sorry I missed him.”
“I will, goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Father.”
******************************************
Vincent once again went to Catherine’s
apartment but she was asleep and he refused to wake her. He admonished
himself for being lost in his dreams as he headed Below.
“I’m back, Father,” he said as he headed
into the library.
“Vincent, Catherine stopped by earlier.”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“I just stopped by her balcony. She was
sleeping so peacefully I didn’t want to wake her. Perhaps I should go
back and ... ”
“You will do no such thing! That poor
woman needs her rest,” he waved his hand dismissively in the air. “She
said she just needed to talk,” he grinned devilishly at Vincent.
“Actually, she said she needed a hug ... ”
Father chuckled as Vincent blushed, then
grew remorseful. “I should have been here for her!”
Father patted his hand. “I told her I knew I was a poor substitute, but
we had a long talk. I think she was in a better frame of mind when she
left.”
Vincent sighed with relief. “Thank you,
Father, for being there for Catherine.”
“I told you, Vincent ... I would be on
the side of the river bank waiting for both of you ... ”
Vincent smiled as he looked down. “We
should get some sleep.”
“Yes. Um ... one of the helpers has been
sending down updates on the case about three times a day and the
newspaper is coming here like clockwork every morning. If you’d like to
read any of them, they’re on the table in the dining chamber.”
“Thank you, maybe I’ll glance at them
tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Vincent.”
“Night, Father.”
************************************
The next day, Molly backed out on the
witness stand and her testimony had to be thrown out because she refused
to answer
Catherine felt the bottom drop out of her
case as she scrambled for ideas. Luckily it was late in the day and she
was able to ask for continuance which the judge granted. Rather than
face the reporters again, Catherine stayed in the courtroom until it was
dark and she knew the reporters would be gone.
“I’m glad to see you,” she said.
“Tell me.”
“It’s not going well.”
“But the helpers bring glowing reports.”
“Not anymore. We’ve had a setback.”
“What happened?”
“I underestimated the power of the man
we’re prosecuting. I underestimated his control! He sits in that
courtroom with the best defense lawyers money can buy, listening to the
atrocities that he’s committed with cold, dead eyes. He’s making a
mockery of this trial and of a child’s death, and I can’t do anything!”
“You must continue fighting!”
“I know.”
“Even if there’s nothing you can do, you
must do it for the child ... for his memory and for all if us that who
refuse to accept that child’s death alone ... in a room ... that child’s
suffering must not be forgotten.”
“It won’t, Vincent.”
“It must not be forgotten ... ” he stated
angrily. “ ... Because that child stands in judgment of us all.”
Because of her conversation with Father,
Catherine knew why the anger was in his voice. She reached out her hand
and touched his arm as she sighed. “I promise, I will do my best to see
that justice is served. I won’t let you down.”
Vincent blinked in surprise at her before
he sighed and took her hands in his own. “I’m sorry, Catherine. I didn’t
mean to put any more pressure on you.
It’s not your fight alone, it’s all of ours.”
“I’ve been so wrapped up in my anger at
Joe for leaving me high and dry I forgot to think about your support ...
your faith in me. I’ll have to remember that you’re here for me.”
“Always. Carry that with you into the
courtroom.”
“I will.”
Vincent pulled her into his embrace and
hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry I can’t be there beside you ... ”
“You will be ... ”
Vincent frowned. “Catherine ... please
... how can I really help?”
Catherine sighed and began to pace. “I
was able to get the judge to give me a continuance. Amy Nolan is the
daughter. She’s testifying that her father was with her ... I have until
next week to find holes in her story ... She’s just as afraid of that
monster as Molly.”
“I don’t understand what Molly could have
been thinking. If the sister had horrendous crimes being committed
against her ... when Molly found she was with child, why didn’t she make
the ultimate decision to take the boy to someone who could raise it with
love?”
Catherine shrugged helplessly. “Sometimes
a couple makes the decision to have a child in the hopes that it will
bring them close again ... it rarely works. I wonder sometimes if the
child would have been better off not being born ... ”
Vincent shook his head disgustedly.
