On the Line (38 page)

Janelle watched her mother’s face crumple under Kelsey’s accusations. What was going
on? Her mother never crumpled. When Kelsey fought back, Mary’s stubbornness always
won out. Who was this woman in front of her?

“I’m sorry, Kelsey.” Mary’s voice quaked as she slowly stood. She looked at Janelle.
“I’m sorry,” she said again.

“Get. Out.” Kelsey repeated through clenched teeth.

Mary looked down as she walked out of the dining room, straight through the living
room, and out the front door.

“Kelsey, that was uncalled for,” George reprimanded. “I know you’re angry, but you
don’t need to take it out on her.”

Kelsey glared at her father and Janelle fell back a step. She was actually glaring
at their father.

“I mean it, Dad. If he goes to prison because of anything she said, she will not
set foot in my house again.”

George nodded and wrapped her in a hug anyway. He quickly kissed her
forehead and
said his goodbyes to Elizabeth and Nancy as he walked toward Janelle. She looped
her arm through her father’s and walked with him to the front door.

“Try to talk her down, please. I think your mother’s still a little sensitive from
the episode on the porch last night,” George said as they strolled. Janelle nodded
and he continued, “I will call you if we find anything that might be helpful. Otherwise,
the arraignment is on Monday morning at eight o’clock. You can come, but don’t be
late.”

“We’ll be there,” Janelle said as she pecked her father on the cheek. “As for Kelsey,
I can’t make any promises.”

“I know.” He frowned for a moment before kissing Janelle’s temple and walking out
the front door.

Twenty-Eight

At seven forty-five on Monday morning, Janelle, Kelsey, Nancy, and Elizabeth walked
into the courtroom. Charlotte had shown up with James to watch the children at seven,
and the other women had left almost immediately. George, Mason, and Mary were seated
in the second row of seats on their left. Janelle led her party to the row in front
of them, and Elizabeth was the first to slide in. Kelsey and Janelle followed, Nancy
sat on the end.

There had been no new developments since the meeting with her father on Saturday
morning, so Janelle had not seen her parents since they’d left that morning. Since
then, the mood in her home had been somber and quiet. Kelsey had taken comfort in
keeping herself busy in the kitchen, something Janelle had almost forgotten her sister
was prone to, and baked eight dozen cookies, at least, that no one had been in the
mood to eat. Nancy had left long enough to pack a bag, but had returned to stay with
them, sleeping on the sofa in the office. Elizabeth had been given the spare bedroom
upstairs.

The kids had enjoyed having the older women around, but even they had been more subdued
since the arrest. They’d spent more time cuddling and sitting in laps reading than
Janelle had ever remembered them doing before. She was slightly saddened that her
parents and Nathan weren’t there to enjoy the children’s snuggly behavior. And as
much as she’d enjoyed it, she was looking forward to their exuberance returning and
only hoped Nathan and Patrick could come home after this arraignment hearing.

Nancy was turned slightly, having a quiet conversation with Mason in the seat behind
her. Janelle shifted so she could see her parents behind her. Mary’s expression was
somber; her red-rimmed eyes had large dark circles under them. George had his arm
around her, his hand sliding up and down her arm as he held her. He met Janelle’s
stare and bobbed his head. Janelle
dipped her head in return and turned back around.
As she did, she caught a glimpse of Gladys and Martha Wagoner on the other side of
the room, both dressed in black with matching scowls on their faces as they glared
at her. Janelle fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat as she continued to turn toward
the front of the courtroom.

It wasn’t long before four men came down the aisle and took their places behind their
tables. The sternest looking of the bunch sat down behind the table to her right.
Janelle recognized him as the local prosecutor. The other three men sat down at the
table in front of her. She assumed they were Patrick and Nathan’s lawyers.

The door to the side of the courtroom opened up. An officer stepped through first,
followed by Nathan and Patrick, both in handcuffs, and then a second officer. They
were led to the table with their defense attorneys, who had risen to meet them. Nathan
met Janelle’s gaze, and her heart skipped a beat as tears sprang to her eyes.

