What should’ve been shocking but wasn’t, was that Veronica wasn’t sentenced to actual jail time unless she breached the conditions of her probation. Her license was suspended, so she could not legally operate a vehicle again. She also had to attend a substance abuse treatment program and community service as well as pay a fine.
None of which Veronica Archer was appreciative of.
“How dare you, Joann Dickerson!” she said to the judge. “My husband put you on
that bench! If it wasn’t for the charity I showed your mama, you would’ve ended up in a shack with ten children under ten, smoking dope to survive, just like that mother of yours.”
“Mother, calm down,” the mayor said warningly. “Thank you for your leniency, Judge Dickerson. We’ll make arrangements for her probation.”
Veronica Archer turned a death glare toward Lauren, Santi, and Roan.
Lauren gave her a closed mouth smile and was about to tell her she got a better sentence than she deserved, but Santi placed his hand briefly on Lauren’s lower back in warning.
She remained silent.
Not that she wasn’t above it, but it would look petty to gloat over the older woman’s sentence.
The next case on the docket was called up and the Archers left the courtroom.
Lauren nodded to Mrs. Archer as she passed them.
“Have a nice remainder of your day...dear,” Lauren said.
Santi sighed loudly and frowned down at her and Roan, who tried to hide her smile by lowering her head.
“I did well, Santi, you have to admit it. I could’ve said much worse…you know my mouth.”
“Oh yeah, I know it,” he said looking at her lips with enough banked heat in his cool gaze to let her know he wasn’t just talking about how she used words.
Lauren focused on the details of the next case to avoid Santi’s gaze.
There would be consequences tonight, she was sure of it, and she looked forward to suffering them.
Her thoughts were interrupted by an emergency call from Santi’s radio.
She could barely make out one of his deputies over the static but when she heard “attack,” “escape,” and “unconscious,” her heart rate soared.
Santiago led her out of the court. “Can you call my aunt and have her pick you up?”
She nodded. “Of course, be safe.”
He and Roan ran from the courthouse so fast she wasn’t certain he heard her.
She learned from one of the lawyers from the DA’s office that there were three prisoners in the transport that had cases coming before the judge. The DA asked the judge for an extension, which was granted.
Lauren was too agitated to stay in the building. She walked outside for a moment to take a breath and call Lina, who said she’d be there to pick her up in about twenty minutes. She wanted Santi and his staff to be okay. She knew their job was dangerous, but in some ways, diminished the danger because Shrouded Lake wasn’t an Oakland or a San Francisco. The hard truth was bodies were piling up here, and they felt much closer in proximity than when people were killed in those bigger cities.
Because she had time, Lauren walked to the records office and copied some public information about this town. Since the council meeting was tomorrow, she wanted to have a comparison report. Last night she’d begun to print out and organize some of Bailey Joe’s files, but there was a lot more she needed to do between now and tomorrow night.
Lauren walked to the front of the courthouse more fortified for the council meeting. When Lina arrived, she was more than a little surprised to see Ma Mable sitting in the passenger seat of the car.
Roan hit the brakes, and Santiago was out of the cruiser before it came to a complete stop. The transport bus was halfway down the embankment on its side. It had gouged its own path in the earth until it came to a stop where it was billowing black smoke.
Santiago couldn’t see any fire from where he stood, but the back door which faced the road had buckled. Moving swiftly down the slope, he could see Evans on the left side of the bus slumped over with the roof at his back. It’s where he must have radioed in before falling unconscious.
Leaning over him, Santiago checked his pulse which was strong, and looked over his body for any obvious injuries. It waswhen he lifted his head from the bloody ground that Santi saw the gash on the side of Evan’s head.
“How long for that ambulance!”
