Fallen

Since Jezzie had been scentenced, he had been given three additional case files. Deliquints, all three, and ones that the other lawyers were sure would break him this time. Compared to Jezzie, they were nothing. Though the two boys and one girl kept him busy, he still made time for Jezzie. He refused to give up on her. And maybe if he showed her he wasn't going to give up, he could finally get through to her. He knew it was a long shot, but it was a risk well worth taking.

"Jared," he groaned. He didn't bother to look at his watch. Ten minutes. That was all the time he had before he needed to leave so he could visit Jezzie. "If you don't tell me who it was that really killed that woman, I won't be able to help you."

The boy snorted.d IT was the third time he had done that since Hengry had wlaked in the room. It was starting to get on Henry's nerves. He considered himself a patient person, but this boy was too much like himself for his patience to hold for very long. Especially since the boy was lying to him. "What you know man?" Jared Nuñez demanded. "I killed her. I shot her down. You go tell the judge that already."

Henry scrubbed his hand over his face and sighed. "Fine. I am truly sorry you feel that way Jared," he said as he stood up. "If you change your mind, you know how to get in touch with me," Henry said reaching down and taking his briefcase before he turned and left. He wished he knew how to change these children's minds. As someone who had gone through all of this, it should have been easy. But it was because he had been in their shoes that he knew it would always been near impossible.

He nodded to the officer in charge as he left the room and Jared behind. He checked his watch now and his timing was confirmed. Eight minutes. It wasn't a lot of time, but it was all he had to work with so he would make it do. Besides, if it all came down to things...he could always drive creatively. Not that the cops would ignore him if they saw him. Some would let him pass while others would stop him. It all depended on their feelings towards Jezzie.

The sound of his shoes hitting the ground could be heard bouncing off the tile as he moved down the hall and onto the carpet that marked the beginning of office areas for the District Attorney's Office. Snide remarks were thrown his way, but he ignored them. He had other things to do. Henry pulled his keyring out of his pocket as he came to his desk and stuck one of the smaller brass keys into his desk and unlocked it. Opening the door, he set his briefcase on the desk and began to switch out paperwork and files. He could work on it at home that night.

It wasn't as if he had a life anyway.

He locked his desk before he left it and moved out of the office and towards one of the closing elevators, hoping on with a reporter and the two officers escorting her off the premise. "Hello Maddox," the woman said, her mouth curving in what she probably thought was a sensual smile.

"Tell me Matilda...in all the time you've known me, how many times has that smile worked?" he asked as he clasped his hands behind his back and faced the closing doors. He didn't need to look back to know that she was pouting at him. Matilda Hornsby was one of the most determined reporters he had ever met. And he had to give her credit, she did try, but he wasn't going to let her use him.

When the elevator doors opened again, he went the opposite way of Matilda and her escorts so he wouldn't have to deal with her. Instead he moved over to the parking garage and to his beater. His watch kindly notified him that he only had three minutes now. Better time than he had hoped for. He pulled out of his spot and started to drive.

Ten days to Christmas and Jezzie still had another seventeen months and ten days left in jail.