“Raised in an abusive home ... having it be the only life you’ve ever
known ... ”
“Usually the kids grow up, runaway ...
end up on the streets ... ”
Vincent looked down at his hands. “Or as
babies they end up abandoned ... left to die ... alone ... cold.”
Catherine looked over at him and knew he
was referring to his own circumstances. She could feel his pain and
gently reached over to take his hand into hers. “And sometimes, those
babies are lucky. They’re found and raised with love and end up being an
essential part of the community.”
Vincent lowered his head and sighed.
“Yes.”
“It’s the weekend, Vincent. I need to get
away from all of this! Can I come Below? Would it be possible to just
spend some quiet time with you?”
Vincent nodded. “Yes, I’ll switch my
sentry duty with Mouse; we’ll have all weekend ... ”
“I’ll be down tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Catherine.”
“Night, Vincent.”
*********************************
Catherine did spend the weekend Below.
They spent Saturday morning playing board games with the children and in
the afternoon they relaxed in the Chamber of the Falls reading to one
another. Saturday night they caught a concert in the park and stayed
snuggled up on their pillows and blankets talking long after everyone
had left the area. Sunday morning they repeated the whole thing over
again.
Sunday night they were sitting in the
Dining Chamber with Father, Mary, and Pascal. The light-hearted chatter
kept them entertained until well after dinner. Catherine glanced at her
watch and realized how late it had gotten.
“I need to head back.”
Mary got up and hugged her. “It has been
wonderful having you Below this weekend. The children can’t stop talking
about the Scrabble game.”
Vincent groaned as Catherine smiled.
“They were surprised that someone could beat their teacher.”
Pascal gasped. “You beat Vincent at
scrabble?!”
“It was just dumb luck.”
Vincent growled. “She was ruthless! Her
vocabulary is amazing.”
Father laughed aloud. “Eric told me she
won with the word ox!”
Pascal and Mary erupted in laughter while
Catherine looked away to hide her smile.
“I was a triple word score.” Vincent
grinned as he stood and reached out his hand. “I’ll walk you out.”
Catherine laughed as she stood and said
her goodbyes, then followed him through the tunnels.
They stood at her threshold and Catherine
turned to him and sighed. “Back to the grindstone tomorrow. Thank you
for taking me away from all of it ... even if it was only for two days.”
“You’re welcome Below at any time.”
“I know.”
Vincent stepped forward and she melted in his arms. They swayed gently
as she drew strength from him then gently backed away.
“That should hold me until the weekend.”
Vincent caressed her cheek. “I’ll come to
you before then.”
Catherine nodded, then turned to climb up
the ladder.
****************************************
Monday morning, Catherine received word
that for personal reasons, the judge was continuing the case until
Friday. She received word the next day that it was now going to be
continued until Monday. She was relieved to have the extra time but soon
discovered Joe was just as unhelpful. His coldness was starting to take
its toll on her as she worked Rita relentlessly, trying to find
information she could use in court.
At the end of the week, Rita finally came
forward with a stack of files but Catherine was so worn by Joe’s
attitude all week she decided to head home to read through them.
Exhausted by the time she got home, she
left the files on her table as she headed to bed.
***********************************
Catherine spent all day Saturday cleaning
her apartment and grocery shopping. She and Vincent saw another concert
in the park and after he walked her home she promised to spend the day
with him tomorrow.
Her phone rang and she groaned as she
rolled over to grab it. “Hello.”
“Cath? Did I wake you?”
Catherine smiled at the friendly voice.
“No, Jen. I just got up.”
“It’s 10:00!”
“It’s Saturday! Besides, I worked late
again last night. I was exhausted.”
“I bet! Now that you’re in charge of
putting a well known big wig from Wall Street in jail ... I bet your
free time is pretty limited.”
The phone was silent until Catherine
hesitantly asked. “How did you know I was heading the case?”
Jenny sighed. “It’s why I called. Did you
see the front page of the Times yet?”
