7
2490 Words
Naomi stood next to her mother and father in the precinct as the officers escorted Kobee to the room. They had changed him out of his orange prison jumpsuit and back into the clothes that he’d been arrested in. As they walked him by in handcuffs Kobee’s gaze locked with Naomi’s, she saw such fear and uncertainty in his dark eyes. That terrified look was breaking their mother’s heart she was in tears when the officer next to them suggested they go into the viewing room.
He opened the door to the viewing room and let in Brandon and her father. When Naomi tried to follow, the officer put out his hand to stop her. “She’s my assistant,” Brandon said, and the officer let her go inside. In the room stood the arresting detectives, their commanding officer, the prosecuting distracts attorney and his legal aid.
“She can’t be here.” The commanding officer said when he spotted Naomi.
“She’s my assistant,” Brandon repeated.
“Then he has to go. They can’t both come in.” The commanding officer insisted.
“My client is a minor, and therefore a parent must be present,” Brandon argued.
“It doesn’t matter,” the DA said, “it won’t change the outcome.” They waited a few minutes for the police to bring in the other men for the lineup. A group of young men that looked similar to Kobee in build and ethnicity. “Bring in the first witness.” The DA ordered when they were finished.
The uniformed officer at the door brought in Mr. Yu first. He looked at Naomi and then her father before standing in front of the viewing mirror. They pulled up the blinds. “Can they see me?” Mr. Yu asked.
“It’s a one-way mirror; they can’t see anything.” The commanding officer assured him. Mr. Yu took a step closer to the window and scrutinized the men on the other side. He looked at each closely, and Naomi found herself holding her breath as they all waited for his identification.
“I don’t know.” Mr. Yu admitted. “It could be any of them. It was dark, and he was walking away from me.”
“You have to pick someone.” Detective Berks insisted.
“Take your time.” The DA said patiently.
“I suppose it could have been number three,” he said looking the line over again, “or maybe five. I can’t be sure.”
Naomi breathed a sigh of relief neither man was Kobee. Mr. Yu had failed to pick him out of the group. “Thank you, Mr. Yu; you may go.” The DA said trying to keep his tone even.
They then showed Miss. Wong in and like Mr. Yu she singled out someone other than Kobee. Things were looking promising. It all came down to Mrs. Lou who came in right after Miss. Wong exited. The senior woman shuffled up to the window with a police translator and made to put on her thick glasses so she could better see the lineup.
“She can’t wear those glasses.” Brandon objected strenuously. “At the time of identification, Mrs. Lou was both high and not wearing her glasses. While I won’t ask her to smoke a joint, I will ask her to leave her glasses off and identify my client as she did that night. The conditions should be similar for them to be fair.” The other men looked at one another as if trying to decide to object to his objection or to concede to his request. “If the conditions are not similar I will take the matter to the judge and have this identification thrown out.”
The DA frowned and nodded to the translator to explain to Mrs. Lou that she had to pick Kobee out without the benefit of her spectacles. Mrs. Lou tucked her glasses into her pocket, and the commanding officer lifted the blinds. “Take your time Mrs. Lou. There is no rush.” The translator relayed his words.
Mrs. Lou leaned in closer to the window and squinted her eyes trying to make sense of the fuzzy individuals in the next room. They were considerably closer today then the suspect had been that night, and Naomi was concerned that Mrs. Lou would still be able to pick out Kobee because he was familiar to her. She took a long time looking at each individual; then she scratched her chin thoughtfully and then spoke. She had singled out number one, which was not Kobee.
Naomi tried to fight her smiled; she didn’t want to give it away that Mrs. Lou was wrong. “Are you absolutely sure?” The DA asked.
The translator asked her and then answered. “Yes, she’s positive.”
A look of disappointment passed between the cops and DA. The officer showed Mrs. Lou out, and Naomi wanted to cheer. There was a big smile on both her father’s face and Brandon’s.
Brandon reached into his briefcase and removed a document. “Well, that went splendidly.” He smiled. “This is our petition to have the witness identification suppressed since not one of them could pick my client out of a lineup. You have no physical evidence tying my client to the crime and now no positive identification, therefore, you have no right to detain him. I trust you will release my client to the custody of his parents or we shall take the matter up with Judge Schneider." He then took out the second document and presented it to the DA. “Also, since the reason for your officer’s arrest of my client was unsubstantiated the resulting search and seizure of so-called evidence from my client’s private home were illegally obtained and therefore not admissible.” Brandon smiled victoriously. “You have a wonderful night.” He then opened the door and escorted Naomi and her father out of the viewing room.
Outside her father hugged his wife and told her the good news. Kobee would be going home with them. Her mother cried out with her hands high in the air, and she hugged Brandon and kissed his cheek thanking him for getting her baby boy out of jail.
The officers brought Kobee out of the lineup room and released him. He quickly joined his family, and they were all hugging. Kobee shook Brandon’s hand and thanked him.
