Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series (79 page)

“
Unless we start getting
answers, the Judge isn’t going to want to set a bail.”

“
We’ll see about that,”
Kent said.

Two officers came and escorted Emily
out to the jail. They took the handcuffs off of her and she went
over and laid down on the hard bed. She thought hard on how to
explain the incidents when Kyle had impersonated Keith over the
last few years.

“
Come on, Russo, your
lawyers want to talk to you,” a warden said. Emily walked over and
slipped her hands through an opening in the bars, so the warden
could put handcuffs back on her. She followed the warden to a small
room and sat down inside to wait. She pushed the sleeves of the
orange jumpsuit up higher, it was way too big on her and they kept
slipping down.

Soon, the lawyer came in and sat down,
“Emily, I’m Kent Pentos. I’m the attorney for your
husband.”

Emily nodded, “Ok.”

“
This room is private, so
we can speak freely. We’ll just get it out in the open that I know
what your husband is, and I know about Council City.”

Emily felt relieved. It would be
easier to talk to him.

“
Mr. Jones is in custody
also…” Kent looked through some piles of papers.

“
Mr. Jones?” Emily asked,
confused.

“
Kyle”

“
Damn.” Emily didn’t know
that Kyle had also been arrested.

“
Here’s the deal. Kyle was
arrested a few years ago for domestic assault and was posing as
Keith. We have pictures to prove that it was Kyle, and that doesn’t
look very good for you. They have the body pinned down to a date of
death between 3 and 12 years ago. They also have the cause of death
listed as blunt-force trauma to the entire body.”

Emily cringed and nodded.

“
From what I’ve seen from
the prosecutor’s files, they are going to try to prove that you and
Kyle killed Keith because of a love-triangle type arrangement.
Obviously, they will pin the actual death on Kyle because of the
extent of damage to the body, but they will try to label you as a
conspirator.” Kent was still looking through photographs and
papers.

“
Kyle didn’t do it,” Emily
whispered, looking at her hands.

“
I know who did it,” Kent
said. “Now, you mentioned something we may be able to use. This…
Sam… if we can get the suspicion turned to him, we may be able to
set both you and Kyle free.”

“
How do we do that
then?”

“
The first thing we do is
clear up the air about you and Kyle. You need to come out as a
couple,” Kent said.

Emily frowned, “Why?”

“
Any jury is going to be
convinced that you two are together. If we fight that, they could
immediately deem anything you say as false. If we play into the
relationship, then you aren’t hiding anything from
them.”

“
I… don’t…” Emily started,
but Kent touched her hand.

“
Chevalier knows, and he
agrees with it. You just need to play up to it. Can you do
that?”

Emily nodded.

“
So now that we’re no
longer hiding that you and Kyle are together, we just need to push
the suspicion onto Sam.” Kent sighed and looked up at Emily, “They
are going to seek the death penalty for this.”

Emily gasped, “They are?”

Kent nodded, “It won’t be for you as
just a conspirator, but they’ll try to hit Kyle with it, just for
the amount of damage done to the body. We obviously can’t let Kyle
be executed, for numerous reasons.”

“
So let me take the fall.
Don’t risk exposing them over this,” Emily said.

“
You
can
be executed, so we’re not going
to do that. If Kyle gets put on death row, we’ll deal with that
then,” Kent said.

“
Will I be going back to
Montana then?”

“
Not right now. We’re
fighting the extradition and trying to get the venue moved here,”
Kent told her.

“
What am I supposed to say
about when Kyle checked me into the hospital as Keith?” That’s the
one question Emily was most afraid of.

“
According to medical
records, both incidents you were unconscious, so we’re going to say
you didn’t know. Kyle has already confessed to identity theft and
said you didn’t know.”

Emily whispered, “He’s just digging
his hole deeper and deeper.”

Kent smiled, “His species can take the
heat, you, my dear, need to stay out of the fire.”

“
Where is Chevalier in all
of this?”

“
Because of his rank, we’re
trying to keep him as far out of this as possible. We’re putting
him more in a father roll for you.”

“
Father?” Emily
frowned.

Kent smiled slightly, “You could
easily pass as his daughter, and that will keep him out of the
spotlight. Your trip to Colorado for 2 months was how he protected
you from Keith’s abuse.”

There was a knock on the door, “5
minutes,” someone yelled.

Kent whispered softly, “Everything
they throw at you, just plead not guilty, and let me do the
rest.”

Emily nodded and she was suddenly
struck with fear. The warden came in and fastened cuffs to her
ankles and then put a chain connecting her handcuffs and ankle
cuffs. Emily walked as best as she could and followed them into a
courtroom that was packed with news reporters and photographers.
She saw Chevalier in the crowd, and he smiled at her briefly. She
also saw Maleth and Zohn beside him, and several members of the
Cavalry all dressed in civilian clothing.

Emily walked over and stood beside
Kyle, who was in a matching orange jumpsuit and was also cuffed.
Emily was in a daze. She found it hard to concentrate as the Judge
came in and was seated. The Judge spoke quickly, and Emily found it
hard to concentrate.

Emily felt Kent pull her arm and she
stood up.

“
Emily Russo, you are being
charged with the following crimes. Please give your plea after each
one is listed,” the Judge said, and thumbed through some papers.
“First is a charge of Second-Degree Murder in the death of Keith
Russo.”

“
Not guilty,” Emily said,
and glanced at Kent. He nodded at her.

“
You are also being charged
with conspiracy to commit murder with Kyle Jones in the death of
Keith Russo.”

“
Not guilty,” she said
again, and felt Kyle nudge her gently.

