Author's Note: Here's the arraignment of David Slade...along with Julie's symptoms, all of which will bring more challenges...
Part 2 - Secrets and Surprises
Punctual as usual, Pete arrived at the Bennett ranch at exactly 6:45... Right between 6:30 and 7. He parked the Woody right in front, behind Julie's Celica, then got his overnight bag. Climbing up the stairs and onto the porch he rang the bell...
Hannah opened the door. "Hello, Mr. Pete we've expected you."
He smiled politely. "Hi Hannah."
She let him in and just descending the stairs Julie met him. Consulting her watch as she came to the door, she said, "Like you said, between 6:30 and 7:00. On the dot...just like always."
With his engaging grin in place, Pete shrugged and quipped, "I'm too old to change now, angel."
Hannah took his bag and headed upstairs while Julie came up to him. "It's so good to see you," she murmured.
She planted her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward for a kiss. Eagerly accepting the gesture, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight against him as his mouth opened to hers. The kiss was soft, lingering...but subtly pulsated with restrained hunger and desire. However, aware of the need to be discreet after a few sultry minutes...they reluctantly drew apart...
Julie said, "Knowing you were coming Melissa wanted to rush right down here as soon as she heard the doorbell ring. But, she's been working on an art project and is covered with poster paint so I had her go into the bathroom to clean up so she wouldn't cover you."
Pete laughed and said, "I wouldn't have minded. Most of the time on the weekend, I'm covered head to toe with grease from working on the Charger."
"Still-,"
She was interrupted by the sound of impatient six-year old feet charging down the hardwood staircase. A small bundle of blonde energy named Melissa raced over to Pete and Julie..nearly colliding with them...
Breathless, she exclaimed, "Hi Pete!"
"Whoa there!"
Pete grabbed hold of Melissa as she barreled into her mother, nearly toppling over as she slid on the polished floor. "Easy honey...put on the brakes before you hurt yourself."
"Melissa!" Julie gasped. "Be careful, you nearly knocked us over."
"Okay Mommy." Melissa then looked up at their visitor. "So how long are you staying with us this time?
"Only a few days this time...then, I'll be back for Christmas," Pete replied, smiling down on her.
"Oh good! Maybe you'll help trim our tree...please?" She beseeched with her own version of Julie's smile...her blue eyes sparkling and he was enchanted.
"Alright sweetheart." His bright blue eyes twinkled back.
Julie smiled as she saw her daughter glow, basking in the adult attention she was getting. "Melissa, please go in the kitchen and tell Hannah we're coming in and will be ready for supper," she directed.
"Okay." She looked up at Pete again and added, "Mommy and I wanted to wait for you 'til we eat."
Pete laughed and said, "Well, that's good 'cause I'm starving."
Melissa flashed a shy smile then pirouetted and scampered toward the kitchen.
Julie raised an amused brow. "Looks like you've scored another conquest...and it looks like you're a little smitten yourself."
Pete shook his head and remarked, "Wow, she is gonna break more than a few hearts with those eyes."
Julie smiled as she concurred, "Yeah, Dan used to say he was going to have to keep a loaded shotgun near the door for the first time some boy comes to take her out." She sighed and added, "Just to make sure he stayed in line...he was determined to protect her."
"I can see why...with those amazing eyes and all she has of you, there will be guys lined up from here to the coast," he stated as he picked up her hand to bring it to his lips. "She's beautiful...just like you."
Their eyes locked and for a moment the world disappeared...Then...
"Mommy! Pete! Supper's ready!" Melissa's voice sang out.
Julie shrugged. "Coming!"
Chuckling, Pete took her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm to lead her into the dining room...
During supper, Pete couldn't help noticing that Melissa was a regular chatterbox...most of the time. She talked about school, Honeybees and the big Christmas pageant at the church. But in between these bursts of chatter, she would glance around nervously, as if expecting someone to come in and do something. Another thing he noticed was Julie...
