Chapter 57 — The Hearing

_April 20, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

{psc} "What kind of bonus payment did you have in mind?" I asked Natasha when we were in my bedroom.

"Well, if Dee is to be believed, and I believe she is, then I'd like it provided in four installments! Tonight is your reward for hiring me, and it's my job to make you cum as many times as I can. Then, the next four Wednesdays are my bonus, and it's your job to make ME cum as many times as you can!"

"I believe that's fair," I said with a grin.

"But, I have a firm rule."

"What's that?"

"You're not allowed to ask, and it's most likely I won't ever ask again. Agree to that, and I promise nirvana!"

"I'm not disagreeing, but I am curious — does that have to do with what Deanna told me about you wearing clear-lens glasses?"

"It started when I was fourteen; I developed early and pretty much looked like I do now. I helped my best friend decorate her room, and that evening, after dinner, her dad came on to me. That started a pattern, and I think every adult male over fifteen on Kodiak Island hit on me at one time or another. I tried dressing differently, and it didn't work, so I cut my hair short and got the glasses. That cut down on some of it."

"Sorry to interrupt, but Kodiak Island?"

"Alaska. Anyway, for my Junior Prom, I turned down six different invitations and asked a shy, quiet guy who had never hit on me. He was a perfect gentleman, and I made sure I thanked him properly that night. We dated for about a year until he joined the Navy, but even having a boyfriend didn't cut down on the attention.

"That's what made me determined to leave Kodiak. When I came to Chicago, I decided I didn't want a steady boyfriend, and I stuck to what worked — I asked the guys and made the rule they couldn't ask and that it was short-term. I like the variety, and I'm not tied down. Ready for your reward?"

"I agree to your rule. The rubbers are in the drawer in the nightstand."

"I'm on the Pill"

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Hell if I know!" Natasha declared.

We both quickly undressed, and I saw that Natasha was shaved smooth, with not even a hint of pubic hair. She came to me, we embraced, kissed, and tumbled into bed.

_April 21, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

Natasha kept her promise, giving me a slow, sexy, and exquisite blowjob, then, after she got me hard again, rode me to release. The next four hours were a mix of blowjobs and her riding me until about 3:30am, when I was too tired and spent to go an eighth time. Because of the plan for the day, I was up at 6:30am, and Natasha and I got into the shower together. After the shower, we both dressed, then went downstairs.

"I don't think I should hang around for your mom," Natasha said.

"Mom won't care, and she won't assume anything. You're welcome to stay."

"That's OK. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Shall I walk you out?"

"Not necessary. You have breakfast to make."

We hugged at the door, and she left, and I went to the kitchen to make bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. CeCi came to help me a few minutes after I started, and we had breakfast ready when my mom, Mitchell, and Violet arrived.

Unsurprisingly, my mom was far more interested in holding Sofía than she was eating breakfast. I had to leave at 7:40 to get to class, so I ate quickly, then left the condo and returned four hours later to pick up Violet so we could go to the house, where Jack, Kristy, and Deanna were waiting with a U-Haul.

"Jonathan," Jack said, "there was a message on the machine from a professor at Loyola interested in buying Keiko's car. I called him back, and he came by this morning. He's willing to pay your asking price. He left his home number and said he could come back any time today."

"Let me call him, then we'll load up."

I placed the call and arranged for the professor to come to the house right away. Once that was done, I joined Jack, Kristy, and Deanna in loading the U-Haul with everything from the Japanese room. I had carefully packed all the items from the spirit shelf during the week and carried them personally to my car rather than putting them in the truck. We were about halfway done when the professor arrived. He handed me a check, and I gave him the two sets of keys, then signed the title over to him. Once he had driven off, I helped the others finish loading the U-Haul.

Jack and Kristy drove the U-Haul, and Violet, Deanna, and I drove in my car, and we returned to the Hancock Center where we unloaded the U-Haul and moved everything to the condo. When we finished, I thanked Jack and Kristy, and they left to return the truck.

