by Debbie Zello
David’s trial began with opening remarks that blamed everyone but David for the missing money. Saybion has it. I took it. His fairy godmother has it. Cheri was waiting for the one-armed-man defense.
She was called on the second day, after the testimony of the forensic accountant. He testified to the paper trail left by David to the off-shore bank accounts where he had hoped to hide the money. The accountant recounted the story with accuracy and in nonprofessionals’ terms. Then it was Cheri’s turn.
She was sworn in and stated her name for the court reporter. “Good morning, Miss Winslow,” the DA, Reggie Field said.
“Good morning Mr. Field.”
“In the interest of time, I have had your hearing testimony read into the record. What I want to focus on now is any information you have since learned.” He was standing at his table.
“That would be fine.”
“Were you attacked several weeks ago in your home?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Who was your attacker?”
“Saybion Chess.”
“Did you know her previous to the attack?”
“Yes.”
“How did you know her?”
“She worked as a paralegal at the practice my ex-husband and I were partners in.” Cheri stared at David for the first time. His face was passive, so schooled he was in the courtroom proceedings, to not show any emotion.
“Did you like her, personally?”
“She worked for David. I didn’t have many interactions with her besides a few words while getting coffee or passing in the hall. I liked her well enough for not knowing her.”
“Why did she leave?”
“Again, I wasn’t working with her so her leaving didn’t affect me. I was told she was leaving and wished her well. I assumed David knew her story. He didn’t speak to me about it and I never asked.”
“You never asked?”
“No,” Cheri said sadly.
“Was that how you handled much of your partnership?”
“I trusted David with my past, present and future. He was my partner at home and work. I would not have questioned him about the departure of an employee.”
“Were you surprised to see her at your door?” That question gave her pause.
“Yes and no.”
“Please explain the yes for us.”
“I thought the knock at my door was Craig. He was going to have dinner with me. I opened the door without looking to see who was there.”
“Then why the no.”
“She has a child with David. Born while we were married. I had a feeling she would show up one day to gloat.”
“Did you think that was her mission when you saw her there?”
“I was stunned. It had been years. I wasn’t sure what she had in her mind.”
“What did she say to you?”
Cheri related the entire event in microscopic detail. Her facial expressions mirroring the mayhem she went through. She recounted the exact words Saybion had said about David’s involvement. She reached the shooting, stilling for a moment. “If you had asked me the day before this, if I could ever shoot someone, I would have said ‘absolutely not, never.’ However, faced with that gun and her determination to kill me, I grabbed it without hesitation. I have a man I really want to live for. A happy future I want to live to see. I wasn’t going to just sit there and let her kill me.”
“We’re all glad of that, Miss Winslow. Thank you for your testimony today,” Reggie said smiling and taking his seat.
“Cross, Mr. Cressy,” the judge stated.
“We have no questions for this witness at this time,” David’s attorney said.
“You are excused for now, Miss Winslow, pending further rebuttal questions,” the judge said, smiling.
With that, Cheri stepped down. As she passed David, she gave him a nod. He closed his eyes, and then looked down. It bothered her that he wouldn’t look her in the eye. That one thing told her all she needed to know. All Saybion had said was the truth. He knew she was going to kill Cheri. That hit her hard. She left the building and went to her office.
“How did it go?” Piper asked her.
“It’s over for now. I’ll have to testify at Saybion’s trial. David wouldn’t look me in the eye when I left.”
“That’s guilt. One thing’s for sure, the two of them will still be together. In jail instead of the beach. Not exactly the way they intended. Sorry about their luck!”
David’s trial lasted two more days before the jury came back with a guilty verdict on fourteen of the fifteen counts against him. The only one he was found not guilty on was mail fraud.
Reggie Field called Cheri when the verdict was read so she could hear it for herself. She cried for the loss of her memories of the good times before it all went south. She doubted now that anything David did was out of love for her. He even had an ulterior motive for marrying her, she felt. Everything a well thought out and premeditated plan.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The Weisman’s cottage was being completely renovated. It began in mid-July when new windows were installed. A porch similar to Cheri’s was built. The whole outside was painted. Cheri noticed that new drywall had been brought in. She was dying to see what was going on inside but had yet to see the owner around.
