Chapter 29

They entered the courtroom five minutes early. It was crowded. The Pixies recognized nearly everyone there.

Judge Carter was hammering her gavel on the previous case. Both litigants looked annoyed. One of started to speak but was silenced by his lawyer's rapidly shaking head. The bailiff collected paperwork from the bench, passed the bundle to the clerk and cleared the tables.

The bailiff called the next case, naming the principals. "Peter Allyn O'Neal, represented by Raymond Doyle, Esq., seeking grant of guardianship of minor child, Miss Phoebe O'Neal, orphan, no relation, late of the State of Nebraska. The New York City Department of Child Services, the State of Nebraska, the NYPD, the Board of Education of New York, and the District Attorney's Office endorse the grant."

"In addition, the court has received nine amicus curiae petitions asking that the request be granted." The bailiff handed the judge a folder full. She pushed her reading glasses up and reviewed the case file, memorizing the particulars and looking at the petitions. "This is quite unprecedented. There is no opposition. Miss O'Neal, no relation, approach the bench."

Phoebe said, "Yes, your honor, ma'am." She went before the judge and curtseyed. It was all Judge Carter could do not to laugh. The previous case had been a vicious child custody battle between divorced parents fighting hammer and tong over every miniscule detail. This young lady was a refreshing break from the usual drudgery.

"Please sit in the witness box, Miss. You will help me decide this case." Carter decided she would act as the girl's advocate.

"Thank you, your honor. Am I assistant judge? Can I put this on my independent study foot notes?"

"First, tell me about yourself."

Pete listening to the judge's thoughts was impressed. <She really is good and cares about the children.> He directed to Spring and Star, <She is all about what the kid wants. Watch how she dispels her fears.>

<Not that she is scared, but Phoebe knows this is for keeps, law-wise.> Star thought back.

<She's working the judge, too, sister. That curtsey was cute enough to die for.>

Phoebe, in the meantime, was telling her tale of unknown origins, home schooling, then of tragedy, loss and general disaster. Ending with "I was never abused so much as ignored. When I realized I was caught in limbo between foster families and no one knew I existed, I followed the rumor here. Mr. O'Neal welcomed me, gave me clothes, a warm home, new friends, and tried to get me in school. Judge Carter, ma'am, may I call a witness?"

Carter rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes, assistant Judge O'Neal."

"Mr. Bailiff, sir, would you bring Mr. David Johnson up?"

"Yes, Your Honorlet. Mr. Johnson, please approach the judges and state your business and connection with the case before the bench."

"Your honors, I am the Director of Student Affairs for the New York Public Schools. Theodore Roosevelt High School Principal Ella Pulaski asked me to help proctor final exams and advanced placement tests for the young ladies residing in the shelter provided by Mr. O'Neal. If you will look at the synopsis in the case file, you will see why we made the decision to test the students at home."

He paused while Carter appeared to speed-read the brief. She looked up, saying, "I understand. I did not realize the primary actors in that drama were before the bench. Continue. That involves Judge Phoebe how?"

"Mr. O'Neal asked the principal to enroll and place her at the proper grade level, but had no way to tell where she might qualify. Because they were testing the eleven girls already, Principal Pulaski asked me to sit in as a third proctor, but mostly to evaluate Miss O'Neal, no relation. I personally administered her tests. To say we were astounded at the results is to understate the definition of the word."

"Please elaborate, Mr. Goldman." Judge Carter said.

"All twelve students, ranging in age from 14 to 16, aced every test given, including exams intended for Advanced College Prep courses. To put it bluntly, every one of them could enter any university as a second semester sophomore today." Dave declared, "We attribute their success to a safe, nurturing environment and careful mentoring by Mr. O'Neal. The 'independent studies' she mentioned is a way to satisfy the mandatory minimum attendance required. Each student picks a thesis topic, subject to approval. An advisor and the career counselor monitor the student's progress. The students meet with their committee on campus and ultimately receive a grade."

"Thank you. Who should I call next, Judge Phoebe?"

