Suzie’s House 106: Hearing

“I object!” Ben lurched to his feet next to Suzie. She had to catch his chair to keep it from tipping over. What on Earth did he think he was doing? He glanced around the courtroom, looking painfully unsure of himself. When he spoke again, Suzie almost swallowed her tongue in mortification. “Dad doesn’t want me at all! He’s planning on sending me to Mendota as soon as he gets full custody. I know, because I heard him say it to Mrs. D.”

“Ben,” she said quietly, trying to warn him. She understood what he was trying to do, and she fully believed his story, but how would it sound to a judge?

“No,” The judge held her hand up and looked pointedly at Suzie. “Let him speak.”

Suzie glanced at the door, wishing desperately that her lawyer would walk through it. There must be something radically wrong because he had never been late for anything before. He hadn’t even called to let her know what was going on. She wanted to call him, but cell phones weren’t allowed, and she didn’t know how to ask the judge for permission. And now Ben looked like he was going off the deep end. Could this situation get any worse?

“You heard him say this?” The judge clasped her hands together, leaned forward, and looked concerned. Suzie prayed for leniency.

“Yes. Me and Gene saw Mrs. D. going to Gene’s house and my dad and his were already in there, which is really weird ‘cause they didn’t know each other at all before, so we went to check it out. We listened through the window. Mrs. D always hated both Gene and me and for no good reason. You can ask anyone. She hates us. She was telling them how she knows of an institution that would take us, and they both agreed to sign the papers. What I want to know is if he’s just going to get rid of me right away, why does he have to take me away from Mom?”

“A very good question. Mr. Hammacker?”

“As you can see from…” Rob’s lawyer started to say in an obnoxiously pompous way, but the judge cut him off.

“I would like to hear it from Mr. Hammacker.”

“It’s because,” Rob cleared his throat and looked around uncomfortably. He glanced down at the papers in front of his lawyers as if to find the inner workings of his own black heart among them. His lawyer leaned over and whispered something into his ear. Suzie was glad to see the judge take note. Having been fed his line, Rob perked up. “It’s because he is in danger in Suzie’s house.”

Suzie cringed. This was it, her Achilles heel. Rob would brink up the whole business about how she’d rented a room to an FBI agent who accidentally brought his work home. He’d go on and on about Ben nearly being abducted, and might even mention how a man with a gun had wandered into her kitchen. He wouldn’t say a think about how Suzie had stopped that man. She started to protest, but stopped herself for fear of making matters worse. She needn’t have worried.

“So then,” the judge said slowly. “You admit you intend to turn him over to an institution as soon as you have him away from his mother?”

“I, well… I…” Rob stuttered. “Of course not.” He must have realized how bad he sounded. “This is ridiculous. Ben is making it all up!”

“Do you have any evidence?”

“Well, Gene was there,” Ben answered her. “His dad wants to lock him away too. It’s the three of them against Gene and me.”

“Young man,” The judge gave him a sharp-eyed look that had Suzie terrified. “Are you saying it is all a conspiracy?”

“Yes.” Ben lifted his chin belligerently. “I am.”

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