Page 21 of Going, Going, Gone
Chapter Fourteen
Walking into the local courthouse a little before 10:00 a.m., Nessa was still confused as to what she was doing there. Kaye McBride had called her cell phone two hours earlier and asked Nessa to meet her at a hearing room on the fifth floor at ten. When she’d asked why, the older woman had been vague and promised to explain when Nessa got there. Since she didn’t have a class until this afternoon, there had been no reason she couldn’t go and find out what was going on.
After passing through the security measures, Nessa boarded an elevator and rode it to the fifth floor. Stepping out, she glanced to the right and then left, figuring out which way she had to go. When she found the correct room, she entered the open door and was surprised to see it was set up like a large conference room instead of a courtroom. Several people were either standing or sitting at the long table that was surrounded by over a dozen chairs.
“Vanessa!”
Kaye’s voice caught her attention, but it was the sight of Dylan standing next to his mother that caused Nessa to freeze in place. The older woman approached and gave her a friendly hug. “I know my son was a jerk. He told me, and I would’ve been just as furious with him as you if I were in your shoes. He’s very sorry. I hope you’ll give him another chance after the hearing.”
There was so much in those three sentences that confused Nessa that she didn’t know where to begin.He’d told his mother about their fight and she’s siding with me? Give him another chance? After the hearing?Nessa settled on that last question. “What’s going on? What hearing is this and why am I here?”
“Come, and we’ll explain in a minute.” Kaye hooked their arms together and escorted her across the room to where Dylan stood with two other men. All three were dressed in business suits, but Dylan outshined the others. Damn it. Why did he have to look so drool-worthy?
He smiled at her. “Hi.”
“Hi. What’s going on?”
Before he could open his mouth to respond, a door at the rear of the room swung open and a gray-haired gentleman, wearing a black judicial robe, strode in. “All right. Please be seated and let’s get started.”
More confused than before, Nessa sat in a chair that Kaye directed her to. Dylan and his mother flanked her in their own seats. The judge sat at the head of the table. To his left was a female court reporter with a steno machine. The two men Dylan had been speaking to sat on his other side, while across the table, two men and one woman, who was about Nessa’s age, took their seats. The man sitting directly across from Nessa looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him. Other than that, she didn’t recognize anyone else except Dylan and his mom.
The judge rapped a gavel on the table once. “Today’s hearing is for both parties to give reason why the sale of ... let me see.” He glanced at a stack of papers in front of him. “The sale of Coldrick farms should be approved or denied. Will all parties present please state your name for the record?”
One by one, everyone in the room said their name aloud along with their company name if it applied. The two men to Dylan’s right were lawyers, as was one of the men and the woman on the other side of the table. Nessa recognized the name of the man she’d thought looked familiar. Reverend Price was the leader of one of those fanatical churches. She’d seen him in the news numerous times, usually protesting and thumping his Bible for anything he perceived to be a sin in his book. Nessa knew the type. They stretched the passages in the Bible to suit their needs. Everyone who wasn’t up to their standards was going to hell.
After Dylan introduced himself for the record, he turned to Nessa and indicated she should do the same. “Um ... Vanessa Adams.”
She didn’t know what else she was supposed to say, so she remained quiet, but Dylan added, “If I may, your Honor, Professor Adams teaches at Tidewater Community College and has a PhD in History.”
The judge nodded. “So, it’s Doctor Adams then?”
Nessa glanced between the two men before responding. “Um, yes, your Honor. It is, but I’m more comfortable using Professor as my title when possible.”
“Very well. Thank you for clarifying, Professor.”
Dylan’s mother was the last person to introduce herself. “Kaye Adams, your Honor. I’m here representing the Norfolk Public Library.”
“I don’t see—”
Rev. Price was cut off by his attorney’s hand on his arm. He frowned but heeded the silent warning.
The judge shifted a few of the papers on the table. “Mr. Sellis, please begin.”
The lawyer on the far right of Dylan cleared his throat. “Thank you, your Honor. We apologize for the abruptness of this hearing, but Coldrick Farm was due to be sold this afternoon. However, new evidence has been found that will be used to put forth an application for the property and its buildings to be registered as a nationally designated historical site ...”
Nessa gaped.What evidence?
When she glanced at Dylan in confusion, he winked at her then reached over and squeezed her hand. Unable to ask the question aloud, she tried to focus on what the lawyer was saying. “... Plaintiff’s exhibit A, which is a report from Director Jared Cherwonka, of the Archaeological Society of Virginia, stating that several artifacts found in a hidden space in the basement of the main house have been chronologically dated to the early and mid-1800s. Director Cherwonka confirms the items are true to that era and that the shackles found were commonly used on slaves during that time.”
“Objection,” Price’s female attorney interrupted. “The director was not able to irrefutably state the items had been connected to slavery, only that they were similar to items used on slaves. Thus, there is no definitive connection to the Underground Railroad.”
“Objection noted. This is a hearing, not a trial, Ms. Calvin. I’ll weigh all evidence and testimony submitted by both parties. Continue, Mr. Sellis.”
“Thank you, your Honor.” He slid several photos in front of the judge. “Plaintiff’s Exhibit B. This is a diary that belonged to a teenage girl, Emily Coldrick, dated 1848 to 1851. It was discovered last night in the basement of the Norfolk Public Library on Baker Street by Mrs. McBride and her son, Mr. McBride, who are present at this hearing. The diary is currently in the possession of the Codicology Department at the Archaeological Society where proper testing will be performed on it to verify its authenticity.”
Nessa knew codicology was the study of codices, or manuscript books, written on parchment as physical objects, and that department was exactly where she’d planned to send the diary if she’d ever found it.How had Dylan and Kaye located it—in the basement of the library of all places?
The lawyer continued. “As you can see, the Codicology Department was able to photograph several pages for the purpose of this hearing. In the handwritten text, Emily Coldrick describes how her father was what was known as a stationmaster. He’d helped dozens of quote-unquote ‘fugitive slaves’ escape to freedom by hiding them in a crawl space under the floor of the kitchen’s pantry. There are numerous entries referring to this, so this is just a sampling. With the evidence provided, we’re requesting that your Honor rule in favor of voiding the Intent to Sell to JP Enterprises, which is owned by Reverend Price, so we may file the application to have Coldrick Farm placed on the National Register of Historic Places.”
