Chapter 6 - The Bail Hearing
The courtroom was packed to absolute capacity.
Reporters, legal observers, and curious citizens sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the wooden pews of the Montgomery County Courthouse—the very building where Khloe had fallen one week earlier.
Richard Harrington and Vanessa Kensington sat at the defense table, wearing orange jumpsuit scrubs, their hands shackled at their waists. Their high-priced defense attorney, Jonathan Vance (no relation to Marcus), stood beside them looking uncomfortable under the glare of the media cameras.
Judge Beatrice Hayes took her seat at the bench, looking down over her reading glasses at the defense team.
"Mr. Vance," Judge Hayes said sharply. "You are requesting bail set at five hundred thousand dollars for each of your clients?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Jonathan Vance argued, stepping forward. "My clients are prominent citizens with no prior criminal record. They are not flight risks. The incident on the steps was a tragic accident, a heated argument that escalated unexpectedly—"
"A tragic accident?"
The voice echoed from the back of the courtroom.
Harrison Cole walked down the center aisle, wearing a dark gray suit, carrying a thick leather briefcase. He stepped up to the prosecutor's table, bowing slightly to the judge.
"Mr. Cole," Judge Hayes said, her tone softening slightly. "You are appearing as a special prosecutor in this matter?"
"I am, Your Honor," Harrison said cleanly. "And I respectfully present evidence that both defendants represent extreme flight risks and severe dangers to the community."
Harrison pulled a tablet from his briefcase, tapping the screen to display financial records on the large courtroom monitors.
"Over the last forty-eight hours," Harrison revealed, "my forensic team uncovered that Richard Harrington attempted to wire seven million dollars to an un-numbered bank account in Zurich. Furthermore, two private charter flights were booked under assumed names from Trenton-Mercer Airport to the Bahamas for midnight yesterday."
Richard flinched, staring at Harrison in utter disbelief.
"They were preparing to flee the country, Your Honor," Harrison stated coldly. "They abandoned a woman dying on stone steps, and they intended to abandon the jurisdiction of this court. I move for full remand without bail."
Judge Hayes looked down at Richard and Vanessa, her face hardened with disgust.
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"Bail is denied," Judge Hayes slammed her gavel down with a sharp CLACK. "The defendants will remain in custody pending trial."
Vanessa burst into hysterical tears, while Richard collapsed back into his wooden chair, realizing that Harrison Cole had completely severed his escape routes.
