The Warmest Winter, Day 16

"And I'm afraid I can corroborate everything Michael has said," came a familiar voice from the back of the room. Mike turned.

"Sam!" he exclaimed.

Buzz. Bang. Silence. Sam walked forward as Rick commented, "Didanyonesee him come in?"

Mike reached out to shake his hand when he was close enough.

"Good to see you, Sam. How did you know?"

"That's somethingI'dlike to know," said the judge. "You have suspicious timing."

"I understand, your honor," said Sam, looking directly at the judge. His parents whispered furiously at their lawyer.

"My clients wish it known that they have disowned the man before you. They claim no relation."

"At the time in question, I was still their son and Kendra was still my sister. And your honor, I think you first need to seethis." Sam produced something from a pocket, and held it out, so that only the judge and the bailiff could see it.

"I think you'll see that this government badge verifies that I am Samuel Harrington the fourth, a Major in the United States Air Force, in an intelligence division. My parents have wealth, a connection to me, and legal sway. I keep tabs on them to see if anyone is trying to manipulate them, or me through them. When they first made moves three years ago, I increased my vigil."

"And what made you keep tabs on who your sister was dating four years ago?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but that question is a little too personal and not quite relevant enough. Respectfully, I decline to answer that question. I am not under oath, and this happens to be a 'No Questions Answered' badge."

Jerry the Bailiff took a closer look at the badge, then turned and nodded to the judge.

"I see," said Anderson. "Well, is there anything else you'd like to share?"

"Not at this time, your honor."

"Mister Santiago, do you have anything to say in response?" Sam sat down in the row behind Mike.

"Um, just a minute, your honor," he said, feverishly sifting through paperwork.

"If I may, your honor," Rick interjected.

"Go on," allowed the judge.

"The Harringtons have acted maliciously towards my client. Their passive-aggressive use of the law to take his dream home away from him is nothing more than a petty attempt at revenge. Oh, they may not have broken any law, your honor, but they've bent it. Bent it over their knee and given it a good, hard-"

"That isenough, Mister Tessaro," said the judge, holding up a warding hand. "You point is sufficiently, and colorfully, made. Mister Santiago, have you anything to say now?"

Santiago had put the papers back down, and looked smugly at Rick. Damn, Rick thought, he sees it.

"Your honor, Mister Tessaro has made my point for me. The laws have been changed. The only purpose of this hearing, as I am sure you know, is to decide whether the implementation of the law should be strictly upheld, or delayed. Mister Evans had his reasons for making changes to the laws, and so have my clients. I maintain that their motives are not relevant. They made changes to the law in exactly the same manner as Mister Evans."

"They still represent outside interests," Rick countered, "Their connection to the area, that their daughter loved it, has been discounted."

"But Mister Evans was an outsider when he first made changes."

"He has become part of the community. Though he is here only a few months a year, and socializes little, he is friendly to those he meets, and everything he does here benefits the local economy, from the food he eats to the gas he uses to the fact that he enabled the park to stay open four months longer, from six to ten months a year. That makes him a local interest."

"Only ten months?" asked Santiago with a gleam in his eye. "Why, under these new laws you would have them reject, the park would be open year-round."

Loudbuzz.

"Rick!" hissed Mike. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's my job, dammit!" Rick growled quietly, "You said you wanted to keep the house, and that was in the way."

"How's that working right now, huh? They all think you lied to them!"

Rick scanned the crowd. Public opinion had definitely turned against Mike. Even Dave looked doubtful. Only Tina remained resolute, and was having a heated argument with her husband. Carlos Santiago seized the opportunity.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my clients are receiving nothing for their venture. Mister Evans got to build a mostly-empty house in the middle of otherwise pristine wilderness, whereas my clients ask nothing from you. Their money is a donation, to be used as you see fit. Park expansions, developments, renovations, anything. The Harrington trust will provide. If Mister Evans has his way, none of it will pass."

BANG! The gavel came down, and so did the volume.

"In light of the evidence before me today," said Judge Anderson, "I believe I understand the situation more completely. Mister Evans, my predecessor set a potentially dangerous precedent in allowing your agreements to pass. And I would set an even more dangerous one if I chose between two such sets of agreements. As the first allowed you here, and the second removes you, they cancel out. I leave it in your hands. Will both changes be allowed, or neither?"

