Alibi

by Teri Woods

  “Have you ever seen the defendant before today?”

  “No, I have not,” said Daisy, recanting her previous statement to the private investigator that had been hired by Simon Shuller on behalf of Bernard Guess, as the jurors and the others in the courtroom buzzed with disbelief. Her testimony had just sunk the entire case for the defendant.

  “No more questions, Your Honor.”

  The judge nodded and then looked at Bobby DeSimone. “Your witness,” he said, wondering if DeSimone would be injudicious enough to question her.

  “Just a few questions, Your Honor, just a few.

  “Ms. Fothergill, you say today that you never saw my client before, is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “However, this is your signature, is that correct?” he asked, as he swiftly walked back over to his table and picked up an investigative report marked as Exhibit A.

  “Yes,” Daisy Mae calmly responded.

  “Your Honor, I would like this to be marked as Exhibit A,” he said, handing the document over to the judge.

  “In this document you state that the defendant was with you on the night in question, is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, now today you’ve changed your mind and you want us to believe that you were lying then?” he asked, his eyebrows arched, giving her and the jurors the Colbert Report staredown.

  “I was paid to say what I said.”

  “So you can be bought, is that your answer, Ms. Fothergill?”

  “Objection, Your Honor, completely inappropriate,” said the district attorney, quickly standing up and facing the court.

  “Sustained. Watch it, Mr. DeSimone.”

  “For the record, just one more question here. Today, why should we believe you? If you’ll lie once you’ll lie twice.”

  “No, I’ve told the truth here today.”

  “Sure no one paid you to say what you’ve said, Ms. Fothergill?”

  “Objection, Your Honor.”

  “Sustained.”

  “No more questions,” said DeSimone, strolling over to his chair and seating himself behind the table.

  Even with DeSimone’s tricky and clever line of questioning, Nard’s heart continued to sink, along with his fate. He bent his head down and stared into his lap. She didn’t do it, she didn’t give me the alibi. He looked at DeSimone, and a look of “sorry” was all over his face. I swear I thought this bitch had me covered. What the fuck am I going to do now?

  “Will you be re-examining, Mr. Zone?”

  “Yes, thank you, Your Honor.”

  “Ms. Fothergill, you said that you were paid to make the statements you formerly made to the private investigator hired on behalf of the defendant, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did anyone bribe you, or pay you today?”

  “No.”

  “The statements that you have made today, you’ve made of your own free will.”

  “Yes, that is correct.”

  “Are you absolutely positive the defendant was not with you on the night in question?”

  “I’m positive. He was not with me on the night in question.”

  “No more questions, Your Honor.”

  “You may step down, Ms. Fothergill,” the judge said as Daisy stood up and stepped down three stairs to the floor of the courtroom.

  She glanced at Nard’s face. He scowled at her, a look of boiling hate. I know you don’t think it’s over, bitch. One day I’ll be back, and I’ll get you for what you’ve done to me.

  Daisy made her way off the stand, all the while telling herself, I should have never been involved with this. I should have never given that alibi statement to the investigator. Daisy really felt that in her heart.

  Tommy was standing next to the bailiff, who led them both back into the small room down the hall from the judge’s chambers.

  “How did I do?” was the first question she asked.

  “You did great, Daisy. I couldn’t have done better. He tried to come at you on the cross, but you stayed composed, you know.”

  “I was so scared. At first I didn’t think I could speak,” she said as she sat down at the table, Tommy pulling up a chair and seating himself next to her.

  “You did really great, really great. Everything’s going to be okay. The state is going to take care of you, Daisy. You’ll be relocated in the next seventy-two hours and you’ll be able to start a new life for yourself. You are really blessed to be alive. You know, I see a lot working as a detective; me and Ross both do. And you’ve been through a lot. I want you to work with the liaison that will be assigned to following through your relocation. Make sure you get some counseling, okay, kid?”

  “Mmmm hmmm,” said Daisy.

  “Listen, life is crazy, we get caught up sometime, just take care of yourself out there and don’t get caught up in nothing no more. Capice?”

  “Yeah, capice,” she said, smiling back at Tommy.

  He was so cool, and so down to earth, like a cousin or a friend or something. He was the only man she had ever met who talked to her… like he really cared. Just as a friend, the way he treated her, meant a lot.

  There was a knock at the door and they both looked up from the table. A white man appeared at the door, young, brown-haired, with glasses. He gave a nod to Tommy.

  “Uhh, Daisy, I think someone is here to see you; wait one minute,” Tommy said as he got up and opened the door wider, and standing behind the detective were Billy and her cousin Kimmie Sue.

  “Hey, Daisy Mae,” said Kimmie Sue as she hugged her cousin tightly. “Are you okay? My, you just don’t know, we’ve been worried sick about you.”

  “What are you guys doing here?” she said, looking at Billy.

  “Coming to make sure you’re all right, that’s what family and friends are for, right?” he asked her as he stared deeply into her eyes, wondering if she knew how much he had fallen in love with her.

