Simply Friends (1)
Shelley J Alongi

 

Assistant U.S. attorney Ted Hamilton made his way down the hall to a small, cramped office. He pushed his way into the small space with the filing cabinets and shut the door behind him. He turned on the light and immediately turned it off again. His eyes craved the dark. A cold metal chair was wedged between two filing cabinets and he wearily plopped himself into it, burying his face in his hands. Could he be so weary? How could anyone be this weary? He pressed his fingers against his eyes pushing back the weary waves, forcing them back inside him. If he moved he would lose his grip on the objective progression of the exhibits in this hellish case. Slowly he unclenched his hands, pulled them away from his eyes. He pulled himself up into a straight position and cramped his shoulders almost to his neck and held this position till it hurt. Then he relaxed slowly and only then did he exhale his breath and let it out in another trembling sigh. He did this again and again till finally he could feel himself relaxing and calm returning.

�I don�t do stress,� he said, knowing he was stressed. The woman who had testified just before the recess had dissolved into tears. It was all he could do not to look at the jury to see their reaction. The gavel came down, the judge stopped the cross examination.

�Mr. Hamilton, court is recessed for twenty minutes.�

Blessedly quiet moments passed till he finally looked up, remembering to cast his eyes toward the clock. He sighed and got up, returning to the hall outside the courtroom.

The hall was deserted except for Beth sitting in a tense position.

�Beth.�

The woman called Beth looked up and saw him.

He beckoned to her to follow him. She got up automatically.

�Are you going to make it? Maybe we should stop today.

�No. I want to get this over with.�

�Are you sure?�

�Yes. I want this done. Let them ask.�

He put his finger to his lips, warning her to remain silent. Then he beckoned to her and walked quickly back to the office. Beth followed him and almost ran into him and then almost tripped over a box.

�If you want to finish, I don�t think��

Her look stopped him.

�Do you want to jeopardize the case? They�re not playing fair,� he explained patiently.

�Please. If it�s done today I don�t have to do this anymore.�

�I explained not necessarily. They could call you back.�

Suddenly Beth sat down on the floor and put her head on the box and cried.

He opened the door and pointed to her.

�Go inside. I don�t want anyone to see you like this. No one except me. I�m getting the judge.�

Now, Ted took a different hallway down to council chambers. He approached the office, knocked quietly.

�Yes?�

�Your honor it�s government council.�

�Come on in.�

Ted Hamilton walked calmly into the office, perhaps even smaller than the one he had just come from. Judge Owens sat behind his plain, metal desk.

�What is it, counselor?�

�Your honor, I would like to request that the defense not cross examine this witness today. Maybe recess the court if they agree. She is distraught.�

�I saw that, counselor. What is her choice?�

�She wants to go through with it.�

�And you don�t?�

�Only because she might say something that might,� he paused for a moment while the words formed themselves in his head. �That might lead to more questions she�s not ready to answer. I think we should wait till Monday.�

�I�ll ask defense council, too.�

�That is fine.�

�Have a seat, counselor.�

Ted Hamilton sat down gratefully. His hands lay quietly on his knees, his fingers drummed infrequently. Judge Owens got up and left the room. Ted felt his breathing ease.
He looked up as the judge came back in with defense council in tow.

�You didn�t tell me she was so upset,� defense council accused.
�Mr. Winter,� the judge reprimanded, �that will be unnecessary. Mr. Hamilton does not need to respond to this.�

�May I address defense council, then, your honor?�

the judge nodded.

�Mr. Winter, Miss Anderson is very distraught. I think that perhaps we should wait to finish the cross examination till Monday. She is not doing well today.�

The defense council was quiet.

�I see that,� he said slowly.

Ted Hamilton�s eyes were calm now, his own emotional state and weariness abating under the more formal constraints of this conversation.

�I suggest we recess court today. Everyone is a bit anxious and it might not serve the law best.�

Mr. Winter didn�t like the government council. He was trying to get his client off and this guy wanted to call a halt to the proceedings.

�What do you think Mr. Winter?� asked the judge.

�I think we should continue the session.�

Ted Hamilton sat back, pitched for battle. But he let his hands comfort each other on his lap and he kept his eyes blank.

�Mr. Hamilton, do you have anything else to ask defense council?�

�No, your honor.�

�I will make the decision. Both of you leave me now. Mr. Hamilton please ask Miss Anderson to come in and see me. Both of you please go to different corners of the building till I send a runner for you.�

When Ted got out of court he couldn�t wait to get into his car and head out to Kim�s Caf�. He dismissed his team and they went in four directions.

�We�ll meet in court on Monday. If you have any last minute questions call me tomorrow. Not tonight.�

Tonight, he didn�t go home to his cat. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew tonight was an important match between his favorite baseball team and the defending champions, but right now none of that mattered.

He picked up his briefcase from the council table and quietly walked down the halls and stepped into the elevator.

Outside, it was stiflingly hot. He gulped deep breaths of humid air as he took each stair to the parking structure and found his small, compact car. He positioned himself behind the drivers wheel and concentrated on getting out of there. He felt the pedals under his feet, stopped for the lights, signaled his lane change and got on the turn pike.

On a narrow street he turned off and entered the parking lot of a small restaurant called Kim�s Cafe. It was a quiet place. He made his way quietly into the entrance, a cool place, with a water fountain and a great steak dinner.

�Hello Ted,� said a plump, older woman. �Grueling day in court today?�

His look said yes.

�You look like the world has not been a kind place today. Come back to your usual spot.�

�Come sit with me?�

�Sure on break.�

He made his way back to a quiet corner. A plain table with a candle burning on it and a rose sat in the middle of it. He sighed with relief. This was only the first of his retreats.

Kim made her way back to the table and sat across from the harried government council. She put out her hands and he took them, holding them gently.

�I can never wait to see you.�

�Once a week is fine, Ted. You�re a busy man; doing a brave thing.�

�Oh Kimberley,� he said wearily, �They never told me in law school about this. Can I ask you a strange question?�

�Of course.�

�Should U.S. attorneys cry?�

�Why,� she said, surprise passing through her hazel eyes, �of course. Don�t you remember?�

***

When Leslie left him alone with two little girls and his career was going well, he cried. The day he got the divorce papers, ten years ago, he drove out to this very place. Kimberley had been here, then, too and during his meal his eyes swam with tears. She had provided solace for him that day; he would never forget it.
�Why do you ask me this?� she now said,. Looking into his troubled face.

�I think because I�m just weary.�

�Yes, you are.�

�The judge dismissed court today because our witness couldn�t go on.�

Kim looked around to see if anyone needed her attention. Everything seemed in order.

�Ted, you know what to do. You�ll be fine. You�ve been coming here for a long time.�

�Twenty years,� he agreed, �through everything.�

�Sure,� she said, �through your mom�s death, through the divorce, when you passed the bar, all of that.�

�Sometimes I think this place is my best friend,� he said suddenly feeling a bit better.

�It�s the sky,� she said. �It�s not this place so much. You love the sky. I know what you�re going to do when you leave here, Ted. You�re going to drive out to the mountains and just sit. You�re going to sit down on a rock and just relax. And maybe even cry.�

 

 

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Copyright © 2008 Shelley J Alongi
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