"Your honor, if I may ask, why is he the deciding vote?" Santiago objected.

"Because he only used the courts, Mister Santiago. Your clients abused them. Among other things, this hearing would normally have been in a month or so's time. I have a feeling you made the change so that Mister Evans would be caught off-guard and not see the rug being pulled out from under him. This emergency hearing has delayed a criminal proceeding to another day. You have either cost an innocent man more days in jail, or kept a guilty man from his punishment.

"Secondly, your clients have made it clear that their only motive is Mike's removal. I have a hunch that if I ask them to decide, they will take the six-month option, removing Mike and keeping their money. I have no reason to think otherwise. And if both parties are truly interested in giving to the park, they can do sowithoutan ulterior motive, however benign, next time."

"Unfortunately, I can corroborate that, as well," Sam chimed in. The judge nodded.

"Thirdly, I am given to understand that he has saved three lives and kept them well-cared for, even as recently as earlier this month. I presume that the three young ladies next to him are said lives. Their presence here is as much a character witness as I could ever hope to see.

"Mister Evans, you have ten minutes to confer. In the meantime, we'll have a short recess."

Bang. All rose, the judge left, and then the buzz turned into a full-on hubbub.

"So what's it gonna be, Mike?" Rick asked, as a friend.

"They can't win," he replied, "Not like this."

"You can't either, Mike," said Jenny. "I'm sorry, but it's lose-lose."

"Mike." Dave put his hand on Mike's shoulder. "Please. Please, we need this. It's been what we've wanted for so long. I'm sorry, but like the judge said, you're out either way. Think about it. More land. We can renovate some buildings, hire specialists. Maybe even build a camping cabin. We could do a lot with the... what? What is it?"

Mike was stock still. His eyes were circular. Then he drew a breath in slowly. Recognizing the signs, Rick grinned. His genius buddy was back.

"Dave, you're a godsend!" Mike grabbed him and kissed him on his receding hairline. Then he reached out and grabbed Jenny's hand, meeting her gaze.

"Jenny, I'm so sorry. You were right. About everything. Me, the trial, the house, everything." And then he kissed her. As much passion as she'd felt in his kiss, it had never held so much joy. Her heart leapt in her chest and tears welled up in her eyes. Cassie offered her a tissue, and a sidelong hug.

"Rick, Dave, here's my idea." The three huddled together, talking excitedly, hashing out what details they could. The room had noticed, and was quietening down to try and hear the conversation. Santiago looked worriedly at Rick, and saw Nate grinning back at him. Even Nate had heard of Carlos Santiago's reputation, in the NYPD. The rich bastards get lawyers like him, and walk. This was going to be fun.

The judge returned. Everyone rose, and sat again.

"Well, Mister Evans?"

"Your honor, I would like to retract my efforts to block the proposed legislation."

A cheer erupted from the crowd. Santiago just looked skeptical.

Judge Anderson started, "I must say, Mister Evans, I am surprised-"

"With... One. Exception," Mike continued. The judge smiled.

"That's more like it."

"The law stipulates that all buildings currently developed in the affected areas not previously under the law's purview be razed. In the interest of fiscal efficiency, the park rangers would like my house to stay."

"You can't-" Santiago jumped in.

"As a ranking representative of the rangers for the park, I confirm the request," said Dave, "We plan on converting the building to our uses, after purchasing the land outright."

"You can't-" Santiago jumped in again.

"Oh, I think he can," said Rick, "You see, the money is a donation, to be used as the rangers see fit. Park expansions, developments, renovations, anything. The Harrington trust will provide. And if MisterSantiagohas his way, none of it will pass."

"The law stipulates that if any of the law fails to be upheld, none of it goes into effect, and the money reverts to the Harringtons."

"The law that you manipulated for exactly this purpose," the judge said, finally letting her anger show through. "I am going to allow the exception, and if you think this is an error, feel free to take it up to the state Supreme Court, where the Honorable Gary Ross now presides. See how he feels about it. I have a feeling he'll find that portion of the law unconstitutional and you'll lose the case. For now, however, Mister Santiago, you have technically won, even though this is not a trial. Take it."

"I understand, your honor," he said, suddenly looking contrite. "Thank you, your honor." The Harringtons whispered urgently to him, but he waved them off.

