Right?
12: He Can’t Be Planning to Break the Law…
Right?
“The information we have right now is very unfavorable to the defense,” Lena Quinn said, her expression serious as she sat beside Adrian in the police-station lobby.
“The trafficking case and Ethan Pike’s death are being handled separately, which means that if the court looks only at the fatal confrontation, Martin was technically the first person to use physical force.
If the judge interprets that sequence strictly, the sentencing could become extremely severe.” Her concern was understandable.
Lena had initially considered taking Martin’s case herself after learning what had happened in Pine Hollow, but once she reviewed the details, she decided against it.
The case was balanced on a dangerously narrow line, and she knew that accepting a defense she was not confident she could handle would do Martin more harm than good.
The possible outcomes were almost absurdly far apart.
At the harshest end, the prosecution could characterize Martin’s actions as intentional violence resulting in death and seek an extremely severe sentence.
At the other end, a sufficiently persuasive defense could argue that everything Martin did arose from an immediate attempt to protect his daughter from being forcibly dragged back into captivity, potentially allowing the court to view his actions as justified defense of another person.
The difference between those outcomes would depend heavily on how the facts were framed, how the witness testimony was handled, and whether the defense could persuade the court to look at the confrontation as a whole rather than isolating the first physical act.
Lena exhaled slowly.
“If the defense fails to establish justification, there’s a very real chance Martin could spend most of the rest of his life in prison.” She looked at Adrian.
“So what are you planning to do?” Adrian crossed one leg over the other and regarded her with interest.
“If you were representing him, what would you do?” Lena was quiet for several seconds before answering.
“I’d negotiate.” Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“With Walter and Martha?” “Yes.
I’d offer something they actually want badly enough to cooperate.” Lena glanced toward the corridor where Clara and Evelyn had gone.
“The obvious leverage is custody.
If Clara agreed not to contest the child remaining with the Pikes, we could try to get Walter and Martha to sign a statement of forgiveness, soften their position as the deceased’s family, and cooperate with testimony favorable to Martin.” Adrian said nothing.
Lena continued reluctantly, “I know how awful that sounds, but sometimes you have to choose the outcome that prevents the greatest irreversible harm.
Clara can continue fighting over custody later if circumstances change, but if Martin receives an extremely long sentence, those years can never be returned to him.” In other words, the conventional solution was painfully simple.
Save the father by sacrificing the child.
Or save the child and gamble with the father’s freedom.
Adrian nodded slowly.
“That’s probably what most attorneys would do.” Lena looked at him.
“And you wouldn’t?” “I’d rather have both.” She stared at him.
“What?” “I want Clara to keep custody of her son, and I want Martin to walk away from the criminal case with the best possible outcome.” Lena blinked as though she had misheard him.
“That isn’t exactly a modest objective.” Adrian smiled.
“I’ve never understood why people become so attached to choosing between two bad outcomes when there might be a third.” From the system’s perspective, the answer was even more obvious.
Adrian’s rewards depended on client satisfaction, and forcing Clara to surrender her son in exchange for saving Martin would never produce genuine satisfaction.
It would merely replace one form of misery with another.
If Adrian wanted the best possible result, he needed both.
Lena shook her head instinctively.
“You’re talking as if you can simply ignore the leverage the Pikes have.” “Who said I’m going to ignore it?” Adrian was about to continue when a voice suddenly carried across the lobby.
“Excuse me, is Attorney Adrian Cole here?” Both of them turned.
A thin man in a dark suit stood near the entrance, carrying a leather briefcase and wearing rectangular glasses.
After exchanging a few words with the officer at the front desk, he followed the officer’s gesture and looked directly toward Adrian.
Adrian recognized him immediately from the description he had received.
Derek Vaughn.
The attorney from Creston Law Group who had agreed to represent Walter and Martha Pike.
Adrian’s first impression was simple.
He didn’t come here to exchange business cards.
Derek approached with a polite smile and extended his hand.
“Attorney Cole?
I’m Derek Vaughn from Creston Law Group.
My firm has been retained by Walter and Martha Pike to represent their interests as Ethan Pike’s surviving family in the Martin Hayes case.” Adrian looked briefly at the offered hand but did not take it.
Derek’s smile stiffened slightly.
“You’re Martin Hayes’s defense attorney, correct?” “That depends on whether you’ve come here to ask something you don’t already know.” Lena almost smiled.
Derek quietly withdrew his hand.
“The reason I came is actually quite straightforward.
My clients would like to understand your position before the criminal proceedings advance any further.” Adrian leaned back.
“What position?” Derek maintained his professional smile.
“My clients are willing to consider reconciliation and compensation.
If an acceptable agreement can be reached, they may be willing to take a more forgiving position regarding Mr.