Although she tried to conceal them with make up, it was apparent that she had deep circles under her eyes...indicating to him that she was not getting enough sleep. He remembered her mentioning a bit of dizziness earlier and decided that while he was here, he would see to it that she had proper rest. They've both been through hell Pete told himself and I'm gonna make sure they're alright...
Julie, on her side was aware of Pete's subtle scrutiny of her and inside her determination to keep him from getting overly concerned steeled. She could see that he was surreptitiously studying her throughout the meal and when her eyes caught him, he busied himself with his food or asked Melissa a question. She was especially glad that her daughter wanted to monopolize Pete's attention because if it were just the two of them, he would be relentless...using his keen deductive skills to pinpoint a reason and solution that would have him taking charge, putting everything in his own life on hold...again.
As they finished dessert, an excited Melissa offered to take Pete into the barn to show him their Christmas tree. Eager to please her, he immediately got up when she grabbed his hands and pulled him up.
"C'mon Pete, wait 'til you see it...it's even bigger than last year's," Melissa insisted.
"Okay honey." He glanced over at Julie who shook her head with a chuckle.
"Alright Melissa… But not too long, because you have to get to bed, tomorrow's a school day."
"Okay Mommy." She pulled Pete with her.
After they headed out, Hannah came into the dining room to clear away the dishes. Julie got up to help and picked up the empty glasses to take into the kitchen, causing the housekeeper to protest...
"Miss Julie, you don't have to do this...you can stay and entertain Mr. Pete."
Shaking her head Julie brought the glasses over to the sink to rinse before placing them in the dishwasher. "Oh no Hannah, I want to give you a hand... Besides, Melissa dragged him into the barn to see our Christmas tree"
To prove her point she reached over for a pile of dishes to take to the dishwasher. However she suddenly felt her head spin and the dishes fell from her hands and crashed on the floor as she grabbed the counter for support.
"Oh damn it!" Julie exclaimed as two dishes shattered on the kitchen tile.
Hannah rushed over. "Land sakes Miss Julie... Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm okay, Hannah." She reached to pick up the shards but the older woman stopped her.
"Leave this to me." Hannah leaned in and studied Julie carefully, with an odd expression. "Miss Julie-," she began then just kept quiet.
Julie met Hannah's eyes and instantly knew what she was thinking. And to be honest with herself, Julie had been thinking the same thing. However, her period was due in about four days so she wanted to make sure that what they were both thinking was out of the question. With Hannah's help she got to her feet, just as Pete and Melissa returned, entering the kitchen through the back door...
"Mommy, I showed Pete our Christmas tree... And he promised he'd come and help us put it up and decorate it."
Julie smiled at both of them. "Are you sure you have the time?"
Pete replied with a grin, "No sweat, angel. I'm happy to do it." He then zeroed in on the shattered china on the floor that Hannah was in the process of sweeping up. "So what happened here?"
"Oh just a little accident...no big deal." She dismissed it and briskly said to her daughter, "Come on Melissa...time for bed." She hustled her out and with a perplexed shrug Pete followed her...
After they had both seen Melissa to bed, tucking her in for the night, Pete and Julie went into the parlor, where he started a fire in the fireplace. Once he had the blaze going, he went over to the sofa to sit by Julie.
"Ummm," she approved. "The fire's nice...thanks."
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders he gazed at her. "So...are you gonna come clean and tell me what happened in the kitchen?" he asked softly.
She met the probing blue orbs pinning her. "Nothing."
"Uh-humm." He ran a finger tracing gently over her lips. "Now, why don't I believe you?"
"You're just not going to let up, are you?"
He pondered the question. "Ummm...not a chance."
Julie sighed, "I dropped the dishes while helping Hannah clean up...no big mystery." She looked directly into his eyes. "Really."
Somewhat dubious Pete finally relented, "Okay...if you say so. But I want you to know one thing."
