Elizabeth sat comfortably in the back seat of her father’s Cadillac staring out the window as she listened to her parents lovingly bicker back and forth. Visibility was weakened due to the falling snow. No one was happy to return to Ohio earlier than expected, especially with the first winter storm arriving so soon.
Sighing as she placed her head on the headrest, she could hear slight frustration in her mother’s voice. “Desmond, all I’m saying is, James could have been more understanding. There is no reason you could not have handled this through a video conference with the client. Four more days and you would have been back in the office. We’re on vacation, Des.”
“Marybeth, I’ve tried to explain it to you and I’ve apologized. What more would you like me to do?”
“Frankly? I’d like you to sell your portion and retire. Elizabeth needs us.”
Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth chimed in. “Mom, please don’t bring me into this.”
Her father grunted. “Elizabeth will be fine. She’s a Strong.”
Perking up in her seat, she reminded her parents, “Hello! I am right here, you know?”
With concern in her voice, Marybeth said, “Des, you might want to slow down dear. Des, slow down, please!”
Moving to the center of the backseat so she could see better, Elizabeth questioned her parents, “What’s going on?”
Her father pressed on the brakes repeatedly before he began to panic. “The brakes aren’t working!”
There was desperation in her mother’s voice as she braced herself. “Desmond? Des-mooond!”
In slow motion, Elizabeth witnessed the vehicle slide sideways into a pile of snow covered, mangled metal in the middle of the highway. Her head violently swinging forward then back again. The gut-wrenching sound of the shattered windshield rang in her ears as shards of glass flew through the car towards her face like glistening chunks of ice, mixed with flakes of snow. With the first slice of her skin, she woke abruptly, her fingernail catching her cheek as she swiftly pushed her sleep mask from her eyes to her forehead. “Mom!” she screamed looking for comfort.
The cold air shook the windows. Elizabeth squinted at the clock on her nightstand. 7:10 am. She’d overslept. “Shit!” With no time to feel sorry for herself, she flung the blankets off her body, leapt out of bed, and ran to the coffee pot. It had already shut itself off. She poured the brewed coffee back into the water well and turned the pot back on before hustling to the bathroom. Pinning her long blonde hair into a clip, she quickly rinsed herself in the shower.
Shivering as she dried herself off, she pulled a white sailor sweater over her head and jumped into a pair of skinny khakis before brushing her hair and placing minimal makeup on her face. Her toes began to cringe at the cold tile floor, making her dash to the bedroom for a pair of warm socks and her ankle boots. Ready in record time, she poured herself a cup of coffee into a to-go mug, threw on her pea coat, grabbed her bag, and headed out the door.
The dead leaves rattled between her feet as she ran to the car. Jumping in on the driver’s side, she turned the key to the ignition. The engine struggled, making her pump the gas pedal a couple times. “Come on baby, not today.” The reality of the nightmare seeping back into her mind, tears began to well in her eyes. Please not today, please not today, she silently begged as she took a deep breath. As the engine started to rev, she nailed the gas pedal again and switched the heater on high with a sigh of relief. After giving the old car a chance to heat up, she headed to downtown Silverton, Ohio. Driving well over the speed limit, she made it to the office with minutes to spare.
She hustled into the building towards the elevator. It was currently on the fifth floor. While she was waiting, she began to smell White Diamonds wafting through the air. Rolling her eyes, an older lady from the tax map office walked up beside her to wait. “Good morning!” she said with enthusiasm. The scent of the perfume began to choke Elizabeth. Afraid of opening her mouth, she smiled and nodded at the woman, wondering if she would be able to hold her breath to the second floor where the lady would exit. It didn’t matter, the stench would last until lunchtime.
Reaching the top floor, she exited the elevator taking in a deep breath and rushing to the front lobby of the office. Andrea smiled at her from behind the bulletproof glass and didn’t hesitate to buzz her in. Feeling a little less stressed, she slowed her pace a bit. Walking past Peggy Cabot’s office, a wave of dread washed over her as she heard Peggy call out, “Elizabeth?” Stopping dead in her tracks, Elizabeth closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Shit! This morning just keeps getting better.
As she opened her eyes, she took a couple steps back into Peggy’s doorway. Before she could speak, Peggy cocked her head with her nose in the air and said, “Nice of you to join us.”
China sat in one of the chairs in front of Peggy’s desk, her legs crossed and nicely manicured hands set neatly atop her knees. She was careful not to catch Elizabeth’s eyes for fear of giving a rude look that Peggy might witness.