Hayes’s criminal responsibility.” Lena’s expression immediately hardened.
There was no chance Walter and Martha had suddenly developed compassion for Martin.
Adrian asked the obvious question.
“What do they want in return?” Derek’s smile widened.
“Custody of their grandson.” Exactly as expected.
Walter and Martha had lost the first custody hearing, so now they intended to use Martin’s criminal case as leverage to reverse the result indirectly.
Adrian stood.
“The court has already awarded custody to Clara.
I assume you’re aware of that.” “Of course.” Derek glanced toward Lena.
“But that was only the first ruling.
If Ms.
Quinn were to persuade Clara to voluntarily give up custody during the appeal process, my clients would be prepared to discuss cooperation regarding Martin’s case.” Lena stood abruptly.
“That’s coercion.” Derek waved the accusation away.
“No, Attorney Quinn.
It’s negotiation.
Both parties have something the other side values, and both sides are free to decide whether an agreement is worthwhile.” His tone remained smooth, but his meaning was unmistakable.
Give up the child, and Martin might receive mercy.
Refuse, and Walter and Martha would push for the harshest possible outcome.
Derek believed the proposal was attractive enough that Adrian would eventually accept it.
After all, helping a defendant escape an extremely severe sentence in a high-profile criminal case could transform a young attorney’s career overnight.
Derek would benefit too.
His clients would recover custody, he would record another successful outcome, and if he could also secure substantial compensation from the Hayes family, even better.
From his perspective, everybody important would win.
As for Clara and Evelyn, their suffering was simply part of the negotiation.
Derek looked at Adrian.
“So, what do you think?” Adrian regarded him for several seconds before asking, “Attorney Vaughn, do you know where the restroom is?” Derek frowned.
“What?” “If there isn’t a mirror nearby, I assume there’s at least a toilet.
You might want to go take a good look at yourself.” Silence fell around them.
Lena turned toward Adrian with an expression somewhere between surprise and amusement.
Derek’s face reddened.
He clenched his jaw, visibly forcing himself not to lose his temper.
“You should think carefully before dismissing my clients’ offer.
This is a homicide case, Attorney Cole, and if you lose badly enough, it won’t only affect your client.
A major defeat this early in your career could follow you for years.” Adrian’s expression did not change.
“Thank you for your concern.” “Without cooperation from the victim’s family, without any forgiveness statement, and with testimony that could be unfavorable to your client, the outcome is highly unpredictable.” “Exactly.” Derek frowned.
Adrian smiled.
“It’s unpredictable, which means you don’t know the result any more than I do.” “You should at least discuss the offer with Clara Hayes.” “I’ll discuss whatever is ethically and professionally necessary with my clients.
I don’t need you to tell me how to represent them.” Derek’s expression darkened further.
Adrian gestured casually toward the hallway.
“I have some excellent tea at the office, by the way.
Tea is supposed to help with urination.
If you’re still having trouble finding that mirror, I can send some over.” “You—” Derek stopped himself.
This was the first time in years that someone so much younger had openly mocked him while simultaneously refusing what he considered an obviously beneficial deal.
From Derek’s perspective, Adrian was being irrational.
Both lawyers could improve their professional records, both sides could avoid uncertainty, and everyone involved could walk away with something.
Why refuse?
Because the victims would suffer?
That hardly registered as a professional consideration to him.
Derek took a slow breath.
“Fine.
I’ll see you in court.” “I look forward to it.” Derek stared at him for several seconds, then turned and walked toward the exit.
Only after he disappeared did Lena release the breath she had been holding.
“You really do have an interesting way of speaking to opposing counsel.” “He came all the way here.
It would’ve been rude not to give him something memorable.” Lena gave him a helpless look, although a faint smile appeared despite herself.
Then her expression became serious again.
“As unpleasant as he is, he wasn’t entirely wrong about one thing.
Without cooperation from Ethan’s family, defending Martin becomes significantly more difficult.” Adrian sat back down.
“Who said I need their cooperation?” Lena had already begun speaking.
“If we negotiated carefully, perhaps Clara could preserve substantial visitation rights while—” She stopped.
Her head snapped toward Adrian.
“What did you just say?” “I said I don’t need Walter and Martha’s cooperation.” Lena stared at him.
“You already have another plan?” “Of course.” The answer came so naturally that Lena momentarily wondered whether Adrian had been waiting for her to ask.
“What plan?” Adrian gave her a faint smile.
“We’re going to take the child.” Lena blinked.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Derek Vaughn left the police station in a foul mood.
Before getting into his car, he glanced back through the glass entrance and saw Adrian sitting calmly on the bench beside Lena.
He had originally come expecting an easy negotiation in which both attorneys recognized the practical advantages of cooperation.
