“It’s not over yet, Carlos.”
“What are you talking about?” Carlos’ eyes squint together. “It’s over. Didn’t you hear what he said in there?”
“I have one play left.”
“What do you mean?”
“I need to get under his skin. I need to make Lewis angry. He has an anger management problem, and I need to exploit that.” Bill leans close to Carlos. “Lewis is about to send you to prison, so I need you to tell me something that’ll get under his skin. Is there anything that can make Lewis furious? Anything that can get under his skin?”
“Maybe.”
“Come on, Carlos. Tell me.”
“Michelle Hardgrave.”
“What about Michelle?”
“This last year they have had a very on again, off again relationship. They’re together at the moment, but not so much this year. They hate each other, and then five minutes later, they love each other. It’s been a volatile year for them. If you mention her, bring her into this, it might make Lewis angry.”
“How long have they been back together?”
“Probably a week before my arrest.” Carlos rubs his brow. “He would do anything for her. Anything. He doesn’t want to lose Michelle. If you threaten her, then it’ll push his buttons. If you make a threat against her, he’ll get really angry. He won’t be able to hold himself back.”
“That may be enough to get under his skin,” Bill responds, thinking about his next steps.
“I’m done, aren’t I? There’s no coming back from here, is there? Lewis has made sure that I’m going down for this crime. I can tell.” Carlos’ eyes show a lot of pain. “I can’t go back to prison, Bill. You can’t let that happen to me. I’m innocent. I can’t go to prison because I’m innocent. That’s the way this system is supposed to work.”
“I wouldn’t give up just yet.”
“There’s nothing left, Bill. Nothing. There is nothing more that we can do. I should go now. Tonight. Make a run for the border. I could cross without anyone knowing. Run the tunnels. On the other side, I have family. Real family, not like Lewis. They’ll look after me. Help me set up my life down there. It wouldn’t be much, but it would be better than prison. I can’t do that again.”
Bill places his consoling hand on Carlos’ shoulder. “Carlos, I have one play left. I’m going to question Lewis next, and it’s going to get hot in there.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“Then nowhere is going to be safe for either of us.”
Chapter 27
After the jurors are ushered back into the courtroom, Bill Harvey has the chance to question drug baron, Juan Lewis.
Lewis rests on the witness stand, waiting for the questions, looking supremely poised. His hands lay peacefully in his lap, his legs spread wide apart, and his shoulders are at ease. He feels like he’s winning this game. Invincible. Untouchable.
When prosecutor Shannon Chettle called him and offered him a deal five days ago, he jumped at the chance. She had evidence that connected him to a smaller drug deal, but if he sold out his partner, Roberto Miles, and his cousin, Carlos López, she would be willing to discuss a deal.
She gave him immunity from the new charges in exchange for evidence against Miles, and testimony against López. For Chettle, it wasn’t personal. She didn’t care who went to prison; she just wanted the drugs off the streets. She saw the impending arrest of Miles and the charge against López as victories.
She knew about Detective Pitt’s offer to Miles about the setup of Lewis, but that had been two months in the making. Here, she had two wins in quick succession. Big wins. Wins big enough to put her name in the paper.
What she didn’t know was that Lewis is the worst of the lot.
And she had only fueled his ego.
After he’s called to begin questioning, Bill Harvey contemplates the case at the desk, thinking over the last chance that lay before him.
“Mr. Lewis,” he begins questioning from behind his desk. “Can you please confirm where you were on September 12?”
Lewis stares at Bill with a rising smile. “Like I have stated previously, I was with Carlos López all day. Are your ears painted on?”
“My ears function fine, Mr. Lewis. But you weren’t at the El Mejor diner with Carlos López that day, were you?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Really? I have evidence to say that you weren’t there. So, I’ll ask you again, where were you?”
Lewis doesn’t answer; instead, his eyes stare straight at Bill.
