Chapter 4 - The Holding Cell
The Cook County Central Detention facility on 26th and California smelled of industrial bleach, cold coffee, and stale defeat.
At seven o'clock on Wednesday morning, Michael sat in an interview cubicle behind a scratched Plexiglas partition.
His sweatpants were wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot, his dark hair sticking up in erratic tufts.
Sitting across from him was Linda, who had spent the night in the waiting lobby pacing the terrazzo floor.
"Did you call Arthur Sterling?" Michael hissed through the small circular mesh grill.
"He’s not answering his cell phone, Michael!" Linda cried, dabbing her running nose with a crumpled tissue.
"His office secretary said he was in an emergency meeting with federal prosecutors and wouldn't be available until afternoon!"
Michael banged his forehead against the partition with a dull thud.
"I need fifty thousand dollars for bail, Ma! The judge set bail at five hundred thousand because of the forgery charge!"
"Where am I supposed to get fifty thousand dollars?" Linda shrieked, her voice cracking.
"Go to the bank! Take an equity loan against the Cicero house!"
"Michael, I don't own the Cicero house!" Linda sobbed, covering her face.
"The landlord served me an eviction notice last week because you haven't paid the rent in three months!"
Michael’s jaw dropped in genuine shock, staring at his mother as if she had spoken in a foreign language.
"What? I gave you five thousand dollars in November!"
"You gave me five thousand dollars to pay Chloe’s deposit on that sports coupe she wanted!" Linda hissed back, her eyes narrowing in sudden, venomous resentment.
"You told me that once you got Emily out of the condo, we’d have three million dollars in equity to buy whatever we wanted!"
"Keep your voice down!" Michael yelled, looking nervously at the guard standing near the doorway.
The heavy iron door of the visiting room clicked open, and an attorney in a rumpled charcoal suit walked inside.
It wasn't Arthur Sterling.
It was a young associate from the public defender's panel named Rebecca Cole.
Rebecca set a thin cardboard folder on the metal ledge, looking at Michael with complete, unvarnished indifference.
"Mr. Bennett, I have been assigned to your preliminary bond hearing at nine o'clock," Rebecca said, clicking her pen.
"Where is Sterling?" Michael demanded, jumping to his feet.
"Mr. Sterling’s law firm had its business accounts frozen by the federal receiver thirty minutes ago," Rebecca informed him smoothly.
"He will not be appearing on your behalf today, or any other day."
Michael staggered backward onto his metal stool, clutching his ribs as if he had been struck with a physical blow.
"What about my emergency chancery motion?" Michael whispered, his hands trembling.
"The constructive trust petition for Unit 2902?"
Rebecca looked up from her notes, a faint, pitying smirk touching the corners of her mouth.
"Your wife’s attorney, Marcus Vance, filed an emergency ex-parte motion for judicial sanctions at seven-thirty this morning."
"Judge Miller reviewed the forged escrow documents you submitted."
"And?" Linda cried out.
"Judge Miller referred the entire case file to the State’s Attorney Financial Crimes Division," Rebecca stated coldly.
"A grand jury is being convened on Friday to consider twelve counts of wire fraud, identity theft, and filing false judicial instruments."
Michael grabbed the wire mesh with both hands, shaking it until the screws rattled.
"She can't do this! Emily is my wife! She promised to support me through my career!"
"Your wife just filed for an emergency dissolution of marriage on grounds of felony fraud, Mr. Bennett," Rebecca said, snapping her folder shut.
"She also obtained a lifetime plenary order of protection against both you and your mother."
"If either of you comes within five hundred yards of Cloudview Towers, you will be arrested without bail."
May you like
Rebecca stood up, smoothing her skirt, and gave the guard a nod to open the gate.
"My advice, Mr. Bennett? Start thinking about a plea deal. Because Emily Bennett didn't leave a single stone for you to hide under."