His hazel eyes looked angry under his thick brows. She followed the line of his nose
and saw his lips were pressed tightly together, his cleanly shaven jaw clenched.
He shouldn’t be here, not on this side of the law. She shifted her focus to his attire
instead. His suit was dark blue, and his green-and-blue striped tie stood out against
the contrast of his clean white shirt. The knot was crooked. She made the motion
to stand so she could straighten it for him.

Nancy’s hand gripped her arm, and Janelle looked into Nathan’s eyes again. He shook
his head and she sat back. Janelle clasped her hands together in her lap and stared
at them, focusing on her breathing instead of where they were. And why.

“All rise,” the bailiff called out and everyone did. “The Circuit Court for the County
of Braxton is in session, the Honorable Judge Fraser presiding.”

Judge Fraser, an older, balding, and kind-looking man dressed in a long black robe,
walked into the room and took his seat at the bench in the front of the courtroom.
“I hope everyone is well this morning,” he said dryly as he shuffled through the
papers in front of him. “Shall we begin?”

“Please be seated,” the bailiff announced, and everyone in the crowd sat. The people
behind the defendant’s table and the prosecutor remained on their feet.

The judge looked at the prosecutor and slowly let his eyes survey his domain. His
head jerked slightly when he saw Nathan, and he looked back at the papers in front
of him. He motioned his bailiff over, and they held a brief whispered conference.
The bailiff nodded and stepped back to his position beside the bench, and Judge Fraser
shook his head.

“We are here this morning for the bond hearing and arraignment of Patrick Alexander
Lyons and Nathan James Harris. The charges are different, so I will read them each
individually and then ask you to enter your plea. Is that understood?”

The judge looked at each of them in turn and they each answered, “Yes, Your Honor.”

“Patrick Alexander Lyons, you are charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death
of Richard Montgomery Wagoner, on the evening of March twelfth in the County of Braxton,
Virginia,” Judge Fraser began, and Janelle heard a chair behind her move, followed
by the whispering voices of her father and Mason. She saw Nathan and Patrick’s lawyers
also whispering amongst themselves and felt a frisson of apprehension go through
her. The judge continued, “If convicted, this charge comes with a minimum of one
year to ten years in prison, pending evidence presented during the trial.”

Kelsey whimpered slightly and Janelle took her hand.

“Mr. Lyons, do you understand these charges as they have been presented to you?”
Judge Fraser asked.

“I do, Your Honor,” Patrick, stoic in his black suit, answered with a nod.

“Then how do you plead?” the judge asked.

A chair behind her scraped against the floor, and Janelle felt the vibration in her
seat.

“They’re not guilty, Your Honor. You have to drop these charges against them. I made
a mistake. There’s more evidence that proves their innocence,” Mary called out.

Kelsey’s grip tightened painfully around Janelle’s hand. Janelle turned to see her
mother approaching the bar in the middle of the room. Janelle saw both Nathan and
Patrick’s shoulders stiffen, but they remained facing forward.

“They didn’t do anything. I gave Richard the key to Janelle’s house, but I
didn’t
know what he was going to do with it,” Mary confessed, and Janelle’s blood chilled
in her veins.

Her mind flashed to the memory of Zach playing with puppets in therapy. The conversation
he’d acted out, the one she’d never seen, when Mary’s puppet had handed something
to Richard’s puppet.

Nathan had been right.

“Ma’am, this is simply an arraignment hearing,” the kindly judge said sharply. “This
evidence can, and should, be presented in a more orderly fashion during the trial.”

“This shouldn’t go to trial,” Mary screeched and lifted her arm, pointing her finger.
“He found out I’d given Richard the key, and he asked me to help him. He told me
it would keep me out of trouble if I helped him get these two arrested. I can prove
it.”

“Who did?” Judge Fraser questioned as George and Mason both stepped to Mary’s side.

George took his wife’s arm and started to tug on it.

“Officer Bonner. He was leading the investigation. He wanted them to go down so he
could get his promotion,” Mary continued as she tried to escape her husband’s grip.

“She’s insane,” Detective Bonner roared from his seat behind the prosecutor. He was
on his feet and moving toward Mary. The fire in his eyes pushed Janelle out of her
seat as well, afraid for her mother’s safety.

