My Demon Husband novel · Chapter 8 of 32

Chapter 8: Read Aloud

Courtroom two was full by ten to nine.

Eviction court always is.

The young mother sat in the second row with a five-year-old on her lap and a three-year-old asleep against her arm.

She had a folder of rent receipts on her knees, held tight with both hands.

Greaves's lawyer sat at the front table in a navy suit, scrolling his phone.

He had the original lease in a clear sleeve beside his coffee.

I'd called in sick to my own window to be there.

Lacey was covering it, and texting me in all capitals every two minutes.

Malphas sat beside me in the gallery.

People left a seat empty on his other side without knowing why.

I leaned over to the young mother before the judge came in.

"Hi. I work upstairs at the filing windows."

She looked at me with red eyes.

"I paid," she said. "I have every receipt. They say I owe four months."

"I believe you."

"Nobody believes me."

"Will you let me help? I need to read something to you in there. Out loud. It'll sound strange."

She looked at the sleeping kid on her arm.

"Will it help?"

"Yes."

"Then do it."

"All rise," the officer said.

The judge came in and sat down without looking at anyone.

The case was called third.

The young mother stood up with her kids. I stood up with her.

"Who are you?" the judge said to me.

"Dorrie Kimball, Your Honor. Clerk's office. The tenant asked me to help her."

"Is she your client?"

"I'm not a lawyer."

"Then sit down."

"She wants me to read the lease to her," I said. "She was never shown all of it. It'll take one minute."

The lawyer laughed out loud.

"Your Honor, the lease is two pages. She signed both of them."

The judge looked at the young mother.

"Ma'am? You want this person to read it to you?"

"Yes, sir."

The judge sighed and waved his hand.

"One minute, Ms. Kimball. Counsel, show her the document."

The lawyer held the sleeve up, smirking, and didn't let go of it.

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