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“How so?” the judge asked.
“Mr. Sheridan was contacted by Mr. Willis” –the lawyer motioned to Gary– “a few months ago. Mr. Willis claimed to know the whereabouts of Mr. Sheridan’s daughter, Jillian.”
I heard Isaac stifle a gasp.
“As well as Jillian’s two sons,” the lawyer continued.
I stiffened at that. The older man once again looked at Isaac and it hit me all at once who he was.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” the judge said. “How is that connected to this case?”
“Because Mr. Foster,” –the lawyer pointed at Isaac– “is one of those sons.”
“May I speak, Your Honor?” the man, Sheridan, asked.
“You may,” the judge said.
“When Mr. Willis called me, he told me my daughter had died in a car accident two years ago, but that she had left behind two sons, Isaac and Newton.” The man glanced at Isaac again before continuing. Isaac seemed completely lost in shock.
“Mr. Willis told me that Isaac had kidnapped Newton because he wanted some money my daughter had left Newton in a trust and was hoping to blackmail Mr. Willis by offering to return Newton to him in exchange for the money in the trust.”
I glanced at Gary in disbelief.
“I’m sorry to say that I believed him at first. He said a lot of things about Isaac that I’ve come to realize aren’t true. I was desperate to meet my youngest grandson and wanted to, what I thought was rescue him at the time, so I agreed to come with Mr. Willis to confirm it really was Isaac and Newton.” Sheridan pulled in a breath and said, “When I saw Mr. Willis punch my grandson–Isaac–without any kind of provocation, I knew he’d lied to me.” The man suddenly turned toward Isaac. “I’m so sorry, Isaac. I should have tried to stop him but it all just happened so fast and I—”
“Mr. Sheridan, you need to address your comments to the court,” the judge interjected.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” he murmured. “After I realized Mr. Willis had lied, I had Karina see what she could find out about him. I just… I wish I’d done it sooner, but I was so desperate for word on my daughter, and then on my grandchildren.” The man shook his head sadly. He looked completely broken.
His lawyer handed the bailiff three identical envelopes. The man took one to the judge and handed the other two to both Isaac’s lawyer and the prosecutor. “This is the evidence our firm has amassed against Mr. Willis so far, Your Honor. One of our investigators was able to match fingerprints lifted from a beer can Mr. Willis had been drinking from to a man named Gary Halloran. Mr. Halloran,” –she motioned to Gary– “has an extensive criminal record including domestic violence and battery charges. He spent time in prison for putting his girlfriend’s twelve-year-old-daughter into a coma after pushing her into a wall.”
“That’s a lie!” Gary yelled as he jumped to his feet. One of the court officers immediately went to him and ordered him to sit down.
The judge skimmed through the file, as did the other two lawyers. Isaac looked at me, completely shocked. I mouthed the words, it’ll be okay to him, and he nodded. I could see that he was tapping his foot incessantly beneath the table.
“There’s also proof in there that Mr. Foster has been acting as Newton’s primary caregiver since his birth. There are affidavits from former neighbors and friends as well as medical records that prove Isaac took him to all his wellness exams from the time he was born. There’s also proof from a pharmacy that Isaac was the one who got Newton’s anti-seizure medication filled. Additionally, the ER doctor who treated Newton has agreed that it is very possible the seizures Newton is still experiencing could be from a head injury caused by having his head slammed into a wall. I would urge this court to ask the child himself about what happened that day—”
“That won’t be necessary,” the judge said as he skimmed the documents. To the prosecutor he said, “Mr. Lewis, I take it you want some time to do your own investigation?”
The prosecutor nodded as he glanced from the paperwork in his hand to Gary. The lawyer looked pissed and Gary actually squirmed a bit in his seat.
“You have twenty-four hours,” the judge said. “But unless you find something concrete, I’m going to be ruling in Mr. Foster’s favor and denying extradition. I suggest you look a little closer to home if you want someone to put behind bars,” he added as his eyes settled on Gary.
“Your Honor,” Isaac’s lawyer called. “In light of this evidence, we ask that you remove the protective order against my client. I believe it’s clear to everyone in this room that Isaac isn’t a threat to his brother and that he’s only acted in Newton’s best interest.”
