Ties That Bind Read Online Free

her notes— “bruises identified by the school nurse.”
    “Yes, Your Honor. We have reason to believe they were inflicted by the older brother.”
    “And that’s because?”
    “The boy told us. But the mother can’t be reached. And the brother was too busy at work to come here today.”
    “Are you saying the child is living with just his brother?” Again, she checked her notes. “Who is sixteen years old?”
    “That’s what we want to find out. Meanwhile, we’re worried about Sammy. We need time to unravel all this.”
    “Then do so. Temporary order of protection is granted. Ms. Smith, I’ll see you back here…”
    Kate looked at Portia who said, “Three days from now at three o’clock.”
    Kate pounded the gavel that she’d bought herself, along with a formal judicial robe, when she was appointed as a judge. Traditionally, a spouse or significant other gave the two items as gifts, but Reese hadn’t been around to bring presents—something she still resented.
    Kate spent two hours dispatching cases—foster-care arrangements, neglect hearings, domestic-violence incidents.
    At nearly three o’clock, Portia leaned over. “Judge Renado, you should take a break before the next one. It’s time for the termination of parental rights case.”
    Moaning, Kate shook her head. “No, let’s do this first. Then I’ll need a break.”
    Portia glanced at Lucy Linstrom, Kate’s clerk, and Robert Cannon, her stenographer; all of them knew Kate was a stickler with these types of cases and lingered over them more than most judges.
    “All right, Mr. Vance. You’re the Legal Aid lawyer for the petitioner, Ms. Monica Leahy?” A beanpole of a girl, Monica wore her hair cut short and a sullen teenage scowl. One Kate was all too familiar with. It was Sofie’s favorite expression these days.
    “Yes, Your Honor,” the lawyer replied.
    She glanced at the respondent. “Ms. Leahy, are you Monica’s mother?” The woman looked about thirty. “Yes, Your Honor.”
    “Do you have counsel?”
    “Um, no.”
    Glancing to the back, where a redheaded man sat, Kate nodded to him. He was an 18-B lawyer, named for the statute that provided for a court-appointed attorney. They earned fifty dollars an hour and waited to be appointed by the judge.
    “Mr. Simons, can you step up?”
    “Yes, Your Honor.”
    “Let’s begin. Ms. Leahy,” she said to the mother, “do you understand what terminating parental rights means?”
    “I won’t be Monnie’s mother no more.”
    “Correct. Legally, you will have no say over anything she does.”
    “She ain’t got no say anyway,” Monica spoke out.
    “Mr. Vance, please inform your client that she isn’t to speak out of turn.” Kate glanced back to the mother, who was worrying the strap of her purse. “Ms. Leahy? I’d like to ask you some questions.” Kate always fired off at least a dozen questions before she even considered terminating parental rights. “Has anyone coerced you, made any threat or used any force to bring you to surrender?”
    “No, Your Honor.”
    “Has anyone promised you anything in return for this surrender?”
    “Just some peace of mind.” This from Monica.
    A few snickers.
    “Excuse me?” Kate said in her stern judge voice.
    “I’m incorrigible,” Monica spoke again. “She don’t want me.”
    “You’re not to speak, young lady, unless asked. If you continue to do so, I will take punitive action. Do you understand that?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Ms. Leahy, are you surrendering this child of your own free will because you want to, and for no other reason?”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    God, how could a mother surrender her child?
    “Monnie’ll be better off with a mother who can handle her.”
    Out of nowhere, came Sofie’s enraged face and spiteful words, three years after the divorce. Kate had been seeing Tyler for a while, but their relationship had just begun to get serious. I’d be better off with a different mother. I don’t want to live with you.