The pronouncement was shocking. It took me a moment to absorb it. I assumed the abortion had been performed in Bullock County, which meant that I would be presiding over the highly controversial criminal case.
I was still getting my head around it when the DA strolled into my chambers. Which never happens. We don’t hang out under the best of circumstances. And that day had been a stormy one. Reeves and I had just knuckled up and started swinging in court, not ten minutes prior.
But there he stood. Right in front of my desk. He smiled at me, showing a mouthful of teeth. “Have you heard the news?”
Sniffling, Luna turned on her heel and left the office. Reeves and I were alone. I eyed him with some trepidation. Wondered what he wanted. And how long he’d linger.
Reeves gestured at one of the chairs facing my desk. “May I?”
I thought about discouraging him. Telling him I was running late for an appointment, that I had to leave. But it’s important to keep your enemies close. I needed to learn what the purpose of the visit might be.
“Sure. Have a seat.” I sat in my own chair, pushing my knees squarely under the desk and folding my hands on the leather desk pad. Didn’t want to look relaxed or chummy. We weren’t pals.
But the DA demonstrated an amazing change in his mood since we’d left court. He was chatty, even garrulous. “You know this Bria Gaines, right? She bounced into town two years ago and set up a clinic on Blackmon Avenue. Just a couple blocks over. Have you been in there?”
I had my guard up. “Well, I’m not her patient. So, no.”
“Me neither, no way. I have an internist in Montgomery—excellent doctor, by the way, in case you’re looking. I’d be glad to give you his contact info.”
“Thanks. But it’s not necessary.” I didn’t take my eyes off him. It was almost as if I feared he’d make a sinister move if I glanced away.
“Yeah, I don’t know her personally. Just what I read in the probable cause statement attached to the arrest warrant. But it’s shocking, I guarantee you. The girl she performed the abortion on? Thirteen years old.”
The information made my stomach hurt. I took deep breaths, trying to gain control over my emotional reaction. I didn’t ask for more details, but the DA wouldn’t shut up.
“The PC statement said the abortion was performed in Gaines’s clinic. She did it in the middle of the night. And the girl’s mother wasn’t there. Get this—the mother didn’t even know she was pregnant! Nobody thought the mother of a thirteen-year-old girl was entitled to know? Have you ever heard anything like it?”
I asked a question. Maybe I shouldn’t have. “How did they find out about it? Did the girl tell somebody?”
“She got sick! Just last weekend, started bleeding, hemorrhaging all over the floor. Cramps so bad she thought she was dying. The mother got scared, called 911, and the sheriff’s department came and took her to the nearest ER. The ER nurses thought she was having a miscarriage.”
So sad. Such an old story. My eyes started to burn. I sat up straight. I wouldn’t reveal my weakness to Reeves.
“Did the girl tell them? At the ER?”
He slid down in the chair like he was getting comfortable. Crossed his legs. “Yeah. She got scared. Fessed up. Said Dr. Bria Gaines did it. Then the mother pitched a fit. Can’t really blame her for that. Can you?”
I had my armor on at that point. “I don’t think we can discuss this any further, Mr. Reeves. You know why.”
He knew. I’d be presiding over the case. He was trying to coerce me into revealing my personal judgment.
“Sorry, Judge. I didn’t mean to overstep. I should think before I speak, isn’t that right? You know that I forget that sometimes.” He grinned at me, showing those teeth again.
He looked down at his sleeve and picked at an invisible thread. Like he was about to say something of no significance. “I mean, you probably know the Jones family. It’s Nova Jones who had the abortion. She goes to your church, right?”
Oh, there it was. Finally, I could see it clearly. I said, “I don’t go to church.”
“Is it your sisters’, then? Are they members at Victory Baptist? I’ve heard about that tradition of yours, fixing breakfast for poor people every Saturday. I figured you were doing it because youwere part of the church. Shoot, I guess you could be putting on a feed to get votes.”
Son of a bitch.I didn’t say it out loud. Instead, I pushed my chair back from the desk and rose. “I have an appointment.”
It was a lie. Maybe he guessed, because he made no move to depart. He shifted in his seat but didn’t stand. “Nova Jones has been seen at your house. In your own front yard, for that potluck breakfast. So if she’s been a guest at your house, well, that creates a conflict. Your acquaintance with the witnesses creates bias. It will render you unable to preside over the trial. Surely you can see that. It’s a different issue from the sentencing in the murder case, where Ferrell Gray wrote you a threatening letter.”
I stared him down. “There are no conflicts that amount to a damn, and you know it. A State’s witness ate oatmeal on my lawn. That’s the basis of your claim? Most of the town has breakfasted there, one time or another. I can be fair and impartial. It’s my job.”
I stepped away from the desk. Picked up my red briefcase. “I’ll walk you out of my chambers now, because I have to go. But I’m not walking away from this case. After six years, you should know that.”
He lurched out of the chair, as if my words had thrown him off balance. “You’re running for office this year. You’ve got a strong opponent. That man is going to put up a hell of a race for your seat in the general election. You know how much money he’s raised?”