“Mr. Lewis, please answer the question,” Judge Windsor prompts Lewis to answer.
“There is no evidence of that because it’s not true. It can’t be true because we were together all day. All day. Carlos and I. Isn’t that right, Carlos?” Lewis stares at his cousin.
“The defense would like to introduce new evidence to the court – the security footage of the El Mejor diner for September 12.”
The body language of Lewis changes. He leans forward, crossing his arms, subconsciously protecting himself from the attack.
“Look,” Lewis argues before the footage is presented. “Maybe we got the diner wrong. Carlos and I frequent a lot of diners around town, and maybe we got our diners mixed up. Maybe we weren’t at the El Mejor diner that day. Maybe we made a mistake about which diner we were at on that day.”
“So, despite your sworn testimony that you were at the El Mejor diner, you’re now changing that? Which diner were you at that day, Mr. Lewis?” Bill asks, staring straight at Lewis.
“Maybe we were there. Maybe we weren’t. I’m not sure. I don’t keep a diary of every daily event, so I have nothing to check. All I know is that we were at a diner that day. Sometimes, people can get confused.”
“Or maybe you’re a liar?”
“No.” Lewis is starting to become very agitated with Bill’s line of questioning. “I know for sure that we were together. That’s the truth.”
“Were you with your girlfriend that day, Mr. Lewis?” Bill enquires loudly.
“On that day, I didn’t have a girlfriend,” Lewis states as his jaw clenches.
“Really?” Bill fakes his surprise. “I thought you were dating Michelle Hardgrave? Daughter of Judge Andrew Hardgrave?”
Lewis’ nostrils flare. “I am.”
“But not on that day?”
“No.”
“Objection,” Chettle calls out. “This information isn’t relevant to the case.”
“Your Honor,” Bill explains. “I’m merely trying to establish where this witness was during the day in question.”
“Overruled,” Judge Windsor states. “Continue the questioning, but get to the point quickly, Mr. Harvey.”
As Bill reviews his notes, Lewis grips the arm of his chair tightly, breathing heavily through his nostrils. He was warned by Chettle that the defense would try and make him angry, so he took pre-emptive action – he quickly smoked two joints before he entered the courthouse.
But even that isn’t helping him right now.
Bill Harvey has certainly pushed the right button.
Bill pauses for a few long moments, creating an uncomfortable silence, and then continues, “If you weren’t with Michelle Hardgrave on that day, can you tell us the last time you saw her?”
“Objection,” Chettle calls out again. “I fail to see how this is relevant.”
“Overruled. Get to the point, Mr. Harvey,” Judge Windsor repeats.
“She dumped you, didn’t she? Her father finally got her clean, off the drugs, and when she was clean, she dumped you. That must have hurt, Mr. Lewis.”
“Objection. The defense—”
“Withdrawn,” Bill states, standing up to begin wandering the floor of the courtroom. He can see the fire in Lewis’ eyes.
Ready to snap.
Just where Bill wants him.
“Mr. Lewis, Carlos López didn’t have the briefcase on that day, did he?”
“Yes, he did.”
<
br /> “But you never saw him with it, did you?”
“Yes, I did.”
He closes the gap between Lewis and himself.
“Have you ever dealt drugs, Mr. Lewis?” Bill catches a glimpse of a confused look on Chettle’s face. She has no idea what he’s playing at.
“No.”
“Have you ever taken drugs?”
Lewis’ voice rises as he becomes increasingly frustrated. “No.”
“Have you ever been tempted to take drugs?”
“C’mon man. Let it rest,” Lewis fires back. “I don’t have to answer this!”
Usually, Bill would expect an objection to this line of questioning to the witness, but Chettle doesn’t look like she’s going to object any time soon. She feels like the line of questioning is working in her favor.
Judge Windsor looks to the prosecution, almost pleading with her to object, but when she doesn’t, he states, “Please answer the questions asked of you, Mr. Lewis.”