"Sorry I was in and out and didn't have time to do more than say hello," I said to my mom.

"I didn't come to see you! I came to see my granddaughter!"

"Kicked to the curb by his mom at age twenty-one!" Bianca teased.

"Yeah, yeah! If I'm not wanted, I'm going to set up the computer we brought over today."

I went upstairs to the computer loft, as Natasha had called it once we'd changed the plan from a play area. I wasn't upset with my mom, and I knew she'd been teasing. I set up the IBM PC, made sure it worked and that I could print, then went back downstairs to spend time with my mom and Mitchell.

Violet and I made dinner for everyone, and after dinner, she, my mom, and Mitchell headed back to her house. Once they had left, Deanna and CeCi helped me install the spirit shelf in the new Japanese room. Once we finished, I spent a quiet evening with Bianca and Sofía, and when it was time for bed, I joined Bianca in her room, with Sofía in the bassinet rather than her crib.

_April 22, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

On Sunday morning, my mom, Mitchell, and Violet came to the condo for breakfast and spent the morning with us. We all ate lunch together, and then my mom and Mitchell left to return to Ohio. Violet stayed, and we'd drop her at her house when Deanna, Bianca, Sofía, and I went to the house.

As planned, Natasha arrived at 3:00pm with her professor and Kent, the photographer. They spent about an hour, and Kent took multiple photos of every room. He'd make three copies — one set for him to turn in as part of a project, one set for Natasha's portfolio, and one set for me. I thought it went very well, and when they left, Bianca, Sofía, Deanna, and I took Violet home, then headed to the house so Deanna could complete the second painting in her 'Nuclear Family' series.

That took close to three hours, and when we finished, we had a late dinner with Jack and Kristy, then headed back to the condo. Deanna asked if she could spend the night, and I agreed. I was surprised when CeCi followed us upstairs and asked to join us.

"Nothing crazy," she said. "Just make love and sleep all snuggled together."

"I'm OK with that if Deanna is," I said.

"It was Dee's idea!"

"Then join us," I said.

_April 23, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

The major benefit of the location of the condo played out on Monday morning when I didn't have to get up until 6:15m to be in the office at 7:00am, and I could have a leisurely breakfast. Chelsea had arrived at 6:00am and had let herself in with the key Bianca had given her.

Chelsea wouldn't be too busy until Bianca returned to work, which she planned to do part-time starting May 7th. Until then, Chelsea would help around the house and watch Sofía so Bianca could nap, given she was still getting up at least twice during the night to feed Sofía.

At 6:50am, I made my relatively short commute and began my usual morning routine. It was a typical morning, and at 11:30am, Violet and I had lunch together and then went to the gym. Late in the afternoon, I was notified by New Accounts that the first tranche of transfers of the $40 million had been completed. I reviewed the holdings and sold most of the equities, allocating the funds to purchase additional shares of my current holdings to keep my portfolio properly balanced.

When I left the office, rather than going straight home, I headed to the Art Institute to pick up my check from Claire. I had a sneaking suspicion it was orchestrated in the hopes she'd get me alone because she could have easily mailed the check to me. When I arrived, her office door was open, and I walked in to find her sitting at her desk.

"Hi, Jonathan!"

"Claire," I said with a nod.

"Come in and sit down, please."

I did, sitting in the chair facing her desk.

"You did a great job for your first time; in fact, a great job, even for someone who modeled regularly."

"Thanks."

"In the Fall, I'm teaching a community art class on Saturday mornings, and I wondered if you would be available to model for two class sessions — one sketching and one painting. Because we take students as young as fifteen, you'd wear briefs for both sessions."

"How many hours?"

"Four — 8:00am to noon, and you can pick your Saturdays, as I'm just starting to line up models. You'd pose alone; I intend to ask Alexa to pose for the female form classes."

"I could do that," I said. "When do you need to know the dates?"

"In the next week or so. That way, I can assign dates to other models and set the dates for our outdoor work."

"I'll check my calendar and call to let you know."