"What?"
"If there is anything wrong, I want to know about it."
She turned her head away but he took hold of her chin and turned it back. "I mean it, honey...anything." He leaned in to silence any further comment or debate with a kiss.
Pete Cochrane you don't fight fair Julie thought as she surrendered to his tender storm...
...
The next morning after seeing Melissa off to school Pete and Julie climbed into the Woody to make the trek into town. It was a quiet ride for the most part with both of them preoccupied with what they thought the day ahead would bring. Julie, especially was thinking about that as well as what was going on inside her...
When she woke up she had a bout of cramps that sent her to the bathroom. She relieved herself immediately thinking it was her period but then was a bit dismayed when she discovered it wasn't. Remembering the conversation with Pete the night before she got up, flushed the toilet, and cracked open the door to peek at the guestroom door. Thankfully, it was still closed indicating that he had not heard her rush to the bathroom. She breathed a sigh relief and then went about the morning routine, dismissing her rising suspicions in the flurry of activity. But now, in the silence of retrospection, they refused to leave her and plagued her during the ride to the courthouse...
The Salinas courthouse was a stately building of beige concrete and glass that stood at five stories in the center of town. The parking lot was located to the right of the building and Pete pulled the Woody into an open space three rows in to park. He cut the motor and glanced over at Julie who appeared both distracted and reluctant.
Pete sighed and faced the windshield. "We're here," he said, stating the obvious to break the silence.
Julie shook her head. "I'm sorry. Did you say something to me?"
Pete reached his hand to take hers, "Angel, you're a million miles away. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Julie looked at him, "Pete, it's not a question of whether or not I want to do this. I have to do this. If I don't, David can and will try to hurt me and my daughter again, I know it. I won't let him make us his victims."
Pete squeezed her hand encouragingly. "Okay, then I'm right here with you. So let's go."
He opened the driver's door and climbed out, walking over to the passenger door, which he opened for Julie. He offered his hand to help her out and she got out and clung to his hand tightly. They then walked over to the exit gate that led to the courthouse door.
As they got closer, Julie was more and more apprehensive. She gripped Pete's arm with both hands and he could feel her slight shiver as the entered the building. They approached the docket boards and saw that the arraignment was in courtroom C. Pete took Julie's elbow and steered her to the heavy oak door with a large gold "C" painted on it. He opened the door for her and placed his hand on the small of her back as he gently guided her to a bench behind the prosecution's stand...
Pete took a seat next to her and noticed with dismay how terrified she looked. He reached his arm around her to give her a reassuring squeeze as the door to the right of the defendant's stand opened and the bailiff led a handcuffed David Slade out and to the defendant's chair. His attorney hadn't arrived as yet so he turned and looked in the direction of the door at the back of the courtroom. He was about to turn his head forward when he spotted Julie and Pete. His eyes narrowed to gunmetal gray slits as he raked them with his look. Julie shuddered as she wrapped her arms around Pete's left arm and pushed herself back to try to shield herself from that hate filled stare.
Pete's mouth was in a tight grim line as he noticed David's glare. He felt his ire rise and violent thoughts came to mind as he returned the icy regard. He knew that if he and Slade were all alone in the room, the death struggle that took place at the cabin would resume full force and he would be the one man left standing…with no regrets. He glanced down at Julie and was immediately distracted by her fearful pallor. Forgetting about Slade, Pete reached and gently ran his fingers on the side of her face.
He leaned down and whispered to her, "Are you okay?"
Julie nodded, "Uh-huh. I just didn't expect him to be so-,"
"Hostile? Hateful? What did you expect, Julie? The guy kidnapped you and your daughter and probably murdered your husband. If convicted, he could face the death penalty or at the very least, life in the Joint. Honey, he's on trial for two felonies; one a federal charge and you're the key witness for the prosecution. What did you think his reaction would be to seeing you again?" Pete said reasonably.