“No,” Lewis snaps. “I have never been tempted to take drugs!”
“Have you ever watched anyone take drugs?”
“What is this?” Lewis replies angrily.
“Please answer the questions,” Judge Windsor states again.
“No!”
“Did Michelle take drugs?”
“No!”
“Objection. Not relevant.”
“Did you give her drugs, Lewis?!”
“No!”
“Your Honor. Objection!”
“You gave her drugs, didn’t you?!”
“No!”
“Mr. Harvey!” Judge Windsor booms.
“She only loved you for the drugs, Lewis!”
“Objection! Not relevant to this case! There is no established connection between Michelle Hardgrave and this case!”
“Sustained!”
“She didn’t love you, Lewis! She loved the drugs!”
“The objection is sustained, Mr. Harvey! You will stop that line of questioning immediately!”
“Withdrawn, Your Honor.”
“Stick to the current case, Mr. Harvey!” Judge Windsor’s eyes thin as he stares at the defense attorney.
Bill moves back to his table to review his notes. “That’s a nice tie, Mr. Lewis.”
“It is.” He adjusts his tie in the middle of his shirt.
“You like your ties, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“You like to have a little bit of flair, a little bit of color, don’t you?”
“It’s my style. It makes me who I am. Just because I wear nice ties doesn’t mean I’m a criminal.” The tone of Lewis’ voice is understandably frustrated.
“You were wearing that tie last time I saw you, and you mentioned that Judge Hardgrave also liked that tie.”
“He loved it. He had an armchair that was exactly the same color. I sat in his orange armchair and this tie blended right in.”
“Blended into a purple armchair?”
“No, man. Orange.”
“Orange?”
“That’s what I said.” The arrogance and anger flow off his words. “Are you stupid?”
“Are you certain it was orange?”
“Yes.” Lewis squints his eyebrows in confusion.
“When was the last time you saw Judge Hardgrave?”
“Objection,” Chettle calls out. “I fail to see how this is relevant to the case.”
“Mr. Harvey?” Judge Windsor asks.
“I assure you, Your Honor, that this is very relevant to the dates concerned in the current case.”
“Overruled, but you’re at the limit. Don’t push me, Mr. Harvey.” Judge Windsor nods, letting the questioning continue to satisfy his curiosity. “Please answer the question, Mr. Lewis.”
“Three days before his death.”
Bill’s voice rises. “And when was the last time you were in his living room?”
“The same time.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“In his living room?! He made that comment about liking your tie?” Bill’s hand slams down on the defense table.
“Yes!”
“Because that bright orange armchair wasn’t delivered until the day of his death, which also happens to be September 12 when you were not with my client in the El Mejor diner! So, I will ask you again.” Bill’s voice rises higher in aggression. “Mr. Lewis, where were you on September 12?!”
“I said—”
“Mr. Lewis! I put it to you that you were not with my client on September 12, but you were with Judge Hardgrave at that time!”
“I—”
“Mr. Lewis! The only way you could have known the color of the armchair was orange, like your tie, was if you were there that day!”
“I—”
“Mr. Lewis! You’re under oath!”
“I…” Lewis stammers.
“Mr. Lewis! You were with Judge Hardgrave! Not Carlos!”
“No.”
“Mr. Lewis! You are under oath!”
“So what?!”
“Mr. Lewis! You were with Judge Hardgrave that day!”
“Whatever! So what if I was with Hardgrave on that day! That doesn’t prove anything!”
“You shot him.”
“No!”
“Mr. Lewis! You shot Judge Hardgrave and planned to use Carlos López as your alibi!”
“No!”
“Except your plan didn’t realize that Carlos’ apartment was being raided that morning for your drugs!”
“Not my drugs!” Lewis begins to falter under the shock of the accusation.
“Mr. Lewis! You shot Judge Hardgrave because he wasn’t going to give you any more money! He wanted nothing more to do with you!”
