You could negotiate with anger.
Procedure was harder.
Adrian went to the emergency room before Macon.
Three stitches near the cheek.
Bruised shoulder.
Wrist abrasions.
No fracture.
No concussion.
At 2:18 a.m., he finally arrived at the federal judicial residence.
The marshal assigned to him, Kevin Shaw, met him in lobby.
Shaw looked at the uniform.
“Judge.”
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I was going to ask if you wanted ice.”
Adrian sighed.
“Yes.”
“That is much less dramatic.”
“Good.”
Shaw handed him a cold pack.
Adrian sat.
The garment bag lay beside him.
Shaw looked at black robe.
“Tomorrow…”
“Today.”
Shaw checked clock.
“Right.”
“You’re not taking bench.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Chief Judge Harper will disagree.”
“She can tell me.”
“She already did.”
Adrian’s phone rang.
CHIEF JUDGE EVELYN HARPER.
He stared.
Shaw smiled.
“I’ll leave.”
“Coward.”
“Federal employee.”
He left.
Adrian answered.
“Good morning, Chief.”
“Do not ‘good morning’ me.”
“I’m noticing a pattern tonight.”
“I just received an incident summary from Marshals Service saying two local officers put you face-first on pavement.”
“That summary lacks nuance.”
“Are you injured?”
“Three stitches.”
“Then you are not taking bench.”
“I have a 9:00 hearing.”
“Not anymore.”
“Evelyn.”
“Adrian.”
He sighed.
“It is my first day.”
“You think I care?”
“Yes.”
“I absolutely do not.”
He almost smiled.
Then she said:
“Who arrested you?”
“Sergeant Grady Wells and Officer Tyler Pike.”
Silence.
A long silence.
Adrian straightened.
“What?”
Evelyn did not answer immediately.
“Those names are on your 9:00 hearing.”
Adrian’s hand tightened around phone.
“What hearing?”
“The Calder suppression matter.”
Adrian remembered.
Federal drug case.
Defendant Joseph Calder.
A search at a highway rest area had produced forty-seven thousand dollars in cash and fentanyl.
Defense claimed unlawful detention and nonconsensual search.
Wells and Pike were key government witnesses.
The hearing had been reassigned to Adrian after another judge fell ill.
Adrian closed his eyes.
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
“Same Wells?”
“Grady Wells.”
“Same Pike?”
“Yes.”
Adrian stood.