Freedom

by Mary Crawford

  “I hope someone is watching out for you, young lady,” Clarence says gruffly.

  I squeeze Phoenix’s hand and lean my head against his arm for a moment before I answer, “Someone is watching out for me. Your son is doing a phenomenal job. He is what is keeping me sane throughout this whole process. Sometimes, I’m so scared it’s hard to breathe. Yet, Phoenix has been by my side every step of the way since we met.”

  Clarence looks at Phoenix with the new admiration. “Keep it up son — it’s an important responsibility. Let us know if you need any help.”

  “What are you going to do about the job in Oregon?” Moon asks again. “That job has been so good to you. I don’t want her to be messing with your success.”

  Phoenix’s nostrils flare with frustration. “Mom, it’s not really any of your business. I like the job I have now. So if I don’t get promoted, it’s not a big deal. But, Zoe isn’t going to let me off the hook that easy. She and Bruiser are going to help me learn to fly. We just have to get through the trial first.”

  “Okay. Like you said, you’re a grown up. I’m going to trust you know what you’re doing. That doesn’t mean I won’t worry though.”

  “That’s understandable,” I concede. “Even if we muck up the whole relationship thing, I will always cherish Phoenix. He has been a great friend.”

  “Take good care of our son. This is all very new to him and I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

  “Believe me, I don’t want to see him hurt either,” I say as I brush some hair out of Phoenix’s face.

  I fidget as I pull down the mirror on the visor. I check my teeth for lipstick stains. “You have no idea how much I wish we could just take off on your bike somewhere. The last place I want to be this morning is testifying in front of a room full of people and the jury who will decide my brother’s fate. I don’t really want to have to choose sides. This is so hard.”

  Phoenix takes a moment to study me while we’re stopped at a stop sign. “I don’t think your suit would’ve faired too well on my bike. Besides, you look too beautiful today to be picking bugs out of your teeth.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “Eww! That’s disgusting! I thought that’s what the face shield was for.”

  “It is. But, inevitably some of those little suckers get through.”

  “That’s gross! You know the next time I go on your bike, bugs are going to be the only thing I think about, right?”

  “Probably. I’ll have to come up with something else to distract you when that time comes.”

  “Oh, so none of this was really true. You were just trying to distract me from my nerves?”

  “I can neither confirm nor deny the truth of your statement,” Phoenix declares with a smirk on his face.

  I’m startled when we pull into the parking lot at the courthouse. “Well, apparently you did a really good job of distracting me because I have no idea where all the time went.”

  “Seriously, don’t worry about it. All you have to do is tell those people what really happened and how you discovered your brother’s true nature. Don’t hold anything back to protect his reputation. If something happens to your brother, it’s his fault not yours. He is the one who did all those things. You are not responsible for what happens to him. You’re only job is to tell the story the best way you know how.”

  I reach out and squeeze his hand one more time before I enter the courthouse. “Thank you. Thank you for being here for me. I know I can’t change what my brother did, but I still feel slimy going up against him. But, I know what he did to Katie and whoever this new girl is totally wrong. He can’t be allowed to continue. So, I have to do this even if it tears my family apart.”

  “Your bravery is so impressive. I am so proud of you for doing the right thing even though it’s hard. That’s why the jury is going to believe what you say. You don’t try to sugarcoat the tough stuff, you just deal with it. The jury’s gonna see your honesty and respond.”

  “Do you really think so?” I ask as my heart pounds. “I’m not really good in social situations. In fact, I’m kind of terrible. I would rather be at home drawing or playing with the animals. This stuff entirely freaks me out.”

  “You can do this. Just tell the story the same way you told it to me and to Cody or anyone else you've spoken with. It’s just another conversation. Sure, there are more people there. But all you’re doing is answering questions.”

  “Do you think his defense attorney will tear me apart on cross examination?”

  Phoenix shrugs. “I don’t know what their strategy is or who they’re planning to discredit. It might be tough, but stand your ground. You know what happened that day. You saw it all go down with your own two eyes. So, all you have to do is tell everyone in court what really happened.”

  “What if it’s not enough to make him pay for what he did? If he is free after this trial, I’m as good as dead. You know that, right? He probably will burn down Hope’s Haven and everything or everyone in it.”

  “Well, let’s do everything in our power to stop that from happening. You will be amazing. If every witness is as good as you, your brother is toast.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  PHOENIX

  I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT TO expect. After all, I watch legal dramas on television all the time. However, the experience of sitting in the courtroom and watching someone I care about be torn to pieces on cross-examination is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.

  Then again, Zoe’s brother isn’t anything like I expected him to be either. I had built him up to look like some fictional monster. After all the horrible things he has said to Zoe and the threats he is made against Hope’s Haven, I expected him to appear like some nasty troll from a child’s book. Instead, he looks like he could have walked off an ad for a bank. Speaking of money, it’s clear Vinnie the Pooh, as Zoe calls him, has some. His attorneys clearly have more experience than the prosecutors.

  At least to me, it seems as if the judge is siding with them more often. I guess this is the side you don’t see on television. It seems like all the evidence which would help the prosecutors win their case has been ruled against. I never anticipated so much of this would be done outside of the presence of the jury. The attorneys seem to be fighting over whether i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed.

