Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

  “That’s not good.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s not.”

  “Are you worried that Shelton’s actions could implicate SIB?”

  “Yes, which is why we need to find a way to shut down her investigation before things get out of control. I know you’ve been monitoring her situation and engaging in, how should I say it, certain efforts against her. But I need you to step it up. Really step it up.”

  “I’ve taken some actions. I think you’d prefer to have plausible deniability, so I won’t go into details, but she has started to feel the heat. I can guarantee you that.”

  “Well, it hasn’t been hot enough, apparently. Take it to the next level. You’re not the type of guy who is afraid to get his hands dirty, are you?”

  “That won’t be a problem for me.” If only she knew just how dirty his hands could get.

  “Good. Then I need you to work fast and come up with a plan for handling her. I can’t have this situation getting out of control on my watch. Are we on the same page?”

  “Most definitely.”

  Just when he thought things couldn’t get any more interesting.

  Chapter

  Sixteen

  Patrick looked over his outlines for the last time. He needed to go home and get some rest. The trial started tomorrow, and he didn’t like to pull all-nighters. Being fresh and on his game was the most important thing.

  A few minutes later, he walked out of the building, and the fall breeze hit him. He started to practice his opening statement. He liked to have chunks of it memorized. Reading off of notes could only get you so far. It was his goal to form a connection with the jury from the moment he walked into the courtroom.

  “Talking to yourself, counselor?” Ashley appeared out of nowhere and started walking with him.

  “Are you stalking me now?”

  “No. Just wanted to see if you were ready for the big day.”

  What was her angle this time? She always had one. “Of course I’m ready. But I assume you are too. Neither one of us is the type to just wing it.”

  She grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Patrick.”

  He turned to face her. “What is it?”

  “Be careful. That’s all.”

  He took a step, closing the gap between them. “Are you threatening me?”

  She shook her head. “Just the opposite. I’m warning you. But if you ever say this conversation happened, I’ll deny it.”

  Thoughts swam through his mind. “What do you know, Ashley?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Nothing specific. I just don’t have a good feeling. I shouldn’t be doing you any favors after that stunt you pulled in court, but I also don’t want anything to happen that could’ve been prevented.”

  “Security will be tight.”

  “Yes. But you know there are always risks in our jobs.”

  “More so in mine.” Prosecutors were much more likely to be targeted than defense attorneys. He put bad guys away for a living. That came at a cost.

  “I know that.”

  Her coming to him confused him. It didn’t seem to fit what he knew about how she operated. “Why warn me? What’s in this for you?”

  “Do you really think I’m that calculated? That I have no sense of right and wrong?”

  “Ashley, I’ve never seen you show one ounce of compassion. You make it clear that your job is about the bottom line.”

  She tilted her head. “You shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover, Patrick. I’ll see you in court tomorrow.”

  He watched as she walked away. Her words echoed in his ears. Was Juan Wade going to try to take him out? That would be a bold move. But the fact that Ashley had come to him made him realize she was at the very least worried that Juan may try to take some drastic action. He figured she didn’t want that on her conscience.

  But did she even have a conscience? Regardless, he wasn’t stupid. It was a good idea for him to watch his back. At least there would be beefed up security tomorrow at the courthouse.

  At the end of the day, if Juan wanted him out of the picture, there wasn’t much he could do about it. Juan had the resources and power to take action. He just had to hope Juan wouldn’t want to risk that kind of publicity. It would look highly suspicious if the prosecutor was killed right before or during the trial.

  He wondered if he would be able to sleep tonight after all.

  The next morning, once they’d finished jury selection, Ashley gathered up her notes and tried to remain calm and focused. It was game time, and she had to do her best to advocate for her client. Opening statements were when she got to tell her version of the story.

  Regardless of what she thought about Ricky’s innocence, or lack thereof, her job as his defense counsel was to fight as hard as she could. It didn’t matter who Ricky was, or that he was Juan’s brother. Even though most people thought she was only in it for the money, that wasn’t true. Yes, she did care about money and fame, but at the most basic level, she believed that every person was innocent until proven guilty, and that she had a moral obligation to fight that good fight. The American justice system couldn’t function without people like her. And yes, if she could get wealthy along the way and have her time in the spotlight, then it was worth it all the more.

  Her eyes locked onto Patrick’s, and she quickly looked away. She’d had a moment of weakness last night when she went to talk to him. If Juan found out she had done that, she’d be the one in danger.

  But there had been this nagging feeling in her gut that told her she had to speak up. She didn’t want Patrick to be harmed. As much as he annoyed her, she had a bit of a soft spot growing for him.

  To the rest of the world she might seem like a fearless force of nature, but deep inside, she wasn’t as sure.

  She turned to Ricky, who had been very quiet since being brought back into the courtroom. “Remember what I told you. The jury will have their eyes on you at all times. You need to be on your best behavior.”