“
Charges of failure to
report a death in the case of Keith Russo.”

“
Not guilty.” Emily
wondered how long this would go on, how many charges she would get
hit with. She thought briefly how much joy this would have brought
Keith.

“
Charges of unlawfully
disposing of a body,” the Judge continued coldly.

Emily frowned. She suddenly found it
hard to breathe, “Not guilty.”

“
Charges of desecration of
a corpse.”

“
Not guilty.” Her words
came out barely above a whisper.

“
Em, it’s ok… calm down,”
Kyle whispered to her. She looked down at him nervously and he
smiled.

“
Very well,” the Judge
said, and looked at Kent. “Bail is set at $1.5 million.”

Emily cringed.

“
You may sit down, Ms.
Russo.” When the Judge said it, Emily swore to herself that she
would change her last name as soon as she could.

Emily watched as Kyle was sworn in.
She was frustrated at how calm he was.

“
Kyle Jones, you are being
charged with the following crimes. Please give your plea after each
one is listed,” the Judge said. “First is a charge of First Degree
Murder in the death of Keith Russo.”

“
Not guilty,” Kyle said
calmly.

“
Charges of failure to
report a death in the case of Keith Russo.”

“
Not guilty,” Kyle said
again, and smiled reassuringly at Emily.

“
Charges of unlawfully
disposing of a body.”

“
Not guilty.”

The Judge adjusted her glasses,
“Charges of desecration of a corpse?”

“
Not guilty.”

“
Charges of identity theft
in the case of Keith Russo.”

“
Guilty,” Kyle said. Emily
gasped and looked up at him. She didn’t like that he had to take
all of the heat for this.

“
In lieu of the heinousness
of this crime, I’m holding you without bail,” the Judge
said.

“
I object,” Kent said,
standing up.

“
No bail… we’ll see you two
at the trial,” the Judge said, and everyone stood up when she
left.

Emily turned to Kyle, “I don’t
understand.”

“
Means I’m not coming back
until after the trial,” Kyle said, amused.

Emily gasped, “You have to stay
here?”

Kyle nodded and put his hands on her
face and kissed her softly, and then whispered to her, “Keep up
appearances, it’s important.”

Emily nodded and left with the female
warden. She was in her cell for only a few hours before Chevalier
posted her bail, and she was given her clothes so she could
leave.

“
I don’t like leaving him
there,” Emily said as she crawled into the Humvee with
Chevalier.

“
We don’t have a choice,
he’s ok. Looked to me like he was having fun,” Chevalier said, and
smiled at Emily.

“
Aren’t you mad that he
kissed me?”

“
No, it wasn’t very
convincing though. He better start acting in love or he’ll blow
it,” Chevalier told her, and pulled out into traffic.

Emily frowned and rubbed her wrists,
“I hate this.”

“
It’ll be over soon. We
just need to give the lawyers time to pin this on Sam.”

“
Damn I wish he was alive.
I’d order him to confess,” Emily said.

Chevalier chuckled.

Emily turned to him, “How much has
gotten out about Keith and I?”

“
Right now, not much,”
Chevalier said, and turned onto the road for Council City. “It’s
going to come out about the abuse though, that’s part of your
defense.”

Emily turned her head when she felt
her eyes filling up, “All of the abuse?”

“
No, I specified only the
physical and mental abuse was to be mentioned,” Chevalier said, and
took her hand.

“
Can’t you bring Sam back,
and then I won’t have to go to trial and no one will
know?”

“
Sorry, Em, he’s
dead.”

Chevalier pulled up at the farmhouse
outside of the city, “Now the bad news. I was out-voted, and the
Council feels you should stay here.”

Emily looked at the abandoned
farmhouse and sighed, “Nice.”

“
It’s just temporary.
Alexis will be with you, too. We’ve stocked it with everything
you’ll need, and there will be guards hidden around the premises
and in the tunnels,” Chevalier explained, and turned the car
off.

“
They’re saying you’re my
father figure,” Emily said, glaring at the house.

Chevalier chuckled, “I
know.”

“
Why can’t I just go back
to the island?”

“
You aren’t allowed to
leave the state, and this farmhouse is your address. I’ll have the
Durango brought to you, but I’d prefer if you just stay
here.”

Emily stepped out of the Humvee and
walked slowly toward the house. She turned and looked at Chevalier
before walking in and shutting the door.

“
Mommy!” Alexis yelled, and
ran up to her. Emily picked her up and hugged her
tightly.

She watched as Silas left the
farmhouse and got into the Humvee with Chevalier and drove off. She
turned around when she heard a noise and smiled slightly when she
saw the Border collie walk into the room with a ball in his
mouth.

Days slowly turned into weeks as Emily
and Alexis lived in the farmhouse alone. The only people Emily had
seen were the steady stream of reporters taking pictures of the
house. Food was delivered at night, and everyone from Council City
stayed away, protecting their cover.

Emily sat up at night and watched out
the window toward the dark woods where the city was hidden. She
waited for someone to come and tell her what was going on. Even her
lawyer ignored her calls, and she didn’t know if a trial date had
been set. Emily felt abandoned and alone, and it started to take a
toll. Soon, she was no longer hungry, and the long nights were
sleepless.

Emily and Alexis spent their days
watching the news. Updated information on the pending case against
her and Kyle was no longer headline, and the reporters had moved on
to more recent matters. The two in the farmhouse played games to
help pass the time, and started to teach Ford new tricks to keep
him busy.

Emily jumped when the phone rang. She
ran and answered it, “Hello?”

“
It’s Kent.”

“
It’s about time,” Emily
scowled.