“No, why?”
“Oh, Cathy! I’m so, so sorry to be the
one to tell you ... you’re on it!”
“What do you mean I’m on it?”
“There’s a picture of you on the front
page!”
“One of the ones they snapped when I was
leaving court?”
“No ... you should be so lucky. They ...
um ... got a hold of the old police files somehow. It’s the picture of
you right after your accident.”
“Stitches and all?”
“Uh, huh!”
“What did the article say?”
“Say?”
“What was the article about, Jen?”
“I ... don’t know ... I saw the picture
and called you!”
Catherine groaned. “Well, go grab it and
tell me what it says!”
Catherine heard the phone get set down
and Jenny talking in the background as she walked over to her table to
get the newspaper.
“Okay, I got it ... ” Catherine could
hear the phone being picked up again and she guessed Jenny was reading
it. “Um ... it says that the
DA’s office ploy to use you as a victim has backfired ... ”
“Great!” Catherine interrupted. “Never
mind I’ve heard enough ... ”
“I’m sorry, Cath.”
“What do I care? It happened and it’s
over with ... ”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, Jen. Dad’s not here anymore to be
affected by the bad memories and I lived it! I put that past me a long
time ago.”
“I don’t know where you find your
strength!”
Catherine thought of Vincent and smiled.
“It comes to me from somewhere deep Below the city!”
Jenny laughed. “Does it bubble up through
the plumbing in your bathroom?”
“Eighteen floors up? No ... I think it
blows in through the balcony doors!”
Jenny was still laughing. “Look, I’ve got
a shipment of books coming any minute ... I just wanted to give you a
heads up.”
“Thanks, Jen. How about dinner Tuesday?”
Jenny consulted her calendar. “Oooo ... I
don’t know ... Um ... yeah, if it’s late ... like around 8:00?”
“You got it! Bye, Jen.”
“Bye.”
Catherine hung up and stared at the
phone. Impulsively she dialed Joe’s number and sighed when the machine
picked up.
“Yeah, Joe. It’s Cathy. I ... uh ... I
called to apologize again but then I realized this wasn’t any of my
fault. I was no more aware
Catherine got up and took a shower then
headed Below.
****************************
Father was getting himself ready for the
day when Michael entered the library.
Father came out of his chamber and
smiled. “Michael!”
Michael shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s a lot
like here. There are always people milling around in the hallways of the
dorms.”
“And your schoolwork?”
“Pfffttt ... piece of cake ... well ... I
have a tutor for Math ... you taught us calculus so long ago, I’ve
forgotten some of it. And English Lit ... we’re studying Shakespeare ...
Hamlet ... .” Michael started laughing. “I sleep a lot in that class ...
the professor hates that when he calls on me I can recite almost any
part of the text!”
Father tried to hide his smile. “Well ...
not many children in the public schools up top study Shakespeare so
extensively!”
“Yeah! And not many of the teachers know
it as well as Vincent!”
The two men chuckled as Father sat down.
“So what brings you home Michael? Are you just here to visit?”
Michael reached into his case and brought
out a folded newspaper and handed it to Father. Father took it, a
question in his eyes. “You came down to bring me a newspaper?”
“Open it!” Michael said seriously.
Father looked down and gasped when he saw
the front page. “My God!”
On the front page was the picture of
Catherine. Her face looked as it did the day she left the tunnels after
her horrible attack.
“Did she really look like that, Father?”
Father nodded as he grimaced. “Yes ...
I’d forgotten how bad it was.”
“I can’t believe this is her!”
Father glanced at the article and saw
that it was only derogatory comments about the DA’S office using
Catherine’s notoriety as a victim to gain public sympathy. “Useless
article! I don’t think Vincent needs to see this!”
“See what?” Vincent asked from the door.
“Vincent!” Michael gasped as he stood.
“Michael ... ” Vincent said as he hugged
him. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too, Vincent.”
