She might hate him for now, but maybe it wasn’t too late to change that. Andy had an idea, something that had hit him halfway through her excruciating testimony. He had no way of knowing whether it would work or how it might change things, but it was something he could do.
Andy got in his car and headed to the only place that could help him.
The tattoo parlor.
21
Wendell did his best to stay positive as the second day of the trial dragged out—just the way Luke had promised. Every few witnesses, Wendell’s attorney thanked the jurors. Assured them that their time was not being wasted.
The quest for freedom was worth every minute.
No question Luke’s demeanor was far more enjoyable than his opponent’s. The jury liked Luke Baxter better. Wendell could tell. But even that didn’t mean they’d get a victory.
Earlier that day the court had heard from parents who were furious with Wendell’s decision to host an after-school Bible study. Voluntary or not. These were witnesses for the plaintiff; of course they were mad. Even still, Wendell was constantly whispering to Luke, telling him that the parents on the stand no longer had students at Hamilton, or had never raised a complaint before.
It didn’t matter, according to Luke.
Parents had a right to send their children to a public school without threat that their students would be proselytized to by a school official. Period. Never mind that the jury seemed to like Luke and maybe they even liked Wendell. A few of them had taken to smiling at him at the end of the day, or so it seemed that way.
The only thing that mattered, Luke told him, was the interpretation of the establishment clause. No school official could act in a way that would establish a religion at a public school. And based on the comments by the parents Andy Nelson’s attorney had scrounged up, Wendell was all but sunk.
Even so, there was good news. Luke was yet to call his witnesses. Something that would happen when Landsford was finished. But for now Wendell could only wait.
Finally, Landsford called Wendell to the witness stand. His last witness, he told the court.
Wendell had known this moment was coming. He had prayed about it and given it to God. Alicia was there in the courtroom again, and she was praying, too. A few times recently she’d told him she thought someone was following her home. But nothing had come of it.
Wendell smiled. No matter how fear tried to creep back into her life, Alicia was here. Wendell loved her for that. She sat in the back of the room near Luke Baxter’s father. Members of the media were still in full force, but the spectators had dwindled. Wendell noticed the open rows of seats as he moved to the witness stand.
His heart pounded, but he felt his courage surge. Still, no matter how ready he was for his chance to testify, Wendell was not prepared for what happened next. The back doors of the courtroom opened and in came Jordy and Cami, followed by a stream of Hamilton High students.
Tears stung the corners of Wendell’s eyes as he settled into his seat on the stand and watched the scene play out. The students filled the empty rows and then the back of the courtroom and the sides until there wasn’t a spot left.
Judge Wells rapped her gavel. “Order. Order in the court.”
The students weren’t being loud. They weren’t saying a word. Just trying to get seated.
“What’s happening here?” Judge Wells stood and looked to one of the bailiffs. “Who are these people?”
“Students.” The bailiff looked guilty. “We got word earlier that they were coming. These are Principal Quinn’s students. Kids from Hamilton High.”
The jurors were straining now, looking toward the door to see how many teens were still in the hallway. Wendell glanced at Luke. His attorney was stifling a grin. At the back of the courtroom, Alicia’s smile filled her face. Luke’s father, too.
Judge Wells huffed. “How many students are here?”
Again the bailiff looked embarrassed. “Nearly eighty.”
“What?” Judge Wells waved her hand. “That’s impossible. They won’t fit.”
Landsford was on his feet, too. But there was nothing any of them could do. The students kept filing in.
Wendell smiled at the group of them packed into every available space in the room. He couldn’t have been more proud of their diligence and effort. The way they had come here to support him.
Never mind that all eighty students couldn’t get a seat in the courtroom. They didn’t need one. Their presence had already been felt by the judge, the spectators and yes, the jury.
Judge Wells was still on her feet. “Keep them outside,” she yelled to a bailiff standing near the back door. “No more in the courtroom. They can stay in the hall.”
Finally the commotion settled down. The students in the room linked arms and only then did Wendell realize what they were wearing. Each of them had a blue shirt with white lettering that read HAMILTON HIGH—RAISE THE BAR.
They might not get a chance to testify, but their message was clear. The club was theirs. They didn’t want anyone to take it away. Wendell blinked back tears and he saw a few jurors do the same.
“Order!” Judge Wells sat down. She was clearly furious over the loss of control. “All right, then. Mr. Landsford, proceed.”
The prosecuting attorney looked cornered. He dusted off his suit jacket and shrugged in the direction of the jury. Then he turned to Wendell. “Did you brainwash all of these students to join your Christian faith, Mr. Quinn?”
“Objection.” Luke couldn’t stand fast enough. “Antagonistic.” Luke seemed hurt by Landsford’s harsh wording. Wendell assumed Luke’s reaction was one way to counter the severity of the question.
“Sustained.” Judge Wells looked at Landsford.
Luke sat down. He must’ve known that Landsford was showboating. A desperate move, for sure. Landsford’s question went against previous testimony by James Black. It was the attorney’s attempt to impact the jury. And it was wrong.
The judge leaned forward, definitely bothered. “Stick to direct questions, Counsel.”
“Yes, Your Honor.” He glared at Wendell. “Did you ask these students to come today?”
“No, sir.” Wendell smiled at the students. “It was a surprise.”
The attorney didn’t seem to like that answer. He checked his notes and changed the direction of his questioning. “Did you know it was unconstitutional to start a Bible study at Hamilton High?”
It was the first in a long list of questions meant to get at Wendell’s motive. For every question, Wendell answered truthfully. Starting the Raise the Bar club was the only way he knew to do his job.
“And violating the Constitution was the only way you could think to do your job?”
Wendell didn’t blink. “My research tells me I did not violate the Constitution. Again, I was just trying to do the job I agreed to do.”
“I see.” Landsford nodded, his tone sarcastic. “And your job was to teach students the Christian faith?” The lawyer’s tone mocked Wendell.
Luke stayed in his seat, so Wendell responded. This was his chance. The one he’d been waiting for. The attorney had asked, so Wendell took a quick breath. “No, sir. My job was to establish a schoolwide vision of commitment to high standards and ensure the success of all students.”
The definition seemed to take Landsford by surprise. “That sounds memorized. Is it memorized, Mr. Quinn?”
“Yes, sir. It’s the job duties I agreed to as spelled out in my contract with Hamilton High.” Wendell looked at Jordy and his classmates. “And the students are better for it. You can see for yourself. They’re here. They will tell you themselves their lives have improved. Their grades are better. They are in class more regularly. Their lives are changed.”
Wendell could feel the presence of God beside him, within him.
Landsford looked exasperated, like he couldn’t be bothered putting each kid on the witness stand. It would take too much time, time he’d promised the jurors he wouldn’t waste. Wendell could feel the tide turning.