The Reversal

by Michael Connelly

  Finally, Royce wrapped up his examination by setting up his next witness.

  "Getting back to the rehabilitation center in North Hollywood, you were there for five months in nineteen ninety-nine, correct?"

  "I don't remember exactly when or for how long. You obviously have the records there."

  "But you do remember meeting another client, named Edward Roman, known as Eddie?"

  "Yes, I do."

  "And you got to know him well?"

  "Yes."

  "How did you meet him?"

  "We were in group counseling together."

  "How would you describe the relationship you had with Eddie Roman back then?"

  "Well, in counseling we sort of realized that we knew some of the same people and liked doing the same things--meaning drugs. So we started hanging out and it continued after we were both released."

  "Was this a romantic relationship?"

  Gleason laughed in a way that was not supposed to impart humor.

  "What passed for romance between two drug addicts," she said. "I think the term is enablers. By being together we were enabling each other. But romance is not a word I would use. We had sex on occasion--when he was able to. But there was no romance, Mr. Royce."

  "But didn't you in fact believe at one point that you two were married?"

  "Eddie set something up on the beach with a man he said was a minister. But it wasn't real. It wasn't legal."

  "But at the time you thought it was, didn't you?"

  "Yes."

  "So were you in love with him?"

  "No, I wasn't in love with him. I just thought he could protect me."

  "So you were married, or at least thought you were. Did you live together?"

  "Yes."

  "Where?"

  "In different motels in the Valley."

  "All this time you were together, you must've confided in Eddie, yes?"

  "About some things, yes."

  "Did you ever confide in him about your sister's murder?"

  "I am sure I did. I didn't keep it a secret. I would have talked about it in group therapy in North Hollywood and he was sitting right there."

  "Did you ever tell him that your stepfather killed your sister?"

  "No, because that didn't happen."

  "So if Eddie Roman were to come to this courtroom and testify that you did indeed tell him that, then he would be lying."

  "Yes."

  "But you have already testified yesterday and today that you have lied to counselors and police. You have stolen and committed many crimes in your life. But you're not lying here. Is that what we are to believe?"

  "I'm not lying. You are talking about a period of my life when I did those things. I don't deny that. I was human trash, okay? But I am past that now and have been past it for a long time. I'm not lying now."

  "Okay, Ms. Gleason, no further questions."

  As Royce returned to his seat, Maggie and I put our heads together and whispered.

  "She held up really well," Maggie said. "I think we should let it stand and I'll just hit a couple high notes."

  "Sounds good."

  "Ms. McPherson?" the judge prompted.

  Maggie stood.

  "Yes, Your Honor. Just a few questions."

  She went to the lectern with her trusty legal pad. She skipped the buildup and got right to the matters she wanted to cover.

  "Sarah, this man Eddie Roman and the phony marriage--whose idea was it to get married?"

  "Eddie asked me to get married. He said we would work together as a team and share everything, that he would protect me and that we could never be forced to testify against each other if we got arrested."

  "And what did working together as a team mean in that circumstance?"

  "Well, I... he wanted me to sell myself so we would have money to buy drugs and to have a motel room."

  "Did you do that for Eddie?"

  "For a little bit of time. And then I got arrested."

  "Did Eddie bail you out?"

  "No."

  "Did he come to court?"

  "No."

  "Your record shows you pleaded guilty to soliciting and were sentenced to time served, is that correct?"

  "Yes."

  "How long was that?"

  "I think it was thirteen days."

  "And was Eddie there waiting when you got out of jail?"

  "No."

  "Did you ever see him again?"

  "No, I didn't."

  Maggie checked her notes, flipped up a couple pages and found what she was looking for.

  "Okay, Sarah, you mentioned several times during your testimony earlier today that you did not remember specific dates and occurrences that Mr. Royce asked you about during the time you were a drug user. Is that a fair characterization?"

  "Yes, that's true."

  "During all of those years of drug abuse and counseling and incarceration, were you ever able to forget what happened to your sister, Melissa?"

  "No, never. I thought about it every day. I still do."

  "Were you ever able to forget about the man who crossed your front yard and grabbed your sister while you watched from the bushes?"

  "No, never. I thought about him every day and still do."

  "Have you ever had a moment of doubt about the man you identified as your sister's abductor?"

  "No."

  Maggie turned and pointedly looked at Jessup, who was looking down at a legal pad and writing what were probably meaningless notes. Her eyes held on him and she waited. Just as Jessup looked up to see what was holding up the testimony she asked her last question.

  "Never a single doubt, Sarah?"

  "No, never."

  "Thank you, Sarah. No further questions."

  Thirty-eight

  Thursday, April 8, 10:35 A.M.

  The judge followed Sarah Gleason's testimony by announcing the midmorning break. Bosch waited in his seat at the railing until Royce and Jessup got up and started to file out. He then stood and moved against the grain to get to his witness. As he passed by Jessup he clapped him hard on the arm.

  "I think your makeup's starting to run, Jason."

  He said it with a smile as he went by.