It suddenly came back to her the email that was sent out the previous afternoon requesting a morning meeting. “Sorry, had a little car trouble. Just let me set down my things?”
Crossing her hands in front of her, Peggy’s face was stiff. “Sure, we’ll just wait on you.”
Clearing her throat, China chimed in. “You know, I actually think I left a file in my office. I’ll be right back.”
Peggy huffed as she heard their whispers down the hall.
Elizabeth looked at China and shook her head. “God, can she be any worse?”
Flinging a piece of her bangs out of her eye, China said, “Try sitting in her office in complete silence for five minutes while she checks her watch continuously.”
“Ewe. Sorry. I really did have car trouble. After I woke up late.”
“Whatever you do, don’t tell her that. I think I need to visit the little-girls room, make her wait a few more minutes.” She laughed.
Elizabeth giggled. “You’re terrible.”
Reaching her office door, China looked back and winked at her friend. “Hey, somebody’s gotta keep the balance.”
Elizabeth set her things on her desk, took off her coat, and gathered her docket before returning to Peggy’s office. As she sat down Peggy sarcastically asked, “All set or do you need more time to prepare?” Attempting to peek out the door she further inquired, “Where did Mia go?”
Trying not to show her frustration, Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. She laughed to herself at the fact Peggy was still forced to call China by her real name. An agonizing minute later, they could hear China’s clogs coming down the hall. She sat down and shook her highlighted brown hair back from her shoulders. “Whew! Sorry, the coffee is flowing this morning!”
Peggy wasn’t the least bit amused. Her cold brown eyes slowly moved from China’s face down to her desk, focusing on the docket in her hands. “So, as you’re both aware, today I’ll be taking over all the cases that have been moved from municipal court to common pleas. We have grand jury coming up in a few of them and I need you both to bring me up to speed on these cases.”
China immediately spoke up. “I’m sorry, Peggy, but if that’s the case, wouldn’t our time be better served if you brought us in separately and went over the cases one on one?” While Peggy wasn’t looking, she winked at Elizabeth again.
Irritated with China’s assertiveness, Peggy tilted her head back, lightly shook her bottle-blonde, 80s-rock-band hair, and stuck her nose in the air while trying to remain in charge of the meeting. “Well, Mia, in order to discuss each case, first I need to know exactly who has been working on what.”
Elizabeth had grown tired of Peggy singling China out for everything. It was a valid question. She was also sick to death of her overall demeanor and snotty attitude. She couldn’t stay silent any longer. “Peggy, correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you the Director of Victim Services? Shouldn’t you know who has what case?”
Peggy looked down and took a breath, smirking sideways. She turned to her printer, made a of copy of her docket and handed one to each of them. “I’ve highlighted the relevant cases. Pull your files and leave them on my desk.” Not making eye contact, she immersed herself in the file in front of her.
Elizabeth remained seated. “I’m really not comfortable with this new system, Peggy. I mean, we should be following these individuals through to the end of their case.”
Peggy shot her an unhappy look. “I frankly don’t care what you’re comfortable with, Elizabeth. I’ll run my division how I see fit. I think we’re done here.”
Thinking only about the concern for her victims, Elizabeth continued, “Can we at least talk about this? I have a specific victim who has grand jury testimony today. I’ve been working with her for some time now and she’s expecting me to be in court.”
Without looking up from her desk, Peggy said, “That will be all. I’ll let you know if I have any questions about the cases.”
China and Elizabeth looked at each other in awe. Peggy finally looked at both of them. “Don’t you have work to do?” Her eyes returned to her desk.
China’s slanted eyes were wide with surprise as her lips silently told Elizabeth ‘wow’. They both rose from their seats and quickly retreated down the hall towards their own offices.
Stomping her feet as she walked, Elizabeth looked to China and shook her head stating out loud, “This is bullshit.” She took a B-line to her office and began slamming things. China slid into one of the chairs in front of Elizabeth’s desk.
“Liz, I appreciate you sticking up for me in there, but don’t risk your job for me. I’m a big girl. I don’t need you coming to my rescue.”
She stopped for a moment, sat down at her desk, and took a breath. “I wasn’t trying to come to your rescue, China. You had a valid question with what seemed to be a logical and more efficient way of doing it. I have valid concerns for my victim who is already deathly afraid to come forward. This new system sucks and it reeks of a power trip on Peggy’s part.”
“Well, I can’t disagree with you there but I don’t think there’s much we can do about it at this point.”
