30-07-2026, 04:29 PM
Two women bailiffs approached her. I walked over as they did. She stared at me as if she didn’t know who I was. It was one thing to expect to serve the balance of your life in prison. Another for it to be made real. She probably was beginning to go into shock.
“Judy,” I said softly enough that only she and Lew could hear me. “You might live to leave prison. You’re a pretty healthy lady. But you won’t be that well off. Carroll’s children are challenging the will, and with your conviction against you, I’d say they have a good chance of taking every dollar away from you. I’d watch my pennies if I was you.”
That shocked her back to reality. “Why do you hate me, Maitland?”
“I don’t hate you, Judy. Actually I feel sorry for you. If you’d hung in there another year or two, he’d have died and you’d have gotten most of his money. You’d still have been young enough to enjoy spending it. There are some hot 70-year-olds. And 70-year-olds worth millions don’t have any trouble finding playmates.
“But you got greedy. And impatient. Think about that for the next ten years as you go to sleep in a bunk bed with some interesting bunkmates.”
As the bailiffs led her away, Lew said from behind me, “That was cold, Bill.” “She’s doing better than Clark Carroll. But...”
I turned to face him. He’d bent over to collect papers he was shuffling into a briefcase.
“Are you alright, Lew?” “Why?”
“You just don’t seem like yourself, today. Where’s the old swagger? Where is the Shark we’ve all grown to know and laugh at?”
He gave me a mild smile at the jibe but there was definitely something wrong.
“Maybe you just beat the swagger out of me. The Angel of Death took me out.”
“Hell, I’ve beaten you before and you didn’t act like your best friend died.
Level with me. What is it?”
“I just...it’s nothing, Bill. Just take a few bows and prepare your concession speech because the next time you go up against me, it will be me handing you your head.”
“I hate to say this to a professional, but you’re a piss poor liar. C’mon man, this is me. You want to go somewhere for a coffee? I can take the rest of the day off if you want to knock back a few cold ones.”
He shook his head.
“Sorry, Bill. I have a few things to do and then I have to get ready to fly out. I’ve got a case they just called me in on in San Fran. A big payday and I need some time to prepare for opening motions. I have to leave tonight.”
I knew to a certainty there was something wrong. Talk of big money didn’t rouse a smile. That wasn’t Lew. But someone tapped me on the shoulder. As I turned, Heather McDonald smiled and hugged me.
“I’m sorry I was late. I wanted to be here for the actual sentencing but I had to make a meeting of detectives. But they just told me. Ten years. I guess that’s acceptable, right?”
“She’ll be nearly 80 when she gets out. I think Pizaro figured that was enough, if she even makes it out. And I just told her Carroll’s kids will probably succeed in breaking their father’s will, so when she does get out she won’t be a pauper, but she won’t be any multi-millionaire. All in all, I think she had a pretty shitty day.”
She licked her lips and I just smiled. She knew what she was doing, as her answering smile showed.
“Congratulations, Bill. You did good.”
“We did good. I wrote a memo to Knight praising you to the skies, although right now I don’t think praise from me is going to do you any favors over at the cop shop. Didn’t anyone tell you that you shouldn’t be seen talking to me.”
“I know what’s going on, Bill. But a lot of us don’t think Knight should be putting the whole department and its reputation behind a guy who shot a man in the back. You still have friends there.”
“Thanks, Heather, but you should keep your head down. Don’t get in the middle on this one because it could get ugly.”
“I won’t be signing any petitions, but remember if you need a friend, just pick up the phone. Oh, by the way...”
She turned slightly as a tall, dark haired young guy who just had the look of a plainclothes detective walked up to stand beside her. The looks they exchanged told me the story.
“Mr. Maitland, this is Detective Rob Goland. He’s in homicide. Rob, this is Bill Maitland, the guy I was telling you about. The best prosecutor in the state.”
He reached out and I shook his head. He smiled but he moved to put himself slightly between us. He was letting me know who she belonged to. She gave me a little contented grin.
“Glad to meet you, Mr. Maitland. Heather has told me all about you.” From behind his back she mouthed, “not all.”
“Well, I appreciate the kind words but she’s the one that really put Judy Jacobsen away. Not me. She’s very good at what she does.”
She couldn’t help shaking her head a little bit at that, but the kid didn’t pick up on it. I doubt he was thirty. More like twenty five or twenty six.
“Mr. Maitland, I just wanted to come by to check on the verdict. We’ve got to run. We’re going to grab a bite. Rob, would you go on ahead and grab a car and pick me up at the front. I just need to take care of one more piece of business with Mr. Maitland.”