Judge Anderson cleared her throat. "In light of all of the available evidence, I find no reason the new laws should not go into effect, with the exception of the retainment of the developed property, at the park's discretion."

Bang. Buzz.

"There is, however, more to my decisions." The buzz died of its own accord. "Mister Evans, given the difficulty, I will grant you a full month to make arrangements and completely vacate the property in question. Paperwork for the sale of the property to the park should be cc'd to me by that time. And as a show of good faith, your houseguests, who are obviously no longer snowbound, need to leave by the close of business tomorrow, five in the evening, local time."

"Understood, your honor, and thank you," Mike replied, grateful. It could have been much worse.

"Drat, I was hopin' you'd help us," said Dave. "We need more durable materials for the house, with all kinds of people coming in and out. Knowledge of how stuff in there works, you know. We can't do it on our own."

"Sounds like you could use a consultant," chimed in Veronica. Mike's face lit up.

"HA! That's great! They'll bepayingme to make their efforts worthless! That's hilarious!" Mike doubled over. The release was immense; he needed the laugh.

"Oh, man," he finally managed, "How else can we screw them over?"

"Mike," Jenny said. She put a hand on his arm gently and spoke softly. "Don't be cruel." Mike almost glared at her, but understood. The Harringtons were not worth become that sort of person.

"As for you, Mister Santiago," came the judge's voice again. The courtroom went silent. The voice dripped doom. "And for your clients, there's the matter of obstruction of justice."

Santiago's head yanked up, his eyes wide. Samuel and Martha looked stunned.

"You unduly twisted the legal process, no two ways about it. Take this offer, and I will not press criminal charges. If convicted, you spend jail time here, and I want yououtof my jurisdiction. All of you. I will not, however, give you a fine to pay. You seem to think you can throw money at something until it bends to your will, and I do not wish to encourage you. You will perform an amount of community service. Dirty, gritty, smelly community service. But as I said, I want you gone. You will serve it in yourhomejurisdiction. You will pick up trash on the highway as your neighbors and friends drive by. Remember, I know the judge, and he sees things the way I do. We will come to an agreement, and you will serve, or you will be jailed, with a permanent record, right here. Have I made myselfperfectlyclear?"

"Yes, your honor, thank you, your honor," Santiago actually bowed a little, and scraped. He knew exactly how much worse it could have been.

"Now that all relevant matters have been settled, this court is adjourned." Bang!

"All rise!" said Jerry the bailiff. As a local, he was in a good mood. His daughter always wanted to see the park in Christmastime, and now she would be able to. People started filing out, and the chatter sounded excited.

"I knew you'd find a way!" Rick said, "Didn't I? Didn't I say it?"

"Mike," said Tina, "You're a good egg. We're gonna miss you around here, but I think it's time to move on."

"What she said," said Stan, offering a hand. Mike shook it. The couple walked off, arms around each other. A team, the two of them. Mike felt his heart ache a little, a twinge of jealousy.

"I can't thank you enough," said Dave, "We, that is, can't thank you enough. And don't take this the wrong way, but we'll help you pack."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Mike, "It's a lot of stuff, and more hassle than it's worth to not be done on time. Besides, you'll still see me. I'm consulting, remember? And I might just have to vacation here from time to time, to say 'Hi' to folks. I'm gonna miss this place, a bit."

"You better. Hey, I gotta go. My buddies and I need to have a meeting. We have funds to allocate!" He walked off, bouncing with every step. Mike shook his head. He'd never expected that sentence to be said so cheerfully.

Rick was packing his paperwork when he found Carlos Santiago next to him, offering a hand.

"I know I won again," said the lawyer as if it was no big deal, "But at least you made it feel like I lost. Well done."

Rick glared at his opposing counsel.

"Your approval fills me with shame," he said.

"Rick," Cassie said, "You never told me you read that webcomic!"

"What webcomic?" Rick looked over at her. Forgotten and embarrassed, Santiago walked away. This left the Harringtons with clear access. They looked furious, and strode forward.

"Oh,hell, no!" objected Jenny. She, along with Cassie and Veronica, jumped up and formed a very angry wall in front of the not-nearly-as-angry couple.