Instead, Adrian had rejected him outright and insulted him in the process.
Derek’s expression hardened.
If the younger lawyer wanted a fight, then a fight was exactly what he would get.
He would encourage Walter and Martha to take the strongest possible position, oppose every favorable characterization of Martin’s conduct, and push the deceased-family angle as aggressively as the law allowed.
If Adrian wanted to learn what courtroom reality looked like, Derek was perfectly willing to provide the lesson.
“Arrogant brat.” He opened the door of his car.
“We’ll see how confident you are after sentencing.” Derek climbed inside and drove away.
A short distance away, however, another vehicle had just entered the police-station parking lot.
Three people stepped out.
Two were experienced prosecutors in their thirties and forties, while the third was a younger man carrying several case files.
Their dark formal uniforms and official insignia immediately distinguished them from ordinary attorneys.
The younger prosecutor watched Derek’s car disappear.
“Was that Derek Vaughn from Creston?” One of the older men nodded.
“He’s representing Ethan Pike’s family in the Hayes case.” “That makes sense, then.” The younger prosecutor, Aaron Blake, frowned.
“I’ve heard about Vaughn.
He has a reputation for taking any case as long as there’s money in it.” The senior prosecutor beside him, Henry Walsh, immediately looked over.
“Watch yourself.” Aaron fell silent.
Henry’s expression remained stern.
“We are prosecutors.
Whether you personally like an attorney, a defendant, or a victim is irrelevant.
You do not begin a case by deciding who deserves sympathy and then search for evidence that supports your feelings.” Aaron looked frustrated.
“But I’ve read the Hayes file.
He was trying to protect his daughter after she’d been abducted for ten years.
Ethan Pike was trying to drag her back into the village, and then—” Henry interrupted him.
“What matters is what can be proven, what the law requires, and what the court ultimately finds.
You don’t decide whether Martin Hayes deserves punishment, and neither do I.” His voice hardened.
“If you can’t separate prosecution from personal emotion, you’re in the wrong profession.” Aaron lowered his eyes.
The third prosecutor, Paul Mercer, stepped in before the exchange became worse.
“Come on, Henry.
He’s young.
We were all overly certain about everything when we started.” Henry gave Aaron one last look before heading toward the station without replying.
Paul waited until he was several steps away before turning to the younger man.
“He’s harsh because he doesn’t want you making a mistake that follows you for the rest of your career.
Prosecutors have more power than most people realize, which means we have to be more careful than most people realize.” Aaron nodded.
After a moment, he asked quietly, “What do you think will happen to Martin Hayes?” Paul looked toward the police station.
“Hard to say.” “The police evidence and some of the statements collected from Pine Hollow aren’t favorable to him.
The fact that Martin initiated the first physical contact will matter, even though the circumstances surrounding that contact matter too.” Aaron frowned.
“Is there really no way around it?” Paul shook his head.
“That’s what the trial is for.
Our job is to establish the facts and present the prosecution’s case fairly.
His attorney’s job is to challenge our interpretation and present whatever lawful defense the evidence supports.” He began walking after Henry.
“The first hearing will probably be scheduled for early November, so stop trying to decide the verdict before we’ve even finished the investigation.” Aaron followed him.
“And whether Martin walks away, receives a reduced sentence, or gets convicted of something far more serious will depend in large part on what his defense lawyer manages to do with the evidence.” Aaron was still troubled.
“But under these circumstances, what else can the defense even do?” Paul considered the question.
“I have no idea.” He gave the younger prosecutor a faint smile.
“It’s not as though his lawyer can simply break the law to solve the problem.” …
“Let’s go steal the child!” “Mm…
Huh?” Lena froze for a moment before turning sharply toward Adrian.
“What did you just say?” Seeing the disbelief on her face, Adrian repeated himself calmly.
“I said, my plan is…” “We’re going to steal the child.” Lena stared at him as though she had misheard him.
A second later, she shot to her feet.
“Wait, what do you mean your plan is to steal the child?
That’s illegal!” Adrian frowned, clearly dissatisfied with her reaction.
“What are you talking about?
How would that be illegal?” Lena looked at him in complete disbelief.
Adrian softened his voice and continued, “Calm down and listen to me first.
I guarantee that what I’m proposing is completely legal.” He paused briefly before adding with complete confidence, “You could read through the criminal code from beginning to end, and you still wouldn’t find a single provision saying that what I’m planning is illegal.” Lena stared at him.
Stealing a child…
and calling it legal?
How could a lawyer possibly put those two things in the same sentence?
More importantly…
Lena drew in a breath and covered her mouth, still unable to understand what he was thinking.
“Why on earth do you want to steal the child?”