After telling Duncan she had plans for this evening, he sounded happy. Apparently, he and Abe were going to see who could eat the most pizza. The other men were joining them as well. Jude was happy, very much so. She couldn’t wait for the next bird to find a mate. Jude didn’t care who it was either.
Chapter 7
Hanna didn’t know what all the fuss was about. Sure, she’d done some terrible things in the name of taking care of children. But what the hell did they think she was going to live in with the stipend they paid her monthly? It was barely enough for her to buy food each month. There was never enough money left over each payday for her to have a social life. Not that she had one of those anymore either.
Hanna hated people, but not the money they provided her with. That was golden. And as far as she could understand from these idiots that had arrested her, they’d not been able to open her safe and couldn’t find the other money. Porn, it seemed, was a huge moneymaker. Baby porn was even more profitable.
Two people sat in the chairs behind hers. She didn’t pay all that much attention to faces. Hanna had always been a clothing snob. Not that she wore the latest fashions or the most hip wear. She tended to wear things she’d purchased until they were little more than strings and rags. Even then, she’d turn them into something serviceable. She didn’t get to be wealthy by being stupid with her funds.
She’d known someday she’d be caught. What had surprised Hanna now was that it had taken them this long to figure it out. That was another reason she hated people. They were stupid as donkeys. Turning back in her seat to face the front when no one else came in, she tried to figure out what to say to these people to make her have a lighter sentence. Nothing much came to mind. Hanna knew she was going to serve some jail time.
It might be nice, she thought, to not have to listen to whiney brats all day. Not have to figure out if someone buying her product was really a nasty person or the cops. Either way, she was due for a little rest and relaxation time. Mostly, she thought, she’d be able to not have to put up with her brothers. Harland and George were the only family she had left. They also depended on her for every little thing they needed.
Harland was mentally challenged. That was the fancy term they’d put on him when he’d failed preschool all those years ago. Since their parents died, she’d been responsible for him. It was tough going at times, but he had his usefulness too. Like when he had to dig a hole. He’d dig to China if she didn’t go out and tell him to stop, it was deep enough.
George was plain stupid. He never got jokes. Even if you took the time to explain them to him, he would still stare at you as if you had three heads, for Christ’s sake. He didn’t care for fun. And worst of all, he hated to be dirty. He showered several times a day without fail. Also, his hands were raw because he would use hand sanitizer until it literally ate away at his skin.
When the bailiff came to tell everyone to stand, she didn’t on principle. No one stood up when she entered the room, and to her, it was a waste of time to get up and down like she was some sort of jack in the box.
The judge—Harmon, if she read the placard correctly—cocked a brow at her. She didn’t pay him any mind. This was going to be an all-day event anyway. Being as old as she was, getting up and down like he thought he deserved was hard on her old bones. Once again, she thought some jail time would be perfect right about now.
As soon as the doors were closed behind her, she didn’t bother waiting on someone to ask her to speak. Standing up, because she wanted to have his full attention, she cleared her throat when he asked her what she had to say.
“Plenty, as a matter of fact. But for now, I want to plead guilty.” He asked her if she knew what the charges were. “I haven’t any idea what sort of crap was concocted on my behalf. But I want to plead guilty to it. All of it, as a matter of fact.”
“I see. Do you have an attorney? It says here that you’ve refused the one assigned to you.” She didn’t point out how he’d asked a question he already had the answer to but told him she didn’t need one. “I see. So, I’m to assume you don’t care what the charges are against you. You’re just going to assume it’s nothing to get you into too much trouble and be done with it. I’m sorry to say, it’s not going to work like that with this trial. There are a great many people who are going to need to hear what you were doing out there under the guise of caring for children.”
“I’m assuming you mean the porn videos?” He didn’t even blink at her. “Yes, yes. I did those. I wasn’t getting enough money by being a nice person. That was what I had to do to care for those brats and my family. I did it. Move on.”
“Be that as it may, I’m going to tell you now, there will be a trial, as well as witnesses and the entire gamut of
