Betrayal - Fern Michaels [41]
Alex, along with the three other inmates, stood in an area reserved exclusively for prisoners. They were seated in what Kate thought of as a pen. Like penned-up animals. She took a deep breath and exhaled. This was worse than she’d imagined. She watched as Alex turned to look over his shoulder. First, to the left, then to the right. Then he saw her and James seated at the defense table.
He smiled.
Kate’s heart did a thousand somersaults. She smiled back. Tears streamed down her face. She mouthed, “I love you.”
Alex nodded.
Since Alex’s name began with an “R,” his case was the last to be heard. James had explained all this to her, but seeing how the system worked was a lot different than someone talking about it. It seemed low-down, almost cheap to Kate, like the men in orange were nobody. Most likely they had families, people who loved and needed them. At least Alex did. Kate listened to the judge as she made her decisions. Though this was only an arraignment hearing, it was significant in the sense that those charged were allowed to stand before the court and state their pleas.
James stood when Alex’s name was called. “Alex John Rocket, you have been charged with six counts of felony sexual assault against a minor child. How do you plead?” Judge Stowers asked. Alex, still grouped with the other inmates, remained silent as James had instructed.
“Your Honor, my client pleads not guilty.”
The judge made a notation on a paper handed to her by the bailiff. She passed the paper to her secretary, who was seated next to and below the bench on her right. The secretary, a young girl of no more than twenty, smiled at the judge.
“Is this your plea, Mr. Rocket?” Judge Stowers questioned.
Unprepared for questions coming from the judge, Alex looked to James for guidance.
“Yes, it is, Your Honor. I plead not guilty.”
“All right.”
James continued to stand before the bench. “In order to save time in Your Honor’s courtroom, I would like to acknowledge that there has not been a bail hearing scheduled. If it please the court, I would like to do so at this time.”
Alex looked over his shoulder. Kate’s eyes continued to fill with tears; still, she managed a smile.
Judge Stowers spoke to the assistant district attorney. “Mr. Wykowski, is the state prepared to hear bail statements?”
The assistant district attorney, Lyle Wykowski, shuffled through several file folders inside a plastic bin. “We are, Your Honor.” He continued to look through the bin while raking a hand through his thick, oily black hair. Coke bottle–thick glasses made his gray eyes appear three times as large. His suit, a black Sears off-the-rack, had been sent to the cleaners so many times it resembled imitation silk. His white dress shirt had yellowed with age. A rust-colored clip-on tie completed his outfit. He kept scratching his nose as he read through the papers he found. It appeared as though he wasn’t prepared at all.
Kate watched all this. She thought him sloppy and unorganized. This could be advantageous to Alex’s case. She breathed an audible sigh of relief.
“You may proceed, Mr. Conroy.”
James walked back to the defense table. He took a manila file folder and removed several sheets of paper. He thumbed through them until he found what he was searching for. “Thank you, Your Honor,” James said.
“If it please the court, I would ask that Mr. Rocket be released on his own recognizance.”
“You do realize the seriousness of the charges against your client, Mr. Conroy?” Judge Stowers asked from her perch at the bench.
“Yes, Your Honor, I am quite aware of the charges against my client, and I assure you, he is as well. However, I would ask the court to consider Mr. Rocket’s past history.”
“Does the state have any objection?” Judge Stowers asked Wykowski.
The ADA fumbled with the pencil stuck between his head and ear. “Uh, oh . . . yes, I mean, no. The defense can say whatever they want.”
The judge rolled her eyes, then turned to the defense attorney. “You may proceed.”
“Mr. Rocket has no criminal