"That would be Mr. Kris Demopolis whose sisters live there, too." The bailiff called him forward.

"Mr. Demopolis, Judge Phoebe said your sisters lived at the O'Neal residence. Why? And how are you involved in this case?"

"Your honor, my sisters are there because my parents asked Mr. O'Neal to provide a safe haven for them to grow and reach their full potential as young women. Dad has seen how he had rescued one after another of his charges, assuming responsibility for their care and education. Mom and Dad decided his stewardship was effective and more relevant to the world today. Athena and Selena, wave to the judges." They did, Judge Carter noting their clear good health and demeanor.

"I guess Judge Phoebe really wanted me to talk about the renovations my brother and I did on the building. At great expense, Mr. O'Neal designed and had us build a unique dormitory on the third floor of his brownstone. There is a communal sleeping area, spacious sleeping for fifteen or more, a giant shower, a bathroom equipped such that there is no waiting, a dressing area with lots of closet space and all the accoutrements a girl could want."

"Mr. O'Neal insisted on a study hall, with multiple use desks, and a high speed, wireless computer network, fully filtered. He even supplied laptops, tablet computers and smartphones for the girls. He then commissioned a special sun deck and private spa on the roof top."

"And your opinion of the girls' quarters?"

"Totally top shelf, your honor. Mr. O'Neal orders, pays for and receives only the best."

"Thank you, Mr. Demopolis. I want to meet with Mr. Doyle, Captain Mark Connor, Assistant DA Ben Washburn and Mr. Franco dePalma in my quarters. This should not take long." She thanked Phoebe for her assistance, sending her back to her seat.

"Please rise for Judge Carter."

She and the four men passed through a door behind the judge's bench. In her office, she said, "There are some matters I want to know more about that shouldn't be discussed in open court. In particular, the incidents on the thruway, the kiddie porn ring, the slave traders and the warfare on the street. Gentlemen, this conversation is off the record unless a serious crime has been committed. And I mean felony serious."

By the time the men had related everything that was considered 'public' if a person knew how to ask, plus the internal information not published, Judge Marsha Carter was stunned. "You're telling me he takes down entire criminal organizations, rescues girls homeless and in danger, brokers agreements between our own 'families' and the police, assists the Justice Department to prosecute cases, owns and operates a renown computer firm but helps his neighbors for free, exposes porn rings in our school system in his spare time, expecting no recognition and refusing any reward?" She took a long breath. "And he was a decorated sniper?"

"That and probably more we don't know about, Judge Carter." Washburn said. "What I do know is that the 'capo de tutti capi' considers him untouchable and takes his advice seriously. So does my boss, the District Attorney. There have been talks, but you didn't hear it from me. It is best if you didn't hear about it at all."

"He has given my precinct sergeants information they can use, insuring clean, uncontestable arrests and we don't know how he does it. He leaves no tracks leading back to his sources, but the info is actionable." Connor admitted. "He is like a ghost."

Franco volunteered, "In the neighborhood, he well respected and has been since he bought the building. His word is ironclad. But he is the most unselfconscious person you can imagine. If you accuse him of the things on your list, he will claim he wasn't there, ever. If you say you have proof, he will get embarrassed and say that it was something that any person would have done. He would not be able to live with himself if he did less. And he would mean it." Then he chuckled. "Today at lunch, he asked me if, in my opinion, you would rule in his favor. I told him that if he feeds a stray kitten, it never leaves. My advice was to tell you he already fed Phoebe. She has to stay."

Judge Carter said, "We know that he seems to treat them like precious gems. He clearly teaches them self-defense. He mentors their education. He protects them like a berserker ninja. And will take no credit. I am inclined to agree with you, Mr. dePalma. He fed her; he has to keep her."

Doyle said, "Trust me, he has the resources to take very good care of all of them and more."

"Gentlemen, it is late and time to put this case to bed. This meeting that never happened is adjourned." She declared, "I love this town." and ushered the four men out. She followed a few seconds later.

