Three Word Thursday

This week Quilly asks us to go back through the October word list and use three. It's almost like revisting old friends...who seem like the ones you used to know but who aren't quite the way you remember them! Thanks Quilly!

Alice stood to face Judge Hanson. “May it please the court,” she began, “my client respectfully requests a recess for three days to examine the evidence and prepare a defense.”

The judge looked over her glasses at the assistant D.A. sitting there. “Any objections?” she asked. The fresh-from law school young man stood, banging his knees on the table and causing the laptop to rock precariously. “No, your honor,” he managed to get out.

Alice stifled a smile. She remembered when she had experienced that kind of xenization in a courtroom. “Granted,” said the judge. “We will reconvene on Thursday at which time I will expect to proceed through the entire body of evidence. You are lucky we’ve had a plea on a trial that was scheduled to begin that morning.” Alice nodded, “Yes, your honor.”

“Okay, we’re adjourned,” the judge said. “Alice, come see me in chambers please.”

Alice looked up, startled, and then answered, “Yes, your honor.” She gathered her materials and instructed her client to go track down that “miracle witness who would exonerate him”. She also told him to shower before he returned to court and to wear a shirt with a collar. Finally, Alice made her way back to the judge’s private area.

“Come in,” Judge Hanson called in response to her knock. “We need to talk about Adam Tradoch. Just listen – don’t answer. Alice, you’re sailing very close to the wind on this one, and you could lose your boat over it.” The judge was an avid sailor and most of her warnings had to do with high seas and strong winds. “I’ve just had a call from Ben Carmody. Adam has run away from school and disappeared. You’re the one who got him out of the woods and into the situation he’s in now, and while my first priority is Adam’s welfare, I am also concerned about your bar license. His father is rich and can go after you in a way that even if unsuccessful in the end, can destroy your reputation and practice. More importantly, this little boy is running all of the adults in this case around like he’s the puppet master. None of this is good and I really don’t like it occurring in my jurisdiction. Now go do something about it.”

Alice started to reply but the look in the Judge’s eye changed her, “But…” to a “Yes ma’am,” and she turned to leave. “Oh, and one more thing,” said the judge. Alice turned back with her eyebrows raised questioningly. The judge’s face relaxed into a tenellous smile. “It’s good to see you and Luke working things out.”

Alice’s jaw dropped. Judge Hanson had been one of the few people who had scrupulously avoided comment as the drama of Luke and Alice’s first go-round had unfolded. She winked at Alice and said, “now go find that boy.”

Alice’s thoughts were in a whirl as she walked to her car. She lifted her suffarcinated briefcase into the back seat. As she slid into the driver’s seat, she mused. “Adam…where could you be? Why are you running?” Her mind ranged back over all the events of the last three weeks, probing into all the non-verbal messages she had received from Adam along the way. Body language, avoiding her eyes, and intonation when he did speak all gave a subtext to the events. "C'mon Alice, you've had special training in this so you can pick juries. Use it here," she whispered to herself.

The pieces started to come together. Then, all of a sudden, Alice knew exactly where to go.