Sugar and Spice Chapter Thirty

4

 

Chapter Thirty

November 4 Tuesday

Beacon Hill

Boston, Massachusetts

 

JUDGE JULIA WRIGHT watched every step on the slippery cobbled bricks. There was a light covering snow, a bit like someone had sprinkled confectioner’s sugar over the city. She had left her Louisburg Square home for the Park Street Red Line exit to meet Bill Reardon.

Dr. John Baines would join them as well. He planned to park under the Boston Common. Together they would walk across the Common to the Lander home.

Julia couldn’t help but compare the beauty of the frosted Common to the disagreeable conversation ahead. Legally they were on shaky ground. Much depended on how the Landers would react to their proposition. If wet cobblestones were treacherous that was nothing compared to how an entitled real estate mogul with political connections might be.

She entered the squat Park Street T-stop building out into the spitting snow. It was early for snow, but then Boston weather was always unpredictable. People said it was possible to have all four seasons in one day.

She hoped that Amanda’s mother would be reasonable. Hadn’t she turned in the hard drive along with a list of where to look to show Amanda’s – she didn’t want to say guilt; legally the child would be innocent until proven guilty and all that legal crap. But this was not a cut and dried case. Sure, the families involved were a better class of most of the people coming through her court. She was so tired of dealing with youth going off track. She wished she could make their lives better.

At the same time, she knew plenty of poor kids, kids with horrible parents, kids raised in poverty not just in money but poverty of opportunity who turned out fine.

How she hoped if it were a poor kid of the same age, she’d try and do as much for them as she was for those four girls. Three girls, she was convinced were followers, but Amanda was a leader who wielded social power with the other three.

Julia felt tired to the center of her bones. It has nothing to do with her not being able to sleep last night. She was just weary of her entire career. Bill Reardon had said the same thing last night when they met for a drink to discuss who would say what today.

“There you are,” Bill Reardon came up just behind. “Look, there’s Baines. Let’s go.”

***

Heidi Landers met them at the door. She wore beige tailored slacks and a bulky sweater. Despite having every hair in place and pulled back into a bun, the perfect makeup did not hide the worried expression. Her greeting was formal as she invited them into a library.

Three walls were lined with oak bookshelves. The fourth was a bay window covered with sheer curtains. The blue velvet drapes were pulled back as far as possible adding what little light was possible on a gray, snowy Boston day.

A tea pot under a caddy and cups were set out. Julia noticed that there were four, not five. “And your husband?”

“He’s traveling. He doesn’t know about this meeting. I will be acting for my daughter.”

Wow, thought Julia. This is no quiet trophy wife. So much for unfounded assumptions. She had seen too much in her career to be surprised by much. “Where is Amanda?”

“With Olga, our housekeeper. I told her not to let Amanda to come in here under any circumstances.” She sat opposite Reardon, Dr. Baines and Judge Wright, who filled the divan. The furniture was comfortable and reeked of old Boston Brahim. The Landers were not new money.

“Julia, do you want to start or should I?” Bill asked.

“I think it better you explain the possibility of arrest and a court trial,” Judge Wright said.

Heidi’s body recoiled.

“We have enough evidence to try all four girls for plotting a murder.” He didn’t point out there was a difference between plotting and a real attempt. “Each girl had a part in the planning, such as writing the suicide note, obtaining a knife, gloves and an apron. But we also know that the instigator was your daughter. From the emails and writings on Amanda’s laptop and phone, she was the ringleader. Emma, Julia and Gloria would be tried as accessories. Your daughter would . . .”

“I know my daughter’s part,” Heidi said.

“What became clear to us from the beginning that this was not typical of children. The planning was extremely sophisticated,” Lieutenant Reardon said. “Of course, nowadays with social media, kids have access to information that they never did before.”

Judge Wright put her hand on Reardon’s arm. “Let me take it from here. Lieutenant Reardon and Dr. Patrick Kelly came to me half as a judge and half as friends. They weren’t sure what other damage the court system could do. That was before we saw Amanda’s electronics.”

“That’s when they called me in as psychiatrist,” said Dr. Baines. “I can show you my credentials. Harvard all the way, and years working as head of the Psychiatric Department at Mass General. I’m now semi-retired, but I still do some private work.”

“We wanted Dr. Baines to see all four girls,” Julia said. “During that time, Mrs. Lander, you gave us Amanda’s media access and her writings.”

“I am not going to give you an exact diagnosis. I can’t with the little time I’ve spent with Amanda,” said Baines. “But I do know that she needs in-depth psychiatric treatment. I feel she is a danger to others.”

Heidi opened her mouth to speak and closed it. No one said anything until she spoke. “I could get her the care she needs but how? And my husband might fight me on it. He thinks Amanda is the perfect child.”

“Part of her illness is portraying to be whatever a person wants her to be so she can get her way,” Dr. Baines said. “She tried to play me.”

“As a judge I can order that she be institutionalized,” Julia added. “We would need a hearing. There would be publicity which would not be good for anyone.”

“I’ve talked with the head of McLean Hospital and he’ll accept Amanda as a patient.”

“I’ve heard a lot about McLean over the years,” said Heidi. “More because famous people have gone there, Sylvia Plath, James Taylor, didn’t they?”

“It has been ranked number one in the country for treatment of adolescents.”

“By whom?” Heidi asked Baine.

“U.S. News and World Report. It’s part of Harvard, the hospital,” Dr. Baines said.

“When would she be able to go?”

“Today or tomorrow.” Baines said.

“My husband is away all week. It would be better if I did it before he returned.”

Judge Wright didn’t say anything. She could only imagine the scene when Vernon Lander found out. “I can back you up. I don’t know what his lawyers will do, but . . .”

“I’m already marshalling my arguments. If necessary, it might mean the end of my marriage. I love the child I thought my daughter was.” Again, she paused twisting the bracelet on her right wrist. “These last few days have been hell.”

Julia reached around the tea tray on the table and took Heidi’s hand. “I won’t say I know how you feel, because I’m not in your shoes. I don’t have children and . . .”

“My daughter could have been a murderer. My beautiful, intelligent, well-mannered daughter debated whether a throat should be slit or whether she and her friends could find a way to make it look like he committed suicide. I gave birth to that.” Sobs overtook Heidi.

Julia pulled tissues out of her purse and waited for Heidi to regain control.

“I’ll call McLean and see when they can admit her.” Dr. Baines stepped into the hall to make the call. When he returned, he said, "They said they can accept her whenever we can get there."

“Do you want me with you, when you tell your husband?” Judge Wright asked.

“I will do a call after we get back from the hospital. I’m afraid I’ll change my mind if I talk to him before. I’ll have Olga get Amanda ready.”

When Heidi had left the room, Julia said, “I think it’s over.”

The two men nodded. “I hope so,” they said at the same time.

Amanda and her mother entered the room. Heidi carried a suitcase. “Let’s go.”