the courtroom, but as the judge spoke, she found herself in all new territory. This judge wasn’t playing around. Her brain worked quickly, though, as she revised her methods in an instant. She did all of this without showing a single emotion to the judge or the DA.
“I apologize, Your Honor,” she said, looking properly chastised. “I care about all of my clients, and sometimes I let that get in the way of my more reasonable brain.”
The attorney next to her snorted as fire sparked from the judge’s eyes. “You’re so full of bullshit,” the attorney spat beneath his breath.
“That’s hurtful,” she said, hoping she was properly remorseful.
“I don’t think you can be hurt, you freaking robot,” the attorney spouted. Oh, yes, he was riled. That benefited her a whole lot.
“I get called for speaking of family, and you aren’t going to say a word to him about his personal attacks?” she asked the judge, trying to widen her eyes and look close to tears. That was one thing she couldn’t do — fake tears. She was too disgusted by people who did it.
“That’ll be enough, Mr. Satch. Let’s get back to the trial. And don’t forget my warning,” he said, barely glancing at the DA before he focused on her again.
She should’ve been ticked the other attorney had so blatantly gotten away with what he had, but she knew the case was hers. She’d ticked off the judge and rattled her opponent. Now she just had to drive it home.
She made a show of walking back to her table and grabbing her notepad, looking down at it. She didn’t need a refresher. She knew exactly what this case was about and what she needed to say and do. She simply wanted to give the jury time to stare at the opposing council who looked as if a lighter would ignite the short fuse he was sporting.
The rest of her questioning went exactly how she wanted it to. The cross examination didn’t go well for her opponent, who was known for unraveling once he became unsettled. He looked weak, unstable, and as if he was ready to jump across the barrier and attack her client. She had a feeling a new DA was going to be assigned very, very soon.
She had no more witnesses, and court was dismissed for lunch. All that was left for her was her closing argument, and then it was in the jurors’ hands. That was the one area of law she hated the most. She didn’t like to leave anything to chance, and she could study all she wanted, but at the end of the day, humans were known to be unpredictable. Well, most humans were. Someone like her was as easy to predict as any day having a dusk and a dawn.
Avery walked from the courtroom, not moving too slow or too fast, thinking she was virtually invisible. Yes, she wore expensive clothes and carried a five-thousand-dollar briefcase. But all she wore and carried was of the best quality and fiber, fitting her to perfection, and helping her to blend in, to hopefully remain unseen. Nothing about her stood out — that was the way she wanted it.
What she didn’t notice was the man in the back of the courtroom who rose as she walked by. The man who had eyes for her — and her alone. The man who didn’t like at all what she was doing, or who she was getting freed to terrorize more people in a country he valued and loved.
Chapter Three
There were times in life that seemed to fly by in a flash. You were twenty, then forty, and then three quarters of a century old. But the clock didn’t stop turning, and life didn’t stop progressing. If Joseph Anderson could bottle time, and slow it down, that’s exactly what he’d do . . . on most days.
Today, however, time was dragging. Today he received a call he’d never wanted to receive. Today, he was in a panic, and the clock kept on ticking in slow, agonizing motion, making him agitated, frustrated, and more than anything else — scared.
Thankfully, if that word could be used in this situation, he had access to the fastest transportation in Seattle. He’d been sitting in his den at home when the call had come through — the call that his beautiful Katherine had been attacked.
He couldn’t tell you how long it had taken to get into the air, or how long it had