“Your honor, I must protest.” Hamper Caisse quietly raged, “Marcus is doing his best to divert the court’s attention from what the fire chief himself said on Friday, which was that Dale Steadman was falling down drunk when help arrived. And immediately following the fire he started reconstruction, thus hiding any evidence of foul play.”
Judge Sears nodded toward Marcus’ table. “Is that your client there?”
“Dale Steadman in the flesh, your honor.”
“I see your own table remains empty, Mr. Caisse.”
“As your honor well knows, my client is a world-famous opera diva. Her singing commitments hold her in Europe at this time.”
“And what is the position your own client holds at present, Marcus?”
“Chairman of the board of New Horizons, Incorporated.”
“Sounds like a mighty busy individual to me.” She made a note in her case file. “How do you wish to proceed?”
“Your honor, at this time I wish to call Ida Biggs to the stand.”
“Just a moment.” Before Judge Rachel Sears was a typical morning crush. Lawyers spilled from the courtroom’s two side offices. They spoke in muted voices with district attorneys awaiting cases. They scheduled hearings. They leaned over the waist-high partition known as the bench and huddled with clients. They snickered and gossiped among themselves. A pair of translators, one Hispanic and the other Vietnamese, whispered about upcoming cases. Two attorneys spoke in hushed tones with the court recorder, while another waited in the wings, urgently flagging for Judge Sears’ attention.
The judge raised her voice and announced, “In case you folks haven’t noticed, I’m trying a case here.”
The hubbub ground to an astonished halt. Normally a family court judge condoned such maneuverings, for otherwise the caseload would swamp them all. Cases were scheduled ten minutes apart, on the assumption that most of the day’s work would be done in this manner. The court built to a twice daily frenzy as the clock approached the midday and afternoon recesses.
“Now I want everybody who is in here to either find a seat or take their business elsewhere.” She turned to the bailiff and instructed, “Station one of your team by the rear doors. Anyone who comes in has to stay until I’ve made a ruling.”
“Yes, your honor.”
She surveyed the shocked faces and snapped, “You heard me. Grab a seat or take a hike.”
As Marcus returned to his seat, his attention was snagged by Deacon Wilbur. The old pastor was seated between the attorney’s tables and the railing. Ida and Tyrell Biggs were seated just behind him. But the pastor was paying them no mind. He was too busy blazing Hamper Caisse with a reverend’s version of the snake eye. Hamper Caisse ignored Marcus’ side of the courtroom entirely, busying himself with something he found of particular fascination within his briefcase.
Judge Sears rearranged the papers in her open file. “In regard to the case between Erin Brandt and Dale Steadman, I have before me two motions. One is from Ms. Brandt and regards a change of custody. The second is from Mr. Steadman and requests an emergency ex partae order. Is that correct?”
“Yes, your honor.”
“All right, Mr. Glenwood.” Judge Sears motioned with her gavel. “You may proceed.”
He rose and gestured for Ida Biggs to come forward. The woman was dressed for Sunday meeting in a pink linen dress and black enameled straw hat. She carried a purse big enough to hold a bazooka. She endured the swearing-in process with evident nerves, then seated herself with her purse clenched as a lap shield.
Marcus remained stationed by his table. “You worked as Dale Steadman’s housemaid and nanny for over a year, is that right?”
She glanced at Dale, who was intently focused upon nothing. “Yessir, that’s correct.”
“Can you tell the court what was Mr. Steadman’s temperament?”
“Mr. Dale, he’s as fine a man as I ever met. It’s been an honor working for him.” She nodded decisively. “An honor.”
Hamper Caisse rose in gaunt and clumsy stages. “Judge, I must object. We’re talking to a woman who has every reason to tell the court whatever will ensure her paycheck.”
In response, Marcus asked the witness, “Are you still in Mr. Steadman’s employment?”
“Nosir.”
“He dismissed you?”
“I wanted to stay on, but he wouldn’t let me. Said it might be dangerous, since the police couldn’t say how the fire got started.”
Hamper subsided into his chair without speaking. Judge Sears gave Marcus the nod.
“Tell us about the situation within Mr. Steadman’s former marriage.”
Ida Biggs took an even tighter grip upon her purse, glanced once more at Dale Steadman, then replied, “They argued back and forth all the time.”
“Accusations have been made that Mr. Steadman has physically attacked Erin Brandt.”
“Only time I know when Mr. Dale touched the lady, it happened right in the middle of the kitchen while I was fixing the baby’s lunch.”
“Did Mr. Steadman strike her as has been claimed?”
“She did the grabbing. But he ended up falling on top of her.”
“What happened then?”
“Mr. Dale, he pulled himself back up and ran off into the library. The lady went after him. She was swinging something, a pot I think it was.”
“So she was the aggressor?”
“Every time I saw, she was the one doing the swinging.”
“Do you recall what it was they argued about?”
“Everything under the sun. But Mr. Dale, he never started much of anything unless it was about the child. The rest of the time, he just stood there and let her get all worked up.”
“So there was nothing in particular that set her off?”
“Most times, it was how much she hated the place.”
“Their home?”
“The house, the town, the heat, the food, the people. You name it, she hated it.”
“What about their baby, Celeste?”
The woman’s features softened a stroke. “Mr. Dale, he dearly loves that child.”
“What about Ms. Brandt?”
“She didn’t act like no mother I’ve ever seen.”
Hamper Caisse gave a sonorous blast. “Objection! Generality!”
“Overruled. Proceed.”
“How was Ms. Brandt different from what you might have expected?”
“Just the way she looked at that baby. It was strange.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Biggs. I’m trying to gain a mental picture here. Strange just doesn’t do it for me.”
“The lady never said a thing. Not to me, not to her husband that I ever heard. She never disabused that baby in any way. She just never did anything.”
“Excuse me, but could you please try and give me a specific-”
“Why is this not clear to you, sir? If I brought the baby into a room, that lady would get up and walk out. She never changed the child’s diapers, not one single solitary time. She wouldn’t feed her. She wouldn’t dress her. She wouldn’t even hold Celeste unless there was somebody who walked over and set the child down in her lap. Then she’d just sit there waiting till she could find somebody to hand the baby to.” Ida Biggs kneaded the purse so hard the leather stretched and bunched. “Sweetest child you ever saw in all your born days. Little blond-haired angel was all she was. Just a treasure. I still dream about that baby’s smile.”
“Your honor, please,” Caisse complained. “The child is not on trial here.”
“Yes. Sustained. Redirect your witness, Mr. Glenwood.”
“Mrs. Biggs, we are gathered here today because Ms. Brandt is fighting to keep this child in her custody.”
“Sir, I tell you what’s the honest truth. Unless the Lord himself had done touched this lady’s heart, she isn’t doing what you say she’s doing.”
“Objection!”
Judge Sears did not release the witness from her gaze. “I’m going to allow this to go a little further.”
“But she is, Mrs. Biggs. Ms. Brandt has abducted the child and has brought us all here together today.”
“Then she ain’t doing it for the baby’s sake.”