“Ok let’s all calm down, Kobee’s not out of trouble yet.” He informed them. “The cops are going to try and find evidence to tie him to this murder. They’re going to look for any reason to get a legit search warrant, so as your attorney I suggest you go through your room and get rid of anything incriminating.” Naomi knew he meant the drugs under the floorboards. She was sure Kobee understood him as well. “Also, you’ll have to keep your nose clean, avoided hanging out with anyone that might be on the police radar… like the Black Dragons. Until this case is resolved, I want you to be a bloody boy scout… understood?”
Kobee nodded. “I’ll be as good as gold.” He promised.
“You better be because it wasn’t easy getting you out. I may have got you out, but only you can keep yourself out.” He then smiled. “Now go home and sleep in a real bed.”
“You must come back to the restaurant and have dinner with us to celebrate.” Her father suggested.
“I wish I could, but I have a lot of reading ahead of me tonight. I’m due in court in the morning, and I have to prepare my game plan.” What a shame, she would have loved to share dinner with him again, but she understood Kobee was not the only case he was currently working on. She would have liked very much to get Brandon alone to thank him personally.
An erotic image flashed in her mind as she thought about how she would thank him. Brandon was sinfully attractive, well educated, and wealthy, the type of man any woman could fall for, but she was not the type of woman he’d fall for. This was a man that could effortlessly seduce supermodels and wealthy starlets, what would he want with a simple dancer from the wrong side of the tracks?
If it had not been for Kobee’s arrest and Brandon’s vocation they would have never even spoken. His world and hers did not exactly coincide. There were more than just the financial differences in their worlds but a cultural one as well. Though her parents liked Brandon tremendously, Naomi knew they would never approve of a romantic relationship between them. They wanted, no they expected her to marry a nice, hard-working oriental boy. Someone more like them, someone that came from the same place, grew up the same way, faced the same challenges, and had the same overall goals as her family. Brandon did not fit the bill.
Still, she liked him very much even though she knew their relationship was strictly professional and after Kobee was cleared they would likely never see each other again. “Would you like some help?” She offered, trying to find a reason, any reason to spend more time with him. “I can read as well as anyone.” She said playfully.
He just smiled. It was that easy, smooth, brilliant smile that made her pulse flutter. That row of sparkling white teeth was flawless. He was a handsome man, and he smelled good too. It was a subtle musky smell that was definitively male. Not the greasy smell of the kitchen that clung to her father or the smell of weed that lingered around her brother but a very pleasant clean, masculine scent that made a woman close her eyes and breathe him in deeply.
“I’m afraid I must decline. It is one thing to help with Kobee’s case but with my others… it’s just not doable. It’s a confidentiality thing.” He rejected her offer. “But thank you.”
“Well, you know how to reach me when you need help.” She said trying not to give away the fact that she wanted him to call her; for any reason at all.
“I’ll let you know the game plan. With Kobee safe at home, it may be a few days before I contact you. I’m just backlogged already and need to put some time into my paying cases. So, don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a while.” He then looked at Kobee. “Don’t make me look like a putz, stay out of trouble and don’t leave town.” He warned waving a scolding finger at her brother. Brandon then said good-night and left them where they stood. It was sad she couldn’t think of one valid reason to follow him either then she wanted to.
Restraining herself, Naomi went home with her family. They had dinner and counted their blessings that Kobee was home with them and not locked away alone in some jail cell. After dinner, Kobee went through his room and then went out after their parents went to bed. As he was sneaking out, Naomi confronted him. “Where do you think you’re going?” She demanded coming out of her room and stopping him in the hall. Kobee quickly hid something inside his coat.
“Just going out for a cigarette I’ll be right back.” He said backing up.
“You’ve been out of jail for four hours, and already you’re getting into trouble.” She scolded.
“I’m not I swear.” He promised. “I have to do something. I’ll come right back.”
“You have no idea how hard Brandon worked to get you out.” She snapped.
Kobee turned up his nose. “Brandon? You’re on a first name basis with him?” Instantly Naomi knew her mistake. She had worked closely with Brandon, but it should be strictly professional not personal like it had become.
“Don’t scold me.” She snarled turning it around on him once more. “What I do doesn’t matter, what you do can land you back in jail. What are you hiding?” She asked reaching into his jacket and pulling out the bag of drugs. He tried to stop her, but it was already out in the open. “What’s this?” She demanded. “Are you going out to sell drugs? Have you learnt nothing?”
“I’m not selling it I’m giving it back. If I don’t return it or the money they’ll kill me. I got to give it back and get it out of this place before the cops come back with a search warrant.” He said snatching it back.
“I’m coming with you to keep you out of trouble.”
“Naomi, you can’t come with me. It will only stir up trouble. Stay here and trust me.”
“Trust you; you’ve lied to us at every turn. You said you weren’t using, but you’re not only using you’re selling.” She pointed out. “How can I trust you?”
“Believe me, Naomi, after two weeks in a cell I’m not doing anything to get sent back. I’m out; I’m leaving this life behind me. I’m going back to school, and I’m going to fly straight. I’m not going back to Rikers.”
The look in his eyes was so honest, she found herself wanting to believe him, so she decided she would. “You come straight home. You got a good attorney backing you right now don’t screw it up, or he may drop your case.”
“Hand to God Naomi I’ll be right back.” He promised.
He had better be.
- Writer