  Jessup stopped and turned and was about to respond to the taunt when Royce grabbed him by the other arm and kept him going.

  Bosch moved forward to collect Gleason from the witness stand. After parts of two days on the stand, she looked like she was both emotionally and physically drained. Like she might need help just getting up from the chair.

  "Sarah, you did great," he told her.

  "Thank you. I couldn't tell if anybody believed me."

  "They all did, Sarah. They all did."

  He walked her back to the prosecution table, where Haller and McPherson had similar reviews of her testimony. McPherson got up out of her seat and hugged her.

  "You stood up to Jessup and you stood up for your sister," she said. "You can be proud of that for the rest of your life."

  Gleason suddenly burst into tears and held her hand over her eyes. McPherson quickly pulled her back into the hug.

  "I know, I know. You've held it together and stayed strong. It's okay to let it go now."

  Bosch walked over to the jury box and grabbed the box of tissues. He brought them to Gleason and she wiped away her tears.

  "You're almost done," Haller said to her. "You've totally finished testifying so now all we want you to do is sit in court and observe the trial. We want you to sit up here in the front row when Eddie Roman testifies. After that, we can put you on a plane home this afternoon."

  "Okay, but why?"

  "Because he's going to tell lies about you. And if he is going to do that, then he's going to have to tell them to your face."

  "I don't think he's going to have a problem with that. He never did."

  "Well, then, the jury will want to see how you react. And how he'll react. And don't worry, we've got something else cooking that'll make Eddie feel so
me heat."

  At that, Haller turned to Bosch.

  "You ready with this?"

  "Just give me the sign."

  "Can I ask something?" Gleason said.

  "Sure," Haller said.

  "What if I don't want to get on a plane today? What if I want to be here for the verdict? For my sister."

  "We would love that, Sarah," Maggie said. "You are welcome and can stay as long as you like."

  Bosch stood in the hallway outside the courtroom. He had his phone out and was slowly typing a text to his daughter with one finger. His efforts were interrupted when he received a text. It was from Haller and was only one word.

  NOW

  He put his phone away and walked to the witness waiting room. Sonia Reyes was slumped in a chair with her head down, two empty coffee cups on the table in front of her.

  "Okay, Sonia, rise and shine. We're going to go do this. You okay? You ready?"

  She looked up at him with tired eyes.

  "That's too many questions, po-liceman."

  "Okay, I'll settle for one. How're you feeling?"

  "About how I look. You got any more of that stuff they gave me at the clinic?"

  "That was it. But I'm going to have someone take you right back there as soon as we're finished here."

  "Whatever you say, po-liceman. I don't think I've been up this early since the last time I was in county lockup."

  "Yeah, well, it's not that early. Let's go."

  He helped her up and they headed toward Department 112. Reyes was what they called a silent witness. She wouldn't be testifying in the trial. She was in no condition to. But by walking her down the aisle and putting her in the front row, Bosch would make sure she would be noticed by Edward Roman. The hope was that she'd knock Roman off his game, maybe even make him change it up. They were banking on his not knowing the rules of evidence and therefore not understanding that her appearance in the gallery precluded her from testifying at the trial and exposing his lies.

  Harry hit the door with a fist as he pushed it open because he knew it would draw attention inside the court. He then ushered Reyes in and walked her down the aisle. Edward Roman was already on the stand, sworn in and testifying. He wore an ill-fitting suit borrowed from Royce's client closet and was clean-shaven with short, neat hair. He stumbled verbally when he saw Sonia in the courtroom.

  "We had group counseling twice..."

  "Only twice?" Royce asked, unaware of the distraction in the aisle behind him.

  "What?"

  "You said you only had group counseling with Sarah Gleason twice?"

  "Nah, man, I meant twice a day."

  Bosch escorted Reyes to a seat with a reserved sign on it. He then sat down next to her.

  "And approximately how long did this last?" Royce asked.

  "Each one was fifty minutes, I think," Roman answered, his eyes holding on Reyes in the audience.

  "I mean how long were you both in counseling? A month, a year, how long?"

  "Oh, it was for five months."

  "And did you become lovers while you were in the center?"

  Roman lowered his eyes.

  "Uh... yeah, that's right."

  "How did you manage that? I assume there are rules against that."

  "Well, if there's a will, there's always a way, you know? We found time. We found places."

  "Did this relationship continue after you two were released from the center?"

  "Yes. She got out a couple weeks ahead of me. Then I got out and we hooked up."

  "Did you live together?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "Is that a yes?"

  "Yes. Can I ask a question?"

  Royce paused. He hadn't expected this.

  "No, Mr. Roman," the judge said. "You can't ask a question. You are a witness in these proceedings."

  "But how can they bring her in here like that?"

  "Who, Mr. Roman?"

  Roman pointed out to the gallery and right at Reyes.

  "Her."

  The judge looked at Reyes and then at Bosch sitting next to her. A look of deep suspicion crossed her face.

  "I'm going to ask the jury to step back into the jury room for a few moments. This should not take long."

  The jurors filed back into the jury room. The moment the last one in closed the door, the judge zeroed in on Bosch.

