Page 5 of Bishop

Swallowing hard, I offered up my name. “Emerald Landry, Your Honor, from Florrick and Heart.”

He nodded looking down for a moment while I approached Zane Bishop who had been burning a hole through the side of my face. I knew he probably recognized me but I was here to do my job and defend him.

Finally, I turned to him. “Mr. Bishop, don’t speak. Don’t say a word. We’re going to get you out of this mess you’ve caused.”

He simply nodded.

The judge turned his attention to the District Attorney. “Mr. Watkins, what are the charges being brought up on the defendant?”

“Felony aggravated assault,” David Watkins glanced over in my direction.

He was going to be a handful but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. The judge looked down again and I took that as my chance to pounce.

“Your Honor, I’m brand new to this case. I just got Mr. Bishop’s file nearly forty-five minutes ago. As Mr. Bishop has ties to the community, he owns….” I stopped and finally looked over at him.

I’d tried memorizing the file I’d gotten.

The judge cleared his throat as I leaned over to Zane Bishop. The faint hint of piss tickled my nose. I noted that he not only needed a shower but a shave as well because he had a hell of a five o’clock shadow.

“I ownThe Conjure,” he whispered to me soft and slow.

His words felt like heat licking at my fingertips from the flame of a candle. Jumping back, I stared at him for just a moment, watching as his mouth turned up into a grin.

He whispered again. “It’s a strip club.”

Girl, don’t fucking do it,I thought.

The judge cleared his throat and I snapped out of it.

“Your honor, he has deep ties to the community, a business called The Conjure. I’m asking that the court grant him bail…”

An hour later, Zane Bishop was being released from police custody. A woman had shown up with the money right on time. I stood near the entrance on my phone, casually leaning againstthe wall returning text messages. The second he approached; I knew because the air turned electric.

“Tell Will, I can’t thank him enough,” he nodded.

The tall woman that had brought him out was standing on the sidewalk in front of the court. She was tall, and muscular. The shirt she wore simply couldn’t contain her physique. I was jealous, I bet she had a serious workout regime.

“This isn’t done,” I stated.

“Oh?”

He was so arrogant and just….

Fine as hell,the thought finished itself.

“The D.A. is going to push this as far as he can. We’re due back in court in a few weeks. If he doesn’t drop the charges, we’re looking at a whole trial.”

Zane Bishop took a breath, glancing outside at the woman who I now assumed was his girlfriend.

“Something has been bothering me…”

I stopped mid-sentence unsure of what he was going to say next.

“Yes?”

“I feel like I know you from somewhere?”

My reply was quick. “You don’t.”

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