"Great! I realize May is still eight days away, but classes are finished…"

"And just what would this physiology experiment involve exactly?" I asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Claire?" a voice said from behind me.

I turned to see Adriana, the girl Deanna said had drawn me not to scale.

"Yes?" Claire responded.

"I wanted to discuss my course evaluation."

"I'll leave so you can do that," I offered.

Claire frowned and reluctantly handed me an envelope. I left her office, and headed back to the Hancock Center to have dinner with Bianca and Deanna. When I walked into the condo, I greeted everyone, then went upstairs, with Deanna following.

"You're home sooner than I expected," she said.

"Adriana came to the door just as Claire was propositioning me. Adriana wanted to discuss her course evaluation, so I left. That worked out OK because I was leaning against accepting Claire's offer."

"Why? Not saying you're making the wrong choice, just curious."

"In all honesty? I'm not all that interested in a random casual encounter."

"Stefi? Tara? Krissy?"

"Krissy and I spent the evening talking. Stefi, we were on a date and after talking quite a bit at dinner, chose to skip the movie for something more entertaining. Tara was a closer thing, though we did have dinner before she invited me to her room. Still, her intent was obvious from the moment she told me Stefi was sick."

"Natasha?" Deanna asked.

"Not quite a random, out-of-the-blue offer the way Claire's was. All things considered, I'd rather be with you, CeCi, and Natasha. And you know I'm seeing Alexa next weekend, though we'll see how that goes."

"Right!" Deanna said with a soft laugh, rolling her eyes. "You know what she wants!"

"OK, but we had quite a few interactions, some of them very intimate. It's different. Not to mention, Katie and Esme will be home from Princeton soon. I have plenty of other options as well, so Claire's offer wasn't even all that tempting. She did ask me to pose twice for a community art class in the Fall, though in briefs because they accept students as young as fifteen."

"Could you imagine?" Deanna asked. "People's heads would explode even though it's art, not sex."

"Evidence suggests differently," I said with a smirk. "Stefi, Tara, Claire, Alexa…"

"You might have a point," Deanna said with a knowing smile.

"What grade did you receive for Claire's class?"

"There are no grades; it's Pass/Fail. Or, more accurately, Credit/No Credit. I passed, and my evaluation and critique were largely positive. Claire and I disagree on a few things, but that's the nature of art. All of her criticism was constructive, even if I intend to mostly ignore the areas where she and I disagree. That's why there are no letter or number grades — think about how difficult that would be."

I nodded, "Now that you explain it, it's obvious. Either you did the work, or you didn't. And Adriana did say she wanted to discuss her evaluation."

"Exactly. Her objection is Claire's critiques and evaluation of her work, and her purposeful misrendering of your anatomy was against the rubric. This wasn't a class in interpretation or a style exploration but one about accuracy. It's basically an introductory class in drawing male and female forms, and as such, you're supposed to get it right.

"I have other classes that are more interpretative and which allow variations in style. In those classes, pretty much anything goes, so long as you can explain your work and the meaning you intend to convey. So, a surrealist could, for example, make you bigger than John Holmes or have your dick coming out of your face, like an elephant's trunk. Or someone could paint a Byzantine-style icon of you as an act of adoration. And so on."

"Alexa did say 'Holy God!' and Kelly did say 'Jesus!'," I smirked. "And Stefi definitely worshiped, so maybe there is something to that!

Deanna laughed, "And I thought doctors had a god complex!"

"You know I'm joking. Shall we go downstairs and see what «Abuela» has for us tonight?"

"Steak fajitas with refried beans."

"Sounds great!"

We left the bedroom and headed downstairs to join Bianca, Sofía, and CeCi for dinner.

_April 24, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

On Tuesday morning, I took a break around 10:00am and returned to the condo to pick up my suits and shirts, which needed to go to the dry cleaners, then went to the floor with the sky lobby where the in-building dry cleaners were located and dropped them off. Next, I visited the First Chicago branch, which was located on the same floor as the sky lobby, to deposit the check for the car and the one from Claire.