  After one particularly long and contentious sidebar, Zoe was sworn in again. She looks calm and composed. Privately I know she’s not. Her nerves have been making her throw up for days. The longer she has been on the stand, the more confident she is becoming. At first, she couldn’t even bring herself to look at Vincent and her parents. Now, she is staring them down. After yesterday’s testimony, her parents won’t even acknowledge her presence in the courtroom. Today, the defense attorney is trying his best to demoralize Zoe and undermine her testimony.

  When the defense attorney basically calls her a drifter without any direction in life, it’s all I can do to stay in my seat. I want to stand up and shout at them to leave her alone because she’s not the bad guy in this situation. But, I can’t do that. It’s a good thing Bruiser is here with me otherwise I might just lose it. I try to focus on stroking his belly with my foot as I ground myself against the hard, wooden benches in the courtroom. As angry as I am, I have to remember I’m here to support Zoe. If I have a meltdown, it would just make things worse.

  After I take a few calming breaths, I focus back in on the proceedings.

  “Ms. Hurlington, isn’t it true that you’ve separated yourself from your family because you hate your brother and have something against him?”

  “No!” she answers emphatically. “I’m really disappointed in the person that my brother has become, but I could never hate him. I’m just here because I was subpoenaed. I’m not here to destroy him. I’m here to tell what happened the last time I saw him interact with another woman.”

  “Don’t you think he had the right to be upset when he was ditched at his wedding?”

  “Well … of course. Anyone w
ould’ve been, but not everybody would’ve threatened the life of their bride. When I came to see if I could help, he was trying to kick in the door. Sane people don’t that.”

  “Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence and Miss Hurlington is not qualified to render an opinion on the defendant’s mental state.”

  “Overruled.” The judge looks down her nose at the defense attorney. “It’s your cross. If you don’t want the witness’s opinion, perhaps you should structure your questions differently.”

  “Yes, your honor,” the attorney replies reflexively. Still, you can tell from his expression he’s not happy with the ruling.

  The attorney doing the questioning is undaunted. “Just to be clear, you did not see your brother physically harm Katelyn Ashford, did you? In fact, isn’t it true that you’ve never seen your brother raise his hand toward a woman?”

  A wave of pain crosses Zoe’s face as she struggles to stay composed. “Honestly, I knew nothing about Vinnie’s online activities and I don’t even know the victim in this case. But, it’s not true he’s never raised his hand toward a woman.”

  “Ms. Hurlington, I think you need to clarify that answer. After all, you don’t want the jury to think you’re making things up just to get your brother in trouble.”

  “Objection!” The prosecutor says as she shoots to her feet. “Counsel is badgering the witness and putting words in her mouth.”

  “Sustained,” The judge replies. She looks at the defense and says, “Re-ask the question appropriately or drop the matter, counsel.” She turns to the jury. “Please disregard that question.”

  The defense attorney takes a deep breath and let it out. He slams his legal notebook on the table before he asks, “I’ll ask again — what did you mean by your statement?”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about this, but when Vincent was a teenager, my mom told him he couldn’t drive because he had gotten a speeding ticket. When my mom tried to take the keys away from him, he backhanded her. It was hard enough to make her mouth bleed.”

  “Zoelle Dominique Hurlington!” her mom hisses from the gallery. “You were told never to speak of that moment again.”

  The judge pins Zoe’s mom with a withering look. “This is your last warning. If there is another outburst, you will be held in contempt of court and removed from this courtroom. Do you understand?”

  “Yes ma’am,” Zoe’s mother says contritely.

  The judge looks back at Zoe. “Were you finished?”

  Zoe shrugs. “I guess so.”

  The attorney looks at the prosecutor. “We’re finished here. Your witness, Counsel.”

  Tory Clarksfield walks up to the stand and smiles at Zoe.

  “Ms. Hurlington, this testimony has been very hard on your family, correct?”

  “You could say that. These days, I’m the least favorite person on the planet to my family.”

  “So, it wasn’t an easy decision for you to come here and testify?”

  “No!” Zoe reflexively answers. Then she appears to reconsider. “Well, in some ways yes. I knew I had to do the right thing. He couldn't keep on hurting women just because he felt like it.”

  “Speaking of women, the defense asked a good question. Are you aware of the defendant hurting any other woman or child?”

  Zoe looks frozen in place for a moment. “I don’t know. I’m not sure if this is even important to the case, but Vinnie used to twist my arm behind me and yank it up toward my neck until I screamed in pain if I did something he didn’t like. So, I don’t know if that’s the same, but it was painful and scary when it happened.”

  Tori Clarksfield gives Zoe a small bow before she says, “That’ll be all, thank you.”

  The judge looks at the defense table. “Any recross?”

  The attorney barely looks up from the tablet he is writing on as he responds, “No, Your Honor.”

  “Ms. Hurlington, you are dismissed from the stand. Thank you for your testimony. Please do not discuss your testimony outside the courtroom until this trial is complete and a verdict is rendered.”