“I-”
“He hated you!” Bill snarls. “And his daughter hated you! She dumped you! She hated you, Lewis!”
“No.”
“She hated you!”
“No!”
“You shot her father in cold blood!”
“No!”
“You shot him!”
“So what?! I shot the prick!” Lewis finally snaps.
Bill has pushed the right buttons.
“Yeah, I shot him. I shot him up close. Real close. I saw the blood splatter everywhere. I hated that guy. He deserved it.”
The courtroom erupts into a commotion.
The noise is overwhelming.
“Order! Order!”
When Lewis realizes that his anger has gotten the better of him, he sinks back into the chair, his mouth wide open.
He couldn’t control his anger.
And it has just cost him his freedom.
“You killed Judge Andrew Hardgrave on the same day that you claim to have seen my client with the briefcase.”
“I…” Lewis holds his words. “I didn’t say that.”
“You did. You just said it. You’re on record saying that, Juan Lewis. This is a court of law, and every statement is recorded.”
“Your Honor.” Chettle is frantic. “The prosecution calls for an adjournment.”
Judge Windsor looks to the detectives standing at the back of the room, ready to arrest Juan Lewis for the murder of Judge Andrew Hardgrave. “In light of this testimony, I think that’s a very wise decision.”
“Lewis, you killed my friend. You will go to prison for a very long time.” Bill snarls.
“Mr. Harvey,” Judge Windsor booms. “We’re done questioning now. In light of this new statement, the court has to recess.”
“But I’m not done questioning yet.” Bill looks up to the Judge.
“For now, you are. The court is adjourned!”
Detective Matthew Pitt, dressed in his finest suit, walks from the back of the courtroom to the witness stand. He reads Juan Lewis his Miranda rights for the arrest of the murder of Judge Andrew Hardgrave.
“Do you have anything to say, Juan Lewis?” Pitt places handcuffs on the witness.
“I was alone,” Juan Lewi
s calls out loud enough for the entire courtroom to hear.
The random statement catches Bill by surprise.
He stares at Lewis, but he avoids eye contact.
“I was alone,” he repeats loudly.
Then the reality hits Bill Harvey.
It hits him like a truck.
This isn’t over yet.
Juan Lewis didn’t murder Judge Andrew Hardgrave.
And a dangerous killer is still free.
Chapter 28
With frantic energy, Bill Harvey races from the courthouse. Aggressively, he pushes past the media throng that has assembled and jumps straight into the nearest cab.
Desperately, he calls his office repeatedly.
“Pick up, Kate. Pick up.”
She doesn’t.
When the cab arrives at his office door, Bill Harvey almost falls out of the cab, anxious to get to the office before anyone else.
“Kate!” he yells, racing through the door. “Kate!”
As she sits at her desk, innocently about to grab a bite to eat, she looks at the desperate man in front of her.
“What is it, Bill? What’s wrong?”
“It wasn’t a man that hit you.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was a woman.”
“Who?”
Bill pulls the phone out of his pocket. “The most dangerous person in this mess is still out there. She’s free. This isn’t over yet, Kate. I have to find your attacker before she does it again. As soon as she hears about Lewis going to prison, she’ll want revenge. And she’s coming after you.”
“Who? Who am I avoiding Bill?” She’s panicked. “I thought I was avoiding Lewis. What about the necklace? Didn’t you say that the necklace belonged to Lewis?”
Bill Harvey’s eyes thin with acknowledgment of the truth. “It’s not Lewis.”
“But the necklace?”
“That necklace is a lover’s necklace. You take one, and your lover takes the other.”
“But Lewis would have—”
“Lewis isn’t the murderer, either.”
“Then who is?”
Bill turns to the door and locks it.
“Michelle Hardgrave.”
Chapter 29
“Jack,” Bill yells into his phone. “I need to find Michelle Hardgrave. Now.”
Redeeming Justice_A Legal Thriller Page 14
