Hurt said.
Julie nodded. “And I’ll work with Brody to see if we can get through to Will.”
Brody gritted his teeth. Hopefully the agents knew what they were doing.
He only wished he did, that he knew how to reach his brother.
Julie checked her watch. “Come on, Brody, it’s time to meet with the judge.”
His chest clenched again. What if the judge refused to release Will and made him go to prison until his trial? Judging from what he’d been through, locking him up would only force him deeper into that silent shell. That was the only way he had coped, Brody realized with a pang to his chest.
So setting Willfree was the only way he’d ever get close enough to him to convince him to talk.
The lawyer he’d hired to defend Will met him at the courthouse, and Brody pulled him aside and explained the doctors reports.
Ethan glanced at Julie. “What are you planning to do?”
Julie offered a tentative smile. “Request that he be released into my custody. We need his help, and he doesn’t deserveto be locked up right now.”
“I have bail money ready to go,” Brody said.
Satisfied with their strategy, they filed into the courtroom for the arraignment and took their seats. Brody’s heart stuttered as the guard opened the door and another guard escorted his brother inside the courtroom, handcuffed and shackled.
Brody searched Will’s face, a bone-deep ache consuming him at howrigidly he walked, at the tough bravado on his face.
And the bruises on his body.
Will sank into the chair on the other side of Julie, a dead look in his eyes.
Brody scrubbed a hand across his face. If he found out who had put those bruises on his brother, he wouldn’t ask questions.
He’d make the bastard feel the same kind of pain he’d inflicted on Will.
* * *
J ULIE SPOTTED District Attorney Byron Stewart and inwardly winced. He was a thirty-five-year-old edgy man with a harsh attitude and an unforgiving spirit. She’d rarely seen him show pity on anyone.
It didn’t bode well for Will today.
“We’re going to try to convince the judge to release you into my custody,” she said quietly to Will.
He didn’t respond, simply sat stiffly as if expectingto be punished.
Her heart bled as she imagined all he’d endured. He’d probably been taught that fighting back only made the punishment worse.
Ten minutes later, she feared they were in real trouble.
D.A. Stewart presented photo after photo of Will and Tray Goodner robbing three different convenience stores.
“Your Honor, this young man is dangerous. He held a young woman hostageand, judging from this behavior, would have killed her if police hadn’t intervened.”
“Objection, conjecture,” Ethan Houser said. “The district attorney cannot predict what my client would or would not have done.”
Stewart rounded on Houser with a shocked look. “Your Honor—”
“The gun was not loaded,” Houser added.
“The young woman and the police didn’t know that,” Stewart snapped.
Julie stood. “Your Honor, may I please speak?”
The judge adjusted his bifocals. “You have evidence to show me?”
Julie nodded. “May we approach the bench?”
His eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded and gestured for Stewart and Houser to join her.
“Your Honor, I find this highly objectionable,” D.A. Stewart said, slanting Julie a cynical look. “Special Agent Whitehead has spearheadedthis investigation and assisted in collecting evidence against the young man in custody. And now she’s trying to get him off?”
“That is not my intention, Your Honor,” Julie said. “But there are extenuating circumstances that you should be aware of.”
He rubbed his forehead. “I’m listening.”
Julie took a deep breath. “We have just learned that this young man, Kyle, is really WillBloodworth, a boy who was kidnapped when he was ten years old.” She explained about the doctors reports and the connection to the other kidnappings. “We believe that he is traumatized, but
Julie nodded. “And I’ll work with Brody to see if we can get through to Will.”
Brody gritted his teeth. Hopefully the agents knew what they were doing.
He only wished he did, that he knew how to reach his brother.
Julie checked her watch. “Come on, Brody, it’s time to meet with the judge.”
His chest clenched again. What if the judge refused to release Will and made him go to prison until his trial? Judging from what he’d been through, locking him up would only force him deeper into that silent shell. That was the only way he had coped, Brody realized with a pang to his chest.
So setting Willfree was the only way he’d ever get close enough to him to convince him to talk.
The lawyer he’d hired to defend Will met him at the courthouse, and Brody pulled him aside and explained the doctors reports.
Ethan glanced at Julie. “What are you planning to do?”
Julie offered a tentative smile. “Request that he be released into my custody. We need his help, and he doesn’t deserveto be locked up right now.”
“I have bail money ready to go,” Brody said.
Satisfied with their strategy, they filed into the courtroom for the arraignment and took their seats. Brody’s heart stuttered as the guard opened the door and another guard escorted his brother inside the courtroom, handcuffed and shackled.
Brody searched Will’s face, a bone-deep ache consuming him at howrigidly he walked, at the tough bravado on his face.
And the bruises on his body.
Will sank into the chair on the other side of Julie, a dead look in his eyes.
Brody scrubbed a hand across his face. If he found out who had put those bruises on his brother, he wouldn’t ask questions.
He’d make the bastard feel the same kind of pain he’d inflicted on Will.
* * *
J ULIE SPOTTED District Attorney Byron Stewart and inwardly winced. He was a thirty-five-year-old edgy man with a harsh attitude and an unforgiving spirit. She’d rarely seen him show pity on anyone.
It didn’t bode well for Will today.
“We’re going to try to convince the judge to release you into my custody,” she said quietly to Will.
He didn’t respond, simply sat stiffly as if expectingto be punished.
Her heart bled as she imagined all he’d endured. He’d probably been taught that fighting back only made the punishment worse.
Ten minutes later, she feared they were in real trouble.
D.A. Stewart presented photo after photo of Will and Tray Goodner robbing three different convenience stores.
“Your Honor, this young man is dangerous. He held a young woman hostageand, judging from this behavior, would have killed her if police hadn’t intervened.”
“Objection, conjecture,” Ethan Houser said. “The district attorney cannot predict what my client would or would not have done.”
Stewart rounded on Houser with a shocked look. “Your Honor—”
“The gun was not loaded,” Houser added.
“The young woman and the police didn’t know that,” Stewart snapped.
Julie stood. “Your Honor, may I please speak?”
The judge adjusted his bifocals. “You have evidence to show me?”
Julie nodded. “May we approach the bench?”
His eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded and gestured for Stewart and Houser to join her.
“Your Honor, I find this highly objectionable,” D.A. Stewart said, slanting Julie a cynical look. “Special Agent Whitehead has spearheadedthis investigation and assisted in collecting evidence against the young man in custody. And now she’s trying to get him off?”
“That is not my intention, Your Honor,” Julie said. “But there are extenuating circumstances that you should be aware of.”
He rubbed his forehead. “I’m listening.”
Julie took a deep breath. “We have just learned that this young man, Kyle, is really WillBloodworth, a boy who was kidnapped when he was ten years old.” She explained about the doctors reports and the connection to the other kidnappings. “We believe that he is traumatized, but
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