The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (8 page)

Penny removed her magenta reading glasses and scanned the galley, where Ruby sat chatting with a teenager and her mother, whose arm was wrapped protectively around her daughte
r’
s shoulders
.“
Hi there, Ruby
,”
Penny said
.“
I see you finally hired that intern
.
”

“
Good morning, Penny. I see you finally caved and bought readers. They suit you
.
”

“
Thank you
.”
Penny put them back on her face and smiled as she turned to focus on Jasmine
.“
Are you familiar with Judge Mason
?
”

“
Not really
.
”

“
Sh
e’
s been very concerned with public safety
.”
Penny sent Jasmine a meaningful glance
.“
You might want to take that into account
.
”

“
I certainly will. Thanks, Penny. I
t’
s nice to meet you
.
”

“
Likewise
.”
Penny lowered her voice
.“
First bail hearing
?
”

“
Yes. Is it that obvious
?
”

“
So far so good. Yo
u’
re a natural. Show those guys how i
t’
s done
.”
Penn
y’
s eyes twinkled as she winked, and turned back to her computer screen
.“
Yo
u’
re all checked in, Ms. Sinclair. Head back whenever yo
u’
re ready
.
”

Ruby excused herself and fell into step alongside Jasmine. They approached a barrel-chested man in uniform
.“
Hey, Rich
,”
Ruby said
.“
How are your parenting preparations coming along
?
”

“
I do
n’
t think
I’
ll ever feel ready, Ruby. Wh
o’
s your sidekick
?
”

“
Jasmine Sinclair. Sh
e’
s my new intern. Jazz, meet Rich. He and his wife are expecting their first child in a couple months
.
”

“
Congratulations
.
”

“
Same to you. Let me take you on back
.
”

They filed through the narrow hallway.

“
Which on
e’
s yours
?
” he asked.

“
Veronica Epstein
.
”

“
Nice lady. Wish they were all like her. I
t’
d make my job a lot easier
.
”

“
Want to go in front of the judge as a character reference
?”
Ruby joked.

“
I would if I could with this one
.
”

They reached the heavy door and Rich knocked. His partner opened it
.“
Marian will take over from here. See you back in the courtroom
.”
He waved, and turned back down the hall.

Maria
n’
s face broke into a grin
.“
Here comes trouble
.
”

“
Marian, meet Jazz, my new intern
.
”

“
Hi Jazz. First time back in holding
?
”

“
Yeah
.
”

“
You have nothing to worry about
.
”

“
As long as you stay on Maria
n’
s good side
,”
Ruby added
.“
Do
n’
t let this lad
y’
s smile fool you. Sh
e’
s a fortress. Cass has been after her for her skin secrets. Turns out the
y’
re passed down from her great-granny and sh
e’
s not telling. Cass is convinced she has
n’
t found the right bribe
.
”

“
She might be right
,”
Marian said.

“
And you ca
n’
t twist her arm
,”
Ruby continued
.“I’
ve seen Marian take down a guy twice her size, maybe tripl
e—
small for a giant, huge for a man
.
”

“
Rub
y’
s being modest. She was holding her own before I made it over for the take down
.
”

“
Mixed martial arts champion, this one. My karate training fell short.
I’
ve since expanded my studies, and challenge you to a rematch
.
”

“
When
?”
Marian asked.

“I’
d like to say soon
.
”

“
Take a break, would you
?
”

“
I ca
n’
t yet
.”
Rub
y’
s eyes darkened.

“I’
m sorry. I did
n’
t think. Longhorn gets transferred on Tuesday. The orders came down this morning
.
”

Jasmine frowned at Ruby.

“I’
ll fill you in later, Jazz. Right now, we have a client to see
.
”

“
Who
?”
Marian asked, and grabbed the in-custody list off her metal stool.

“
Veronica Epstein
.
”

“
Nice woman. I hope this morning goes well for her
.
”

“
It will. I brought my secret weapon
.”
Ruby put her hand on Jasmin
e’
s shoulder
.“
Speaking of secrets, Cass would kill me if she knew I saw you and did
n’
t even try. Lunch at Chestnut with us, chocolate indulgence included, in exchange for great-grann
y’
s beauty tips
?
”

“
No deal. I ca
n’
t get away for lunch. Ask me again sometime
.
”

“
I will. We stay on the cham
p’
s good side, Jazz
.”
Ruby shot a sidelong glance at Marian as they walked back to Veronic
a’
s cell
.“I’
m instilling such valuable knowledge in this one
.
”

“
If I know Cass, sh
e’
s already delved into horror flicks
.
”

“
You know her. And do
n’
t pretend yo
u’
re any less obsessed
.
”

“
Have you see
n‘
Sinister Switc
h’
yet
?
”

“
No, no
.”
Ruby waved her hands
.“
W
e’
re not going there again. Cass would talk to you until she lost her voice about horror vids with the proper incentive
.
”

“
Cass needs no inducement to talk horror
.
”

“
True. Worth a shot
.
”

“I’
ll leave you with your client
.”
Marian returned to her post at the door.