I also took a few minutes to check the full-service grocery store which offered free delivery in the building. The prices were a bit higher than Jewel or Dominick's, but the convenience made up for it. We could make two monthly 'stock up' runs to Jewel on Halsted and then supplement from the in-building grocery store.

Those things, along with the indoor swimming pool, were nice amenities. There was also a building handyman who could perform typical repairs and maid service, though I didn't think we'd make use of that. Those services and amenities meant I'd drive a lot less and could easily take the L to Circle and back rather than drive. It was also close enough to ride my bike, something I had rarely done since moving out of the apartment I'd rented from Lily's parents.

I returned to the office, worked until noon, then had lunch with Violet. After lunch, New Accounts notified me that the next tranche from the four investors had been transferred, and I spent most of the afternoon evaluating the holdings, once again selling most of them and reallocating the funds to keep my portfolio properly balanced.

The rest of the day was typical until about 3:30pm when CNN reported an earthquake of a magnitude around 6.0 in northern California. Initial reports were that damage was light, mainly due to the largely rural area where the quake occurred in the Santa Clara Valley. Given the apparent minimal damage and with no loss of life, it would have minimal impact on the financial markets when they opened in the morning. Not long after that report, Violet let me know that Gordon DeLisse was on the phone, and I had her transfer the call.

"Hi, Gordon," I said after the call was transferred.

"Hi, Jonathan. Several of our USFL players are looking to invest, but they can't individually meet the minimums. Marvin was wondering if there is any accommodation to be had."

I could, in certain circumstances, waive the minimums, and this seemed to me to qualify, but I'd have to confirm that with Noel Spurgeon.

"I think we can make that work, but I'll need to confirm that internally. If there are any big names, it would help me sell it."

"I can't get you Donald Trump, if that's what you're asking!"

I chuckled, "I don't have a real estate license and don't manage any REITs, so I'll have to stick to players for the team he owns. If Herschel Walker is one of them, I'd say it's a done deal."

"We rep him, but unfortunately, he has someone else handling his investments. The players we rep are on the Generals, Bandits, Express, and Gamblers. The biggest name I can give you is Steve Young, a QB out of Brigham Young. He signed a $40 million, ten-year deal. I can also put you in touch with J. William Oldenburg, a mortgage banker out West. He owns the Express."

"How much total investment are we talking about from the players?"

"About $750,000, but you know they have serious potential to increase that in the future."

"Let me take it upstairs, but I believe I can sell it. And yes, I'll take J. William Oldenburg's contact information and an introduction."

"I'll speak to Marvin and have him grease the skids, then give you a call."

"Excellent, thanks. I'll call you by Friday with an answer."

We ended the call, and I called Julie to make an appointment to see Noel Spurgeon. Given his travel plans and schedule, she suggested 7:00am on Thursday morning, and I agreed. Once I ended that call, I asked Pete to come into my office.

"Would you get me as much information about J. William Oldenburg as you can?" I asked.

"The mortgage banker who owns the USFL team in LA?"

"Yes. The sports agent in Cinci I'm working with is going to make an introduction. The more I know, the better I'll be able to schmooze and bring him on board."

"I'll get right on it. When do you need it?"

"A couple of days should be fine. If you have it by Friday, that'll work."

"OK. I can do that."

"Thanks, Pete."

He left my office, I wrapped up my work for the day, then headed to Ichirō's house for our monthly dinner. I very much enjoyed our time together and was very happy I could continue the relationship. He did apply subtle pressure about karate training but didn't press. I responded as I usually did, that time was limited and that exercising at the gym was more my style than karate training.

When I left his house, I headed to the condo, spent time with Bianca and Sofía, then joined Bianca in her bed to sleep.

_April 25, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

On Wednesday morning, I checked Bloomberg and saw the damage estimates for the earthquake were less than $10 million, and there were minimal injuries. That meant no real effect on the markets. The morning went along as usual, I had lunch with Violet, and we went to the gym together.