Elizabeth’s face lit up with confidence. “Wanna bet?” She rose from her chair, grabbing a file from the desk before charging out the door.
Dread washed over China as she said, “Oh shit,” and quickly retreated to her office to avoid any kind of fallout.
Marching down the hall and through the main office, Elizabeth was focused, making eye contact with no one. The secretaries followed the brush of air as she passed. Sensing trouble, they looked at each other and quickly went back to their work. Reaching Marilyn’s Bennett’s office, Elizabeth crossed the threshold as she knocked on the door.
Standing behind her desk, Marilyn was packing her briefcase in preparation for court. Her tired but cheerful face looked at Elizabeth. “What’s up kiddo?”
Grabbing onto the door handle and shutting it slightly behind her, she asked for permission. “May I?”
Knowing the tone presented, Marilyn quietly sighed to herself and stopped what she was doing. “Elizabeth, I have a very busy morning.”
Unapologetic, she closed the door. “I know, but this is really important.”
Picking through the files on her desk, she lent her ear. “Make it quick.”
Relieved, she didn’t hesitate. “Okay, Sara Brewer. Her husband’s case is going before grand jury today?”
Stopping the search for her file, she tilted her head in thought. “Sara Brewer.”
“Couple months ago, he beat the hell out of her, chained her wrists together before dragging her out to the woods behind their house. Neighbors called for help and deputies showed up just in time before he likely shot her in the head?”
The memory sickened her. Curling the corner of mouth she said, “Yeah. I think one more grey hair popped out on that one.”
Elizabeth nodded her head, her grey-blue eyes boring into Marilyn’s as they made contact. “Exactly.”
Knowing the sensitive nature of the case, Marilyn gave her undivided attention.
Her heart pumping a little faster, Elizabeth hoped she could convey her argument as passionately as she felt it. Taking a quick breath, she released it and her hands began to move in sync with her lips as the words flowed. “I’ve been working with Sara since the arrest, Marilyn. This woman went through hell. The bruising on her wrists took over a month to disappear.” She paused allowing the severity to sink in for a moment. Counting on her fingers one by one, she continued. “She’s been at a safe house since the incident, I’ve given her numerous resources, we’ve developed a safety plan, I’ve been to every hearing with her -”
Marilyn propped one arm up by the other and stuck the tip of her pen in between her teeth, squinting intently revealing the crow’s feet behind her glasses.
Taking a short breath, Elizabeth drove it home. “Sara trusts me. She’s expecting me to be at grand jury for her.” Her heart was pounding. Anxious, maybe even a little paranoid, she wondered to herself, Did I just get too cocky?
Marilyn briefly paused, withdrew the pen from her mouth and clicked the end of it before matter-of-factly stating, “Peggy wants the case.”
Almost regretting her decision, she confirmed her bosses’ suspicions. “Look, I’m not trying to step on anyone’s toes here. I understand there’s been some restructuring and a new chain of command, but this situation is delicate. My victim? Even more so.” Again, she quickly inhaled and exhaled, staving off the unease and hoping Marilyn didn’t notice.
With hesitation in her voice, she gave the go-ahead. “Alright. Follow it to grand jury. Peggy’s not going to be happy, but I think I’m with you on this one.”
Sighing with a sense of relief and accomplishment, Elizabeth said, “Thank you, Marilyn. You won’t regret it. I promise.”
Walking back to her office, she smiled inside trying hard not to let her victory overshadow her purpose. Of course Peggy was going to be upset. She’s going to be downright pissed! She giggled and then reminded herself, Screw Peggy. This isn’t about her.
Gathering her things, she noticed China had already left for court. She glanced at her phone realizing she only had fifteen minutes before Judge Bennett began his strict nine o’clock docket. Shit! She turned to walk out and was startled by Peggy’s presence. “Cheese and rice!”
Unapologetic, Peggy stood there, batted her eyes and looked down her nose. “I’m still waiting for those files.”
Sighing, she picked up a couple files from the corner of her desk and handed them to Peggy, giving her a half smile.
Flipping the file tabs, Peggy paused for a moment. “There should be one more. Sara Brewer?”
A shock wave went through Elizabeth’s chest expecting a confrontation of sorts. Taking a breath, she courageously said, “Actually, I’ll be taking care of Sara at grand jury.”
Peggy pulled her chin into her chest like a turtle retreating into its shell. “Excuse me?”
Her heart beating a little faster, Elizabeth looked at her phone once more. “Sorry, I have to get to Muni. I cleared everything with Marilyn, so I would see her if you have any questions. I guess I’ll see you at grand jury?” Walking out the door she left Peggy standing there looking confused and disgusted.