  “I think I’ll just step outside and give you two a few minutes,” said Kimmie Sue as she walked out, closing the door behind her.

  “Oh, Billy, I’m so sorry,” she said, so embarrassed at the thought of the last time she’d seen him and so ashamed for all the pain she had caused him. “Look at you, you’re all bandaged up,” she said. Her face began to crumble and her heart grew heavy, and a flood of tears poured from her eyes and down her face.

  “Oh, now, Daisy Mae, I’ll be all right. The doctor said in a couple of weeks, I’ll be good as new. My shoulder’s a little tore up from that gunshot, and I got some broken ribs. You just can’t hug on me too tight, that’s all,” he said with the most charming of smiles.

  “I never meant for you to get hurt. You were the best thing that ever come into my life, Billy Bob Porter,” she said covering her face as she began to snivel.

  “Please don’t cry, Daisy Mae,” Billy said, passing her his handkerchief.

  “I’m sorry, I feel so bad, I’m just so sorry, Billy,” she said, looking into his eyes, hoping he truly knew how sorry she was.

  “Here, I got you something, Daisy Mae. I never had a chance to give it to you, ’cause you ran off to the store and when you come back, all hell had broke loose, but… here you go.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. “This here is for you,” he said, extending his arm and handing the box to her.

  Slowly she opened it. “Billy, I can’t take this,” she said, looking at him, confused.

  “What do you mean, Daisy Mae. Don’t you like it?”

  “Billy, I have to go away, to police protective custody, and they say once I leave, I’ll never be able to come back,” she said, breaking down and beginning to cry again.

  “I know. That’s why I’m so glad we got here before you had to go. Kimmie Sue said something like that, but Daisy, you’re the first girl I’ve ever loved and that there is your ring from me.”

  “But I don’t deserve it,” she said, crying and covering her face again.

  “Of course y
ou do. I love you, Daisy Mae, you’re my girl, and I know in my heart that you always will be. I wish you could stay, but I don’t want you in harm’s way and I cain’t protect you like the law will, so I know you got to go. I just want you to take that ring and every time you look at it just say somewhere out there I know Billy Porter is, and he loves me with all his heart and I’ll be okay with that,” he said, bringing her to tears.

  “Oh, Billy, I love you too. I don’t know what I’m gonna do without you,” she said, as he comforted her, holding her close as he rubbed her head and shoulders and told her everything would be okay.

  “It’ll be okay,” said Billy reassuringly, looking into her eyes. “You’re going to be okay; these people are going to protect you now.”

  She smiled and somehow, even though nothing was right in her life, she knew it would be.

  “I love you, Daisy Mae.”

  Dizzy walked into the back of Fabulous Willie Man’s barber shop. He sat down at a table and nodded for one of the stock boys to bring him his usual, cold bottled Evian water. Dizzy drank only Evian water and he drank it all day long. He believed it was keeping him alive.

  “So, the girl didn’t testify?” asked Simon.

  “Nope, according to her testimony she wasn’t paid to testify. Inside sources sayin’ Sticks never gave her that fifty thousand. He kept it and gave her his Cadillac Seville and bought him a new Mercedes.”

  “I’m glad we left his ass in Tennessee.”

  “Yeah, he’s not coming back, and as for the girl, they’re saying she’s not coming back either. They say she went into police protective custody.”

  “You want me to trace her?”

  “Naw, for what, she don’t owe us nothing, let her go,” said Simon, thinking in overdrive. “And Nard?” asked Simon curiously.

  “Well, they say he’ll be shipped out to Green in the next twenty-four hours to start serving his sentence. DeSimone says the possibility of an appeal getting granted looks good, real good. You know it’s rough in Green, but I’ve already told our people out there to watch out for him when he comes through.”

  “What about his mother, his family, are they straight?”

  “Oh, yeah, they’re good, I took care of them last week, I did everything Nard asked be done.”

  “And the kid never snitched?” asked Simon.

  “Naw, he never said a word.”

  “They don’t make them like that these days.”

  “They sure don’t,” said Dizzy, wishing more soldiers were built like Nard.

  “So, now what’s left to do now that all the smoke has cleared and the dust has settled?”

  “Hell if I know, but before the day is over I’ll bet it’ll be something. Come on, let’s get our tickets and go to the Sixers game; feel like some basketball tonight, floor seats, it don’t get no better,” said Dizzy.

  “If ain’t nothing else to do, I guess we might as well,” said Simon, picking himself up out of the chair. “Old age is an ugly beast, my friend,” said Simon, feeling a little stiff.

  “Sure is,” said Dizzy, “but hey, they got them cheerleaders, they’ll make you feel young again,” joked Dizzy, feeling the spirit as the thought of them jumping around and bending over in front of him entered his mind.

  “Yeah, sure they will.”

  “Hey, Viv, how about acey deucy. Feel like getting your ass kicked tonight?” said Tommy, pulling the backgammon board from under the sofa.

