Page 147 of Push

I glanced at Zach, my eyebrow arched.

“You’re not getting a kiss from me.” He laughed. “But yeah, don’t sweat it. We’re here.”

Zach said not to sweat it, but I totally was. I rolled my shoulders and sucked down a few deep breaths as I headed for my front-row seat. The police prosecutor—Peter Collins—was waiting for me. He smiled. Easy for the little bald guy, I could only nod. I was way out of my depth. I’d never been in court before. I was plucky comic relief. The serious stuff was Gwen’s domain. I rubbed sweaty palms down the front of my pants.

Please don’t let me stuff this up.

“We’re about to get started,” Peter said to me.

I nodded dumbly and sat up with better posture than I’d ever managed in school. I looked at the bench. A woman with short gray hair wearing a powder blue suit so bright I had to squint my eyes already sat up there, flicking through notes. The name plaque in front of her said, “Magistrate Holland.”

Dan Calver was the last to arrive. He marched up like he was expecting fanfare, Kayleigh shuffling behind him. Then, there was lots of nodding, bowing, and introductions, and I got to sit down again.

I let out a breath.

So far, so good. No screw-ups.

Peter stood and cleared his throat. “Good morning, Your Honor,” he said primly. “The police seek an interim apprehended violence order—”

“Your Honor.” Dan rose from his seat. “I must object.”

Magistrate Holland peered down at him. “Mr. Calver, it’s an auspicious day when a King’s Counsel appears for a mere mention in my small court.” She smirked. “But what exactly are you objecting to? Mr. Collins hasn’t finished introducing the application yet. Perhaps you should take your seat until he’s done.”

Dan huffed and puffed, but when he realized the magistrate wasn’t budging, he sank back to his chair.

Peter shuffled his notes. “Thank you, Your Honor. As I was saying, the police seek an AVO on behalf of Dr. Tobias Sullivan and his immediate family as persons in need of protection.”

Holland nodded, barely looking up, too busy writing something down. “I understand the police are continuing to investigate Ms. Roberts—”

“Your Honor!” Dan popped back up. The magistrate’s head swiveled in his direction with narrowed eyes. He wasn’t bothered. He buttoned his jacket like the whole world should wait for him. “Now, I must object to the mention of an ongoing investigation.”

“Are you actually objecting to a question from the bench?” Peter almost laughed. “It’s wholly relevant to the application being made! I heartily respond that, yes, Your Honor, a stalking investigation is ongoing—”

Dan snorted. “My learned friend is continuing down a dangerous path when no charges have been forthcoming—”

“Because you’re blocking the subpoena for the security footage from Dr. Sullivan’s workplace!” Peter shot back.

“Blocking!” Dan spluttered. “How dare you, sir!”

Peter took a deep breath. “Your Honor, I concede the police investigation is ongoing, and chargeswillbe forthcoming. However, the precise nature and number of charges can’t be finalized until the release of vital security footage anticipated to corroborate Dr. Sullivan’s version of events.”

“Hisfalsifiedversion of events,” Dan retorted.

I sat very, very still and tried to make Gwen proud. It was hard, though. I wanted to stare at everyone and everything that was happening. Gwen said it would be boring, but the lawyers shouted at each other like the guys did on TV! I wished she was sitting next to me. Was this normal? Her version of boring? If it was, I’d hate to see what “exciting” was.

Smoke was just about blowing out of Peter’s ears. “Well, Mr. Calver, wouldn’t the easiest way to prove your client’s innocence be to work with us for the release of the footage and employee wage records instead of encouraging Dr. Sullivan’s business partner to withhold this evidence?”

“That is an out-and-out lie!” Dan’s face was candy-cane red now. “The outrage—”

Peter snorted so loudly the magistrate’s eyebrows shot up. “Both you and Mr. Cooper’s army of lawyers have objected to the subpoena on utterly baseless grounds,” he retorted, “which has tied us up in a further court case—”

“Gentlemen!” Holland barked from the bench.

Peter reshuffled his papers, forcing down such big breaths that his lungs heaved. “My apologies to the court,” he muttered.

Dan sniffed his bulbous nose in the air. “I make no such apologies.”

“I’d expect no less from my learned friend,” Peter shot back.

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