During the lunch break she had been so distraught that she had sat weeping in her cell. She had never been big on tears-it took a lot to get the waterworks running-but the moment the door clanged shut behind her, someone turned the faucet on full force and she collapsed to her bunk, unable to hold them back.
She was only halfway through her first day of trial and she knew that this jury-those women-were going to convict her. Meyer and that smug little ADA were already painting her as some kind of obsessive nut case and she knew it was working.
But by the time her lunch break came to an end, she had told herself not to be so pessimistic. Had wiped her eyes and put on her brave face and even smiled at the jury as they filed into the courtroom.
None of them smiled back.
Then, toward the end of the day, when the ADA brought out that black hoodie, Meyer claiming it was the one she had worn while stabbing Jenny repeatedly, she was once again convinced that she was doomed. That she would be convicted of murder and would spend the rest of her life away from little Christopher-who would surely be sent to Arizona to live with Danny.
And if that happened, she'd never see or hear from him again.
No visits. No phone calls. No letters.
So maybe
This day was so far beyond shit that she couldn't find an adequate way to express just how bad it was.
But at least Hutch believed her now, and she'd be free for a while. Could spend some time with Christopher before they locked her up for good.
And as she sat there in her cell, waiting for Hutch to post bond, and for the guard to tell her that she was free to go, Ronnie had a sudden thought.
What if she walked out that door and never came back? Grabbed Christopher and disappeared off the face of the earth?
Go to Italy maybe. France. Brazil. Ecuador.
It sounded like yet another Ronnie Baldacci fantasy.
But maybe she could make this one come true.
— 26 -
The bailbondsman was a guy named Leon Johnson who looked as if he could snap you in two just by thinking about it. He reminded Hutch of a young Ving Rhames-an actor he'd long admired and had always wanted to work with-and he figured this was about as close as he'd ever get.
He was sitting in Johnson's office about three blocks from the courthouse, a pre-fab two-room suite that had been sublet from a local dentist. Hutch could hear the whine of a drill coming from one of the other rooms.
Johnson's desk was a metal monstrosity that took up most of the real estate, but Johnson himself made it look like furniture built for dwarves.
'You understand how this works?'
'Yes,' Hutch said.
'Once you sign these papers and hand over a check, I don't want you coming back bitchin' about it. You lay down two hundred large, you better be damn sure you know what that means.'
'I know what it means.'
'So tell me.'
'It means I don't get the money back. That this isn't a deposit or collateral for a loan, it's a nonrefundable fee that I'll never see again.'
Ten percent of Ronnie's bail, was what it was. And for that amount, Johnson-or more likely his insurance carrier-would pony up the two million needed to spring her. It was also, coincidentally, the exact amount Hutch had been paid per episode during the last two seasons of
Almost criminal, when you thought about it.
'You also understand,' Johnson said, 'that if she decides not to show up for court, I
The thought of being manhandled by this guy gave Hutch a little shiver. He figured most of Johnson's clients probably made the decision not to run the moment they saw the size of his biceps. And his chest. Neck. Forearms. Hands.
'That won't be a problem.'
Johnson snorted. 'I've heard that before.'
'She's got no reason to skip,' Hutch told him. 'She's not guilty.'
'I've heard that one, too.'
Two hours later, Hutch, Matt and Andy waited as Waverly escorted Ronnie out of the judge's private elevator into the underground parking lot-an escape route that was often used by high-profile defendants.
After a quick round of hugs and a few tears, they hustled Ronnie into the back of Andy's Mustang. Hutch climbed in next to her and they drove in near silence to the house in Roscoe Village, circled the block twice to make sure there weren't any reporters around, then pulled up to the curb.
'You guys want to come in?' Ronnie asked.
Hutch shook his head. 'You spend time with your family.'
'
'Your son doesn't need a bunch of strangers stomping around his house. Spend some time with him, eat a decent meal and get some sleep for once. Andy'll pick you up in the morning.'
She looked at him for a long moment, a trace of tears in her eyes. 'Thank you, Hutch. Thank you so much.'
Without warning, she threw her arms around him and kissed him square on the mouth. Hutch stiffened with surprise, then went with it, kissing her back.
Then she pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed as she got out of the car and crossed the sidewalk to the front steps.
Hutch gave her a wave goodbye, and as they pulled away from the curb, Matt-who sat up front next to Andy-craned his neck to look at him, a slight smile on his face. 'So how does it feel to be the knight in shining armor?'
If he was any kind of knight at all, Hutch thought, it was a tarnished one.
But he nodded.
'Not bad,' he said. 'Not bad at all.'
— 27 -
Nadine didn't seem surprised to see him.
After they left Ronnie's house, Matt had asked Hutch if he wanted to grab a bite to eat, but Hutch had declined. Told them to drop him off back at the courthouse instead.
Grabbing a beef from a nearby sandwich shop, he caught the train to Kenwood, where he knew Nadine kept an apartment in an old condominium her firm had bought and refurbished.
He didn't know if she'd be home, and didn't bother to call, but he figured if he came up dry, at least he'd get a