"All rise for the Honorable Judge Marsha Carter." The bailiff announced her arrival. She smoothed her robes and sat. The bailiff signaled the others to sit.

She shuffled the documents, placing all but two in the folder. "Bailiff, Clerk. By order of the court, this case and all supporting documents are to be sealed. No one will have access to it without my permission. Any attempt to access this file will be considered contempt of court and will result in the incarceration of all parties involved, for a length of time to be determined at my discretion."

"I have reached a decision"

The bailiff signaled for the principle parties to stand.

"This court approves the application filed on behalf of Mr. Peter Allyn O'Neal. Guardianship of the minor child, Phoebe O'Neal is hereby granted to Mr. O'Neal who will assume all the responsibilities required of a natural parent." She signed and stamped the papers. "This court is adjourned."

Everyone cheered and applauded, except for a swarthy, dour man in the back of the courtroom. Pete noticed and got a Very Bad Feeling when he touched the man's mind gently.

<Star, Spring, Phoebe. Important. See that guy in the bad suit, frowning? Show him to Rani now. Is he familiar?>

<Yes, Star knows him from Brevard. I think he was in Ed's store once or twice.>

Rani turned white and whispered, 'Slaver' to Pete. He waved the bailiff over.

Quietly he said, "Officer, that man in the back is a really dangerous character. My girls don't fear much but are afraid of him. Maybe you should have the men at the door be ready to act fast. If you approach him, he will either attack or try to run. Perhaps he will collide with a guard. Assaulting an officer of the court gives probable cause to search him or get an ID, right?"

The bailiff signed something to the uniforms at the door, and all three moved toward the suspect. The guy panicked, clearly going for something in his pocket as he rushed in Rani's direction. The cops took him down decisively, seconds before a mob of Pixies with blood in their eyes arrived to do the same.

"Let the nice policemen do their jobs, girls. You can have the next one."

"Rats, Boss. He tried to hurt Rani and you. We wanted to show him how bad a choice that was." Mary said with an innocent smile. "And he spoiled Phoebe's day."

Pete tried to hug them all his Pixies at once and almost succeeded. Asst. DA Washburn and Judge Carter watched the display as they neared the group. "I made a good decision today, Ben. Look at that."

"Yes you did, Marsha. All fourteen of them are attached at the heart. Lets talk to them."

He tapped Pete on the shoulder and was nearly taken down himself.

"Don't surprise our protector like that, especially when there is a threat." Kim warned, "Mr. O'Neal's reflexes are crazy fast."

Her twin whispered, "Look at his eyes before they change back."

Washburn and the Judge Carter looked and were momentarily frozen.

"Sorry, Mr. Washburn. I tend to get very protective in situations like this. I don't like it when my girls are in danger." Pete apologized again to the judge. "Your honor, please forgive me. I don't mean to add to the violence brought into your courtroom."

Ben asked, "It was you who clued the bailiff, wasn't it."

"Your bailiff is a sharp guy. He must have seen something that tipped him off." Pete grinned. "I was never here."

"It's a good thing I didn't put you under oath or I would have to charge you with perjury." Carter laughed. "Really, what tipped you off? And you're doing a horrible job of not being here."

"He was the only one not happy with your finding and I got a really bad feeling. Two of the girls had seen him hanging around in places hundreds of miles apart. The clincher was Rani's word, 'Slaver'. That's when I spoke to the Bailiff."

The judge called the bailiff over. "Arrest him. Charge him with assault on an officer of the law, carrying a concealed weapon in a court of law, attempted murder, resisting arrest and felonious stupidity in my face. Read him his rights. Make sure he gets any medical attention he earns between here and the holding cell."

"I think I like her, Boss." Athena said, "Judge Carter is just like us."

"But you would have bent him up a little more than the policemen." Selena giggled.

"I know who you are." Washburn said. "Hayes mentioned a five foot terror who broke some bones in his report."

"He didn't listen when I told him to stay down when I put his butt on the sidewalk the first time. I hate doing things twice." She mock frowned. "And we're all five foot terrors. Except for Star and Spring. They're the short ones."

