The Advocate - 02 - The Advocate's Betrayal (11 page)

“Anything else?”

“Not really. In fact, I’m hitting an inordinate number of dead ends.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t get past the last four years for either Betty or John. I’m trying to look into their backgrounds to see if there are any enemies lurking out there. But I can’t find any schools either of them attended. No high schools. No grade schools.  Nothing.”

“What are you saying? That they don’t exist?”

“I found birth certificates and social security numbers, but John’s social security number has activity only for the past four years; nothing at all shows up before that.”

“That’s odd. What about hers?”

“There’s nothing recent. She has worked the business with John the past few years, and they filed everything together. Betty said she hasn’t worked outside of their swap meet business for a long time. I assume they filed everything under John.”

“Is this normal?”

“Not really, but it happens. I’ll keep looking and maybe you could speak to Betty and see if she can shed some light on this.”

Sabre headed west on I-8 toward her office. She considered turning around and going back to Las Colinas to talk to Betty first, but then she realized she’d probably still be in lock up at the courthouse or in transit. She continued to her office.

“Hi, Elaine,” Sabre said to the receptionist when she walked in. Elaine’s hair looked even shorter than usual.

“Good afternoon,” Elaine said as she handed her a stack of phone messages and her mail. “What happened to Betty?”

“She’s still in custody. I couldn’t get bail ordered.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Anything urgent in here?” Sabre held up the bundled messages.

“You received a couple of calls on the Breton case for tomorrow. I think the father is back in custody and the mother tested dirty.”

“Damn it.” Sabre swatted the side of Elaine’s desk with her mail. “I had such high hopes for those parents, and those kids really want to go home. Stupid, stupid people. If they loved their kids half as much as they did their drugs, the kids wouldn’t have to go through all this.”

She walked back to her office mumbling about the idiocy of parents. But that wasn’t all that was bothering her. She was eager to talk to Betty about her background check, but that would have to wait until tomorrow. She set her files down and started through her mail. She threw away the junk, put the mail that Elaine would take care of in a bin, and set her personal mail aside to deal with later. She pulled out the Breton file and returned the phone calls from the social worker.

“What’s Dad in custody for?” she asked the social worker.

“He was busted for possession.”

“Possession of what? He’s supposed to be the one who doesn’t use. Was it the hard stuff?”

“No, he had a joint in his pocket. He claims it wasn’t his, and I’m not sure it was.”

“So, those kids aren’t going home tomorrow, but this sounds like something that can be worked out down the road. Right?”

“I agree, but Mom can’t handle those kids by herself and obviously she isn’t ready anyway. They need to do this as a couple.”

“So, you don’t think Dad is going to be back?”

“He was with a hooker when he was busted. Not just any hooker, either. He was with Sunshine.”

“That’s the same one he was with before.”

“Yup, and Mom isn’t going to take this lightly.”

“What the hell is the matter with these people? I’m so sick of their stupidity.”

“You okay?” the social worker asked.

“Oh, yeah.” Sabre picked up her briefcase and threw her files inside, slamming it shut. “I’m fine. Just lots of things going on with me and I’m very concerned for those kids. Did you see them today?”

“No, they don’t know yet that they won’t be going home, but I’ll go by there in a little while and talk to them.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you in court tomorrow.”

Frustrated, Sabre dived into the other cases she had on the calendar for the next day. She read over the report for the detention hearing on a molest case, the information for a disposition on a domestic violence where a three-year-old was shot, and several reports on old cases that were up for review. Sabre was deep in thought when Elaine rushed into the room.

“You need to take the call on line one. It’s Las Colinas.” Elaine looked frightened.

Sabre picked up the phone. A moment later, she hung up, grabbed her purse, and rushed toward the door.

“What is it?” Elaine called after her.

