Chapter 26

Jess leaned over and whispered, "Give me an update. I hate that I can't have a phone."

"What about bail?"

Hez stood. "Yes, Your Honor. We received a copy this morning. No need for a formal reading."

"Good. And how does your client plead?"

"Not guilty, Your Honor."

Hope pulled out her phone and scrolled for a moment. "Could we make it the twenty-fifth at nine, Your Honor?"

The judge nodded. "That works for me. Mr.Webster?"

Hez sat down and turned to watch Hope. Bail was a long shot in any capital murder case because of the aggravating factors that separated that crime from regular murder. Still, if any capital murder defendant deserved bail, it was Jess. And if any prosecutor would agree to bail, it was Hope.

The judge turned to Hope. "Ms.Norcross?"

"Mr.Webster, is this true?" the judge demanded.

Hez stood, his mind reeling. "I... Could we have a five-minute recess, Your Honor?"

The judge glowered at him. "Two minutes." He turned to the court reporter. "Off the record."

Hez sat and swiveled to Jess. "What's going on?" he hissed in her ear.

She gave him an icy look. "I said I had an important meeting. You didn't ask where."

"What?!" Several heads turned toward him. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "Why do you have to go to London?"

"I can't tell you that."

She folded her arms and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Okay, recess is over," Judge Hopkins announced. "Back on the record. Mr.Webster, is the defense still requesting bail?"

Hez didn't bother consulting Jess before he rose. "No, Your Honor. Ms.Norcross is correct. There has been a mistake."

"I thought so." The judge jotted another note on his pad. "That's the last item on my list. Are we done here?"

Hope half rose. "Yes, Your Honor."

"Yes, Your Honor," Hez said as he shoved his notepad into his briefcase. "We're done."

***

She spotted Hez before he saw her. His tight jaw and flushed cheeks didn't bode well, and she rose with her hand to her neck. He spotted her, and the glacial expression on his face eased into a tight smile that didn't reach his blue eyes.

She bit her lip when he stopped in front of her. "Bail is high?"

Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. "It's Jess." She swiped it on. "I'm here with Hez, Jess. I'm so sorry."

"I need to talk to you right away. I got permission for an emergency meeting. Can you come right now?"

"I'll be there in a couple of minutes." She ended the call. "Jess needs to talk to me."

"Try to convince her to be honest about what's going on."

"I'll try." She paused a moment. "Thank you, Hez. For everything."

"Of course. You know I'd do about anything for you."

"Thanks for coming," Jess said. "I need you to do something for me. You have to fly to London since I can't go."

"London? What's so important in London that you'd wreck your chances of getting out of jail until the trial?"

The blood drained from Savannah's head, and she felt faint. "S-son?"

"He's ten, and his name is Simon. He's at boarding school in London, and he has a break right now. I promised to pick him up on Friday, so you'll need to fly there on Thursday. You'll have to explain who you are. Tell him I'm sorry I couldn't come." Her words flew faster and faster. "You can fly over and spend a few days with him, then take him back to school. Don't tell him I'm in jail."

Jess folded her arms. "We can talk about that later. I need your help now."

Her sister's strange behavior with her son emphasized to Savannah the trauma of her upbringing. Jess had wrapped her cold strength around her as a shield against their father's snide comments. Savannah had tried to help as much as possible, but she was a child herself and could do little to buffer either Dad's narcissism or Mom's passionate recklessness. And Jess letting anyone know about her pregnancy would have felt like she was no better than their ruined mother. It would have confirmed Dad's opinion of her. No wonder she'd hidden it all.

Jess covered her eyes with her free palm. "You have to help me."

Jess dropped her hand and sighed. "I know. Please don't let him drop me. I need him."

But from Jess's expression, Savannah wasn't sure she'd tell Hez the truth. And without the truth, Hez was flying blind.