Page 43 of He Doesn't Deserve You

“No, thank you. I’ll try her at home.”

“Okay. Have a nice day.”

“You too,” Johnson said, then disconnected the call.

Next, he called Maggie’s cell phone, and after several rings, it went to voicemail. He left a message. “Hello, this is Detective Johnson from the Hudson County Police Department. We need to speak to you as soon as possible. It’s regarding your brother, Michael, who is currently in custody. Please call me back at your earliest convenience.” He concluded the call by leaving his direct number.

The next day, after receiving no word from Maggie, Detective Johnson devised a plan to hopefully lure her out of hiding by pitting Michael and Maggie against each other. He visited Michael’s holding cell just before his arraignment. Holding out Michael’s cell phone, Johnson said, “I need you to call Maggie.”

Michael chuckled and replied, “So you can arrest her too? No, thanks.” He turned away from Johnson.

“We’re not going to arrest her. We only want to talk,” Johnson insisted. “Do you want to know why she hasn’t come to see you? It’s because she has skipped town.” Detective Johnson noted the spark of interest in Michael’s eyes.

“You didn’t know?” Johnson continued. “She’s not coming to your arraignment. She’s not going to bail you out. I hope you have a backup plan.”

Detective Johnson allowed Michael to think about it a minute, then said, “Okay, suit yourself.” He put the cell phone back into his pocket and turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Detective Johnson smiled before turning around. “Yeah?”

“I’ll call her,” Michael said, extending his hand to Johnson, “Give me the damn phone.”

Johnson removed the phone from his pocket and handed it to Michael.

Michael snatched the phone from Johnson and quickly dialed Maggie’s number. Turning his back to Johnson, he paced to the corner of the holding cell. As the seconds ticked by in silence, Johnson could tell from Michael’s growing agitation that Maggie wasn’t answering.

Johnson listened intently as Michael left a frantic message. “Maggie, it’s me. I left you a message yesterday. I’m not sure if you got it. I’ve been arrested. My arraignment is at 12:30 today. I need you to come to the courthouse and bail me out. Please, it’s urgent.” He hesitated, looked over his shoulder at Johnson, and whispered into the phone, “You’re not going to pin this all on me.”

After ending the call, Michael turned to face Detective Johnson, who extended his hand expectantly. Reluctantly, Michael placed the phone into Johnson’s palm. Without a word, Johnson turned and left the holding cell, thinking to himself,Let’s see how this plays out.

At 12:27 pm, Detective Martin strolled into the courtroom and slid into the pew beside Detective Johnson. Leaning in, he whispered, “How did it go?”

“She didn’t answer,” Johnson replied quietly. “If she doesn’t show up, he’ll be ready to talk.”

“Good,” Detective Martin said, his eyes drifting to where Michael was seated. He watched as Michael repeatedly glanced over his shoulder, anxiously scanning the entrance for any sign of Maggie.

At precisely 12:30 pm, the side door of the courtroom swung open, and the bailiff announced, “All rise. Court is now in session. The Honorable Judge Sarah Traverse presiding.”

As everyone got to their feet, Detectives Martin and Johnson watched as Michael glanced over his shoulder one last time looking for Maggie, a look of panic on his face.

Judge Traverse took her seat, and the bailiff said, “You may be seated.”

They listened as three defendants faced their charges before Judge Traverse finally called, “Michael Culliver.” At that moment, Michael and his lawyer rose from their seats.

Addressing Michael directly, the judge said, “Michael Culliver, you are being charged with administering a noxious substance to Emily Anderson. Do you understand these charges?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Michael replied.

“How do you plead?” asked the judge.

“No contest,” Michael responded.

Detective Martin whispered into Detective Johnson’s ear, “His lawyer probably told him to plead that hoping to get him a reduced sentence.”

Detective Johnson nodded.

The prosecutor stood and said, “Your Honor, considering that the defendant works as a bartender, giving him ample opportunity to tamper with numerous drinks, and taking into account his prior criminal record, the prosecution requests that he be held without bail.”

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