Ruby stepped first into the confined space. Dingy brick enclosed them.

Veronica raised her head from her arms, and pushed back matted auburn tresses to reveal brown eyes rimmed in red
.“
Ruby, thank God yo
u’
re here
.
”

Ruby took her hand and locked eyes with her
.“
I
t’
s a pleasure to meet you, Vera. I spoke with Carter after I got off the phone with you, and my paralegal updated him this morning. H
e’
ll be here for the hearing
.
”

“
Thank you. I ca
n’
t believe I was so stupid
.
”

“
Vera, le
t’
s figure out how to move forward. First, w
e’
re going to have a hearing
.”
Ruby motioned for Jasmine to sit, and did the same
.“
This is Jasmine Sinclair. Sh
e’
ll speak at your hearing today
.”
After they shook hands, Ruby continued
,“
Your blood sample came back at point-one-two-one. That nudges you over the gross-misdemeanor threshold, Vera. Tha
t’
s why they held you overnight, and why w
e’
re going to go in front of the judge today
.
”

“
I want to go home, Ruby. I want to go home to my kids
.
”

“
I know it. We want the same for you. W
e’
re going to make that happen. Have you ever heard of an ignition interlock device
?
”

“
I heard something about it on the news
.
”

“
I
t’
s a small device tha
t’
s installed on your car. Before i
t’
ll start, you have to set your finger on the testing console for a blood sample. Your car wo
n’
t start unless yo
u’
re under the legal limit
.
”

“
Is it painful
?
”

“
No. The latest technology allows for a blood draw invisible to the naked eye. You may feel a tiny prick, no worse than a mosquito bite, and you wo
n’
t see any puncture marks
.
”

“
Will I have to have it installed
?
”

“
No, you have no priors so it wo
n’
t be mandatory. But you could voluntarily agree to its installation as a condition of release. Judge Mason cares about public safety. Are you willing to volunteer to an IID
?
”

“
Yes, absolutely. Whatever it takes
.
”

“
Good.
I’
ll meet with you and your family at five this afternoon. My paralegal sent the specifics to Carter. Do you have any questions
?
”

“
No. Thank you, Ruby. And you, Jasmine
.
”

Jasmine reached out and placed her hand on Veronic
a’
s
.“
W
e’
re here for you
.
”

“
Marian or Rich will escort you into the courtroom when i
t’
s your turn. W
e’
ll be right by your side, Vera
.
”

Chapter 5

He pulled into the parking lot of Alfre
d’
s Antiques & Collectibles, smiling as he imagined her face when he showed up with her present.

Entering the shop, he admired the carvings on a delicate writing desk. Maybe h
e’
d come back sometime and buy her this, too. He glanced around and wished he could buy her all the treasures in the sho
p—
anything to make her happy, to make up for what he had done.

At the sound of the entry chime, a gentleman in  dress and demeanor appeared from the back
.“
Hello, Jerald
,”
he called out once, and then again as the man kept his attention diverted on the desk. Alfred Whitehorn approached and tapped his shoulder.

His client looked up, face breaking into a grin, gray eyes lighting
.“
Hey Freddy.
I’
m here to pick up an order for Tony Priestley
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re in a good mood, Jerald. Are your experiments going well
?
”

Uh, yeah, the
y’
re going good
.
”

“
What a marvel. And to think, yo
u’
re a patron of my humble shop. How does your lovely wife like her newest piece? It was quite unusual and distinctive
.
”

“
She thinks i
t’
s . . . extreme.
I’
m just here for the necklace
.”
He tapped his phone, and held it out to Alfred
.“
Her
e’
s a note from Tony saying I could grab it for him
.
”

“
Anthony is a wonderful lad. Not every boy would go to such lengths for a special someone. How do you know Anthony
?
”

“
Well, you know, i
t’
s like
I’
ve known him forever
.
”

“
He hardly seems old enough for that kind of friend, to have become so woven into a life that one forgets the particulars. I, on the other hand, have outlived many friends of that kind. Compared to me, yo
u’
re not much past a lad yourself, Jerald. It is all as seen through the eyes of the beholder, is
n’
t it? Do you know Elizabeth
?
”

“
Nope
.
”

“
Are you a business acquaintance
?
”

“
Yeah, tha
t’
s it
.
”

“
I try to stay apprised of young Anthon
y’
s business happenings. I count on him for a good chat. Would you care for a cup of coffee? Only one other client can drink it so strong. Stronger, actually
.”
He tapped his aristocratic nose
.“
Her brew smells delightful but undoubtedly wreaks havoc inside. I fear for her stomach lining
.
”

“
I need to buzz, Freddy. No tea today. I mean, coffee.
I’
m just here for the necklace
.
”

“
Very well. It is a stunning piece
.”
Alfred reached underneath a display case and produced a pretty green box decorated with yellow ribbon
.“
This will elate Elizabeth. It is a shame that you have not met her. She has such charisma, and her laughter is quite contagious
.
”

“
She sounds legit. Tony asked me to do him a large
.
”

“
You must have spent some time with him. I dare say you sound like him, Jerald
.
”

His clien
t’
s brows furrowed. He clutched the box and turned to leave.

