10th Anniversary

Chapter 122

YUKI AND RED DOG Parisi walked down the green terrazzo hallway toward Judge LaVan’s chambers. Yuki was thinking, Anything could go wrong and as history had shown, it probably would. Red Dog said to her, “I’ve changed my mind.”

“What did you say?”

“You don’t need me. Just do what you do, Yuki. It’s your party. Call me when you’re done.”

“I can’t believe you’re wimping out on me.”

Parisi laughed. “Yeah, that’s me. A big ol’ wimp. Now, you go get ’em. I’ll be in my office after lunch.”

“Wus,” she called after him.

Parisi laughed.

Yuki knocked on the judge’s door and heard him shout, “Come in.” She opened the door and entered Judge Byron LaVan’s chambers. Phil Hoffman and Candace Martin were in place and the judge was behind his desk, wearing his robes to maintain formality.

The court reporter, Sharon Shine, was sitting at her own small table. She put down the phone, said hello to Yuki, and asked after the deputy DA.

“Len had an emergency meeting out of the building. I’ll brief him later,” Yuki said, attempting to convey with her body language that Parisi’s absence was no big deal.

“Your Honor, everyone’s present,” said the court reporter.

“Fire up your transcription machine, Sharon. Everyone, this proceeding is now in session. Dr. Martin, do you know why you’re here?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“You’ve told the clerk that you’ve changed your plea to guilty. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mr. Hoffman, any objections you wish to put on the record at this time?”

“No, Judge.”

“Ms. Castellano?”

“Your Honor, we’re prepared to recommend sentencing based on the defendant’s complete allocution.”

“Okay, Dr. Martin. You’re up. You’re saying that you’re guilty as charged, second-degree murder of your husband. Is that right?”

Candace Martin said, “Yes, Your Honor. I killed him without premeditation.”

“Tell me about that,” said LaVan. “Don’t leave out a word.”

Yuki thought Candace looked like she was sedated. When she spoke, her voice was soft but steady, even when she recreated the terrible scene that preceded the shooting. When she’d finished, she sat back in her chair and sighed deeply.

“Mr. Hoffman, have you spoken with the District Attorney’s Office? You’ve worked something out?”

“Yes, sir, we have.”

“Ms. Castellano?”

Yuki was unprepared for the rush of emotions she felt. Candace Martin had been part of her life for almost a year and a half. Even as she tried other cases, the Martin case had been on her mind, and new information had been added continually to a folder on her computer.

She’d rehearsed, lived, breathed, and dreamed this case, and when it blew up in court, when others would have given up, she’d stuck with it. And now it was almost over.

Yuki said to the judge, “Your Honor, due to the circumstances, namely that Dr. Martin’s daughter had been violently abused and that the defendant acted to protect her daughter from further harm, we recommend a sentence of ten years.

“Because we believe that it is necessary for the good of the children to be able to see their mother, we are recommending that the first five years of that sentence be spent at San Mateo Women’s Correctional. It’s minimum-security and only eighteen miles from the children’s home, and Dr. Martin will work in the infirmary.

“If Dr. Martin’s behavior is good during that time, we agree that she be released from prison after five years and serve the rest of her sentence on probation.”

LaVan swiveled his chair a couple of times before saying to Yuki, “Sounds good to me. So ordered.”

Phil leaned toward Yuki and put out his hand.

She clasped his firm handshake and felt his respect and his sincerity when he said, “Thanks, Yuki. Congratulations.”

That’s when it really hit her.

She’d won.

Chapter 123

THE NOON RUSH was, frankly, horrible. Claire was driving because we were late and she was adamant that she didn’t want to be a passenger with a “cowgirl” at the wheel. That cowgirl she was referring to was me.

I was fine with Claire dodging traffic for a change, so I just dialed around the radio as we headed toward Sansome Street.

“If you had answered my text,” Claire groused, “we could have left ten minutes earlier. I hate to be late.”

“We’re only going to be a couple of minutes late.”

A cab swerved in front of us, then jacked around to pick up a passenger at the curb. Claire leaned on the horn. Others joined in — and then we were driving cowboy-style. I laughed at Claire.

“Giddyup,” I said.

“Am I okay on the right?”

“Go for it.”

We cleared the worst of the jam at Folsom Street and found an open lane that took us from 3rd to Kearny, a straightaway to an office building in the heart of the financial district.

“Not bad,” I said, looking at my watch. “I’d say we’re actually on time. And you didn’t even need a siren.”

The wind blew through the canyon of office buildings, practically sweeping us past the entrance to the sixteen-story granite structure casting a long shadow over the corner of Sansome and Halleck.

The lawyer’s office was on the eleventh floor, and while the elevator was swift, it took us time to find the right door and to clear reception. An attractive legal secretary in a pencil skirt and a ruffled mauve blouse walked us to a conference room and opened the door to let us in.

Avis Richardson was sitting in the seat closest to the door. She was scrubbed and dressed up, and although she looked grave, she resembled a fifteen-year-old girl more than she had at any other time since I’d met her.

I said hello to her and the Richardsons and introduced Claire, who was moving around the table to hug Toni Burgess and Sandy Wilson, the Devil Girlz we’d met in Taylor Creek, Oregon.

Correction: former Devil Girlz.

There was no sign of leather. Instead Toni was in a dress and had soccer-mom hair, and she said she was going back to teaching school. Sandy just looked sweet.

More people were introduced: lawyers for both sides, and His Honor Marlon Sykes, a judge from Portland who was in town for the ABA convention.

Baby Tyler Richardson’s travel seat was in a chair pulled up to the blond-wood conference table. He was wearing a blue onesie with a duck appliqué on the front. His eyes were open. He was very little, but he was taking everything in.

I smiled at Tyler, thinking about what a very important day this was for this little boy.

Chapter 124

CLAIRE AND I sat down at the conference table and the process began.

Lawyers passed papers to Judge Sykes: the report from Child Protective Services giving a green light to the women from Taylor Creek; an annulment of Avis Richardson’s marriage to Jordan Ritter; and the revocation of Ritter’s parental rights in exchange for a couple of years off the twenty-year stretch he was facing for statutory rape and kidnapping.

There was also a revocation of Avis’s parental rights, and adoption papers naming Toni and Sandy, who were beaming from across the table, Tyler’s parents.

Avis signed the adoption papers without hesitation. Toni and Sandy signed the same papers with barely contained glee, and together they got up and hugged Avis. She was stiff at first, but her nose pinked up and she started to cry.

Photos were taken and Claire and I were asked to be in the group shot. People came up to us and thanked us for our part in this wonderful outcome.

Avis was one of them.

She said to me, “I’m sorry for lying to you, Sergeant Boxer. I know you’ve done a good thing for Tyler. It’s legal now.”

The baby was in Sandy Wilson’s arms and he laughed in the excitement. I reached out to him. He wrapped my finger in his little fist and gave me a good solid connection with his big brown eyes.

My heart swelled.

I was eager for this little boy to start his new life.

Back in the car, Claire texted Cindy and Yuki, saying the Women’s Murder Club was on for dinner tonight at Susie’s. She added, “Don’t be late!”

I said, “By the way, I won’t be drinking.”

Claire put the phone in her lap and turned her eyes on me, pursed her lips, and said, “It’s about time you told me, girlfriend.” She reached over and gave my arm a shake. “I can read it all over your face.”

We both cracked up.

Claire knew me that well. I didn’t even have to tell her the news that had irrevocably and fantastically changed my world.

Joe and I were having a baby.