  He cursed under his breath and refused to look her in the eyes. This kid had no idea how fortunate he was. He had her as a defense attorney—someone who would do anything in the world to protect him and advocate for him. Many others in his position wouldn’t be so lucky. And yet he always viewed her with such disdain.

  “Ricky, I don’t care what you think or feel about me. This is your life on the line, and if you want a fighting chance to actually live your life, you need to listen to me.”

  He didn’t respond. That wasn’t good enough for her.

  “Understood?” she pushed again.

  “Yeah,” he mumbled.

  Ricky was acting like a petulant child, but she was used to dealing with difficult clients. She’d just have to keep him on a tight leash.

  Patrick would give his opening statement first, since he was the prosecution. She had no doubt he would give an impressive argument. It was her job to create doubts. Patrick had the burden of proof.

  “Mr. Hunt, are you ready to proceed?” Judge Turner asked.

  Patrick stood up. “Yes, Your Honor.” He walked over to the podium that stood directly in front of the jury. The twelve people—seven women and five men—who would determine her client’s fate.

  “Ladies and gentleman of the jury. Your presence and attention here today and throughout the trial are greatly appreciated. I will do my best to make this process as efficient for you as possible while at the same time ensuring that the state gets to present all of its evidence. I know from the jury selection process that some of you are familiar with this case. As the judge has previously instructed, you’re supposed to put all of that knowledge in a little box and set it aside. Try your best to focus only on the evidence you’ll hear in this courtroom to make your determination.”

  He was setting the ground rules, which was standard. Ashley was interested to see what his overall strategy was going to be. How hard would he go after her client?

  “Jackie Destin and Ronnie Thomas. Those are the names of t
he two innocent people who lost their lives on the night of October seventh. The evidence will show that they were both gunned down by the defendant, Ricky Wade. My job as the prosecutor is not to answer the question why. Why did the defendant take those two lives that night? We may never know the answer to that question. I’m here to ask you another question—a much simpler question. It requires a yes or no response. Was the defendant, Ricky Wade, the man who shot Ms. Destin and Mr. Thomas? I will submit to you that the answer is a resounding yes.”

  Ashley studied the faces of the jury members. Some of them eyed Ricky warily, while others were focused more on Patrick. But they were all engaged so far. And she knew that the prosecution would always score points. They got to go first, set the stage, and at the end of the day, there were two people dead. Her job was to make the jury unsure as to who actually killed those people.

  It was interesting to her that Patrick was trying to take motive out of the equation by removing the why. He was trying his best to make this case as simple as possible.

  “The evidence I will present during this trial will leave no room for doubt. The state will be presenting an eyewitness who was at the Quick Stop that night and saw the defendant shoot both victims in cold blood.”

  She shot up from her seat. “Objection, argumentative.”

  “I’ll allow it,” the judge said, “but watch yourself, Mr. Hunt.”

  Patrick probably knew that Ashley would object, but he was trying to set the stage. She listened attentively as he continued his opening statement. Sophie was the linchpin to everything. If she could discredit Sophie, even in the least bit, then she had a good chance of getting an acquittal from this jury.

  And that was exactly what she planned to do.

  The next morning, Sophie felt like she might be sick as they entered the courthouse. Cooper had a tight grip on her arm, and she was actually thankful that he was there to steady her.

  She’d been up most of the night, going over the mock questions in her head, and now she was fit to be tied. She’d taken Patrick’s advice and worn a light pink cardigan with black pants. No power suit for her today, and she felt naked without her usual suit jacket.

  “Sophie, talk to me,” Cooper said.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Your face is pale.”

  “I’ll be better soon. It’s just the initial wave of nerves.” She saw the concern in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure if he was worried about her or whether she might buckle under the pressure.

  Just outside the courtroom door, Patrick walked toward her, a frown pulling at his lips. “Sophie, what’s wrong?”

  “I’ll be fine by the time I testify.” She prayed that would be true.

  Patrick looked down at his watch. “That’s mere minutes from now. I’m calling you as the first witness today.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Cooper said.

  She appreciated that he stepped in for her. She wasn’t sure she could have spoken just then.

  Patrick placed his hand on her shoulder. “Okay. Take a minute and compose yourself. Then head on into the courtroom.” He walked through the door, and she stayed outside with Cooper by her side.

  Noah was also there, and Landon was somewhere in the vicinity. Plus, there was a greatly enhanced police presence. She wasn’t worried about her physical safety at the moment. She was worried about failing the victims. She closed her eyes, praying for the ability to get through this day.

  “Sophie, it’s natural to be nervous. Just remember how much you prepared. Don’t doubt yourself.” Cooper gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.

  His words gave her a boost of confidence. He was right. She had worked hard to be ready for this day. She’d been in a courtroom hundreds of times before.

  The next fifteen minutes passed in a blur. She was seated in the courtroom. Noises all around her. People coming into the room to take their seats. But when the bailiff’s loud voice reverberated throughout the room, she was jerked back into reality.

  The judge entered the courtroom, and the jury was brought in. She watched intently as the twelve members took their seats.

  “Please proceed, Mr. Hunt.”