"I guess I'm still shook from the ordeal. I can't believe he's harbored so much hatred towards my family for so long," Julie said in disbelief. "He was Dan's best friend, they were like brothers."
"Yeah, well some blood siblings hate each other enough to kill each other too. So I wouldn't be surprised by any negative response from him," Pete responded laconically.
The courtroom door opened and Lieutenant Lou Rafferty strode in. He waved at Pete and Julie as he made his way up to the prosecution stand. As the arresting officer, he was to be called to determine the case for trial. He sat next to the district attorney, Timothy Callaghan who was seated at the table going over his trial files and evidence.
Julie was thinking about the interview she had with District Attorney Callaghan. He had spent about three hours with her last Wednesday to get a full description of what had taken place Friday, November 21st. Recounting the whole unbelievable event from the moment David Slade took her and Melissa to the cabin to his deranged description of the life he was planning with her to the vicious attempt on her life was upsetting. But she knew that she had to face reliving the whole thing again to make sure David could never try anything like it again.
With a deep breath, Julie made a valiant effort to quell her apprehension. Again, she was glad that Pete had insisted on being here with her, without him there with her she probably would have fallen apart.
The defense attorney made his way down the aisle to the table where David sat. Julie checked her watch, it was just nine o'clock. Almost on cue, the judge's chamber door opened and Judge Thorton Stanford stepped out.
"All rise," the bailiff intoned as everyone in the courtroom got respectfully to their feet.
The bailiff continued, "The Criminal Court of the city of Salinas is now in session, the Honorable Thorton Stanford presiding. Please be seated."
Everyone took their seats. The judge, an imposing man of about fifty, opened a file folder in front of him and began, "The state of California versus David Slade. Mr. Slade, you are charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, endangering the life of a minor and suspicion of murder. How do you plead?"
David's attorney rose and answered, "We plead not guilty by reason of insanity."
District Attorney Callaghan rose and stated, "In light of the seriousness of the charges, the state requests bail be set at $250,000. The safety of the victims is of the utmost importance."
David's attorney protested, "Your Honor, my client is under psychiatric treatment and medication for manic depression. In light of that and the fact that he is under twenty-four hour supervision at the county jail and overseen by a physician from a mental health facility, I think the bail is a bit high. I can assure you that he won't cause any trouble to anyone, especially Mrs. Bennett and her daughter."
The judge perused the file again, "Trial is scheduled for Monday, December 29, 10:00 AM. Bail is set at $500,000. Mr. Slade is to remain in maximum security custody at the county jail until trial." He banged his gavel and got to his feet to leave the bench and return to his chambers. Everyone else followed suit, filing out of the courtroom.
Pete exited the bench and offered his hand to Julie. As they left the courtroom, he whispered, "Ha, that lawyer's as crazy as Slade. He wanted a reduced bail to get that nut back out on the street."
Julie nodded, "I was a bit worried there for a moment."
Lou Rafferty strode up to them, "Hey guys, how you doing?"
Pete turned and smiled at Lou, "Okay, Lou. It's good to see you."
Julie smiled, "I'm glad to see you Lou."
District Attorney Callaghan came over, "Mrs. Bennett, I need to speak to you."
He gestured for Julie to follow him away from Pete and Lou. "I need some more background on the relationship between your late husband and David Slade. The defense is building a case for his insanity plea so I need some information about their friendship to support an additional murder charge. Can you drop by my office this afternoon about one thirty?"
Julie replied, "Sure, Mr. Callaghan. I'll be there."
"Okay, see you then." He headed toward another courtroom door. Julie walked back over to the two men.
Pete glanced at Callaghan's departing form. He asked Julie, "What was that all about?"
"He wants to meet with me in his office at one thirty. He needs some background about Dan and David's relationship," she replied haltingly. She felt a bit of lightheadedness again and she fought it.
Concerned, Pete looked at her, "You okay? You seem a bit strange."
