Hostile Witness

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 24

"Who does this lawyer think she is? God?"

"Those parents are financially and morally responsible for their daughter. If that lawyer wants to be responsible for a child, then let her have one of her own and take all the responsibility."

"This is like a really late term abortion. That girl is being ripped from her mother and somebody should do something about it."

"Maybe something weird is going on here. Maybe something did happen to that girl. Shouldn't someone find out about that?" - Callers to KFI Talk Radio

"Come on in." Faye opened the door of her home wide and gave Max a pat as she motioned Josie toward the sunroom.

"Thanks. Sorry I didn't get the message until now. I was at Archer's last night." Josie said. "I feel like I've been run over by a truck."

Josie veered off to the kitchen, settled Max, and poured herself some coffee. In the sunroom she sank onto a chair, tucked her legs beneath her, and wrapped her hands around her mug. Faye was already settled. A teacup was on the table at her elbow. The weather had cooled and she wore a sweater to keep out the cold but the look of consternation on her face sent that chill right to Josie.

The Los Angeles Times was on the table with the tea. The front page carried a picture of Linda Rayburn holding onto Hannah for dear life. Faye had the Valley paper and the Daily Breeze. Each one was opened to that picture of Linda and Hannah outside the courthouse.

"The Times has an old picture of you on the inside page." Faye tossed it toward Josie. "You looked good with long hair."

Josie shifted. One foot hit the ground just as the LA Times fluttered to the floor. She reached down, picked it up, and snapped it open. Josie bit her bottom lip as she scanned the story, then looked with disgust at the picture on the front page.

"Linda deliberately put herself in this situation," Josie muttered. Then to Faye: "I told her to go down the freight elevator. I don't think she cares about Hannah at all."

"Did you threaten to file for emancipation?" Faye asked, not bothering to respond to Josie's observation.

"Yes, I did," Josie answered. "They were trying to railroad Hannah. They were dismissing her accusations. Linda was ready to give her up. Everyone in that courtroom had an agenda that didn't include what was in Hannah's best interests."

Faye shook her head in disbelief.

"What you did was drastic and uncalled for, Josie. Your client had enough problems without alienating her mother and half the people in this city. There is a serious question that you overstepped your bounds as an attorney. Threatening emancipation was emotional blackmail."

"Oh come on, Faye." Josie tossed the paper onto the floor. "Everyone in that room was ready to go to bat for a dead judge. Without me, Hannah wouldn't have had a voice at all. Linda and Kip Rayburn would have sold her out for an insanity plea just to keep this quiet."

"Did you ask Hannah what kind of representation she wanted, or whether she wanted to be legally and irrevocably severed from her parent?"

"Since when does a client dictate strategy?"

"Since her life is at stake on so many levels. I would think her input would be invaluable - at least to an attorney who honestly cares about what is best for her client," Faye shot back.

"That's all I care about, and all I think about, Faye. Hannah was in no condition to think about anything, much less make decisions. It's all there." Josie indicated the newspapers. They hadn't missed a thing, not Hannah's self mutilation, not Kip's outburst, Linda's outrage, or Josie's accusations