  “Tommy, you can’t beat me. What the fuck is wrong with you, have you been hanging out with your brother Matty or what? You on drugs, Tommy? I’ll kick your ass all up and down this backgammon board. Come on, put some money on it—I can lay away my ring when I win,” she said, smacking his face playfully as he pushed her down on her back and began kissing her neck and behind her ears.

  “Tommy, I thought you wanted to play.”

  “I am, what do you think I’m doing over here, Viv, hanging wall flowers?” he said, kissing her mouth and using his free arm to reach over and cut out the light.

  “Do you love me?” Vivian asked, unsure of him at times.

  “What the fuck, Viv, you hanging out with Matty or what? Of course, I love you. You’re my life.”

  “I need a ring.”

  “I’ll get you one tomorrow.”

  “Really?”

  “Really, now come on, acey my deucy over here and stop playing games.”

  THE END

  READING GROUP GUIDE

  1. Did you the reader think that Daisy should have given Nard the alibi? Why?

  2. Did she do the right thing by not testifying on his behalf?

  3. Do you think Daisy would be considered a snitch for not giving the alibi?

  4. What do you think happened to Reggie Carter?

  5. Who do you think Daisy Mae Fothergill was pregnant by?

  6. Do you think she should have kept the baby or do you agree with her decision to have the abortion?

  7. Do you think that she and Billy would have gotten married if no one found her in Murfreesboro, Tennessee?

  8. What would her mother have said if she were alive?

  9. How many deaths were there related to the alibi in this book?

  10. What should Daisy have done differently?

  11. How can other young girls learn from her?

  For more from

  New York Times bestselling author

  TERI WOODS…

  Please turn the page

  for a preview of

  ALIBI II

  Coming in 2010 from

  Grand Central Publishing

  2006

  THE COMEBACK

  Scottsdale, Arizona

  Diana Praeliou emerged from the kitchen patio. “It’s absolutely beautiful out today,” she said to her husband as he kissed her cheek. “A perfect day for a hot air balloon ride,” she said, like a kid wanting a lollipop in a candy store.

  “I wish I could, but you know I’m out of here today.”

  “Oh, yeah, that,” she said, having completely forgotten. “I remember, you did say that you had a convention in Miami, and next month, the Doctrine of Medical Excellence Ceremony, which I’m shopping for a dress to wear to as we speak.”

  “I know my schedule is tight.”

  “You think?” she asked sarcastically. “Do you think you could pencil me in for a quiet dinner alone, just the two of us?”

  “Someone has to pay the bills around here, Diana.”

  “This is true, and you do a wonderful job, honey,” she said jokingly, wrapping her arms around him.

  “Do you remember the first time I ever hugged you?” he asked, as he lovingly stared into his wife’s eyes.

  The first time we hugged. Only he would remember the first time we hugged. Jeez, he always does this to me.

  “Hmmm, now let me see, darling,” she said, playing for more time.

  “You don’t remember. I might as well tell you.”

  “No, I do, I do, wait,” she said, as her husband began fidgeting and tickling at her sides.

  “I know, stop that, our first hug, body to body, was at the game. Remember, the Hawks won the game seven to zero, remember, and I was there and I ran down on the field and you hugged me, swung me around, and squeezed the living daylights out of me, in all that heavy armor you was wearing, all big and strong,” she said, batting her perfectly fitted eyelashes at him as she felt his hand sliding down her back and into the middle of her legs.

  “Now,” she said, as she passionately kissed him.

  “Now,” he said, as he lay down on top of her, simply destroying her first attempt at getting dressed for the day. They passionately made love as they did most mornings, a perfect start to every waking day they spent together. Webster came inside his wife, taking less than five minutes from start to finish, but leaving Diana with a feeling that could last an eternity.

  “I wish you didn’t have to go,” she said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around her husband and moved her leg in bet
ween his, holding on to him as if to let him go would be to let go her last breath.

  “I wish I didn’t have to go either, but can you wait for Spain or what?” he asked, kissing the tip of her nose.

  “No, no, I absolutely can’t. Spain is going to simply be the best, our twentieth wedding anniversary and we’re going to see the bull fighting. Oh, my God, Webster, can you believe it’s been twenty years?” she asked.

  “No, it doesn’t seem like we’ve been married that long.”

  “I know, right, but it’s been the best ride of my life and you’ve been the best husband a girl could ask for. I do dreadfully adore you, and I am most proud of you,” she said before kissing his lips gently.

  “I love you too, more than you will ever know.”

  He kissed her cheek as several knocks on their bedroom door startled them.

  “Yes, Rosa,” she said, as Webster walked into the bathroom and out of sight.

  “Excuse me, Señora Praeliou, would you like me to make your breakfast now?” asked Rosa, her housekeeper.

  “No, I think I’ll take a ride this morning. I would like a hot bath drawn for me when I come back and then I’ll have my breakfast,” she said, tying her hair in a long ponytail on top of her head.

  “You going riding?”

  “Yes. I will see you when you get back. Safe travels, my love,” she said, lending a quick peck of the lips to seal the deal of safely returning to her. While Webster showered, she quickly dressed and grabbed a pair of rusty brown Valentino riding boots from her closet.