Vincent stepped back and looked at both
men curiously. “Now ... what is it you two are hiding from me?” Both men
looked away as Vincent rolled his eyes. “What is it I’m not supposed to
see?”
Father frowned and handed him the
newspaper.
Vincent saw the front page and sucked in
a breath, then sat down heavily. “Sometimes ... I forget how bad it
actually was.”
Michael leaned forward. “It must have
been horrific!”
Vincent’s thumb ran lightly over
Catherine’s image. “Yes.”
Father nodded in agreement. “I never
admitted it, Vincent, but I was never so afraid in my entire life. I
honestly didn’t think I’d be able to save her.”
“Save who?” Catherine said from the
doorway.
Michael grinned. “I’ve forgotten how
non-private conversations are Below.”
Catherine blushed. “I’m ... sorry. I
didn’t mean to intrude ... ”
Michael nodded shyly. “Hi, Catherine.”
Catherine came and put her arm around his
shoulders. “It’s good to see you, Michael. How’s school going?”
Father grinned proudly. “Michael was just
telling me how easy English Literature class is ... ”
Catherine smiled devilishly. “So was
Juliet the woman you were talking about? The one you couldn’t save?”
Not wanting to get the wrong impression,
Vincent frowned and took her hand then guided her to the edge of his
chair. “We were just talking about your picture on the front page of the
newspaper.”
Catherine saw the paper in his hands and put her hand out. “I hope it’s
a good one!”
Father was horrified. “Cathy, No!”
Catherine glanced at the photo and
smiled. “They caught my bad side!”
Michael snorted with laughter while
Catherine giggled. “I’m sorry, I already knew. My friend Jenny called me
this morning to warn me about this.”
Father hung his head in shame. “When I
saw it, I was reminded about how crudely and carelessly I stitched those
cuts.”
“You know what I see?” Catherine said as
see walked over by him and laid the paper open in front of him so he
could look at it again. “I see stitches that were made in an emergency
situation as my life hung in the balance. These stitches may be crudely
done but they weren’t carelessly done. They are what kept anymore blood
from leaving my body and because of that I lived. You saved my life,
Father!”
Catherine laid her head on top of his as
she hugged him. Father had tears in his eyes as he nodded thankfully. “I
just wished I had the time to do a better job. Because of it, you had to
go back in for more surgery.”
Catherine took his hands and knelt beside
him. “I’ll be honest. I wondered myself at the stitches, Father. But I
went to a highly skilled plastic surgeon. The best money could buy and
he said that given the situation I would have had to do this anyway,
that any surgeon’s first priority is to stabilize the patient. He said
that even if he had performed the initial surgery he couldn’t have done
it any different.”
Father patted her hand. “Your kindness
knows no bounds!”
Catherine stepped away from him and
walked back by Vincent. “I’m not being kind ... I’m merely stating the
truth, Father.”
Vincent squeezed her hand as she sat down
on the arm of his chair. “Perhaps we can speak of something more
pleasant?”
They spent the next hour visiting with
Michael and then the rest of the day visiting with their tunnel family.
As the day progressed, Catherine grew
wearier. Finally, on the walk home, Vincent could no longer ignore her
mood. “What is it,
Catherine?”
Gathering strength for the battle,
Catherine blew out a long breath. “I’m going in to work.”
“Catherine, it’s Sunday and it’s almost
9:00 at night. You should rest ... ”
“No, I’ll rest later ... I have to go
over my notes for court tomorrow and I need some of the legal journals.”
Vincent frowned as he nodded. “I’ll leave
you then ... ”
Catherine hugged him quickly. “See you
soon?”
“Yes ... ”
*****************************************
Catherine made a thermos of coffee and
packed some crackers and headed to the library at work. She was buried
at a back table when Joe came up behind her.
He had listened to her message and felt
like a heel. He had seen the morning paper and gasped as his stomach
rolled in protest. He had never seen these photos before and hadn’t
realized exactly how bad her attack had been.
He walked to her apartment and knocked on
the door. When she didn’t answer, Joe turned to leave and almost walked
into a blond teenage boy.