“Sure. See you later, Mr. Maitland.”
After he left the courtroom, she moved closer and said, “I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to get back together, Bill. I’ve missed...you know.”
“Yeah, but...right now I’m involved. So...”
She reached out and again I shook a hand. This time she held my own between hers and squeezed. It looked professional.
“I understand, Bill. I didn’t expect it to be anything more than a one-time thing. And, really, I couldn’t do much now. Rob and I. we’re uh..”
“He’s a good looking guy. But he’s lucky to have a hot item like you to hang with. Isn’t he a little old for you, though.”
“Smart alec. What can I say. It’s the older woman thing. Love it.”
“Well, Heather, go on and have your ‘dinner.’ But seriously, don’t get involved in this Shawn Smith thing. You have to live and work in that department, and right now I’m poison. You take care of yourself. I’ll be fine.”
I was the only one left except for a single court reporter finishing up her work, and one lone bailiff who apparently didn’t have anywhere else to be. I still felt funny about Lew so I headed down to Starbucks and realized I’d gotten lucky when I saw him grabbing a coffee and turning around to leave the courthouse.
He shook his head and just looked at the floor.
“God knows I’m not an expert in keeping marriages together, but, you don’t think you guys should be talking? Maybe see somebody?”
“Right now, she...uh....doesn’t want that much to do with me. We....I didn’t take the news well.”
“Judy,” I said softly enough that only she and Lew could hear me. “You might live to leave prison. You’re a pretty healthy lady. But you won’t be that well off. Carroll’s children are challenging the will, and with your conviction against you, I’d say they have a good chance of taking every dollar away from you. I’d watch my pennies if I was you.”
That shocked her back to reality. “Why do you hate me, Maitland?”
“I don’t hate you, Judy. Actually I feel sorry for you. If you’d hung in there another year or two, he’d have died and you’d have gotten most of his money. You’d still have been young enough to enjoy spending it. There are some hot 70-year-olds. And 70-year-olds worth millions don’t have any trouble finding playmates.
“But you got greedy. And impatient. Think about that for the next ten years as you go to sleep in a bunk bed with some interesting bunkmates.”
As the bailiffs led her away, Lew said from behind me, “That was cold, Bill.” “She’s doing better than Clark Carroll. But...”
I turned to face him. He’d bent over to collect papers he was shuffling into a briefcase.
“Are you alright, Lew?” “Why?”
“You just don’t seem like yourself, today. Where’s the old swagger? Where is the Shark we’ve all grown to know and laugh at?”
He gave me a mild smile at the jibe but there was definitely something wrong.
“Maybe you just beat the swagger out of me. The Angel of Death took me out.”
“Hell, I’ve beaten you before and you didn’t act like your best friend died.
Level with me. What is it?”
“I just...it’s nothing, Bill. Just take a few bows and prepare your concession speech because the next time you go up against me, it will be me handing you your head.”
“I hate to say this to a professional, but you’re a piss poor liar. C’mon man, this is me. You want to go somewhere for a coffee? I can take the rest of the day off if you want to knock back a few cold ones.”
He shook his head.
“Sorry, Bill. I have a few things to do and then I have to get ready to fly out. I’ve got a case they just called me in on in San Fran. A big payday and I need some time to prepare for opening motions. I have to leave tonight.”
I knew to a certainty there was something wrong. Talk of big money didn’t rouse a smile. That wasn’t Lew. But someone tapped me on the shoulder. As I turned, Heather McDonald smiled and hugged me.
“I’m sorry I was late. I wanted to be here for the actual sentencing but I had to make a meeting of detectives. But they just told me. Ten years. I guess that’s acceptable, right?”
“She’ll be nearly 80 when she gets out. I think Pizaro figured that was enough, if she even makes it out. And I just told her Carroll’s kids will probably succeed in breaking their father’s will, so when she does get out she won’t be a pauper, but she won’t be any multi-millionaire. All in all, I think she had a pretty shitty day.”
She licked her lips and I just smiled. She knew what she was doing, as her answering smile showed.
“Congratulations, Bill. You did good.”
“We did good. I wrote a memo to Knight praising you to the skies, although right now I don’t think praise from me is going to do you any favors over at the cop shop. Didn’t anyone tell you that you shouldn’t be seen talking to me.”
“I know what’s going on, Bill. But a lot of us don’t think Knight should be putting the whole department and its reputation behind a guy who shot a man in the back. You still have friends there.”