Wasting no time, she hustled out of the office and drove a few blocks to municipal court. The parking lot being rather bare, she parked as close to the doors as she could. With her blood still pumping from the thrill of triumph, the cold November air failed to affect her much until a large gust followed her through the heavy double door as she entered the lobby.
Shaking off the chill, Elizabeth noticed a woman digging in the bottom the large bag hanging from her shoulder. Her long red hair slightly covered the woman’s face until she looked up right as Elizabeth passed. Their mutual smiles quickly faded as their eyes locked and time stood still for a moment, while feelings of guilt and resentment flowed from one gaze to the other.
Managing to muster a half smile, Elizabeth remained focused and continued on her path to the courtroom. As she looked back, Danielle DuPont quickly went back to searching in her bag as if the encounter didn’t faze her. But it fazed both of them. Elizabeth felt sorry for Danielle because her life was nearly ruined by sleeping with the wrong woman’s husband. Danielle felt sorry for Elizabeth because her life was changed forever and Danielle could have helped ease the blow of the consequences. They were forever tied to each other in more ways than one.
Releasing a quick breath, Elizabeth’s heels clicked faster, echoing off of the marble floor. She entered the courtroom as quietly as she could, trying not to bring any attention to herself. It was all for naught.
“Good morning Miss Strong! Glad you could join us.”
Embarrassed by Judge Bennett’s tone, she slid into her seat at the table facing his bench. China shot her a warning look before joining her victim in front of the judge. It was quiet for a Monday. With the closing of the amusement park and the onset of winter, only a handful of people sat in wait for their case to be heard. With the holidays right around the corner, the lull wouldn’t last for long.
Elizabeth reviewed her docket attempting to forget about her encounter with Danielle. This town is way too small sometimes. There were only three domestic violence charges over the weekend, which meant she could leave early enough to meet Sara and prepare for grand jury.
While highlighting relevant parts of her copies of police reports, she heard the door to the courtroom open behind her. Glancing up at Judge Bennett, she noticed him look towards the door and nod his head without straying from his recital of the current charges against the defendant standing in front of his bench. Turning her head, Elizabeth was pleased to see Angel Martinez peeking his head in and motioning for the permission from the judge to speak with her. Then, he signaled her to follow him into the lobby.
Happy to oblige, she first glanced up at the judge to make sure it was okay considering she was already late to court. The judge didn’t miss a beat as he continued explaining the defendant’s rights and the next steps in the case, barely acknowledging the partial interruption. Elizabeth entered the lobby and Martinez was standing against the wall smiling at her. He wore his typical black SPD polo and a pair of dark jeans. It all blended well with his light brown skin and dark hair closely cropped to his head. The mere sight of him sent her heart into a frenzy.
“Well good morning, handsome.”
“How are you, mi belleza blanca?” He smiled wide. His teeth, even and white, contrasted perfectly against his skin tone.
She pulled her blonde hair over one shoulder and tilted her head in agony. “Oh my gosh, you can’t imagine how much better I am seeing your smiling face.”
His brows drew together with concern.
Slightly batting her lashes and shaking her head, she explained, “I’m alright. It’s been an extremely bizarre, nerve-racking morning. I can tell you all about it over dinner. Say five o’clock?”
“Never thought you’d ask.” Putting his hand at the small of her back, they began to walk toward the big steel door separating the police station lobby from the hallway outside the courtroom. “You’re going to grand jury for the Brewer case, right?”
They stopped just outside the doorway and she drew a breath before answering. “Oh, I’ll be there,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “That’s a whole other story.”
He playfully put his hand in the air to stop her. “Wait, don’t tell me. Your victim doesn’t want to testify now?”
Smirking, she replied, “No, nothing like that. Peggy wanted to take the case from me, so I went over her head and convinced Marilyn into letting me keep it.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“Wow. Nice work. Peggy’s probably a little bent, huh?”
“I’m assuming! Honestly, I don’t care. But it will be interesting to say the least.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but then again, she already has a reputation around here. None of the guys are too impressed.”
“Like I said, whatever. I should really get back, Bennett’s not too happy I was a little late.”
“Damn, why didn’t you say anything? I wouldn’t - ”
Stopping him mid-sentence, she placed her hand on his arm and said, “It’s fine. I’ll see you at Common Pleas, okay?”
Giving her a sexy wink and smile, he disappeared into the police station.