12

The crowded emergency room smelled of medicine and body odor. The chairs were filled with people waiting to be treated, many of them with infants and small children. An hispanic man with a gash on his arm wrapped in a bloody towel stood up to let a feeble, old woman sit down. The line at the information window numbered about ten people, all sick or hurt or with someone who was. Sabre reached in her purse and took out a Zycam chewable and popped it in her mouth to protect her in the germ-filled room. A woman in front of her coughed without covering her mouth. Sabre turned to avoid her just as the man behind her sneezed. She felt a mist hit the side of her face. She shivered. She hated hospitals, nothing but sick people there. She couldn’t afford to catch something and fall behind on her caseload.

Twenty-five minutes later, Sabre approached the information window.

“I’m here to see Betty Smith, uh…Taylor.” Sabre was unsure under what name Betty would be listed.

“What is your relationship to the patient?” the receptionist asked.

“I’m her attorney.” She handed her bar card and identification through the hole under the glass.

The receptionist looked it over, looked at Sabre, and picked up the phone. She explained who the patient was and gave Sabre’s name and information. “Thank you. I’ll let her know.” She passed Sabre’s cards back through the opening. “The doctor is with her right now. I’m sure it’ll take a while. Please have a seat and wait for your name to be called. When you hear your name, check in with the guard over there,” she said, pointing to a heavy-set, African-American man in a security uniform sitting on a barstool in front of the big swinging doors to the emergency room. “He’ll escort you to her bed.”

“Thank you,” Sabre said, and walked toward the chairs in the crowded room. Sick people hugged the wall for support. An elderly gentleman there with his ill wife offered Sabre his seat.

“Thank you. I really appreciate the offer, but you keep it. I’m not sick. I’m just here to see a friend. Stay there with your wife. She needs you.” The wife mustered a smile at her. “Besides, it’s going to be a while before they call me. I think I’ll step outside for a little fresh air.”

Four smokers stood just outside the door, one of them right next to the sign that read, “Do Not Smoke within Thirty Feet of This Building.” Sabre walked farther away to avoid the secondhand smoke. She was opening her cell phone to make a call when she heard a familiar voice say, “Hey, beautiful, I bet you could use a cup of ‘Joe’.”

A smile covered Sabre’s face as she turned around. “Luke, I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Oh, you’re just after me for my coffee.” He handed her a tall coffee cup and kissed her lightly on the lips.  “It’s café mocha. I had it made just the way you like it.”

Sabre took a sip. “It’s perfect.”

“How’s Betty? Is she okay?”

“I don’t know anything yet. They wouldn’t give me any information at the desk, except the doctor is with her and they’ll call me when I can go in.” Sabre slouched in frustration. She knew the receptionist couldn’t give her any information, but it still upset her. This was her friend in there, and she knew Betty had no one else. Sabre was her family.

Luke led her over to a concrete wall about two feet high. He set his coffee down and then took her cup and placed it next to his. He put one hand on each side of her head and pulled her mouth into his, lips slightly apart. He kissed her cheek and her forehead and then enveloped his arms around her in a long embrace. Sabre relaxed into his body; a feeling of belonging overtook her, and she allowed herself to forget about Betty. But only for a second.

“Do you have any idea what happened to her?” Luke asked, still holding her.

“No one has said anything to me, but I heard the nurse say something about the cardiac unit, so I’m thinking she must’ve had a heart attack.” Sabre shook her head, rubbed her face, and stepped back out of the hug.

“Does she have a history of heart problems?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Maybe it’s just anxiety. A lot of people mistake it for a heart attack.”

“That’s probably it,” Luke said, as he put his arm around Sabre and walked her to the stone bench.

Sabre sighed. They sat in the chilly night air and finished their coffee in silence, Sabre comforted by Luke’s warmth. “I guess we better go in so we don’t miss our chance to see Betty,” she finally said.

Luke kept his arm around her as he led her back into the emergency room where they leaned against the wall and waited. After about fifteen minutes, Sabre heard her name called, or at least what she thought was her name, the pronunciation butchered. They approached the security guard and gave their names.

 “I’m sorry, sir,” the security guard said to Luke, “but I’m afraid you can’t go in. Only her attorney and immediate family are allowed, and even then only one may go at a time.”

Sabre looked at Luke apologetically. She knew he wanted to see Betty, and she wanted him by her side.