I left the office for the 2:00pm hearing about the subpoena for a deposition that Bev's attorneys were trying to enforce. I didn't relish what was going to happen, but I saw no way around it, given their clear intent to have me stripped of my licenses.

When I arrived at the courthouse, I saw Bev with Jack Switzer and an attorney I assumed was Larry Walsh outside the courtroom. She glared at me, and I simply ignored her as I knew I wasn't supposed to talk to her. About a minute later, Gwen arrived, followed shortly after by Thomas Hart. We went into the courtroom, and Bev and her attorneys followed us in.

At 2:00pm, the bailiff called for us to stand, and Judge Bradford entered. He sat down and gaveled the session to order.

"In keeping with a request from the proposed deponent, this hearing will be held _in camera_. The bailiff will clear the courtroom."

Three spectators were quickly escorted from the courtroom, but the fourth one objected.

"Your honor," he said. "Gary Constable, _Chicago Sun Times_. I object on First Amendment grounds."

"Your objection is noted, Mr. Constable, but the local rules permit closed hearings to protect an innocent party from irreparable harm. You may file a request with the Chief Judge to see the transcript, and if that is rejected, pursue the matter through the legal process. Bailiff?"

The reporter was obviously unhappy but didn't resist the bailiff's directions and left of his own accord, with the bailiff locking the door behind him.

"Mr. Hart, are you ready to proceed?" Judge Bradford asked.

"Yes, Your Honor. I ask Miss Beverly Louise Newton be called to the stand and sworn."

"Miss Newton, please take the stand," Judge Bradford ordered.

Bev walked to the witness stand, and the bailiff administered the oath.

"Good afternoon, Miss Newton," Thomas Hart said.

"Hi," Bev replied.

"Miss Newton, did you sign, before a Missouri Notary Public, a series of three documents, namely a general power of attorney, a medical power of attorney, and an assignment of guardianship document?"

"Yes."

"Your Honor, I'll submit these as respondent's exhibits one through three."

He handed them to the bailiff, who handed them to the judge.

"Miss Newton, I hand you a copy of the assignment of guardianship document. Would you please read the fourth paragraph? The one highlighted in yellow?"

Bev frowned but accepted the paper and began reading.

"_The guardian shall have full authority to select caregivers for, authorize medical treatment for, travel with, and make all decisions which would normally be made by a custodial parent for, the minor child without reservation or limitation._"

"And please read paragraph six, highlighted in orange."

"_This guardianship shall come into effect when I am unable, for any reason, to provide daily care for my minor child and shall terminate when I notify the guardian in writing that I am once again able to care for her, or a court of competent jurisdiction shall so order._"

"Thank you. Miss Newton, did you, at any time, notify Mr. Kane in writing that his guardianship was terminated."

"No," Bev admitted grudgingly.

"Did the document contain any restrictions of any kind as to the guardian's choices?"

"No, but…"

"No, will suffice, Miss Newton," Thomas Hart quickly said. "I now direct your attention to the events in Overland Park, Kansas. According to a sworn affidavit, police were called due to your erratic behavior, and you were taken to Overland Park Regional Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation. Is this accurate?"

"Your Honor," the second attorney said, standing up. "Lawrence T. Walsh, attorney for Miss Newton. I would like to confer with my client."

"Objection!" Thomas Hart said immediately. "He is not licensed in Illinois, nor is he admitted _pro hoc vice_."

"Your Honor," Mr. Walsh said, "I am not asking to question my client nor any other witnesses, only to simply confer with her as her attorney in the Ohio matter."

"Mr. Hart?" the judge inquired.

"Per Illinois Supreme Court Rule 707, out-of-state attorneys may not participate in any court proceeding in Illinois without pre-approval from the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. That includes any activities related to an active case, with the exception the attorney may, by custom, participate in depositions and advise a client during a deposition. They may not do so during any hearings or other proceedings that require an appearance."

