THE ALGORITHM

16.

Penny eased her eyes on the judge. She sat behind the bench with a look of subtle disgust. Her blonde hair was pinned into a bun, and she wore circular glasses on the tip of her hawk-shaped nose. A robe was draped over her body as she kept her eyes glued on the evidence before her.

Judge Priddy

"Well, that's a good speech you put together, Mr. Lennox." The Judge rasped before clearing her throat. She eased her eyes on Penny, taking her in before parting her lips to speak. "This hearing is not a trial. What I am tasked with is whether or not the evidence will allow Ms. Bailey to be released while moving forward with the case."

Timothy furrowed his brows but didn't say anything. Penny was too occupied with fidgeting with her fingers. The people in the room watched as Judge Priddy ran through the files again. She eventually glanced at the pink sticky note attached to the front page.

"I'm also mindful that Ms. Bailey did surrender. She did so only after learning the victim was deceased. The entire timing does raise concerns regarding her liability to make future appearances. The court simply cannot ignore that risk."

Confusion was written across Timothy's face. He didn't understand why the judge was trying to push the flight risk issue on Penny. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know about Luis's death until a few months later.

"As of right now, everything is at a standstill." The judge continued. "At this point, neither side has had sufficient time to determine anything properly. The new submission of evidence only adds to the uncertainty."

Timothy inhaled and exhaled deeply with a look of defeat.

"For these reasons, the court is going to maintain custody, not as punishment, but because the evidence must be thoroughly reviewed and analyzed by the appropriate authorities. Everyone needs time. This will likely go to the grand jury, and they need a full understanding."

The prosecutor clasped his hands as he wore a smug. He felt satisfied with the judge's decision as he peered over at the sea of people sitting in the courtroom.

Penny held a subtle expression, but she was internally disappointed. She had her doubts, but thought Timothy would be able to get her out of jail. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to maintain her composure.

"Bail is denied at this stage. Ms. Bailey will remain in custody." The judge banged her gavel, signifying the end of the hearing.

"I'm sorry," Timothy whispered in her ear, apologizing. He brushed his hand against her shackled hands. "This situation took a turn for the worse, but don't worry. We're going to get you out of here."

Penny held a frown on her face as she eyed him with anger. She assumed she would be released after surrendering. Instead of speaking with her lawyer, she ignored him and eventually followed the officers who approached her. They escorted her out of the courtroom. In the midst of doing that, she looked to her right and pinpointed a brunette woman sitting in the crowd. Her eyes were narrowed in suspense, and she wore a pout that signified her anger.

"You're next." The brunette mouthed to her.

###

A digital screen displayed numerous vehicles for sale. There were also several key facts, including the current bid, statistics, and close-ups. Bilal observed with a focused expression. He managed to reject most of the cars as they were not his type.

"That one." The masculine voice pointed out in a low whisper, catching Bilal's attention. He glanced at his best friend of twenty-plus years. Theo. "That one right there. It has your name written all over it."