Page 86 of The 1 Lawyer

The judge sorted through her files, pulled one out, and opened it. “Grand larceny?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Bailiff, escort Ms. Holmes to the counsel table.”

Rue’s hands were cuffed. When she joined us at the table, I whispered to the bailiff, “Lose the cuffs, Charlene.” She hesitated. In a low voice, I said, “They’re unnecessary. I swear.”

With a worried wrinkle over the bridge of her nose, Charlene took a key from her belt and unlocked the restraints. Rue sat down between Mason and me, rubbing her wrists.

Judge Ross said, “Let the record show that defendant Rue Holmes appears in person and with counsel, Stafford Lee Penney and Mason Burnett. Ms. Holmes, you’re charged with one count of grand larceny. Shall I read the charge aloud to you?”

Rue spoke up in a firm voice. “I’m innocent, Your Honor.”

I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Judge, defendant waives formal reading of the complaint and enters a plea of not guilty.”

Judge Ross nodded. “I’m setting the case for preliminary hearing on October ninth, two weeks from today.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

She glanced down at the file. “The district attorney’s office has recommended that bail be set at ten thousand dollars.”

Rue gasped and looked at me with alarm. “I can’t raise that, I don’t have it,” she whispered.

Mason stood and said, “We request that Ms. Holmes be released on her own recognizance, Your Honor.”

The judge folded her hands on the bench. “Tell me why you believe that would be appropriate in this instance.”

I stepped away from the counsel table and approached the bench. “Rue Holmes is a lifelong resident of Biloxi, a model citizen with a spotless record. She’s an honors graduate of Mississippi State University, currently enrolled in law school in Gulfport. She maintains employment in Biloxi, resides in Biloxi, and works as an intern in my law office. She’s no flight risk, Your Honor. And she certainly poses no danger to this community.”

The judge listened closely, nodding as I spoke. “Ms. Holmes, I’m releasing you on your own recognizance. You understand that with an ROR, you’re obligated to show up for your scheduled court appearances, and you’re assuring the court that you will not engage in any illegal activity.”

Rue expelled a deep breath and said, “Yes, Your Honor. I understand.”

Judge Ross picked up her pen and made notations on the file. I said to Rue, “They’ll process some paperwork, but it won’t take long. I’ll wait for you at the jail.”

In a fierce whisper, she said, “Stafford Lee, it’s a false accusation. I didn’t do it.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

CHAPTER 67

ON MONDAY afternoon, Jenny was holding down the fort at Stafford Lee’s office.

He’d headed off to Gulfport with Rue. News of her felony charge had quickly spread on campus, so Stafford Lee arranged an afternoon meeting with the dean of her law school, hoping to allay the dean’s fears and convince him that the charge was bogus, the underlying allegation unfounded.

Jenny sat in a chair in the reception area, balancing an open file on her knee. Stafford Lee had used his powers of persuasion to convince the DA’s office to provide early disclosure of the evidence against Rue. Jenny bent her head over the police reports, carefully reviewing them.

At several points, Jenny snorted with disgust. The investigation was flimsy. The cop’s report was filled with conjecture. No convincing evidence connected Rue to the disappearance of the pendant. It was the very weakest kind of circumstantial case.

Jenny flipped through the pages looking for Iris Caro’s witness statement. While she hunted, the file almost slipped off her lap. Her injured arm was in a sling. The doctors said she’d have to wear it for at least two more weeks, to keep her shoulder in place and prevent further injury. Jenny hadn’t realized how difficult it was to get things done one-handed. Even the simplest tasks posed a challenge.

She found Iris’s statement at the very end of the report. Mrs. Caro had pointed the finger of accusation directly at Rue: “I keep my jewelry inside a velvet box in my dressing room, just off the main bedroom. Rue Holmes cleans the second floor of the house; she’s the only person with access to those rooms.”

Jenny muttered, “What about your lousy husband? He goes up there, doesn’t he? Maybe he gave your diamond to a new girlfriend.”

In the statement, Iris Caro recounted a conversation she’d allegedly had with Rue on an occasion when Iris was wearing the necklace. “The maid kept going on about it. She wanted to know whether it was real, commented on how big the stone was, asked how much something like that cost. I distinctly remember the conversation because it made me uncomfortable.”

Jenny knew that Rue had no recollection of the conversation. Rue had said she rarely had occasion to talk to Mrs. Caro, because Iris didn’t hang around the house when they cleaned. She’d go out—shopping, lunch, errands. Rue speculated that someone else had complimented the necklace, maybe another employee from the housekeeping agency. Her coworkers included several young women of color, and Rue suspected that whoever it was, Iris confused that woman with Rue. “Mrs. Caro’s the kind of person who can’t tell us apart,” Rue had said.

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