"Your Honor," Mr. Switzer said. "We request a brief recess so Mr. Walsh may confer with his client outside the courtroom."

"I continue to object," Mr. Hart said. "The rule does not permit that consultation while the client is testifying, and Mr. Switzer is trying an end-run by having his client and Mr. Walsh step outside the courtroom to do what he is clearly not permitted to do in the courtroom."

"Mr. Hart is correct on the rule," Judge Bradford said. "Mr. Walsh, I'm willing to grant a continuance while you seek permission. To do so, you need to file a verified statement form with me, along with a certificate of good standing from Ohio. I will waive service requirements as Mr. Hart is here.

"Upon receipt of your statement, I will submit it to the ARDC, and they will notify you, usually within three business days of your approval. Once you are approved, the Clerk of Courts will accept your registration and collect the fee. At that point, you may participate.

"Your other option is to have your co-counsel handle the communications for you, but any advice given is his and must be given in his independent judgment and at his sole discretion."

"One moment, please, Your Honor, while we confer," Mr. Switzer requested.

"We'll recess for ten minutes. Miss Newton, please only speak to Mr. Switzer."

He banged the gavel and left the bench. Mr. Switzer and Mr. Walsh moved to a far corner of the courtroom to speak, and Mr. Hart came to speak to me.

"That was just to throw them off kilter," he said. "Obviously, Mr. Walsh can communicate through Mr. Switzer, and that's what they'll do, but my complaint was legitimate."

"You know your business; I know mine. That's why you're here doing what you're doing."

"You have no idea how many clients try to tell their attorneys how to handle their cases."

"True, though I compare it to clients of Spurgeon who try to tell us how to invest. If they want to do that, they can go to Charles Schwab or another retail broker. That really doesn't work for the law."

"You can act as your own attorney, but that is fraught with danger, mostly because you don't know the procedures and rules and don't know how to make a proper legal argument, conduct direct or cross-examination, or properly introduce evidence. Just being logical and truthful is not sufficient to win. And TV is nothing like the real courtroom."

I saw the other attorneys finish their conference, and Jack Switzer went to talk to Bev, with Larry Walsh staying several feet away and being quiet. It really was a silly game, but I trusted Thomas Hart to play the game to win. A few minutes later, the judge returned.

"Mr. Hart, you may continue," he said.

"Directing your attention to that day once again, Miss Newton, you were placed under psychiatric care, were you not?"

"I wasn't on a psychiatric hold," she replied.

"That wasn't my question, Miss Newton – were you under the care of a psychiatrist?"

"Yes," Bev answered grudgingly.

"Where was your daughter at the time?"

"In pediatrics or daycare at the hospital."

"Was she taken into custody by Kansas Family Services or other state or local agency?"

"No."

"Who was she released to?"

"Jonathan and his girlfriend."

That wasn't accurate, but I was sure I'd have my chance to speak.

"Did you raise any objections at all?"

"No. But he…"

"No will be sufficient, Miss Newton," Mr. Hart said. "I now direct you to Antler, North Dakota. Were you taken into custody attempting to help an accused rapist escape to Canada?"

"Objection!" Mr. Switzer said, standing up. "That would require my client to give up her right to self-incrimination in that pending criminal matter."

"Sustained," the judge said.

"Then," Mr. Hart said smoothly, "I move for immediate dismissal of the application for enforcement of the Ohio subpoena. Counsel cannot have it both ways — insisting on my client answering potentially incriminating open-ended questions while instructing his client to refuse to answer our legitimate inquiries that go to show fitness and mental state and which underpin our belief that the purpose of the deposition is retribution. I reïterate my client's offer to sit for the deposition under a protective order that limits questions that touch on alleged or implied criminal acts."

"Mr. Switzer," Judge Bradford said, "Mr. Hart makes a very good point, and in the interest of fairness, I'm inclined to grant the dismissal. Either instruct your client to answer or accept the limited deposition. If you do neither, I will be forced to dismiss your application with prejudice in this matter."