Julie shook her head to clear it. "Yeah, I'm okay." She shook her head again as the room was spinning while Pete and Lou watched with puzzlement. She walked over to a bench against the wall and sat down.
Pete was at her side immediately. "Are you sure you're all right, honey? You look a little pale." He took her hands in both of his. "Your hands are like ice."
Lou was also concerned. "Julie, if this is too much, I'll call Callaghan and give him the information about Dan and Slade. After all, I've known Dan since third grade and I know as much about them as you would, maybe even more."
Julie looked up at Lou and gave a feeble but grateful smile. "Thanks Lou, but Dan told me all about his past with David and for eight years I witnessed some things that you couldn't know about. I'll be fine, maybe I just need to eat something."
Lou consulted his watch, "Okay then, I'll take you both to brunch." He got up and waited as Pete took Julie's hand and helped her to her feet. They followed Lou out and stopped at his blue Chevy.
"Where are you parked?" Lou asked.
Pete tossed his head over to the visitor's parking lot. "Over there. You want us to follow?"
"Yeah. The restaurant's not far." Lou got into his car.
Pete guided Julie to where his Woody was parked. He opened the passenger door to help her in then made his way to the driver's side. He got in, started the engine and fell in behind Lou to head to the restaurant. As they came to a traffic light he glanced over at Julie, whom he was glad to see was showing more color in her cheeks.
"Feeling better, angel?" he wanted to know.
She looked at him. "Yeah. It was just a little dizziness. I'm okay now," she reassured him.
"You sure?"
Julie sighed, "You know, Pete, you're gonna give yourself high blood pressure worrying about me. You need to cool it."
"It's not easy Julie. It's a habit that I can't break…Nor do I want to," he replied with a stubborn set to his jaw.
She sighed with exasperation, "Okay I give up."
They continued on to the restaurant...
It was about one twenty when Pete drove the Woody back into the visitor's parking lot at the municipal courthouse. It was there that the district attorney's office was located. Pete pulled into a spot, cut the motor and turned to Julie who, although not as terrified as she was earlier, still looked apprehensive.
"Here we are again. You sure you don't want me to go with you?" he asked, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
Julie smiled sweetly, "I'm positive. You just wait here and I promise I won't be long."
"What about Melissa? If you're too long up there, you want me to go get her?" Pete suggested.
"No, that's okay. She's going over to the Henderson's after school for a Honeybee meeting. Debi said she'll bring her home after the meeting." She reached over and kissed Pete. "I'll see you in a while."
"Okay, sweetheart. Bye now."
Pete watched as Julie made her way to the courthouse. He savored the view of her slender figure, ash blonde hair shining in the sun as she headed into the building. He was glad to see that her appetite had returned and that she had gained back some of the weight she had dropped during the days following Dan's passing. Even when she had been so thin, she still was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on.
Dwelling on that, Pete's mind drifted back to the night over two weeks ago when his many dreams and fantasies finally became reality and they made love all night. And the morning after, waking up with Julie beside him was the second best feeling only to his being on top of her and inside her the night before. He remembered the details of their loving; her fragrance, the downy softness of her cornsilk hair, the warmth of her body pressed against him.
A slow smile spread on Pete's face as a thought came to him. He reached and withdrew the keys from the ignition, selecting a key and inserting it into the lock on the glove compartment. He rooted around the compartment and drew out a small dark blue velvet box. Pete grinned as he opened the box and examined its contents, for inside nestled on a midnight blue velvet pad was an exquisitely styled engagement ring with a flawless two and a half carat pear shaped diamond, flanked by two quarter carat diamonds, also flawless. The front style resembled a fleur-de-lis, while the band of the ring was a delicate circle of eighteen-carat gold. The ring caught a ray of sunshine and sparkled profusely, defusing the light and creating a miniature rainbow. Pete took the ring out to examine it more closely. His mind went back to last week when he first saw then purchased the ring...
