Fast Cars (Working Title)

Chapter 25

"Mr. Donovan?"

Don looked up and smiled. "Hi."

"Kind of a predicament, isn't it?"

Don half-snorted and half-laughed. "You could say that." He waited for the door to open before he moved his wheelchair.

"I'm Mr. Jerlan. Tyler Jerlan. This way. I've arranged for an office."

Don followed the man down a short hallway and into a room.

"Detective Orland sent me all the information he had. I'm hoping you can shed some light on the situation before the arraignment." He looked at the clock on the wall. "We have almost two hours."

Don nodded and tucked under the chair. "Let's see what he sent you and I'll fill in all the holes."

"First, are you going to plead guilty or not guilty?"

Don sighed. "I did what they're accusing me of, if that's what you're asking."

"But..." the lawyer urged.

"It was to save both our lives."

"That statement alone should be enough to acquit you of the charges, but we'll prepare for every contingency. We'll plead not guilty. Given your current, um, health issues, I'm going to request that you be released of your own recognizance."

"Okay. The chief and Charlie were pretty tight lipped on the ride over. They hinted that there were other circumstances at play here."

Tyler flipped through the stack of papers. "They didn't send me anything today, but I'll talk to the prosecuting attorney and see what I can find. Several times, they don't give all the information right off the bat. Do you have a passport?"

"Yeah. It's in the safe here at the station along with all my real IDs."

"Excellent."

"Why is that excellent?"

"It's locked up and inaccessible to you. I will request the return of your driver's license and other items you might need. The passport will stay put. It makes you less likely to run."

Don grinned. "Have you seen my legs? Running isn't likely."

Tyler laughed. "Yeah. Here's the information I was sent. What do you think?"

Don flipped through the papers. "They're all my reports. They're mostly complete but I kinda left a few things out."

"Like what?"

"Like I was falling for her. Like I fought for her several times to protect her from another rape. Like she tried to seduce me and I told her no, at least a couple of times. I was afraid she had Stockholm Syndrome. We slept in the same bed but didn't do anything." He tapped a paper. "Until this night."

The attorney looked at the dates. "That's well over four months."

"Right. That day and the last day we were together. Those were the only other times. I kept her with me because she had been threatened. It's all in the reports. I didn't kidnap her, but I did watch it happen."

"What were you doing to watch?"

"There were a couple of new guys out doing a job. I was watching to make sure they didn't screw it up too badly. I was quite a ways away, sitting in my car. Things went south and they grabbed her. They tried to grab two other girls too."

"And then what?"

"I went back to headquarters and talked to Christian, the man in charge. He pulled a gun on me then threatened to shoot her if I didn't, um..."

"And you did."

Don nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for her. It was her first time. I really did try not to hurt her."

The pen scratched across paper, making notes.

Don wanted to crumple the papers in his hands.

"And then?"

"Usually what'd happen was everyone else would get their turn with her. Then she'd have been dumped somewhere either dead or left to die. I scooped her up and claimed her as mine. Which is why I couldn't let her go. I had to orchestrate her disappearance."

"And that happened on the boat? Almost five months after she was taken in the first place."

"Right."

A knock sounded at the door before it creaked open. "Your ride is ready."

"Thanks, we'll be right there."

Don swallowed hard as the door closed. His heart hammered in his chest.

"Okay. You'll do fine. This'll be a walk in the park."

Don scoffed. "Right."

Don rolled into the courtroom with his attorney. He immediately propped himself up at the table and shifted into a seat.

"Are you sure you wanna do that?"

Don nodded. "Yeah. A man's got his pride." He glanced over at Chad, the bailiff and nodded. Chad ignored him. Don sighed and looked around the room. The prosecuting attorney stood, looking at a stack of papers. Charlie and Sam sat at the back of the room. Don swallowed hard and turned back to the front, a cold chill running down his spine.

"Please rise," Chad called out, his voice echoing through the room.

Don braced one hand on the arm of the chair and the other on the table and hoisted himself into the air. His feet wouldn't cooperate enough to get fully under him before the instruction came to be seated. His breath whooshed out of him as he sat down.

"You sure you're okay?" Tyler whispered.

"Yeah."

The attorney nodded.

Don listened as the charges were read. His heart dropped as everything became even more real.

"How do you plead?"

Tyler stood. "Not guilty, Your Honor."

"Very well. If there's nothing else."

"Your Honor, we would request my client be released on his own recognizance. His passport and other identification has been locked in the safe at the station. He is currently under medical care three times per week and has stated that he will remain under house arrest at his residence with the exception of attending his medical appointments."

Don looked up at the judge, afraid to say anything.

The judge studied him for a moment before he nodded. "Very well. Mr. Donovan will adhere to the stipulations that have been described as well as any meetings with legal counsel. Do you agree?"

"Yes, sir," Don said.

"Your attorney will be informed of the trial date."

"Please rise," Chad called.

Don struggled to lift himself out of the chair as the judge left the room.

"See? What'd I tell you? A walk in the park. Do you need a ride home?"

Don smiled at Tyler. "That'd be great. I'm apparently staying at my mom's until the renters in my place vacate."

"I'll have you wait in my office for a few minutes while I fill out some paperwork."