The Inheritance by Anna Legat
Author:Anna Legat [Legat, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-07T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter 26
The street was packed with protesters. They had come to support Conrad Hardy who was to appear before the magistrate to declare his innocence. Placards demanding Hardyâs release, alleging a police stitch-up and more or less declaring the manâs sainthood were being shaken and flung in the faces of passers-by. They were accompanied by the chants of What do we want? â To free Hardy! and When do we want it? â Now! Eco-warriors had arrived in force waving their flags. Earthinkâs daisy wheel and Extinction Rebellionâs circled hourglass banners were branded, side by side, in solidarity with the accused. If only Hardy could see themâ¦
Ray parked his car by the cricket pavilion car park (being a paying member, he held a parking permit) and pushed his way through the crowd. He kept his head low. For many different reasons he did not appreciate public exposure. Unfortunately, this case was already attracting plenty of that.
He was recognised by the security guard, who helped him through the mob and held protesters back as they attempted to sneak inside the court building behind Ray. He went through the metal detector and was escorted to a private room where he would have a chance to confer with Hardy prior to his clientâs appearance before the magistrate.
Physically, Hardy was half the man he had been when Ray had first set eyes on him just a few weeks ago. Then, he had been slim; now he was a walking skeleton. He had gone on hunger strike after being arrested and stuck to it resolutely. At least, he was taking water.
On an emotional level, the man was a wreck, and he had every right to be. The charges against him had been upgraded. Ray had expected it as soon as he discovered that the CPS Special Crime and Counterterrorism Division had taken over the case. It meant one thing: Conrad Hardy would be charged under terrorism legislation. The actions at Klopp Pharmaceuticals involved explosions and that was enough for the SCCTD to cite terrorism without having to show that those actions were designed to influence the government or intimidate the public. If Hardy was convicted under the Terrorism Act, he would not qualify to be automatically released at the halfway point of his sentence. He was looking at spending the rest of his life behind bars. And he knew that. Ray had explained it to him.
âMr Hardy,â Ray greeted him.
âMr Thorpe,â Hardy gazed at him with sunken eyes.
âIâve a message from Bianca and Ben. Theyâre very worried about you, especially about the hunger strike. They asked me to beg you to stop.â
âI canât eat,â Hardy said. âFood doesnât go through my throat. And besides, this is the only way I can make a statement of my innocence.â
âYou have already made it. Thereâs a crowd of supporters outside, shouting your innocence from the rooftops. Starving yourself wonât take this any further.â
âWhat have I got left?â
âStay fit and focussed. Weâll have to start working on your defence. We need you fully engaged.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Alexander Michelle(637)
HELTER SKELTER by Vincent Bugliosi(596)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Forensics by Alan Axelrod(579)
A New Kind of Monster: The Secret Life and Shocking True Crimes of an Officer . . . And a Murderer by Timothy Appleby(557)
Love Behind Bars by Jodie Sinclair(468)
Stop and Frisk by Michael D. White & Henry F. Fradella(463)
Ratman: The Trial and Conviction of Whitey Bulger by Howie Carr(451)
Executing Freedom by Daniel Lachance(445)
The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science by Douglas Starr(429)
A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald by Errol Morris(418)
The Central Park Five by Sarah Burns(408)
Homicide Special: A Year With the LAPD's Elite Detective Unit by Miles Corwin(407)
A Life and Death Decision by Scott E. Sundby(398)
Scotland Yard Casebook by Lock Joan(395)
Issues and Controversies in Policing Today by Johnny Nhan(379)
Until Proven Innocent by Stuart Taylor Jr(343)
Why Some Women Lie About Rape by Linda Fairstein(322)
Rap on Trial by Erik Nielson(307)
Usual Cruelty by Alec Karakatsanis(306)