Pete had called Harry Winston in Beverly Hills and arranged for a private showing of their top flawless diamond rings. Although most of the time, he chafed against his elevated social status and the restrictions it imposed, this was one time he was glad that the name Cochrane demanded preferential treatment.
The manager, an aristocratic looking man in his fifties, was only too happy to comply with Pete's wishes to make a special showing in the privacy of Pete's office and arrived himself with a collection of the finest diamond rings in his store. The man was there for almost four hours and his overly obsequious manner had begun to grate on Pete's nerves when he came across the ring that really caught his eye. As soon as he saw it, he knew that the only finger it could grace was Julie's, it was made for her and her alone.
The jewelry store manager's eyes popped out of his head as he casually pulled out his wallet and paid for the ring in cash. Almost drooling, the man thanked Pete excessively, genuflecting before he left, which irritated Pete even more, reminding him of one of the chief reasons he had come to despise his birthplace of Beverly Hills; which was a value system based purely on the size of one's wallet.
Satisfied, Pete carefully placed the ring back on its velvet pillow, closed the box and locked it back up in the glove compartment. He sat back and mulled over in his mind about when he should give it to Julie and how he should ask her to become his wife. A Christmas proposal was becoming increasingly appealing even though he knew that to ask Julie to marry him two months after her husband's death may not be appropriate. Although he wondered how he could wait any longer then Christmas to make her his, Pete was concentrating hard on being patient but even so he truly questioned his ability to quell his innate tendency toward restlessness. With a sigh, Pete closed his eyes and waited for Julie to return…
In District Attorney Callaghan's office, Julie sat tensely, as the coolly efficient D.A. leafed through the defense file. He looked up at her, seeming uncomfortable if not apologetic.
"I'm sure that all of this is very upsetting for you, Mrs. Bennett but I do need your help. The defense is building up a case of non compos mentos; that is Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, that Slade did everything as a psychotic response attributed to residual grief from his mother's abandonment of him and his father's suicide. The psychiatrist treating him is stating that his unresolved rage at his father's passing was acted out in his embezzling and the kidnapping of you and your daughter."
"That's what the psychiatrist is coming up with?" Julie asked incredulously. "What else?"
"He also says that Slade has typical severe manic-depressive tendencies that lead to outbreaks of psychosis which prompts his criminal behavior. In addition, the doctor said that these episodes bring out his overwhelming desire for revenge toward imagined wrongs done to him. The defense is hoping that the testimonies of the psychiatrist treating him along with second and third opinions from specialists in the field of grief management will get him a reduced sentence or a dismissal since it is his first offense."
"And what about the prosecution?"
"Well, we're trying to get the maximum sentence based on the federal charge of kidnapping, his obvious mental unbalance leading to potential for violent acts and being a danger to you and your daughter…Life imprisonment in a high security institution for the criminally insane with chance for parole in fifteen years, since he has no priors," the D.A. stated.
"What about the alleged murder of my husband?" Julie demanded.
"That's what we need to establish on the witness stand through cross examination, the witness testimonies of Hank and Hannah Travis of their encounters with Slade… Along with their sons who saw you taken and have experienced similar incidents. That's how we can develop a pattern that has existed to build a case for premeditated murder by proving behaviors that will support his inclination towards committing murder to achieve his goals. Then… We can get a much stronger sentence that will assure that Slade is put away for a long time."
"But will the testimonies of the Travis's be enough?" she probed. "The only other one that knew David as intimately as they do was Dan."
"That's where you come in, Mrs. Bennett. I need you to tell me everything you know about Slade's relationship with your husband, from the time of his father's suicide until your husband's death. I know it will be painful but if we want to put Slade away, you'll have to be up on the witness stand." Callaghan informed her.
Julie pursed her lips and asked bluntly, "Is that all you really want?"
The district attorney frowned, "I'm not sure I'm understanding you, Mrs. Bennett. What else would I ask of you?"
