The Set Up (51 page)

Calm down!

Was he fucking insane?

He just stood there, at the entrance to my cell, and I knew I had no choice but to do as he said.

With a deep breath, I forced the malice away.

I knew I had to keep my cool.

Still allowed no contact with anyone other than the transport cops, I was handcuffed and escorted out of the station, where I was stuffed into a waiting police car to take the short ride to the courthouse.

“All rise, the Honorable Judge Joshua Patterson,” calls the bail commissioner and I focus on why I’m here.

To be freed—to get the fuck out.

I slowly rise from behind the table on unusually weak knees and watch the older black-robed man enter the room to take his position. The judge’s dais is made from sleek dark wood and topped with a panel of gold electroplate. The American flag on one side and the blue state flag on the other flank the dais. Behind it is a bronze seal of the State of Michigan.

On the judge’s desk sits a pile of folders and a wooden gavel. “Good morning,” he says to the assistant district attorney at the table adjacent to mine.

“Good morning, Your Honor,” the ADA replies.

“Please sit down.” Judge Patterson takes a seat in his tall leather chair, glances at the top folder, and then at me. “Mr. Storm, it appears your counsel has not yet arrived. I am rescheduling this arraignment for Monday morning—” he says while he places my paperwork to the side.

“No!” I interrupt.

“Mr. Storm, that tone is—” he starts to say sternly. Before he can finish, I hear a door swing open and turn. It’s Todd and he’s rushing in to take his seat beside me.

“Where have you been?” I snap quietly.

“The fuckers at the station are going to be hearing from me. They didn’t notify me of the bail hearing until you were already on your way. I got here as fast as I could,” he whispers.

“Good morning, counselor. Nice of you to make it,” the judge greets with sarcasm in his tone.

Todd nods. “Good morning, Your Honor. I’m sorry I’m late.”

Diverting his eyes first to the bail commissioner, the judge gives him a slight nod and then glances down at this desk. He appears to be allowing the arraignment to proceed and begins the process of shifting my paperwork back in place.

“Have you talked to Jake? How is Charlotte? Did he explain everything to her?” I fire my questions at Todd quietly, my worry over her too much to contain any longer.

The courtroom is closed so I know she’s not in here. A fact I am both thankful and resentful over at the same time. It’s the selfish part of me that longs to see her blue eyes, feel her soft pink lips against mine, hear the sweet tone of her voice, wrap my arms around her and make her world just a little more right. Yet, the realist in me knows it’s better she’s not here, because not only would seeing me like this break her heart, it would break mine too.

Todd looks over at me, and something in the way his eyes shift triggers a cause for concern.

My heart starts to pound. “What is it?”

This time I get a shake of the head. “I’ll talk to you after the bail hearing.”

“Tell me now,” I insist.

“Everyone rise,” demands a voice from the front of the room.

“Tell me,” I hiss.

“Quiet in the courtroom.” The order comes from that very same voice.

Then to assure the command is followed, the judge bangs his gavel.

The noise is loud and draws my attention to him. Subsequent to the sound, the courtroom falls abruptly silent and I’m forced to do the same.

The bail commissioner’s voice silences the courtroom. “The State of Michigan vs. Jasper Storm.”

No one in the courtroom says a word.

Suddenly, sweat coats my brow. The reality that this is real hits me like a brick wall. I’m being accused of two murders that I absolutely did not commit. And in this broken city of Detroit, innocence isn’t what matters, but rather demonstrating to the people that justice has been served. It’s right here, right now, that a shiver crawls under my skin and stays there.

The judge looks toward Todd in anticipation. For some reason, the great defense attorney seems nervous.

Finally, Todd clears his throat and rises. “May it please the court,” he says, “Attorney Todd Carrington representing defendant Jasper Storm.”

With a nod, the judge turns toward the prosecutor’s table. “Is the State of Michigan opposing bail in this matter?”

The assistant district attorney gathers his papers.

When Todd sits down, I nudge him. “What is wrong with you?”