  Zoe visibly relaxes and lets out a deep breath. She stands up and sways a little. Instinctively, I stand up, call Bruiser to me and walk up to the front of the court room. I offer my arm for her to lean on as we walk back toward our seats.

  “Phoenix I need to leave. I can’t breathe very well.”

  “Just a moment, let me grab my things and we can go,” I reassure her.

  By some implicit agreement, we do not speak until we reach a small, out-of-the-way coffee shop. I order Zoe hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and a black coffee for myself.

  When I sit down at the table with the drinks, Zoe sobs. “I can’t believe that’s over — or at least I hope it is. I don’t want to ever do that again. Did you see the hate in my parent’s eyes? Things will never be the same—especially if Vinnie is convicted of all the horrible things they say he did to that teenager.”

  “I hope you don’t have to testify either. It was excruciating to watch them tear you down.”

  “Tell me about it. I was the one they were saying those things to. For the record, just because I work with animals doesn’t mean my job is not important or that I’m a bimbo. That was just stupid. So, I didn’t go to some Ivy League college like my brother, but that doesn’t mean I’m garbage!”

  I reach down and stroke Bruiser’s ears. “I can tell you without a doubt that those attorneys are wrong. What you do is very important. You have changed my life in just a few weeks. I never thought it would be possible for me to do the things I’m doing these days — including sitting in that stupid, stuffy courtroom. They were simply being mean to try to make a point.”

  Zoe sighs. “Welcome to my world. All this junk being thrown at me is kind of my new normal now. I don’t know if my family will ever recover.”

  “You did your best. You couldn’t have done anything more. It’s up to the jury to figure out who they believe.”

  “I don’t know if what I said will make any difference. It seemed like every time I tried to say something against Vinnie, they squished me like a bug.”

  “I might be biased. I think you helped Ms. Clarksfield a lot. I hope the jury was paying attention to your brother’s body language. He was deliberately menacing you.”

  “I know. But the court ruled that I couldn’t tell the jury about the threats against me or Hope’s Haven. She said it was too prejudicial. But, that doesn't make any sense. It seems like the more people he threatens; the more credible the accusations are against him. I wish I could’ve told my whole story.”

  “Well, hopefully they got a sense of things through your testimony. I understand Katelyn will be called too.”

  “Really? Katelyn is coming from Oregon to testify?” Zoe asks after she squeaks with happiness.

  “I heard the court personnel talking about it when I went to the restroom. I guess she works for Aidan O’Brien. People seemed really hyped up. Maybe they thought Aidan would be coming too.”

  “Katelyn says Aidan is a really nice guy. But I’m not sure.” Zoe answers. “I hope I get a chance to see her when she’s in town. I always thought she was really cool.”

  “Zoe, I know this has been tough on you, but you did a great job. Anyone who’s been watching closely will understand that you are the one doing the right thing here. The rest of your family seems to have lost their way.”

  Zoe slumps back in her chair. “I know. I’m not sure how we're going to find our way back. Honestly, I’m terrified my brother is going to get off and he’ll come after me.”

  “We can only hope and pray that doesn’t occur. You did what you can do, the rest of it’s up to the jury.”

  “If he is let go, can I run away to Oregon with you? I don’t think it’d be safe for me to stick around here.”

  “Zoe, I would love for you to be by my side anywhere I go, but I don’t want you to be running away from something when it happens. Call me crazy, but I would rather you
be running into my arms because you want to, not because you have to.”

  As I return from taking Bruiser for an exercise session, I walk past the break room. Zoe is on the phone. I take a moment to watch her simple beauty since her back is to me. Abruptly, she turns slightly and slams her phone on the table.

  “I can’t freakin’ believe this!” she grouses as she picks her phone up again.

  I take Bruiser’s leash off, but he follows me anyway as I enter the room.

  “Everything okay?” I ask as I lay a hand on her shoulder.

  Tears are flowing down her face and I don’t know what to do—I don’t know how to fix it because I’m not sure what’s wrong. I hate this feeling of helplessness.

  I walk over to the sink and get a couple of paper towels. I put water on one and give the other one to her dry. After I hand her the towels, she finally looks up at me.

  She looks devastated. She wipes her face with a wet towel and dries it. “Thank you,” she mumbles. Louder, she says, “No, I’m not all right. I may never be all right. That was Tori Clarksfield on the phone. She says there has been a brief delay in the case while they wait for an expert witness to arrive. Apparently, the witness is stranded in Atlanta.”

  I hold my arms out and gather her to my chest for a hug. “I’m sorry. I wish I could fix all of this for you.”

  Zoe sighs. “I’m not sure anyone can fix this. Heck, I don’t know if my brother is convicted of all of this mess it will go away. It’s like someone turned my whole life upside down and I don’t know how to make it right itself.”

  I stroke her hair. “I promise that your life won’t be this way forever.”

  “Yeah?” she asks. “It sure feels that way. Now, we have to wait even longer to figure out whether I'll have to watch my back for the rest of my life. I can't handle this stress. I’ll go crazy.”

  “Hopefully, this is just a bump in the road and everything will go back to normal soon.”