“
Excuse me
,”
Alfred called after him.

He stopped and turned, gray eyes darting.

“
One of my best clients flouts procedure. You can make haste after you sign. I need my documentation in order
.
”

“
Oh, yeah,
I’
m scrambled
.”
He returned to the counter and grabbed the stylus to scribble his signature.

“
That will do. Thank you, Jerald. Please do come back soon. I unloaded a new shipment yesterday. The new items are brilliant, and rare
.
”

“I’
ll tag you, Freddy. Thanks
.
”

“
Yes, off with you. Chemistry is a demanding field
.
”

“
Yeah, I have lots to do with my experiments and all
,”
he said, and backed toward the door.

“
Until next time, Jerald
.
”

He waved the green box into a hat rack, and caught it before it could smash into a crystal display. After righting it, he gave Alfred a last glance and bolted out the door.

Alfred averted his gaze.

✧

Ruby and Jasmine pushed through the heavy oak door.

“
Pause, Jazz. Take a moment to appreciate that you tackled a milestone
.”
She waited a beat. Clasping Jasmin
e’
s shoulder, Ruby steered her toward the elevators.

“
I
t’
s a blur. I
t’
s a complete blur
.”
Jasmine shook her head in disbelief.

“
I
t’
ll sink in
.
”

“
How did I do
?
”

“
You did well, Jazz. Pointing out that Ver
a’
s husband and teenage children showed up for her was a nice touch. That sh
e’
s a family woman means she has roots here, a support system
.
”

Jasmine sighed in relief
.“
I like her. Do you always like your clients
?
”

“
Yes. My greatest strength and weakness is my ability to see good, to see potential
.
”

“
How is that a weakness
?
”

“
It can creep into the case analysis. We strive to know the situation in its entiret
y—
its nuances and dynamics. We seek the truth first. We work with facts. At times, we wish they were different. Yo
u’
ll see soon enough. Would you like to observe the intervention
?
”

“
Yes. I want to see how this case plays out. I want to be in on all of it
.
”

They stepped into an elevator.

“
How are you with waterworks, sloppy displays
?”
Ruby asked.

“I’
m great
.
”

“
Good, that makes one of us
.
”

“
When you work with at-risk teens, you figure out how to ride the rollercoaster of their emotions
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re already handy to have around
.”
Ruby nudged Jasmine with her elbow
.“
What did you find made the difference to nudge them from at-risk to on-track
?
”

“
I showed up for them. Over and over
.
”

“
Yes, and tha
t’
s what we do for our clients. Showing up with consistency and compassion matters
.
”

They stepped onto the sidewalk.

“
Take a break
,”
Ruby urged
.“
Wander for an hour, clear your head. And please pop into Anto
n’
s on your way back. I
t’
s the bakery across the street. W
e’
re regulars. Tell them I sent you, order whatever you want, and have them throw in the usual for the rest of us. The
y’
ll add it to our tab
.
”

✧

“
Yo
u’
re a vision
,”
Cassandra said
.“
We were brainstorming, and my stomach started rumbling
.
”

“
I do
n’
t know how you two consider this food, but here it is
.”
Jasmine set a bulging bakery bag and a beverage carrier on Rub
y’
s desk. She grabbed two cups and held the first out to Ruby
.“
Caramel macchiato for you
.
”

“
Thanks, Jazz
.
”

She passed the second cup to Cassandra
.“
And a double-chocolate latte, extra whip
.
”

Cassandra grabbed it with an appreciative smile
.“
Did Colin get his mint mocha
?
”

“
Yes, on my way down the hall. He attacked the baked goods. Judging by that ba
g’
s size, ther
e’
s still enough for ten
.
”

Cassandra shook her head and grinned at Ruby
.“
Is
n’
t she adorable? She does
n’
t know our capacity for consumption. I suppose one needs to see it to believe it
.
”

“
True. Fuel us with caffeine and sugar, and keep it coming. Jazz, what the hell is that
?”
Ruby pointed to Jasmin
e’
s right hand as she prepared to take a bite.

“
I
t’
s a muffin
.
”

“
There are no chocolate chips
.
”

“
I
t’
s a Morning Glory Muffin. No refined sugar, no grains
.
”

“
No flavor
.
”

“
I
t’
s real food. Sustainable fuel. Yo
u’
ll both crash, and
I’
ll have to carry you to Chestnut
.
”

“
Would you? Yo
u’
re an even better intern than I thought
.
”

“
No, and
I’
m surprised you fit into your suits if tha
t’
s your regular fare
.
”

“
My mother has been known to call m
e‘
a fatty trapped in a skinny perso
n’
s body
,’
and she might be onto something
,”
Ruby said.

“
She did not
,”
Jasmine said.

“
A direct quote, Jazz
.
”

“
You do
n’
t know Rub
y’
s mom. Sh
e’
s dead on
,”
Cassandra confirmed.

“
Tha
t’
s terrible. My mother is an osteopathic practitioner
.‘
Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food
.’
Know who said that
?
”