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“Okay,” she agreed.
They left for the courthouse. Drake had a special parking permit that allowed them to park on the lower level of the closest garage. Court officers’ security lines moved much faster than the general public’s. Drake waited several minutes for Alessandra to rejoin him.
He took her hand and led her to the twelfth floor, which held Judge Matthew’s chambers. Once inside, Alessandra gazed around.
“Wow! This isn’t what I expected a judge’s chambers to look like. Somehow, I thought it would be fancier.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, my dear. I am but a humble public servant,” he mock-bowed to her.
“I’m sorry.” Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “I didn’t mean it as an insult.”
“Jerry knows, bella. He’s joking”
“Please sit. We’re waiting on Miss Nguyen to join us. She should be here any moment.”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in, Miss Nguyen. Let’s get down to business. I have a tee time to get to.”
“Sorry I’m late, Your Honor,” Jenny said breathlessly as though she’d run through the courthouse.
“Nonsense, Miss Nguyen, you’re right on time.”
Which was a nice way of saying she was late. Jerry cleared his throat and looked at them.
“I suppose by now you know why you’re here.” It wasn’t a question.
“It has come to the defense’s understanding there is no evidence incriminating my client. I can assure you that neither he nor I had any involvement in this matter. Since my client is innocent and the state has failed to meet its burden of proof, I am filing to have all charges dismissed,” Jenny proclaimed.
“Evidence doesn’t just walk away, Jerry. You know I’ve been combing through discovery. How did known associates of Mr. Russo know this occurred before our meeting in chambers?” Drake said, exasperated.
“If the Russo family had anything to do with the disappearance of evidence, I affirm my client is not complicit,” Jenny assured them.
Jenny and Drake were hostile adversaries ready to poke each other’s eyes out. They stared daggers at each other, so full of animosity that they forgot they were career professionals.
“May I speak, Your Honor?” Alessandra jumped in to try and settle their dispute.
“I object, Your Honor!” Jenny interjected. “Mrs. Walker has nothing to do with this. She shouldn’t even be here. This is inappropriate.”
“I would argue that she has every right to be here. She is a witness in this matter as Mr. Donato contacted her this morning,” Drake said.
“Is this true, Mrs. Walker? Did Mr. Donato admit to you that he knew evidence went missing?”
Drake turned to Alessandra with a steady, hopeful gaze.
She appeared heartbroken at being thrust into an impossible situation. He could see she was struggling with whom to support. He squeezed her knee to encourage her to speak up. She was right. It was high time he stopped placing blame on her for the direction the case had taken.
Drake was distracted by Alessandra while they enacted the real plan. He was never meant to win this case, and he’d allowed his stubborn pride to come between him and his wife. She shouldn’t have to choose between her husband and her brother.
Drake squeezed her knee again and leaned in to whisper, “It’s going to be all right, Alessandra. I’m here for you. No one will hurt you.”
“Mrs. Walker, this is a private sidebar in chambers. Nothing is on the record, and communication is privileged. No one will know you’re involved. I want to remind the defense of this,” Judge Matthews assured her.
Alessandra closed her eyes and took a deep breath before recounting their morning. “Ever since our marriage began, Drake and I have been pressured to ensure that we satisfactorily resolve this case for the Russos. After the last motion failed, Luca made death threats against Drake.
“This morning, Luca called to antagonize us. He knew evidence had gone missing and was gloating about it. Drake’s quick thinking led him to record the conversation.”
“How would Mr. Donato have prior knowledge of missing evidence, Miss Nguyen?” Jerry asked. “The official communication sent through the clerk didn’t offer specifics.”