  "Detective Bosch."

  Harry stood up.

  "Who is the woman sitting to your left?"

  "Your Honor," Haller said. "Can I answer that question?"

  "Please do."

  "Detective Bosch is sitting with Sonia Reyes, who has agreed to help the prosecution as a witness consultant."

  The judge looked from Haller to Reyes and back to Haller.

  "You want to run that by me again, Mr. Haller?"

  "Judge, Ms. Reyes is acquainted with the witness. Because the defense did not make Mr. Roman available to us prior to his testimony here, we have asked Ms. Reyes to give us advice on how to proceed with our cross-examination."

  Haller's explanation had done nothing to change the look of suspicion on Breitman's face.

  "Are you paying her for this advice?"

  "We have agreed to help her get into a clinic."

  "I should hope so."

  "Your Honor," Royce said. "May I be heard?"

  "Go ahead, Mr. Royce."

  "I think it is quite obvious that the prosecution is attempting to intimidate Mr. Roman. This is a gangster move, Judge. Not something I would expect to see from the District Attorney's Office."

  "Well, I strongly object to that characterization," Haller said. "It is perfectly acceptable within the canon of courtroom procedure and ethics to hire and use consultants. Mr. Royce employed a jury consultant last week and that was perfectly acceptable. But now that the prosecution has a consultant that he knows will help expose his witness as a liar and someone who preys on women, he objects. With all due respect, I would call that the gangster move."

  "Okay, we're not going to debate this now," Breitman said. "I find that the prosecution is certainly within bounds in using Ms. Reyes as a consultant. Let's bring the jury back."

  "Thank you, Judge," Haller said as he sat down.

  As the jurors filed back into the box, Haller turned and looked back at Bosch. He gave a slight nod and Bosch knew that he was happy. The exchange with the judge could not have worked better in delivering a message to Roman. The message being that we know your game, and come our turn to ask the questions, so will the jury. Roman now had a choice. He could stick with the defense or start playing for the prosecution.

  Testimony continued once the jury was back in place. Royce quickly established through Roman that he and Sarah Gleason had a relationship that lasted nearly a year and involved the sharing of personal stories as well as drugs. But when it came to revealing those personal stories, Roman did a cut and run, leaving Royce hanging in the wind.

  "Now, did there come a time when she spoke about her sister's murder?"

  "A time? There were lots of times. She talked about it a lot, man."

  "And did she ever tell you in detail what she called the 'real story'?"

  "Yes, she did."

  "Can you tell the court what she told you?"

  Roman hesitated and scratched his chin before answering. Bosch knew this was the moment that his work either paid off or went for naught.

  "She told me that they were playing hide-and-seek in the yard and a guy came and grabbed her sister and that she saw the whole thing."

  Bosch's eyes made a circuit of the room. First he checked the jurors and it seemed that even they had been expecting Roman to say something else. Then the prosecution table. He saw that McPherson had grabbed Haller by the back of his arm and was squeezing it. And lastly Royce, who was now the one hesitating. He stood at the lectern looking down at his notes, one armed cocked with his fist on his hip like a frustrated teacher who could not draw the correct answer from a student.

  "That is the story y
ou heard Sarah Gleason tell in group counseling at the rehabilitation center, correct?" he finally asked.

  "That's right."

  "But isn't it true that she told you a different version of events--what she called the 'real story'--when you were in more private settings?"

  "Uh, no. She pretty much stuck to the same story all the time."

  Bosch saw McPherson squeeze Haller's arm again. This was the whole case right here.

  Royce was like a man left behind in the water by a dive boat. He was treading water but he was in the open sea and it was only a matter of time before he went down. He tried to do what he could.

  "Now, Mr. Roman, on March second of this year, did you not contact my office and offer your services as a witness for the defense?"

  "I don't know about the date but I called there, yeah."

  "And did you speak to my investigator, Karen Revelle?"

  "I spoke to a woman but I can't remember her name."

  "And didn't you tell her a story that is quite different from the one you just recounted?"

  "But I wasn't under oath or nothin' then."

  "That's right, sir, but you did tell Karen a different story, true?"

  "I might've. I can't remember."

  "Didn't you tell Karen at that time that Ms. Gleason had told you that her stepfather had killed her sister?"

  Haller was up with the objection, arguing that not only was Royce leading the witness but that there was no foundation for the question and that counsel was trying to get testimony to the jury that the witness was not willing to give. The judge sustained the objection.

  "Your Honor," Royce said, "the defense would like to request a short break to confer with its witness."

  Before Haller could object the judge denied the request.

  "By this witness's own testimony this morning, you have had since March second to prepare for this moment. We go to lunch in thirty-five minutes. You can confer with him then, Mr. Royce. Ask your next question."

  "Thank you, Your Honor."

  Royce looked down at his legal pad. From Bosch's angle he could tell he was looking at a blank page.

  "Mr. Royce?" the judge prompted.

  "Yes, Your Honor, just rechecking a date. Mr. Roman, why did you call my office on March second?"