"Over our dead bodies, you stupid, arrogant, pieces of slime," said Veronica menacingly. The ladies advanced slowly, ushering the Harringtons out the door. Their men, plus Sam, took the opportunity to get into the aisle.

"Do something!" Martha called back to their lawyer. Santiago, on his cell phone, looked back, shrugged, and walked out the door. The Harringtons wheeled and sped after him. The ladies turned, looking pleased. The men applauded. There were few people besides them in the courtroom now.

"When I warned you about hurting my sister," Nate said to Rick, "Did you think I meant the danger was me?"

Veronica came back and stood beside Nate, who stood about an inch shorter than her because of her heels. They were almost identical in height when barefooted. Cassie snuggled up to Rick, who asked, "Seriously, what webcomic?" Cassie responded by pulling him down by his tie so she could kiss him.

"You did great," she said.

"Sam, always a pleasure," Mike said.

"Likewise," Sam responded, shaking Mike's hand.

"I wish I'd met you first."

"Yeah. Me, too."

"Hey, if you ever retire, or just wanna hang, consider Denver, eh? Good place for a new start, from what I hear."

"I think I might just do that," said Sam. "In the meantime, maybe we can keep in touch. Does anyone have a pen I can borrow?"

Everyone searched their pockets or purses for a pen. When they looked up, Sam was gone.

"Damn!" Rick said, echoing off the walls, "He really gives a chilling reminder of why they're called spooks, huh?"

"Mister Evans, I expected you to be out celebrating the Harrington's pyrrhic victory." Judge Anderson had returned from her chambers, dressed now in everyday wear.

"Just letting it soak in for a while," said Mike. "And thank you. I couldn't have asked for a more fair ruling, and Gary couldn't have done it better. Would you let him know I send my regards and congratulations?"

"Of course. And congratulations to you again." She turned to walk out the door. Before going through, she called back, "Oh. And I expect a Christmas card this year!" Laughing with an age a fraction of her own, she left.

"Let's go home," said Jenny. Mike looked at her.

"I mean your home, Mike. Let's have one great big, final blowout to celebrate."

"I like the way she thinks," said Rick, "Let's party!"

*****

As relieved as they all were, the backlash from the stress of the day hit everyone pretty hard. They stopped off at the hotel to switch drivers, and for Rick and Nate to change into more casual clothing. They checked out of the hotel, and put their bags into the back of the Hummer. Tonight, they would all party. When the morning came, they would go. While everyone else had more time, Rick needed to fly back to Denver as quickly as possible, and the others felt that a single parting would be easier than drawn-out goodbyes.

Once nestled away back in Mike's house, Rick and Nate got the party put together in the basement, moving furniture and hooking up Rick's iPod. Nate grabbed some snacks and some drinks, putting the latter into the downstairs refrigerator. Meanwhile, Mike and the ladies changed.

Coming downstairs, it was clear that nobody was dressing to impress. All six of them went with a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. The closest any of them got to a higher sense of fashion was Jenny, who chose all black.

Everyone crashed into a chair or sofa cushion and lay there like marionettes with clipped strings. The conversation wandered around, as they all let their minds unravel. Mike was the first to recover. He went to his wine collection and pulled out a bottle, second from the left at the top. The rest were all at the bottom.

"I was saving this one for a special day, but I think today is special enough," he said. The prospect of booze perked up attention, especially Rick, who would now let himself imbibe. Mike poured some into everyone's glass, which in some cases was a plastic cup, and raised his in a toast.

"To good friends, to the end of the past, and the start of a future." He didn't really think of the words. His mouth just said them while his brain asked him to drink.

Once the drinks were flowing, everyone loosened up and began to let the victory sink in. Smiles and laughter became more common, and Rick started up his playlist. Song after song played, and they even got up to dance.

Sometime later, Mike, sitting on the sofa next to Jenny, looked at Rick, incredulous. "Do you really have a playlist for Christmas, a trial victory, and a new girlfriend, combined?"

"Apparently?" Rick asked, shrugging. Rick's Magical iPod, indeed. "Wait, girlfriend?" He looked down at his diminutive dance partner, Cassie.

"Yup. You're mine now." She smiled, then went on tiptoes to kiss the bottom of his chin.

"When did that happen?" Rick looked at Mike, helpless and bewildered.

"It sneaks up on you," Mike said, laughing.