"One moment while I confer with counsel and my client, please."

"Go ahead."

Mr. Switzer and Mr. Walsh conferred, and then Mr. Switzer conferred with Bev, and from her very angry look, I was positive they were telling her she had no choice but to accept the limited deposition. That could only harm her in my mind because I had more to say about what had happened, including her being under psychiatric care, which I had left out of my original deposition.

"Your Honor," Mr. Switzer said. "We'll accept the limited deposition."

"Then it is so ordered. I will hear arguments on the protective order immediately so as not to delay. Mr. Hart?"

"Yes, Your Honor. Our request is that any and all interactions with any government agency or law enforcement agency be off-limits, including any written or oral communication. In addition, no questions about my client's personal life except for interactions with Miss Newtown, her child, and her family. That limitation would expressly include questions about Miss Clemmons, who is simply a friend, not my client's girlfriend, as Miss Newton inaccurately stated. Thank you."

"Mr. Switzer?"

"We reluctantly agree to the order with regard to the government and law enforcement as well as those about Mr. Kane's personal life outside this matter. We object to the exclusion of Miss Clemmons, as whatever her relationship with Mr. Kane, she was involved in both incidents Mr. Hart raised while questioning my client. In addition, we reserve the right to ask questions about any material facts Mr. Kane provides, no matter what the subject."

"Mr. Hart?"

"One moment, Your Honor."

He came to me and spoke in a low voice.

"Concede the point on Miss Clemmons," he said. "The judge will most likely rule against you anyway because of her participation, and if we simply concede it, we look better."

"OK," I agreed. "Do that."

He returned through the low gate.

"Your Honor," he said, "we'll agree to allow questions about Miss Clemmons. With regard to questions about material facts, we agree, so long as they are directly relevant to the matter at hand and do not touch on the excluded oral statements and documents."

"Then it is so ordered," Judge Bradford declared. "Mr. Hart, you will make your client available for a three-hour evidence deposition within the next seven calendar days. I will not tolerate delays or missed depositions."

"Understood, Your Honor."

"Then the motion to enforce the subpoena is granted, the protective order is granted, and the case is held in abeyance for completion of the deposition, at which time I will close it _sua sponte_ on notice from Mr. Switzer."

He banged the gavel and left the bench, and Thomas Hart came to speak to me.

"Are there any weekdays you are absolutely not available?"

"No. Afternoons would be best because they won't interfere as much with my work. Where will it be held?"

"My offices, so we control the venue."

"OK. Just let me know."

"I'll speak to Mr. Switzer now."

He went to confer with the other attorneys and returned about two minutes later.

"They want to do it tomorrow afternoon at 1:00pm because Miss Newton insists on attending."

"That's fine. I can do that."

"Then I'll see you in my office tomorrow at 12:30pm. If that reporter is still here and asks you about the proceeding, refer him to me, please. Don't even give your name."

"OK. Can I ask you about the Latin, I guess it was, the judge used at the end?"

"_Sua sponte_ means the judge will act on his own, without a motion or hearing. It's normal in cases such as this and saves everyone time. Mr. Switzer will simply notify the clerk that the deposition is complete, and they'll close the matter."

"Thanks."

The bailiff had unlocked the courtroom, so I left. I didn't see the reporter, so I continued out of the building and headed to the stereo store to buy a more powerful amp, a Compact Disc player, and larger speakers. I spent about thirty minutes speaking with a guy about my age who was very knowledgeable and helped me select the best equipment for the open living space in the condo. In addition to the Compact Disc player, I bought copies of _52nd Street_ by Billy Joel, _Let's Dance_ by David Bowie, and a disc of music by Chopin.

We loaded all of that into my trunk, and we shook hands. I would still have thirty minutes in the office, so when I headed back to the Hancock Center, I went to the office where I had to break the news to Violet. I called her into my office to do so and shut the door.

"Will they question me?" she asked.