“She’s not, Your Honor,” came a smaller, but still authoritative, voice from the
back of the room. “I worked with him on the case. There is no reason for those two
men to be standing here in front of you.”

Janelle turned and saw Detective Hayes walking up the aisle, his focus on the front
of the courtroom. Flame and ice warred within Janelle, and she wasn’t sure where
she should focus. She saw her mother, pale and shaking as she stood at the rail,
her eyes pleading and remorseful as her vision bounced from Nathan and Patrick to
George to the judge. George was beside her, his hand still on her arm, his arm around
her back as he tried to pull her away. Bonner was being held away from Mary by Mason’s
hand on his chest as another uniformed officer suddenly appeared to help. Hayes stopped
directly in front of Janelle to whisper something to the lawyers.

Through the group of men, she met Nathan’s gaze, his brow wrinkled in concern as
he stared at her. His face began to swim in her vision, and he made a move toward
her.

“Janelle!” a feminine voice called as her legs gave out and everything started to
go black.

“Easy does it,” said another voice as arms crisscrossed across her back, easing her
into the seat. “If you faint, we’ll have to leave.”

Janelle nodded as Nancy’s words came into focus. She concentrated on inhaling slowly
and deeply into her lungs through her nose, then just as deliberately blowing the
air out again. Once she regained her equilibrium, she looked at Nathan’s mother.
“I’m okay.”

“Here, eat this,” Kelsey said as she slid a chocolate chip cookie into her hand.
“It’ll help put color back into your cheeks.”

“Thanks,” Janelle said as she took a bite.

The judge’s gavel pounded on the bench, and the room grew silent. “Is she alright?”
he called out, and Janelle closed her eyes as her cheeks suddenly warmed.

“She’s fine, Your Honor. Thank you,” Nancy answered calmly.

“Now, can I have order in my courtroom?” Judge Fraser demanded. His glare grazed
Detective Bonner’s face, and the officer who held him by the arm, before traveling
to the prosecutor. “Are you certain that you reached the correct conclusion from
the evidence you collected?”

“Absolutely,” Bonner snapped, his eyes narrowed on Detective Hayes.

“Yes, Your Honor.” The prosecutor glowered at Bonner as his nasally voice carried
toward the judge. “I reviewed Detective Bonner’s evidence myself and agreed that
his findings indicated that these men were guilty for the death of Mr. Wagoner.”

Judge Fraser focused on Detective Hayes. “And are you certain in the conclusion reached?”

“No, Your Honor.” Detective Hayes shook his head, and Officer Bonner grumbled loudly.

“Bailiff, please escort Detective Bonner out of my courtroom,” the judge said without
looking at the officer of the court. “Mr. Lyons, how do you plead?”

“Not guilty, Your Honor,” Patrick replied.

“You and your co-defendant may be seated. I’d like for your defense team and the
prosecutor to approach the bench,” Judge Fraser said.

Patrick and Nathan sat as their lawyers did as they were asked. Nathan turned in
his seat and leaned toward the rail, his eyes on Janelle’s face.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a soft voice.

She took another bite of the cookie and bobbed her head. “I think so.”

He nodded and sat up as he turned around in his seat. His lawyers returned after
their brief conference with the judge, and Janelle strained to hear what was being
said. Nancy stood and walked to Mason’s side. A few minutes later, she returned to
her seat as the conversation in front of her continued between her father, Mason,
and the other lawyers. Mary and Detective Hayes were in their midst, and Patrick
and Nathan had turned in their chairs to participate as well.

Janelle turned to Nancy. “What’s happening with the hearing?”

Nancy pointed to the large gathering in front of them and said, “The judge gave them,”
she pointed to the large gathering in front of them, “five minutes to figure out
what they want to do next.” Nancy then motioned toward the prosecutor. “Of course
he is not willing to drop any of the charges until he sees all of the evidence for
himself. So, the charges against Nathan will still have to be read and bail set.
But with any luck, all the charges will be dropped sooner rather than later.”

Janelle looked at the prosecutor, who looked as if he’d been sucking on a bushel
of lemons as he watched the defense team in their discussion. She glanced around
the courtroom and saw Martha’s and Gladys’s sour expressions had not improved, but
their disdain was now directed at the defense table.