“It’s okay. You go, Sabre. She needs you. Just give her my love. I’ll be here when you come out.” He gently squeezed her shoulder and then walked away as she entered the emergency room accompanied by another guard. Once inside, a sheriff patted her down and escorted her into the hospital room.

Betty was hooked up to a heart monitor and an IV, and another machine was checking her blood pressure. Sabre was not surprised that Betty’s heart had reacted to the stress of incarceration. Betty’s face was ashen gray.

Just after Sabre approached Betty’s bed the heart monitor went off. A nurse hustled in, checked the monitor, and yelled “code blue.” Another nurse rolled in with a crash cart, followed by a doctor. Sabre stumbled back away from the bed, feeling a shot of adrenaline run through her body as she watched the staff surround Betty. Two more nurses and a respiratory therapist entered the room. Sabre stepped back against the wall, her heart fluttering. The noise from the machines and the attendants’ loud voices echoed in her ears. Everyone rushed about the room, each doing their part while Betty lay there motionless; the machine screamed for help. Then, in what seemed like slow motion, Sabre watched the doctor put paddles on Betty’s chest.

“Get her out of here,” the doctor snapped at the sheriff.

Sabre felt the sheriff’s hand on her arm. “Let’s go,” he said gently but firmly as he escorted her, disoriented, from the room.

“I…I’ll be in the waiting room. Will you please have someone let me know what happens? She has no one else.”

“I’ll make sure,” the sheriff said.

Sabre found herself in the hallway, not certain just how she got there, and then worked her way through the winding pathway to the waiting room where Luke waited for her.

“You look pale. Is Betty all right?”

“Her heart stopped, and they were resuscitating her when they chased me out. I wish I knew what was happening now. The sheriff said he would let me know.”

“Come here.” Luke walked her to a couple of seats in the far left corner of the lobby. “Sit. May I get you anything? More coffee? Water?”

“No thanks.” Sabre looked down at her feet and shook her head. She sat down, put her elbow on the arm of the chair, and held her head up with her hand. “Luke, I’m worried about her—losing John, getting charged with murder, and now this.”

“I know, honey. I’m so sorry.” Luke put one hand on each of Sabre’s shoulders and began to massage them.

“That feels so good.”

He raised her hair and rubbed the back of her neck and her head. “You’re in knots, baby,” he said, as he continued to rub. “Try to relax a little. There’s nothing we can do right now. We just have to wait.” He reached with his left hand and pulled Sabre’s chin up toward him. “She’s going to make it through this. She’s a tough old bird. And then you’re going to help her through the legal stuff. She’s lucky to have you.”

Sabre leaned her head on Luke’s shoulder and they sat there waiting for some news. About thirty minutes later, the deputy sheriff came out with a doctor.

“Are you here for Betty Taylor?” the doctor asked.

Sabre sat up. “Yes, how is she?”

“She’s stable right now, but she needs a bypass. Are you related to her?”

“No, I’m her friend and her attorney.”

“Does she have any family?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Okay, thanks.” The doctor stepped back.

“Wait. May I see her?”

“She’s being prepped right now. You’ll have to wait until after the surgery.”

“And someone will let me know?”

“Sure.” The doctor and the sheriff started to walk away. The doctor turned back and said, “She’ll be in surgery for four or five hours. You may want to go home and get some sleep.”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll stay. I’d like to be with her when she wakes up.”

Sabre laid her head back on Luke’s shoulder and after a few minutes looked up at him and said, “You can leave if you’d like. I’ll be all right.”

He tipped his head to the side and looked her in the eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here with you.”

“But I know you have work to….”

“Shh….” He put his finger over her mouth. “Work can wait. I’m not leaving you here alone. I want to be here.”

She took a deep breath and snuggled back into his arms. She stayed that way most of the night, occasionally dozing off, waking with every announcement made in the waiting room, and praying Betty would be all right.

It was nearly three o’clock before the doctor returned with any news about Betty. “She’s out of surgery and she’s stable. Now we just have to wait and see how she does.”

“May I see her?” Sabre asked.