  Patrick rose from his seat. “The state calls Sophie Dawson.”

  As she stood up, her legs felt like gelatin. She tried to stand tall and take deep breaths as she walked up to the witness stand. When she raised her right hand to get sworn in, the full gravity of the moment hit her.

  “Ms. Dawson, will you please state your full name for the record?” Patrick asked.

  “Yes, I’m Sophie Elizabeth Dawson.”

  “Thank you. Ms. Dawson, I’d like to start by asking you some questions about the night of October seventh.”

  “Yes, I remember that night.” This was just as they had practiced. Patrick was making a concerted effort not to lead with the fact that she was a prosecutor. Ashley had already brought that up in her opening statement, and it would surely come up again. But first Patrick wanted to make the jury relate to Sophie.

  “Did you stop at the Quick Stop on your way home?”

  “Yes. I was hungry and had a craving for a snack. I have a weakness for junk food.” She noticed that a couple of the jurors smiled.

  “Did you enter the store?”

  “Yes, I did. I was really hungry. The only question was whether to get a healthy snack to try to offset the chocolate and chips. So I was debating with myself, and then I opened up the cooler to get a tea.” She took a deep breath. “And that’s when I heard loud voices coming from the front of the store.”

  Patrick kept his eyes locked on hers. “And what did you do when you heard those loud voices?”

  “I turned and saw that a man had pulled a gun on the cashier. They were yelling at each other. I started to go try to break it up, but before I could get there, the man with the gun shot the cashier.”

  “What did you do?”

  The events of that night played before her eyes as if she was right back there. “When I saw him take the shot, I hit the ground. Then the shooter turned around.”

  “And did you get a good look at the man with the gun?”

  “I did, yes.”

  “And is that man here in the courtroom today?”

  “He is.”

  “Can you point him out?”

  She took a deep breath. “He’s the defendant. The man sitting beside Ms. Murphy.”

  A few murmurs could be heard from the audience, but Patrick didn’t break his stride. “What happened after you saw the defendant shoot the store clerk?”

  She couldn’t believe Ashley wasn’t objecting but knew the defense attorney had to have a plan of attack. “The shooter ran outside, and I went up to the front of the store to check on the clerk. He was on the ground. There was blood everywhere. I checked for a pulse, but there was nothing.” She could hear her voice start to shake, but she had to remain strong. The families of the victims deserved justice. She was the one who was still alive and could tell the truth of what happened that night.

  “What did you do after you checked for the clerk’s pulse?”

  “I heard more gunshots coming from outside, and I saw the shooter firing. I watched as another person fell to the ground before the shooter got in his car and sped off.”

  “Did you call the police right then?”

  “No. I ran outside and tried to see if I could do anything to help. There was another woman with the woman who was shot. I checked on the victim first and told the woman to call 911.”

  “Did you know at the time that the woman who was shot had been killed?”

  She looked at Patrick and then at the jury. “Yes. She had sustained a gunshot wound to the head.” After she said those words, she realized she had added that information off script.

  “Then what did you do?”

  “I tried to talk to the surviving woman, and we waited for the police to arrive at the scene.”

  “And you said the shooter drove away?”

  “Yes. He was long gone
by the time the police arrived a couple of minutes later.” She knew Patrick planned to leave her testimony there. He would clean up any additional points in the redirect.

  “No further questions,” Patrick said. He turned and looked at Ashley. “Your witness, Ms. Murphy.”

  Ashley gracefully rose from her seat. Today she wore a black skirt suit with a dark purple blouse. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she wore her signature glasses.

  Sophie had no doubt that Ashley was going to go in for the kill. The only question was how direct she was going to be about it.

  “Ms. Dawson, I’d like to fill in some information that Mr. Hunt didn’t quite get to in his examination.”

  “All right.” Remember, stay calm. Don’t let her rattle you.

  “You’re actually one of Mr. Hunt’s colleagues, aren’t you?”

  “No. I work in a separate office and for a different county than he does.”

  Ashley took another step forward. “And tell the jury exactly what you do.”

  “I’m a senior assistant district attorney.” Keep it short. Don’t volunteer. Make her work for it. Patrick’s words echoed through her mind.

  “So that’s a fancy title for saying you’re a prosecutor, right? You work for the state of Georgia just like Mr. Hunt?”

  Sophie had to resist the urge to point out that Ashley was asking her multiple questions at one time. Instead she tried to take the high road. She had to remember that the jury was listening to her every word. “We are both prosecutors.”

  “You put bad guys behind bars for a living, right?”

  “That’s one way of putting it.” Ashley was starting to weave in the bias argument. Clever.

  “In fact, it bothers you greatly when a jury finds for the defense.”

  “Objection, argumentative,” Patrick said.

  “Sustained,” the judge ruled.

  Ashley adjusted her glasses. “Do you love your job?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I like helping people and seeking justice for those who deserve it.”

  “Like exactly what you did on the day of October seventh? You actually had a trial conclude that day, didn’t you?”