Mercy by Jodi Picoult Page B

dips and draws. She sounded remarkably upper-class, like she was hiding c akes and crumpets just behind her gavel stand. Cam knew her to be a fair ma gistrate. He had only been the subject of her wrath once, when Angus, in a fit, had started screaming at her in the town coffee shop about the need to get those goddamned Windsors off a Stuart throne.
    Martha ran her courtroom very casually, at least at the beginning stages. S
    he lifted her eyes, signaling to Cam that she was ready to begin. "Your Hon or," he said, having done this a thousand times, "in light of the evidence uncovered by the voluntary statement given by James MacDonald and taken fro m the scene of the crime, we've booked him on charges of Murder One. Becaus e he was the perpetrator of such a violent crime, we recommend that bail be set at fifty thousand dollars."
    When he said the sum, Jamie's eyes sought his out. Cam was not certain if he read disillusionment there, or respect.
    "Your Honor," Graham began, clearing his throat, "my client is an upstandin g citizen of his community. He's never received a traffic ticket, he's a me mber of the Small Business Association, he's served on the Cummington selec tmen's board for three consecutive terms. Since he does not in any way pose a threat to the Wheelock community, we feel that he should be released wit hout bail, provided he stays in the area pending trial." Martha rubbed her temples and scanned the papers before her once more. She had, of course, heard of this case yesterday when it happened; had in fac t been waiting for it to appear in her courtroom today. She knew what Cam was up to; she also knew what he was up against. She doubted he really wan ted James MacDonald locked away at the county jail, in spite of his outrag eous request.
    "Conditions for bail are as follows: Mr. MacDonald will remain within Wheelo ck proper pending trial; and he is obligated to check in with Chief MacDonal d at the police station every day, excluding Sundays, before noon." She peer ed over her half-glasses at the small group in front of her. "Bail," she sai d, "is set at five dollars."
    Cam stayed in the courtroom after Jamie and his lawyer had left. He sat down at the prosecutor's table and stretched his legs in front of him, peering at the seal of an eagle over the judge's podium and squinting to read its motto. The last thing he wanted was to be Jamie MacDonald's keeper. Damn Martha Sully.
    With a sigh, Cam got to his feet and headed out of the court. He had a hundre d things to do at the station, administrative duties that hadn't been finishe d in the bustle of the past two days. He had to talk to Allie too. He hadn't seen her yet this afternoon. He had driven Mia to the flower shop, but Allie had only left a note saying she'd be back soon.
    At the foot of the stairs he saw Jamie, standing before the bail bondsman's office, talking to someone. He considered just walking out the door, but rea lized it went against his better judgment. Taking a deep breath, he walked f orward.
    "Fifty thousand dollars?" Jamie said.
    Cam opened his mouth, ready to reply, when he realized who Jamie had been speaking to. Allie was just shoving her wallet back into her purse, having obviously sprung Jamie free on his ridiculously low bail. "Really, Cam," she admonished, smiling up at him.
    Her heart-shaped face was pink from the cold and her tongue came out to wet h er lips. Her hair spilled over her shoulders, catching here and there in the collar of her coat.
    Within an hour, everyone in Wheelock would know that Cam had asked for fif ty thousand dollars bail, that it had been set at five dollars, and that A llie had been the one to pay it. He found himself wondering how high she w ould have gone. A hundred? Five hundred? Five thousand?
    She slipped her hand through the crook of his arm, and at her touch, he felt his fury begin to recede. "Jamie's going to stay with Angus," she said, as if she were announcing the seating at a dinner party. She