“Sorry,” Joe mutter.
“Its okay… Miss Chandler’s not here.” The
boy said as he slipped an envelope under her door.
Joe nodded. “Okay, thanks, I guess I’ll
just see her at work tomorrow.”
“You work with her?”
“You’re her boss.” The boy smiled and
extended his hand. “I’m Brian. I live a few floors down. Miss Chandler’s
mentioned you before.”
Joe’s look turned to curiosity. “Really?
What’d she say about me?”
Brian shrugged. “No much, just your
name.”
“Oh.”
Brian started to walk towards the
elevators. “She left for work about an hour ago.”
“Uh, huh, she said she needed the library there.”
Joe made his way into the office, then
caught up to her at a table in the library. He apologized for not being
there for her and offered to help. Catherine forgave him, then presented
him with the file of Amy Nolan’s medical records. Joe knew where she was
heading with it and told her to go with it.
The judge ordered that closing statements
be made the next day. Catherine went home and practiced her speech in
front of the mirror. She was nervous the next day but felt confident in
the strength of the speech.
Joe watched in horror as he realized Catherine was going to wing it. The
attorney finished her speech and Joe was about to lean over and tell
Catherine to ask for a continuance when she got to her feet and started
to address the jury.
As he heard her go through the motions,
his chest swelled with pride. He watched the juror’s faces for signs and
wondered if she may have possibly swayed some of them but their faces
remained impassive.
The court went into recess while the jury
deliberated and a lone man slipped quietly from the courtroom.
***************************************
Father and Vincent were sitting in the
library when Steven, a helper, walked in. “Father, I have it!”
Vincent looked at Steven then Father
curiously. “Have what, Steven?”
“I just came from the courtroom.”
“The jury’s come back already? Is that
good?” Father wondered.
Steven shook his head. “No, that can take
hours sometimes ... but I did record the closing statements from the two
attorneys. Would you like to hear them?”
Father waved him over while Vincent
brought a chair for him to sit in. The room was silent as the defense
attorney spoke. They listened carefully and Father sighed at the end.
“I’ve been in their courtrooms ... that
woman is quite amazing.”
Vincent nodded while Steven laughed
aloud. “Wait until you listen to Catherine’s speech ... she was
fantastic!”
Father and Vincent heard Catherine’s
voice come over the recorder.
“We have just heard … that Richard Nolan
is a man suffering from a disease. He passed that disease to his wife
we’re told, she passed it to their son and the boy…died from it ... very
simple ... and the name that’s been given this disease is abuse. Well
... I will agree that there is a disease here and I will agree that
Richard Nolan suffers from it but I won’t agree that it’s contagious and
I won’t agree that it’s fatal and I won’t even agree to its name!”
“Good girl,” Father said proudly.
“Shhh ... ” Vincent admonished.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to
tell you about a place ... it’s a special place I know where this
disease does not exist. It’s a place that many people go to when they’ve
been in pain and when they’ve been abused. So the disease does come
there but it never stays.”
Father gasped in horror wondering if
Catherine was about to reveal their secret but Steven patted his hand
and shook his head as Catherine continued.
“It is in our hearts ... in that room
where hatred and cruelty do not belong. I have told you that Richard
Nolan’s disease needed a different name. The name I would give it is
heartlessness. Only a man with an empty heart could brutalize and
terrorize the ones that loved him. I believe that Richard Nolan has no
heart and I believe that the proof of that is on Molly Nolan’s lonely
face. And we also know why that woman could have never hurt her child
... she sat on that stand when all of us knew what Richard Nolan had
done to her and still she could not speak against him because she
knew that to do so would bring pain to someone that she loved. Molly
Nolan has a heart. I am asking you to go to that place in your hearts to
find justice for a brutally murdered little boy. That place is where the
truth lives ... that place is where each of us carries the cure to this
terrible disease ... thank you ... ”
Steven was smiling widely as he shut off
the recorder. “I told you she was good. I had to come down and let you
guys hear her at work!”