He draws in a breath. “This judge is a real hardass. I’ve only lost one case in my career and it was in his courtroom,” he whispers. “I just can’t fucking believe of all the judges, this is who we end up with.”

Fuck me right now.

The ADA stands. I look his way. He is glaring at me when he loudly announces, “The State is opposing bail on several grounds.”

My heart comes to a squealing stop and my head darts in Todd’s direction.

Todd looks taken aback, which is not a good thing. That shiver that is under my skin escapes.

The judge clears his throat in surprise as well. “Assistant District Attorney Phillip Klein, please state your reasoning.”

Klein is second-generation politics. A true urban politician. To be honest, his harsh stance catches me off guard. We’ve met. Chatted. Discussed Detroit and its failing economy in detail. And he knows my vision will bring this city one step closer to recovery. We’re on the same fucking side.

Facing the judge, Klein proceeds. “Not only were the crimes, specifically the murders of two innocent victims, premeditated, but they were also vicious in nature.”

Somehow I refrain from shouting out, “I didn’t do it.”

“Furthermore, we have reason to believe this defendant is a flight risk.”

A flight risk?

Is he for real?

He continues. “And therefore, we recommend that no amount of bail should be considered.”

Yeah, so go figure—another hardass looking for a soapbox to make his stand.

I’m so fucked.

Dread coils deep within me.

The judge nods, makes some notes, and then directs his attention my way. “Mr. Storm, since you have already obtained legal counsel, I am assuming you have been informed of your constitutional rights. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” I answer in a shaky voice.

“Counselor, do you wish to enter a plea on behalf of your client at this time?”

Todd confidently answers, “Yes, Your Honor, I would. My client is clearly not guilty and hence enters a plea of not guilty.”

“Objection!” the ADA calls out.

The judge gives him a disturbed look. “This isn’t a trial, Mr. Klein.”

“Sorry, Your Honor but evidence clearly shows that . . .”

My gaze lands on the state flag and the memories of standing in this very position thirteen years ago are hard to bear. Sentenced. Put away. Sent away. Locked away. It all happened so fast. And now it’s happening again. I focus on the flag and try to suppress my past from haunting me. I focus on the
blue
shield where the sun rises over a lake.

On the man with a raised hand who is holding a gun. Both depictions meant to represent peace and the ability to defend your rights.

Funny, I don’t feel any of that peace now, and I didn’t years ago when I was in this very same position either, especially when the judge sentenced me to 365 days in a juvenile detention center as a lesson to all other youths who were on the street stealing cars.

Back then I was used as an example to others.

Is that happening all over again?

As Klein argues why I don’t deserve bail and Todd counters, not for the first time since arriving in this hellhole do I start to feel like I might just be found guilty of crimes I didn’t commit. Yet, this is the first time I believe it. That there’s a real chance I might not get out of this unscathed.

And with that harsh reality becoming more and more realistic with every passing second, I decide it’s best to shut everyone who cares about me out of my life. If I don’t, they might get even more hurt and tarnished because of their connection to me than they already have been.

I need to go this one alone.

My best friends, Will Fleming, Jake Crown, and Drew Kates, don’t need me to be successful. They have what it takes to bring the Storm to the production line on their own. And at this point, keeping their distance is the only way that is going to happen.

And as for Charlotte Lane, the little girl who lived next door to me, the one who grew into a woman I can’t get out of my head—she was fine without me in her life before and she’ll be fine without me once again.

She’s all bright light, and I’m all darkness.

She’s an angel, and I’m the devil she doesn’t need to get into bed with.

My heart feels like it’s shrinking into a withering ball. But right now there’s a big, fat scarlet letter on my chest and I can’t allow those closest to me to go through the torment all of this is going to bring.

It isn’t fair to them.

Voices rising snaps my attention back to the courtroom. There’s shouting. Cursing. The argument between Todd and the ADA is taking an aggressive turn.

“Order in the court,” the judge demands.

With a lump the size of the state of Michigan in my throat, my gaze darts to him.

