Page 157 - The Houseguest

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Brian’s own law firm accepted his case pro bono. The firm where Lance had gotten him a job was now the same firm that would represent him against charges for a crime committed by Lance. The irony was bewildering. But Brian didn’t care. He felt nothing but that insatiable thirst for whiskey that had plagued his life. After the charges were filed, the arraignment followed, where he entered a plea of ‘no contest’ indicating he did not intend to contest the charges. This was a move Lance never would have suggested as it could be used in the indictment phase as an implied confession. But Brian’s attorneys could talk no sense into him. He was dazed, they supposed he was in a perpetual state of shock.
The judge denied bail after the prosecutor practically reenacted his former kidnapping travesty in front of him. They stated the phrase “repeat offender” over and over to make their point. Brian stood still, staring like a zombie until the officer grabbed his arm and escorted him to be booked at the Manhattan Detention Complex, affectionately known as “The Tombs” because the first jail built on the same site resembled an Egyptian Mausoleum. Here he was to undergo the “intake process.” They took his mug shots, fingerprinted him and drew blood to test for any communicable diseases. His eyes darted from one scene to the next as if he were watching the rerun of a movie he’d seen, but not enjoyed. He just couldn’t allow himself to believe this was happening to him...again.
Next was the strip search, which he remembered all too well. During his first introduction to jail, he fought this procedure which didn’t work
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life