21st Birthday by Patterson, James (mystery books to read txt) 📗

He was in shirtsleeves, tie loosened, a stack of paper in front of him.

“Do you want to do a run-through?” he asked.

“I’ve got it, Len.”

“Clapper’s likely to show up. He’ll be standing in the back row near the door.”

“Not a problem. What about you? Gonna come and watch?”

“You’ve done a thousand of these, Yuki. You don’t need any help from me.”

She smiled, thanked him, and walked down the hall, her shoes clicking on the linoleum flooring. She entered her office to check her interoffice mail. She closed the door, checked her makeup, her teeth, the blond streak just dipping over her eyebrow. All as it should be.

Yuki wondered if she wasn’t a touch overdressed, but Newt Gardner would be, too. Showtime. They might have to wait hours for the case to be called, but when it was, the entire process might take five minutes. But in those five minutes she wanted to run right the hell over the defendant and get him remanded, no bail.

Yuki opened her door again, and exchanged greetings with her intern assistant, Deirdre Glass. Deirdre was also wearing a suit, had put on some pearls with matching earrings. She told Yuki that the charge file was in order and looked eager and ready to go.

“You want your briefcase or a folder?”

“Briefcase. Let’s get this bastard arraigned,” she said.

Arraignment court was on the same floor as the DA’s office. Deirdre carried the briefcase with the charge document and the two walked to the courtroom. A guard opened the door for them and Yuki and Deirdre took two seats behind the bar in the large and teeming courtroom. Yuki saw Gardner across the aisle with Burke. The attorney was doing the talking and Burke looked utterly confident.

Not for the first time today, Yuki felt doubt.

Defendants, court officers, and attorneys came through the room and took seats in the gallery. The press was visible crowding the seats at the back, and every time the door opened, Yuki saw the men and women with cameras and mics who were all here today for this one thing: the arraignment of Lucas Burke.

What stunt would Gardner pull?

Would Lucas Burke be remanded, or would Gardner ask for a continuance? If so, would Burke immediately flee?

He’d done it before.

She could only do her best, as she always did.

Deirdre patted Yuki’s sleeve.

“You totally rock, Yuki. No worries. At all.”

CHAPTER 58

THE CLERK STOOD in front of the bench and announced, “The Honorable Vivian Kahn, judge presiding. Please be seated and come to order.”

Judge Kahn was in her fifties but looked younger. She had straight, dark, chin-length hair, red-framed glasses, and was looking through them at the charges in front of her.

She looked up at the attorneys and the defendant before her and said, “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. In the matter of the people of the state of California versus Lucas William Burke. Counsel, your appearances please.”

“Yuki Castellano for the people,” she introduced herself to the court.

“Your Honor, good afternoon. Newton Gardner, attorney on behalf of Lucas William Burke, who’s present in custody before the court.”

“Very good. Ms. Castellano, are you ready to proceed?”

“Yes, Your Honor. At this time the people would file with this court a two-count complaint against Lucas Burke, this defendant. Both charges are murder in the first degree as well as special circumstances pursuant to penal code regarding the willful death of a tender age child. That child is the defendant’s daughter. A baby just over sixteen months in age.”

Judge Kahn asked Yuki, “Have you advised the defendant of his constitutional rights?”

Yuki said, “Yes, Your Honor, and the arresting police officers, Lieutenant Jackson Brady and Sergeant Lindsay Boxer of the SFPD Southern Station, also advised Mr. Lucas Burke of his constitutional rights when he was arrested.”

“Mr. Gardner, has your client signed and produced the form to that effect?”

Gardner said, “Your Honor, we received the copy of the complaint late yesterday afternoon. It is about fifteen pages. My office would like to look at it more closely to make a decision regarding if the defense would like to request a continuance.”

“Ms. Castellano, do you wish to respond?”

“Yes, Your Honor. The people would certainly object to the request for a continuance. The defendant put forth an opposing theory of the crimes, and our police department, in conjunction with other police departments, have spent the last three days investigating the defendant’s theory and finding no evidence to support it whatsoever.”

“The theory being?” the judge asked Yuki.

“The defendant said that he didn’t commit the crime, that someone else did. The prosecution would suggest that this alternate theory of the crimes be presented in court to a jury, and furthermore, Your Honor, this is a mandatory filing. It’s mandated by the code.”

Judge Kahn agreed with the prosecution and asked “Are there any other issues that need to be addressed at this time, counsel?”

Yuki said, “For the record, Your Honor, we should address the issue of bail.”

“All right,” Kahn said, removing her glasses, letting them fall to the length of the chain she wore around her neck. “As I understand penal code section 1270.5, the defendant is not entitled to bail because of the nature of the charges, most specifically the ‘special circumstances’ regarding the baby. Do you wish to be heard on the matter of bail, Mr. Gardner?”

Gardner seemed utterly confident that he would win his point.

“Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Burke is an outstanding citizen, and even counsel for the People would admit that they have no direct evidence against him. They have a theory that this man killed his wife and child. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. He is a minute away from a nervous breakdown over the loss of his family.”

Kahn said, “Okay, that’s enough, Mr. Gardner.”

“Ms. Castellano, you have something to add?”

“Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Burke is a flight risk. When the police searched