She met his eyes directly...unflinchingly. "Surely you're more than aware that my daughter Melissa was also taken with me. And since my husband's death, she has dealt with more than many adults have in their lifetimes and she's a six-year old child. I emphatically do not want her traumatized further by being involved in this process."
Calłaghan met the steel inside those usually soft brown eyes and saw the gritty determination of a mother bear protecting her cub.
He nodded in assent. "Fair enough...as a father with a daughter myself, if she had been through the same ordeals that yours has I would move Heaven and Earth to protect her. You can rest assured that I will make it clear to the judge and the counsel for the defense that your daughter absolutely is prohibited from being used as a witness." He leaned closer and concluded, "So, can we depend on you, Mrs. Bennett?"
Julie took a deep breath. "Okay, Mr. Callaghan. I'll do my best."
"I also need for you to elaborate more about his behavior during your abduction."
"I know," Julie said resignedly.
Callaghan smiled with satisfaction. "Good. Now, what do you have to tell me about Slade's relationship with your family?"
Julie took another deep breath and began telling Callaghan all she had know or observed in the eight years since she came to the ranch as Mrs. Daniel Bennett. She told him about David's competing with Dan in everything and she told him about David's romantic pursuit of her...including his attempted molestation of her when her husband had been away at a jumping competition.
Callaghan wrote everything down as she spoke, asking for elaboration every now and again as he recorded her deposition. When he started asking Julie about Slade's behavior as she and Melissa were snatched, she became visibly agitated, understandably. She relayed the entire conversation where David told her about his plans for them all, and about his reaction to her attempt to disarm him. She shuddered as she described the ferocity of his attack on Melissa and his threatening the police as they cornered him.
"And how did you break free from him?"
Julie replied, "It all happened so fast but I remember Pete attacking him, knocking into him so he let go of me."
"Pete? You mean Peter Cochrane?" Callaghan asked.
"Uh-huh. He's a friend of mine who accompanied the police when they came to get us."
The D.A. rifled through another file from the pile on his desk. "Lt. Rafferty mentioned to me in his deposition that you, Mr. Cochrane, and Lincoln Hayes all were former undercover officers in Los Angeles." Callaghan stated, reading from a sheet of paper.
"Yeah, we all worked for the LAPD for five years under Captain, now Police Chief Adam Greer. We were part of a special undercover squad to deal with crimes done by kids but we didn't carry guns," Julie told him.
"That explains why Mr. Cochrane subdued Slade during the arrest. The police report states that Mr. Cochrane initiated a struggle with Slade, and rendered him helpless."
"He did."
Callaghan sighed and put aside his notes. "Well, Mrs. Bennett, I think I have all I need for now. If I need anything else, I'll call you." He got to his feet as Julie rose to leave.
"Okay, Mr. Callaghan." Julie headed for the door.
"Good day. Oh and Mrs. Bennett?"
Julie turned and looked at him inquiringly.
"Where's Mr. Cochrane now? I saw him with you this morning," Callaghan asked.
"He's outside waiting for me in his car. Why?" Julie wanted to know.
"Because as a witness I'll have to get a deposition from him. Will he be available?"
"I can ask him. Do you want me to call you when I know?"
Callaghan opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the phone buzzing. "D.A. Callaghan here...What? You're kidding." He sighed, "Okay, okay. Yeah, right. Okay, bye." He hung up the phone with a look of disgust. Remembering that Julie was still standing by the door of his office, Callaghan looked at her. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this Mrs. Bennett, but David Slade is free. He was just bailed out of prison."
Julie paled noticeably. "What did you say?" she said slowly, unbelievingly.
Callaghan shook his head. "A representative of Lattimer/LaRocca showed up at the courthouse, paid the $500,000 bail then went to the holding cell at police headquarters and sprung him."
Julie was in a daze as the room began spinning, then everything went black...
Next...Part 3 - Confirmation