"But most of all, do not muss my sister Jenny's hair. She will show you how much she hates that." Penny added. "That should be in Detective Hayes' report, too."

Rani asked, "Judge, will Mr. O'Neal and I have to come back and testify in court? You know you don't have them all and they never give up."

"I think sworn depositions will work." Ben interjected. "The bailiff can get the credit for being alert. He probably noticed the guy and needed a reason. There are tons of witnesses and the surveillance tapes."

Pete made a call on his cell phone. "Not so sadly, we have to leave. I promised my girls a dinner at South Street Seaport this evening and our short bus awaits. We plan to go to the Fishmarket Restaurant. It's not real fancy, but it's not a dive by any scale. I imagine the girls will have a blast. I'm gonna talk to the owner and see if I can get him to serve us family style. He's a good guy. If you can find us, I'll buy you a drink, or you can join us for dinner."

'We may take you up on that offer. A drink sounds good. But you can't pay. It wouldn't look kosher after my ruling today. If I pick up my own check, no one will question it."

Most of the audience was waiting on the steps outside. Pete and the girls were careful to greet and thank everyone they saw for their help and support. Several were invited to dine with the group, but all declined, even Mr. Doyle. Some had prior engagements, but all wanted the family to have some private time.

The driver, Zeno Bowler (really), double-parked and opened the doors. "Best hurry, Mr. O'Neal. I hear there's a lot of police around here. Don't want to get a ticket."

"Don't sweat it Zeno. I know some people. Load up, girls, before we get a citation for parading without a permit."

When the driver pulled up to the restaurant Pete told him to try to park nearby and join them inside. "No can do. Have to stay with the bus. Company policy."

Well, keep your cell phone on. I'll send out a seafood platter for you."

"I appreciate it. Calamari, oysters and clams would be great."

They had no trouble getting seated with a fine view of the harbor and Brooklyn Bridge. It was only a little after six on a Monday, so even in New York, there was not much of a dinner rush this early.

Pete did talk to the owner who agreed that family style made more sense for a group of teenaged girls than a-la-carte from the menu. "I'll instruct the wait staff to refill the platters as they get empty. The girls self-select their own favorites."

Pete had him tell the staff that he would add a 40% gratuity to the bill because the group might be there for a while and he didn't want the servers to miss the turnover on other tables. "I'll be asking for two 'doggie bag' containers for our driver. He has to stay with the bus, but this spread is too good to miss."

Within minutes, they were placing two tables together. Norman, Olivia, Bonnie, and Dave from the high school exams came in to celebrate. Judge Marsha Carter and DA Ben Washburn, right behind them followed by Franco and Simone dePalma. All those prior commitments had mysteriously been cancelled.

The chefs went into overdrive. Soon, the servers brought platter after bowl after pan of goodness from the briny deep. Sautéed, fried, battered, broiled, raw, boiled, steamed; if you could do it to anything with scales, anything with a shell, anything with pincers, anything with tentacles, it got done perfectly and put on the table.

Before the food parade got totally ridiculous, he filled the 'doggie trays', one with Zeno's choices and one with fries and assorted veggies. Zeno rushed in, meeting Pete at the door. "Thanks, this beats the hell out of a burger. But be aware, Mr. O'Neal, There are some guys paying what I think is a little too much attention to the short bus. Might be nothing, but be careful."

"Thanks for the heads up. And call me Pete. Please. This 'mister' stuff makes me feel old. Drive far enough so you can park and enjoy the meal. Probably Yonkers."

"Just be sure to call me when you're ready to leave. I'll call back when I'm in position to load you in."

He returned to the table with his family and friends, old and new. The conversation was lively and entertaining throughout the lunatic repast. Even the owner and staff joined in. Fortunately, the other patrons were served on time and seemed to enjoy the impromptu floorshow.

Marsha was telling courtroom stories when Pete's phone beeped. It was Zeno. He had spotted a dozen not-so-savory characters outside the eatery. "This is not pretty, Pete. What are your orders?"