Dead Man's Thoughts Read Online Free Page B

don’t lock me up.” The man was near tears. If that didn’t move Di Anci, nothing would.
    It didn’t. “You had a gun, Mr. Boynton. You used it to threaten your wife.”
    Boynton was crying now. “I never had no gun, Your Honor. Not since I left the army.” He was sobbing as they led him away to the back, to make his own phone call to raise the thousand bucks.
    I was furious. Because Di Anci was mad at me, everybody would lose, even the woman who’d brought the charges. She wanted Boynton out of the house, not unemployed. I wished I could convince the D.A. that her little victory would mean no support payments for the very woman she thought she was protecting by locking Boynton up.
    Given Di Anci’s mood, I dreaded Digna Gonzalez’s case. She came out. I went up to the bench with the D.A. I tried to keep my voice steady as I told Digna’s pathetic story, trying to keep out of my mind the image of Digna behind bars.
    Di Anci raised one arm as though it held a violin and with the other dragged a mythical bow across it. Hearts and flowers. “Don’t break my heart, Counselor. This woman had a gun, and guns are dangerous. Aren’t they, Miss Hagerty?”
    The D.A. looked uncomfortable. “Actually, Judge, my office has no opposition to ROR in this case.” I gave her credit. It took balls to refuse Di Anci’s obvious hint to ask for bail.
    Di Anci gave her a look of disgust. “Step down, ladies.”
    We did. I was ready for a strong bail argument, but Di Anci started talking first. “Let the record reflect that we have had a bail conference at the bench.” This wasn’t true, but I let it pass, figuring I’d get my chance later. “I am constrained to disagree with the assistant district attorney’s position that release on recognizance is appropriate here. Having a gun is not to be treated lightly. This woman has only been in Brooklyn nine months. That gives her an excellent motive to flee the jurisdiction.” He finished, “Bail two thousand five hundred dollars.” It might as well have been a million.
    I was opening my mouth to begin my argument, when Di Anci stood up, tossed the court papers at the clerk, and proceeded to walk off the bench. I was stunned. I had an absolute right to make a record, and I was going to do it if he held me in contempt. My voice shook as I asked, “Judge, may I be heard?”
    He stopped, bowed ironically at me, and stood with his arms folded, waiting.
    My voice broke occasionally with the effort of keeping Digna’s face out of my thoughts and at the same time suppressing as much as I could my hatred of Di Anci. I finally stopped, not because I was finished, but because the certainty that Digna would go to jail caught up with me. I clenched my fists under the counsel table and blinked back tears.
    â€œBail stands. Court is adjourned till tomorrow morning.” He swept off the bench without a backward glance. I pulled a Kleenex out of my pants pocket and wiped my nose.
    Digna was already in the back. I hoped it wasn’t too late. I went over to the clerk. “Harry, do me a favor?”
    â€œSure, Counselor. That was a tough one.”
    â€œPut her on suicide watch. I don’t want her to succeed next time.”
    He nodded. “I’ll get Di Anci to sign it before he goes. It’s the least he can do, huh?”
    â€œHe couldn’t do any less, that’s for damn sure.”
    I went into the pen. Digna was calmer than I. I told her I’d try for a bail reduction, but I didn’t hold out much hope. I patted her arm and turned to go, only to notice that the gate was locked. The correction officers were joking loudly, so I called out “on the gate,” and one of them came over and opened it with his huge key. The gate swung open, then clanked shut behind me, leaving Digna’s small, serious face, like that of a cloistered nun, staring at me