The judge takes a hard look at me, and I know what he is about to say isn’t going to be good.

Just as he is about to speak, a man in plain clothes comes flying through the door. I know him.
The cleaner.
He’s one of Alex Harper’s entourage. Alex is the mayor, my friend, my foe. The guy is shouting, “Your Honor, I need to talk to you right away. It’s an emergency.”

With a hard glance in his direction, the judge raises his hand and with a finger he summons him forward. “This better be good, Mr. Goodman.”

Goodman, that’s the twat’s name.

A ‘yes’ man. Does whatever Alex needs done. I call him
the cleaner
because he’s always cleaning up the rumors of the mayor’s infidelity. What is he doing here?

I glance toward Todd in question.

Both brows rise and he shrugs.

Finally, after what seems like hours, but in reality is only minutes, Goodman walks away and the judge states, “Will the defendant please stand.”

I do.

“Mr. Storm, it is hereby ordered and adjudged by this court that this hearing be continued to Monday.”

“You can’t do that!” Todd calls out curtly.

Everyone gasps.

With an aggravated shake of his head, the judge glares at him. “All federal buildings in the city of Detroit are under mandatory lockdown, Mr. Carrington, and I don’t think clearing the courthouse is something I need to get your approval on. Talk to me like that again and I’ll be holding you in contempt.”

Lockdown?

Why?

It has to be over me.

Street horrors fly through my mind.

The last time this happened was four years ago when Detroit was already falling apart and the lockdown went citywide.

It happened so fast there was no controlling it. The police arrested a man who was subsequently beaten into a coma after he allegedly tried to escape. When he died from the beat down, a riot ensued. Chaos overtook much of the area of Detroit just south of 8 Mile Road. Many stores within a five-mile radius were looted. Cars were loaded with stolen goods. More than a dozen police officers were injured trying to stop the thefts. Abandoned buildings and vehicles were set on fire. So many so, that over ten fire crews battled three-alarm fires throughout the area as police stood guard with rifles. Gunfire was heard all around. Cops or protestors, no one knew.

All anyone knew was that it was no peaceful protest against what had happened.

Anger was being taken out on the streets.

The protestors were intent on destroying what was left of Detroit. It was then that the governor was forced to bring in over five hundred state troopers to help control the chaos. He also requested as many as five thousand officers from neighboring states to assist in putting an end to the rioting. In the end, it took more than three days to regain control of the city; and although Martial Law was not declared, it had come pretty close.

Fuck!

And it is happening again just when things are starting to look so much better for Detroit.

Fuck!

Fuck!

Fuck!

“Yes, Your Honor, I apologize for the outburst,” Todd says humbling himself to get back in the judge’s good graces.

Not sure it will work.

Directing his attention back to me, the judge continues, “Mr. Storm, you will return to this courtroom Monday morning. Until then, you will be held in custody.”

I swallow hard, trying not to feel the twisting in my gut or the heat pricking my skin. I’m being burned at the stake—alive.

“But, Your Honor,” Todd starts to argue.

The judge bangs the gavel with his eyes still on me and ignores Todd’s plea. “This hearing is hereby concluded.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Todd tells me. “And if nothing else, you can bet I’ll have you out on appealable legalities before Monday.”

Todd is a lot like me—hot tempered. Right now I’m not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Before I can say so much as a word to him, the two transport guards are at my side.

“I need a moment with my client,” Todd tells them.

They both shake their heads no. “We’re under strict orders to make the transport quick.”

“Five fucking minutes,” Todd snarls.

“We can’t. There’s rioting at the station, and we are ordered to return all prisoners to their cells now.”

A wave of dread rolls through me.

Todd heaves a sigh and gives them a nod. Then he turns to me, looking grim. “Until the lockdown is lifted, I won’t be able to talk to you, but I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.”

I want to ask him about Charlotte, but swallow the words down.

You’re going this alone—remember, asshole.

With that, I twist my wrists and get back to focusing on them. Come on—bring on the physical pain, because the emotional one is too much to bear.