Bill saw the shift in posture and instantly drew his taser, aiming the red laser dot squarely at Dempsey's chest. Don't even think about it, Rick. I will drop you right here on the marble, and I will enjoy doing it. Hands behind your back. Now.
The fight drained out of Dempsey as quickly as it had surged. He slowly turned around, dropping his head in utter defeat. The ratcheting click of the handcuffs echoing in the silent hallway sounded like the slamming of a vault door on his life. Read him his rights, process him in the basement holding cells, and ensure he is kept entirely separate from the general population, Nora instructed calmly. She turned to pick up her fallen keys.
Notify the chief of police and district attorney Sarah Harding immediately. I want them both in my chambers by 10:00. Yes, Your Honor, Bill said, securing the cuffs tightly around Dempsey's thick wrists. Are you going to need medical attention? Nora touched her swollen lip again.
The physical pain was sharp, but the clarity it provided was sharper. I will manage, William. I have a docket to call. 10 minutes later, the doors to courtroom 302 swung open. The gallery was packed with anxious defendants, tired public defenders, and restless police officers waiting to testify.
Among them sat rookie officer Toby Miller, nervously checking his watch, wondering where Dempsey had gone. Sitting two rows ahead of him was Tonya Richards, looking terrified, clutching her cheap purse to her chest as she awaited the officer she knew would lie under oath to ruin her life. The court clerk, a sharp-eyed woman named Brenda, banged her gavel. All rise. The 12th District Court is now in session.
The Honorable Judge Nora Montgomery presiding. The room stood in unison. From the heavy oak doors behind the bench, Nora emerged. She had changed into her flowing black judicial robes, but she had made no attempt to conceal her face. Her left cheek was red and slightly bruised, and her lower lip was visibly swollen, carrying a dark, fresh cut.
A collective murmur rippled through the courtroom. Lawyers exchanged bewildered glances. Toby Miller frowned, leaning forward in his seat. Nora took her seat at the elevated mahogany bench, her posture regal and uncompromising. She arranged her files, adjusted her microphone, and looked out over the crowded gallery.
The silence that fell over the room was absolute, pregnant with an unspoken tension. "Good morning," Nora said, her voice carrying a slight, painful lisp from the swelling, yet resonating with absolute authority. "We have a full docket today, but before we begin, I am making an administrative change. Call the case of the state versus Tonya Richards." Tonya flinched, standing up slowly alongside her exhausted public defender.