“She is impressive and certainly
held her own ... ” Father added.
Vincent played with a paper clip. “Now
it’s up to the jury to decide if the man who killed his son walks away
freely or pays for his crime ... ”
Steven lowered his head as he sighed.
“The jury did a good job of remaining impassive. I really couldn’t tell
if Catherine swayed any of them or not.” He stood and pointed behind
him. “I’m going to go back ... I’ll bring word as soon as we hear ... ”
Vincent watched the man leave and wished
it was him heading to Catherine’s side. He wished he could be next to
her when the verdict was announced.
*************************************
Above, Catherine and Joe waited outside
the courtroom.
“Good work, Miss Chandler.”
Catherine saw the sincerity in the
woman’s eyes and reached out her hand. “It’s Cathy ... and thank you.”
“You know ... I was pretty sure of my win
when they took Maxwell off the case here ... I mean ... you’re lack of
trial experience was astonishing and I was sure the sympathy card would
blow up in
Catherine cocked her head sweetly. “Is
there a point you’re trying to make Ms. Sheets?”
“It’s
“The point?” Joe asked.
Joe gasped as Catherine looked at him.
“Go for it, Radcliffe ... ” he whispered.
Catherine smiled as Richard Nolan walked
up behind
“Well ... you’re not Boggs or McMillian
so I’m assuming that you don’t have much of a choice on the cases you
take.”
“So you sold your soul to the devil and
defended a child abuser for a paycheck?”
Catherine shook her head in disgust and
nodded behind
Catherine walked away while Joe trailed
behind her.
Joe grabbed Catherine’s arm and turned
her to face him. “You sure about this, Cathy? I mean come on ... the pay
alone ... ”
“Is enormous!” Catherine cocked her head
to the side as she looked at him pointedly. “Didn’t you learn your
lesson from Erica? Most times, Joe, the pay is just not worth it!”
***********************************
An hour later, it was announced that the
jury had reached a decision.
Catherine turned to Joe. “That’s bad
isn’t it?”
They were both truly shocked when the
jury found Richard Nolan guilty as charged. They had won the case.
Joe excitedly grabbed Catherine’s hand
and congratulated her as Richard was led from the courtroom by the
police.
Joe helped Catherine leave the courtroom and get past the photo hungry
newsmen. They went back to the office where a celebratory party erupted.
After putting in an acceptable amount of
time, Catherine went to Joe. “I’m heading home early. I’ll see you
tomorrow?”
Joe was feeling slightly tipsy when he
nodded his head. “You want I can leave here with you and maybe we could
go have dinner somewhere?”
“Um ... some other time? I’m supposed to
meet Jenny.”
Joe hid his disappointment. “Yeah, okay,
Radlciffe.”
Catherine left and went home to change,
then head Below.
****************************************
Vincent had been playing chess with
Father as he tried to ignore the stress Catherine was feeling. Finally
he felt a wave of excitement come through the bond.
“She won!”
“What?” Father asked.
“I think she may have won the case! She’s
beyond happy ... ”
“You don’t know for sure! She could have
seen a puppy for Pete’s sake!”
“I don’t think so ... she was worried,
then aggravated for some reason, then slightly amused. It was quiet for
a while, then she felt intense worry, then excitement and happiness.”
Father nodded. “Well, I’m sure we’ll hear
soon enough!”
Vincent stood. “I’m going to the
Whispering Gallery for awhile.”
“To try to find the child’s voice?”
Vincent ignored him and left.
*************************************
Catherine found Vincent and told him the
good news. She was amazed to find the whispers silent. Vincent explained
that sometimes when the winds shift they would disappear.
He held her to him as they reveled in the
silence.
Catherine looked up at him and smiled. “I
think I know why they’re silent ... ”
“Why?”
“I think they’re at peace right now.
Justice was served and that little boy is able to move on to whatever
comes next.”
Vincent agreed with her and hugged her
close. “You did that for him.”
“We did it! You helped me find the
hope!”
THE END |