Judge & Jury

"Shall I take that as a yes, you're in?" Nordeshenko asked them.

"Of course we're in, Remi. It's the only game in town."

"Three more," Nordeshenko called to the waiter in Russian.

Then he picked up the paper, the sketch of the jury disappearing under his arm. They wanted a trial, these stupid bastards, they were going to get one.

They just didn't know the meaning of thetrial that was in store for them.

Chapter 24

NO ONE WAS ON the witness stand in the courtroom that morning. The press was cleared. The jury was being kept in the jury room. Judge Seiderman stepped in from her chambers and sent a fiery look hurtling toward the defendant in the second row."Mr. Cavello, I want to see you and both counsels in my chambers,now. "

As the judge was leaving the bench, she caught my eye."Agent Pellisante, I'd like you to join us as well."

Our group made its way through the wooden door on the right side of the courtroom to the judge's quarters. Judge Seiderman took a seat behind her desk, glaring. I'd never seen her so angry.

And she was glaring directly at the defendant.

"Maybe I didn't quite get this across to you, Mr. Cavello, but if you think I will ever bow to intimidation or your mob-scare tactics, you have picked the wrong judge and this is the wrong courtroom. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Your Honor." Cavello stood, staring right back at her.

"But what I particularly don't take to"-Judge Seiderman raised herself up-“is a defendant who thinks he's big enough to toy and interfere with the criminal justice system."

"Can Your Honor explain what it is you're talking about?" Kaskel asked, obviously confused.

"Your client knows precisely what I'm talking about, Mr. Kaskel," the judge replied, her gaze never wavering from Cavello's chuckling eyes.

She reached into a drawer, pulled out the copy of theDaily News, and threw it down on her desk. Facing up was a sketch of Cavello's courtroom look at Ralphie yesterday. GANGSTER STOPS TRIAL DEAD.

"This was in my bed last night.In my bed, Mr. Cavello! Under my covers. The evening edition broke around seven. My house was completely locked up and alarmed. No one had been inside since four that afternoon. You have an educated guess as to how this got there, Mr. Cavello?"

"I'm not an expert on these things, Your Honor." Dominic Cavello shrugged smugly."But maybe that's something you ought to take up with your alarm company. Or your husband. Me, I got a pretty good excuse. I was in that prison over there."

"I told you"-Miriam Seiderman removed her glasses-“these proceedings will not be disrupted by intimidation."

I had to give her credit. The judge was going toe to toe with Cavello. She wasn't backing down."This court has given you every opportunity to have this trial conducted in the open, Mr. Cavello."

"This court is making assumptions that it ca

"I am pointing the finger, Mr. Kaskel. And if it's shown in any way that this is tied back to your client…"

"It's okay, Hy." Dominic Cavello restrained his lawyer."I understand how the judge must feel. She has to do what she has to do. It's just that I have friends who feel a certain way as well, and the problem is, they have to do what they think is right, too."

"What did I just hear?" The judge's gaze was electric, drilling in on Cavello's eyes.

"I tried to tell you from the begi

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Even for a bull like Cavello, to direct such a bold threat at the court was extraordinary.

"Agent in Charge Pellisante," the judge said, never flinching.

"Yes, Your Honor."

"I'm calling a recess for the day. I want the jury sent home. In the meantime, I'll decide how this proceeding is conducted from here on in."

I felt I had to voice my opinion."The jury should be sequestered, Your Honor. We can no longer take responsibility for their safety. Or even your own. We've mapped out various locations. I can have protective custody in motion as soon as you give the word."

"Nick," Cavello clucked, turning my way,"it's a big city. Hey, maybe you ought to be watching your back, too."

I stepped forward to take a slug at him-but someone behind me, this big, burly marshal, held me back.

"Do it, Agent Pellisante." The judge nodded."Set the wheels in motion. Sequester the jury."

Chapter 25

AROUND NINE THIRTY that night, Andie was folding towels in Jarrod's bathroom. Her darling son was in his pj's, sitting up in bed with a schoolbook open on his lap, but he was staring off into space.

"Mom, what's a promontory?" he called to her.

Andie came out and sat on the edge of his bed.

"It's like a piece of land that juts out into the ocean."

"Then what's a peninsula?" he asked next, flipping the textbook page.

Andie shrugged."I guess it's a larger piece of land that juts out into the ocean."

That day, for the first time in a week, she had picked him up from school. The judge had excused them all before noon, and the rumor mills were buzzing. The newspapers and TV commentators were saying threats had been made. Maybe against some of the jurors.

Andie had asked for some time with the judge and finally mentioned how she had found her windshield smashed in two nights before. Judge Seiderman told her it probably wasn't related. But that wasn't exactly making her feel safe and secure right now.

"So, then isn't every piece of land in the world kind of a peninsula?" Jarrod shrugged."I mean, look at Florida. Or Africa and South America. Doesn't everything stick out into the ocean at some point, Mom?"

"I guess." Andie tucked in his blanket and sat brushing back his soft, light-brown hair.

"Hey," he said, squirming,"I'm not a baby."

"You're my baby, always will be. Sorry, but that's the deal."

Andie's hand stopped abruptly at the sound of the doorbell.

Jarrod sat back up. They both looked at the clock. It was after ten."Who could that be, Mom?"

"I don't know. But one thing I do know, Einstein." She took the book from him."It's lights out." She bent and gave him a kiss.

"'Night, Mom."

Andie went into the hall to answer the bell. She turned the lock and cracked open the front door slightly.

She did a double take.

It was that FBI guy she'd noticed in the courtroom, the nice-looking one. And there was a uniformed police officer with him. No-twopolice officers, a man and a woman.

What were they doing here at ten o'clock?