Marie Ferrarella - Cavanaugh Judgement стр 3.

No, Greers discomfort arose for an entirely different reason.

She was certain that whenever Judge Blake Kincannon looked at her, he remembered. Remembered that she was the patrol officer who had been first on the scene of the car accident two years ago. Remembered that she was the one who had tried, unsuccessfully, to administer CPR to his wife as she lay dying. And remembered that she was the one who, when he regained consciousness at the hospital after the doctors had stabilized him, broke the news to him that his wife was dead.

Not exactly

something a man readily put out of his mind, shed thought when Detective Jeff Carson, her partner for the past year, had told her who the presiding judge on the case was going to be.

Shed been dreading walking into the courtroom for months. And now, hopefully, it was almost over.

The sound of the gavel focused attention on the judge. All eyes were on him. Kincannon waited until the courtroom was quiet again.

I think that this might be a good place to call a recess for lunch. The judges deep voice rumbled like thunder over the parched plains of late summer. And then he glanced in her direction, his eyes only fleetingly touching hers. You are dismissed, Detective. The court thanks you for your testimony.

But Im sure you would rather it had come from someone else, Greer couldnt help thinking even as she inclined her head in acknowledgment.

She rose to her feet at the same time that Kincannon did.

And then the commotion erupted so quickly, it took Greer a while to piece it all together later that day.

One moment, the courtroom was buzzing with the semi-subdued rustle of spectators gathering themselves and their things together in order to leave the premises, the next, terrified screams and cries pierced the air.

And then there was the sound of a gun being discharged.

But the tiny half heartbeat in between the two occurrences was what actually counted.

Greer had immediately glanced away from Kincannon the moment their eyes made contact when the judge dismissed her. Which as it turned out, she later reflected, was exceedingly fortunate for the judge. Because if she hadnt looked away, she wouldnt have seen Munro leap up to his feet and simultaneously push the defense table over, sending the table and everything on it crashing to the floor. That created a diversion just long enough for Munro, in his respectable suit, to lunge at the approaching bailiff, drive a fist to the mans gut and grab the doubled-over bailiffs weapon.

Gun! Greer yelled and, in what felt like one swift, unending motion, she leaped up onto the witness stand chair where she had just been sitting a second ago, propelled herself onto the judges desk and hurled herself into the judge, sending the surprised Kincannon crashing down to the floor behind his desk.

Scrambling, she was quick to cover his body with her own.

The desk obstructing her view, Greer heard rather than saw what was going on next. There was the sound of terror, of people yelling and running and ducking for cover. And then there was the sound of a gun being discharged againone round. Whether the gun belonged to the other bailiff or was the one that Munro had seized from the first bailiff she had no idea.

At this point, everything was registering somewhere on the outer perimeter of her consciousness.

What she was acutely aware of was that she was lying spread-eagle over the judge, that he was on his back and she was on his front. And that all the parts that counted were up close and personal.

The infusion of adrenaline sailing in triple time through her body had her heart racing so hard she was certain that some kind of a record was being set. Greer felt hot and cold and light-headed all at the same time, a reaction definitely not typical of her. She struggled to regain control over herself and her surroundings.

Her eyes met Kincannons. As if suddenly pulled into the belly of an industrial vacuum cleaner, all the noise and chaos surrounding them seemed to have faded into oblivion for just the slightest increment of a second.

And then she blinked.

How long have you been under the illusion that youre bulletproof, Detective OBrien? Kincannon asked her gruffly.

The question instantly pulled her back into the eye of the courtroom hurricane. Im not, she heard herself answering.

Then what are you doing on top of me?

Saving your life, Your Honor, she snapped.

Her heart slowed down to a mere double time. There was a criminal to subdue. The thought telegraphed itself through her brain. Greer scrambled up to her feet. As did the judge.

Stay down! she ordered sharply, circumventing his desk.

Kincannon clearly had no intention of being ordered around or of staying down, cowering behind his desk. His court had just been disrespected. The judge stood directly behind her, his robe billowing out on the sides like some fantasy superheros cape.

My courtroom, Kincannon informed her, raising his voice above the din, my rules.

His courtroom, Greer noted as she swiftly scanned the area, taking everything in, was in utter chaos. It was also apparently missing one felon. The second gunshot that had rung out had come from