“Well, I sure don’t have any cash.”
“Maybe I can get some money out of Lance,” Stone said. He saw his retainer getting smaller.
“You really think this is the right thing to do, Stone? I mean, as my lawyer and my friend, you think this is right?”
“Herbie, it’s the only thing to do, trust me.”
“I trust you, Stone.”
“Thanks, Herbie.”
“I just don’t want to go to jail.”
“The best you can do now is to try not to do anything ever again that will get you sent to jail. Now come on, it’s time for court.” Stone grabbed Herbie’s wrist, hauled him off the bench, and towed him toward the courtroom.
“You’re sure we can’t bribe the judge?” Herbie asked.
“Shut up, Herbie,” Stone said.
11
STONE LED HERBIE into the courtroom, tightly holding his wrist so that he couldn’t run. His client came along only reluctantly. Stone shoved Herbie into a seat and sat down beside him.
Herbie stood up. “I gotta go to the men’s room.”
Stone grabbed his coattail and jerked him back into his seat. “Sit on it, Herbie,” he said. “You’re not going anywhere until we’re done here.”
“But I gotta go.”
“You should have gone when you had the chance. Am I going to have to handcuff you?”
Herbie stared at his feet. “I didn’t bring nothing that I need for jail, no toothbrush or anything. I thought you were going to make this go away.”
“They have a little store at Rikers where you can buy what you need. They’ll let you keep twenty dollars.”
“And I wore my good suit.”
“They’ll keep it for you, Herbie, and they’ll supply all the clothes you need. It’s a free service to guests.”
“All rise!” the bailiff yelled, and the courtroom crowd got to its feet.
Stone looked to his left and saw four uniforms sitting in the front row directly behind the table where Dierdre Monahan sat. He nudged Herbie. “Those are the four brothers of the ADA,” he said.
“Which?”
“The ones in police uniforms. The youngest is carrying a cane. You knocked him off duty for two days.”
“They’re big guys,” Herbie whispered.
“Very big.”
The judge came out of his chambers and headed for the bench. To Stone’s astonishment, Lance Cabot came out the same door immediately afterward and took a seat on the other side of the courtroom. He didn’t look at Stone. What the hell was going on here?
The judge rapped sharply.
“Order! Court is in session!” He turned toward Dierdre. “Ms. Monahan, approach.”
Dierdre got up and approached the bench. There was a brief conversation, and the judge did nearly all the talking.