JUSTICE REBORN (A Charlie Taylor Novel Book 1) by Ivan Bering Page A

news media reminds us of our environmental hell.

  CHAPTER 12: Stephen AT HOME
    His wife said he looked like a confident
pundit, and the public agreed.
     Stephen married immediately after
university to his high school sweetheart, a girl who almost matched his
intellect, but more importantly, for him: Stella was raised in an upper-class
home. She knew all the accepted protocols and nuances demanded at this level of
society and enjoyed the social and career climbing game.
    While Stephen pursued his career, they
raised a son and daughter, both now independent and working miles from home
base. His legal career was a standard progression: a prosecuting attorney, a
criminal defense lawyer, partner in a law firm and finally a position on the
bench, with a reputation as a thorough and formidable presence.
      With Justice Reborn came his last
promotion as the Judge of Sector 14, a position so new and ill-defined even the
people who appointed him did not fully understand it. Not everyone at Regional,
which was the administrative body supervising six different Sectors, was in
favor of his appointment. Some felt he was too quick to look for opportunities
to assist the accused, and this was not an attitude which Regional wanted in
the new take-no-prisoners world.
    After years of dealing with miscreants,
lawyers, and detectives Stephen had developed an uncanny ability to read and
assess people, often in a matter of minutes. Did this skill fail him when he
selected his Board? Doug Brewster, head of Legal, had the legal expertise, but
Stephen began to understand the man’s ambition could be a problem. The Chief,
Duncan Stirling, projected a calm, stable persona, reflecting tradition and
firmness but lacked the imagination to deal with the changing world. Jacob
Konahouse, in charge of Prisons, was not qualified, but there had not been a
choice for his position.
    Dr. Kate’s appointment had been
problematic, and he had not been sure she would accept. They had a history,
only known by a few of their closest friends. It had been one of the few times
Stephen lost control and took inordinate chances with his marriage and career.
The passion had been overwhelming, suffocating any reason he tried to bring to
the situation. The affair’s whirlwind start, the extreme emotions, and the
abrupt ending were all part of his unrelenting memories.
    But he had a more immediate problem: the
Dr. Max case simmered as Legal meticulously crawled over the girl’s accusation
and Max’s priors. Although the man was a national figure, the incident occurred
in his Sector: he would be expected to resolve the issue.
     
                                                     
# # #
     
    His house was in the southwest corner of the
city. The neighborhood, although not zoned for the rich and famous, was
certainly a prestigious community. His home reflected his status and matched
the community in appearance and size. Stella had supervised every step of its
construction and monitored its maintenance and that of their meticulous yard. 
    She knew what his position demanded and
made many sacrifices to keep him on an even keel. Although she felt
unappreciated, she knew this was not a novel emotion for most women in her
setting. Stella told Stephen he was lucky he had her, and he agreed. Stephen
walked in the side door from the garage. “Stella, how much time to I have?”
    “Damn it Stephen, don’t start multitasking
again. Not tonight. There is life beyond your Board. I have the Marshalls
coming over before we leave, so hurry and get dressed. This is our Symphony
night, and you can’t leave early. We are going to supper right after the
performance, and it’s going to be a full night with no shop talk.”
    Stephen started to reply but thought it
would just trigger more comments. He ran up the stairs; his shirt, tie, and
suit were waiting on the bed. Steve used to enjoy Stella’s organizational
skills and her take charge