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He was a coward. In their county, the District Attorney’s office ran all over the Public Defender’s office, and Joe was the reason why. He had no spine whatsoever. He never stood up for himself, much less anyone else. She didn’t care for him before, but she really didn’t like him now.
After the judge had excused Ayden, ADA Lane had asked her to come into the judge’s chambers. She had asked him what it was about, but he acted like it was a big secret. Already disgusted with her morning, she had gone. When she got there, they were all waiting.
The judge had introduced the younger man as Neil Wyatt, a special agent with the DEA. She wondered if this had something to do with her representing Corbett at his fake arraignment the day before.
“Miss Ward, have a seat,” Judge Barnes instructed her.
She had been puzzled, but curious, so she sat. “What’s going on?” she asked.
Wyatt, who from this close looked more like a twelve-year-old kid, replied, “Miss Ward, when was the last time you accessed the evidence vault?”
She immediately stiffened. “Um, yesterday afternoon,” she said. “Why?”
The ADA wouldn’t make eye contact with her. Surely, they didn’t think that she…
“And what did you take out of the evidence vault yesterday afternoon?”
“A gun,” she stated. “I signed it out. It was evidence in a case that was being heard yesterday. I signed it back in after court. Why? Is it missing?”
Wyatt continued his line of questioning. “What time did you sign it in?”
“I don’t know,” she claimed. “There should be a time on the sheet. Isn’t there?”
“It says five-fifteen,” Wyatt said, looking at the paper he held in his hand.
“Okay then,” she said. “I signed it in then. Will you tell me what’s going on?”
“Miss Ward, the clerk signed out at five yesterday. Was anyone else with you when you returned that gun to the vault?”
“No, it was just me. Yes, the clerk was gone. Someone tell me what the hell is going on!” She knew that yelling in the judge’s chambers was frowned upon, but she was getting pissed now.
Judge Barnes interjected, looking at the DEA agent as he said, “Can we just tell her why you’re asking?”
The agent turned back to her. “I know that you’re aware two bricks of cocaine are missing from that evidence locker.”
“Yes, I was made aware of that early this morning by ADA Lane.” Aka: the phone call she hadn’t known would be the undoing of her entire day.
“Did you see it when you were in the vault yesterday evening?”
“I have no idea,” she said. “I wasn’t looking for it. Are you insinuating that I have something to do with it walking away?”
“Yes, I am suggesting that, Miss Ward.” The DEA agent was stone-faced. It was like she was caught in the middle of a Saturday Night Live skit. The guy had absolutely no intonation to his voice.
She looked around at the other four men and said, “What evidence do you think you have?”
“You’re the only one who signed in after the clerk left,” Agent Wyatt argued.
“Big deal,” she said. “You think the guy who took it wanted his name on the list?”
“You were the only one on the video surveillance camera, Miss Ward.”
“On the camera? Then you know I didn’t take it if I’m on camera!”
“No, Miss Ward. You went in with a bag on your shoulder, and you left with a bag on your shoulder. The camera was on the entrance. All we can see is the bag. We can’t see what’s inside.”
Naomi’s throat was beginning to close up, and she could feel the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She fought them back. She wasn’t going to cry in front of these men. Her chest was getting tight; she couldn’t breathe. She needed to get out of the room, so she stood up. It was too fast. She got dizzy and had to reach out and grab the back of the chair Agent Wyatt was sitting in to steady herself.
He stood up next to her. “Miss Ward, you can’t leave.”