“Thanks, Heather, but you should keep your head down. Don’t get in the middle on this one because it could get ugly.”
“I won’t be signing any petitions, but remember if you need a friend, just pick up the phone. Oh, by the way...”
She turned slightly as a tall, dark haired young guy who just had the look of a plainclothes detective walked up to stand beside her. The looks they exchanged told me the story.
“Mr. Maitland, this is Detective Rob Goland. He’s in homicide. Rob, this is Bill Maitland, the guy I was telling you about. The best prosecutor in the state.”
He reached out and I shook his head. He smiled but he moved to put himself slightly between us. He was letting me know who she belonged to. She gave me a little contented grin.
“Glad to meet you, Mr. Maitland. Heather has told me all about you.” From behind his back she mouthed, “not all.”
“Well, I appreciate the kind words but she’s the one that really put Judy Jacobsen away. Not me. She’s very good at what she does.”
She couldn’t help shaking her head a little bit at that, but the kid didn’t pick up on it. I doubt he was thirty. More like twenty five or twenty six.
“Mr. Maitland, I just wanted to come by to check on the verdict. We’ve got to run. We’re going to grab a bite. Rob, would you go on ahead and grab a car and pick me up at the front. I just need to take care of one more piece of business with Mr. Maitland.”
“Sure. See you later, Mr. Maitland.”
After he left the courtroom, she moved closer and said, “I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to get back together, Bill. I’ve missed...you know.”
“Yeah, but...right now I’m involved. So...”
She reached out and again I shook a hand. This time she held my own between hers and squeezed. It looked professional.
“I understand, Bill. I didn’t expect it to be anything more than a one-time thing. And, really, I couldn’t do much now. Rob and I. we’re uh..”
“He’s a good looking guy. But he’s lucky to have a hot item like you to hang with. Isn’t he a little old for you, though.”
“Smart alec. What can I say. It’s the older woman thing. Love it.”
“Well, Heather, go on and have your ‘dinner.’ But seriously, don’t get involved in this Shawn Smith thing. You have to live and work in that department, and right now I’m poison. You take care of yourself. I’ll be fine.”
I was the only one left except for a single court reporter finishing up her work, and one lone bailiff who apparently didn’t have anywhere else to be. I still felt funny about Lew so I headed down to Starbucks and realized I’d gotten lucky when I saw him grabbing a coffee and turning around to leave the courthouse.
“Lew.”
“Now you’re following me? You’re not getting a crush on me, are you? That would be sticky, to say the least.”
He sounded more like himself, but not enough.
“Lew, we’ve been friends for a long time. I’m not trying to pry, really, but is there anything I can help with. Professionally or personally?”
He stopped by the doors to the outside and took a sip of coffee.
“No. Your antenna are good as always, but this isn’t anything you can bring your powers to bear on.”
“Personal?” He nodded.
“It’s Mona. Mona and you. You remember the first thing you said when I called you about Debbie and me splitting. So I’ll ask you. Did you do something stupid?”He shook his head and just looked at the floor.
“Tell me or I’ll just keep bugging the hell out of you until you do.”
Keeping his eyes down, he said, “You know Mona and I......we’ve been trying. for kids. For awhile.”
“Yeah, although I wonder about your sanity sometimes. Sorry. I know it’s not funny for you.”
“Well....we uh....found out.... not too long ago.”
“What?”
“It’s Mona. She can’t. you know. So it’s over.”
Neither one of us said anything for a moment. “Have you thought about-“
“It’s over, Bill. It’s over.” He met my stare.
“It’s uh—things have been tense since then. But...we’ll get through it. Right now, it kind of...seems like I should be giving her a little space. That’s why I’m taking the case. She’s been out of the country for a little while. We just need some time.”“God knows I’m not an expert in keeping marriages together, but, you don’t think you guys should be talking? Maybe see somebody?”
“Right now, she...uh....doesn’t want that much to do with me. We....I didn’t take the news well.”
He took another sip and then said, “I do have to go, Bill. I’ll be in touch.” I grabbed his arm before he could push the door open.
“I’d talk to Mona if you wanted me to. Sometimes an outside party....................................................................................... ”
“Just leave it alone, Bill. You have enough on your plate. We’ll be alright.” And he was gone.
I just stood there looking at the streams of people entering and leaving. How many of them had good marriages. Or relationships? How the hell did men and women ever manage to stay together?Like, Comment and Give Rating.
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