The day after Gareth arrived to spend the two weeks before the wedding with her, Cheri closed on her building. She turned over the keys to her office files and passwords to the computer files. It was bittersweet. She’d built the business from nothing, but looking at Gareth sitting next to her, gave her the strength to walk away.
Four days after that, she was notified that Saybion had accepted a plea-bargain and Cheri would no longer need to testify. It was truly over, all of it.
Cheri lay in Gareth’s arms as he played with her hair. “That feels good,” she said.
“You feel good. I never imagined I could be this happy, feel this contented,” Gareth murmured.
“Me too. I’m so very happy.”
“We better get some sleep. My parents arrive in a few days and we’ll be entertaining them.”
Gareth’s parents, June and Raymond, arrived eight days before the wedding. They used the time to get to know their new daughter-in-law and to see the sights and sounds of both the Cape and Boston area. By the time most of the other guests arrived, they too were in love with Cheri and she with them.
Gareth surprised Cheri when he led his parents to the Weisman’s cottage and opened the door for them. He had bought the house as a wedding gift for Cheri remarking, “I couldn’t let someone else buy it and wreck our beach.” Therefore, his parents stayed there. Gareth had the cottage remodeled to look like Cheri’s with the high shelf for her treasures. Now she had more space to fill.
Gareth’s friends Tucker, Naomi, and a few others stayed in his big house. Gareth had hired a staff of chefs, housekeepers and waiters to take care of everything so he, Cheri, and their guests could enjoy each other’s company completely. No cooking, cleaning or picking up for a month.
Cheri and Gareth didn’t believe in the pre-wedding ritual of not seeing each other before the walk down the aisle. When they thought about how many marriages ended in divorce, it didn’t matter who saw whom before the wedding. What mattered was the love and commitment, not the superstitions. With that in mind, they spent the night before the wedding in Cheri’s cottage, just like all of the nights before that one.
Around noon on their wedding day, Gareth went next door to get dressed with his parents. Piper helped Cheri with her gown. She wore her hair pulled up on the sides but hanging long in the back. With the constant breeze on the beach, a veil or fancy hairstyle wouldn’t last long.
Cheri had made her bouquet by attaching shells with wire and glue to straws that she had spray-painted to look like stems. She intermixed these with roses to make something uniquely her. Cheri was gifted in so many ways.
At two o’clock Cheri and Piper walked out of the cottage, barefoot,
and walked on the sand to the aisle in front of Gareth’s house. As she walked the few steps to the man she loved, her refuge surrounded her.
The JP said a few welcoming words to the thirty or so people in attendance. Then it was Cheri and Gareth’s turns to say what was in their hearts. Gareth went first.
“In the middle of the night, drinking wine with my feet up on the railing, I saw the ghost of a mermaid. She ran down the sand to the water and stepped into the darkness. I had to chase her…until she caught me.
“A strong love is forged with its trials and tribulations. You and I are proof of that. We started off on opposite sides of the country. But from now on we stand side-by-side.
“I can’t promise you that all the problems are in the past. However, I can promise you that when you need a hand, mine is in yours already.
“When you need a lift, I’ll carry you. When you need a smile, I’ll give you one of mine.
“I will love you, honor you and cherish you until the world ends.”
Then it was Cheri’s turn.
“You said you would see me in September. I can tell you’re a man that keeps his promises.
“I’ve learned so much from you about love. What it means to have a man love me so completely. You saved me, on more than one occasion.
“You pulled me from the deep waters of life, and set me on the firm sand of tomorrow. I want to walk that path with you.
“I will love you forever. I will cherish every moment we have together. I will honor you and protect what we have, until the ocean dries.”
With that, they became man and wife.
Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks in this work of fiction:
Meg Ryan, William Randolph Hearst, Tom Hanks, Charlie Chaplin, Harrison Ford, Cary Grant, Kevin Costner, Charles Lindberg, Karnack, Winston Churchill, Clark Gable, Franklin Roosevelt, Oprah, Ariel, Partington Cove, Sukido puzzles, Post Ranch Inn, Titanic, Bixby Bridge, Gone With the Wind, San Simeon, Jack Daniels Honey, Julia Pfeiffer, Burns State Park, Advil, House of Blues, Lambrusco, House Beautiful, Gods River Lodge, Manto Sipi, Cree Nation, Toscano’s, Academy of Performing Arts and Kodak Theater.