"Maybe, but they'll have to convince the Ohio judge to issue a subpoena. I'm positive Mr. Hart will represent you, and I'll take care of any costs. All you have to do is tell the truth and answer any questions they ask, but we'll use the same limits — no questions about the government or law enforcement. There is one thing of which you should be aware — Bev said, under oath, that you're my girlfriend."

"Well," Violet said with a silly smile, "if everyone thinks we're sleeping together, including your mom…"

"My mom?"

"She made a comment about how close we are and how that reminded her of you and Bev."

"That doesn't imply we're sleeping together."

"No, but she said you were uncharacteristically emotional, and if we hadn't resumed our relationship, I should be careful. It was obvious she was implying a _physical_ relationship."

"And what did you say?"

Violet smirked, "That I liked it too much to stop!"

I laughed, "Oh, you did not!"

"OK, I didn't!" Violet admitted with a soft laugh. "I simply said that wasn't where we were in our relationship. I thought an outright denial would sound like I was protesting too much, as the saying goes."

"It's my own fault for teasing my mom so much about Glen and now Mitchell. She's just getting even."

"I did like how she pretended to ignore you because of Sofía, and you pretended to be offended. It was cute."

"Mom and I get along really well, and we always found ways to joke and tease, though it changed a bit since I moved out of the house."

"So…girlfriend?" Violet asked with a sly smile.

"Whatever might happen in the future, the last thing we want to do is change the character of our relationship before all of this plays out. You want to be able to say truthfully that we are not, and never have been, lovers."

"And when this is done?"

"Then we'll see where we are. OK?"

"Yes."

She left my office, I reviewed several memos in my 'In' box, and at 5:00pm, made the short commute to the condo.

"How was your day?" I asked Bianca when I walked in.

"I love having Sofía, but I really want to come back to work!"

"I have to leave that decision to you. You tell me what you want, and I'll make it happen."

"Could I come back starting Monday for four hours each day? 8:00am to noon?"

"If that's what you want to do, yes. I'll speak to Mrs. Peterson tomorrow. Come upstairs while I change so I can tell you what happened at the hearing."

Bianca followed me up to my room and closed the door. I related what happened, and that I'd be giving the deposition the following afternoon.

"So, in effect, she wasted time and money, and it ended up the way you wanted."

"Minus being able to ask questions about Violet. Bev kind of telegraphed their plan by calling Violet my girlfriend."

"How could that hurt you?"

"In the case? Not at all. But she knows how protective I am of Violet. And I suspect they'll try to use Violet to elicit testimony they can't get from me due to the protective order. We'll try and head that off, but I'm not sure it's possible. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Your attorney seems like a very smart guy."

"He didn't become managing partner of the second-largest law firm in Chicago by being an idiot! He handled it perfectly, and by asking Bev about North Dakota, he put her in a very tough spot. I'm going to state, quite clearly in the deposition, that Bev is guilty of violating the Fugitive Felon Act, though I won't actually use those words."

"Why? You know them."

"I don't want it to appear my attorneys gave me the information. I'll just say what she did and what Glen did. According to Nelson, the rules of evidence don't apply in a deposition, so I'm going to also say what my mom told me the school psychologist at Goshen High, Dorothy Caulfield, said about Bev being schizophrenic. And anything else I can think of that will ensure Heather stays with Jim and Julie until Bev is treated for her obvious psychological problems."

"Can I ask why you're being so vindictive?"

"I'm not," I replied. "First, I'm doing everything I can to protect Heather, who is completely innocent and has been subjected to being dragged all over the country by her unstable mom. Second, I am absolutely sure Bev is going to try to find a way to get a complaint to the SEC, even without my admission. To win that, I have to discredit her as a reliable reporter, and that means approaching this the way I am. I don't like it, but I'm not going to surrender my licenses because Bev is pissed that I gave Heather to Jim and Julie."

"I can't argue with that. On another topic, Natasha is going to spend the night, right?"

"She did earn her completion bonus!" I declared. "All four installments!"

Bianca laughed, and the two of us left my room to go downstairs for dinner.