frowned, his hand instinctively resting on the radio clipped to his duty belt. The cleaning crew usually
finished their rounds by five, and the doors should have been locked.
Pushing the door open silently, Jenkins stepped into the room. His eyes quickly scanned the gallery, the
counsel tables, and finally, the bench. What he saw made his jaw clench in instant irritation.
here, sitting in the judge's chair, was a man. He was dressed in a casual tweed jacket, sipping
from a thermos, and looking entirely too comfortable. To Jenkins, this was a blatant violation of
courthouse sanctity. Someone had wandered in off the street, or perhaps an arrogant young attorney thought
he could play pretend before the real judge arrived.
'Hey! You!' Jenkins' voice boomed through the empty courtroom, shattering the morning silence. 'What
do you think you're doing up there?'
Arthur, startled by the sudden noise, nearly spilled his coffee. He looked down to see a large, red-faced
bailiff marching down the center aisle, glaring up at him with unadulterated fury.
'Excuse me?' Arthur replied calmly, setting his thermos down.
'Get out of that chair! Right now!' Jenkins barked, pointing a thick finger at Arthur. 'That is the judge's
seat. You have no business being up there. Step down immediately before I have you arrested for
trespassing!'
Arthur blinked, taking in the situation. It was obvious the bailiff had no idea who he was. In his casual
clothes, without his robes, Arthur looked like just another citizen.
small, mischievous part of Arthur considered pulling rank immediately, to flash his ID and
put the aggressive bailiff in his place. But he hesitated. He wanted to see how this man handled