A chyron started scrolling red across the bottom of the screen as the anchor finished up their current spiel, announcing an update on his murder case.
“It’s about to get worse,” Patrick said.
The front door slammed open as Emma and Leon hurried through, having run up from their apartment below, preternatural speed enabling them to arrive in seconds.
“We saw it was starting. Thought you could use some support,” Leon said as he raked one hand through his dark hair.
“Marek,” Sage shouted up the stairs. “It’s starting.”
Patrick tuned everyone out as they came to huddle around the couch. Wade reached for the remote and raised the volume as the midmorning star anchor, Ryleigh, talked her way into Danai’s introduction. Then the screen split, showing the anchor in the studio and Danai in her office on a remote video link.
“We have with us this morning Danai Belvedere, the attorney representing defendant Patrick Collins in the case of Youssef Khan’s murder,” Ryleigh said with that clear, neutral accent every television personality had. “Welcome, Danai.”
“Thank you for having me,” Danai said calmly.
“Is it true your office filed a motion to dismiss today in the USDC Southern District of New York? My understanding is that’s a rare motion to submit so early in a case. Can you tell us why you think the case has a good chance to be dismissed considering the charges?”
“As you know, my client offered up a secured bond to the court on his own accord and was released on his own recognizance. With the charges levied against him, that decision shows the government’s argument isn’t as strong as it appears. Considering the evidence we submitted to the court this morning, I believe our defense will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Collins is innocent.”
“How so?”
“Aside from the fact he was somewhere else completely during the time Mr. Khan was murdered? There is compelling evidence that supports our argument that Ethan Greene and the Dominion Sect have taken a particular interest in Mr. Collins to the detriment of his freedom. Mr. Collins has proven to be a thorn in their side as a special agent for the Supernatural Operations Agency, and as a soldier when he was with the Mage Corps during the Thirty-Day War.”
“Being good at your job isn’t exactly a compelling argument when faced with murder charges.”
“It is when your birth name isnotPatrick Collins, but Patrick Greene. This is not the first time Ethan Greene has tried to get rid of his son. Framing him for murder is something Ethan would do if it would permanently get Patrick out of the way, and we’ve outlined the reasons we believe this to be true in our motion to dismiss we filed this morning. It’s public record, in case you doubt the truth of my statement.”
Danai spilled his secrets with a calmness that Patrick didn’t feel at all. The trip-hammer thud of his heart made Patrick’s ribs hurt, and he didn’t know his hands were shaking until Jono took his coffee mug from him so it wouldn’t spill.
The momentarily blank stare that Ryleigh gave Danai on camera disappeared after a few seconds. Patrick wondered if someone was feeding her information through her earwig. Most anchors hated being caught flat-footed on national television.
“I’m sorry, are you saying that Patrick Collins is the long-thought dead son of Ethan Greene?” Ryleigh asked, unable to keep the disbelief out of her voice.
“We explained everything in the motion we filed today. Suffice to say, the government had its reasons to hide him in witness protection for so many years.”
“The high priestess of the Salem Coven testified before Congress last month about the dangers of the Dominion Sect. Did she know her grandson was still alive?”
“My client was kept hidden to keep him alive.”
“But did Eloise Pattersonknow?”
“That’s something only the government can answer. My client was a minor when decisions about his life were made.”
The sidestep wasn’t neat but designed to act like bait for the media. Danai had warned Patrick the issue of his mother’s family not knowing he was alive would become a major story. It was better to have the government handle that explanation while she focused on clearing his name by sowing doubt about the case against him.
Danai didn’t let the interview go on for much longer. She deflected questions about Patrick’s past by bringing up the government’s interference in it, or she teased the evidence in the motion without saying much about it. The tantalizing hints would drive curious parties to access the docket. The tactic of deflection was one Patrick was familiar with.
They’d only entered his juvenile records concerning the name change, copies of the Salem Police Department’s police report on the night his mother was murdered, and his sworn affidavit that he was meeting with his CI during the time of Youssef’s death. Some of that information had been concurrently unsealed from a previous filing in his case, but not all of it. General Reed’s affidavit about Patrick’s efforts under orders to support national security against the Dominion Sect had also been unsealed.
That had been a delicate dance, considering the plaintiff in Patrick’s case was the United States government. But the affidavit had been cleared up the chain, and Patrick knew it wouldn’t have if the Joint Chiefs of Staff hadn’t ultimately approved of it on an expedited basis. Legal and political maneuverings made Patrick’s head ache, but it seemed he couldn’t escape either right now.
The interview eventually ended, with the anchor reluctantly steering it to a close but then promising her viewers they’d have an update on the situation within the hour.
“That’s enough time for them to pull the motion from the docket and do a quick review,” Sage said as she muted the television.
Patrick leaned over his knees and curled his hands over the back of his neck. Jono’s hand settled between his shoulder blades, a grounding touch Patrick never wanted to shake off.
“Breathe,” Jono said.
