Untainted: (Crime Romance: The Photographer Trilogy #3) (14 page)

“Right, right, we heard that vague part in your testimony. My question is how you got there, Mr. Kane. Your car is not listed as one of the car’s at the stable on the detective’s report. So, how did you arrive at Fallen Oaks?” Frank looked at the jury, playing up his pretense of not knowing the answer.

“I didn’t take my car.” Derrick responded, suddenly nervous.

“Alright, what car did you take?” Frank pushed again and Derrick glanced at the prosecutor, who looked just as nervous.      

“I have a right not to implicate myself.” Derrick said.

“Very true. Ladies and gentleman of the jury, what Mr. Kane doesn’t want to state is that he drove my car to Fallen Oaks which he stole from my home.” Frank explained.

“Objection, Your Honor. That is an allegation, not a fact.” The district attorney bolted up in his seat.

“Sustained. The jury is to disregard that last statement.” The judge agreed.

“Sorry about that, Your Honor. Mr. Kane, I would never want you to implicate yourself in a crime, so let’s talk hypothetically for a moment.” Frank smiled at him, knowing exactly what he was doing.

Derrick felt rage coursing through him, but clenched his jaw and did his best to stay calm.

“Let’s say that on the day in question, someone broke into my apartment and found evidence of my ownership of Fallen Oaks through that manner. Would that lead them to the stable as their next stop in search of a missing Kate?” Frank postured.

“It might.” Derrick said, trying to remain calm.

“Let’s also say that these criminals responsible for breaking and entering my apartment did so before the police conducted their search of the premise. Would it be possible for these individuals to plant any type of evidence they want in my home? Making it look like I’m the supposed, infamous Photographer?” Frank put on his most innocent expression.

“No! There’s no way we would ever have done that.” Derrick voice raised in anger.

“That’s not what I asked, Mr. Kane. I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m asking if such a scenario were to have happened, is it possible that someone could have planted evidence before police arrived?” Frank spoke quickly, slightly more aggressive.

Derrick was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowed at Frank as he contemplated his answer.

“I guess, in a hypothetical situation, it could be possible. But that’s not what-” Derrick responded but Frank quickly interrupted.

“Thank you, Mr. Kane. Then to continue, if in such a scenario as someone breaking and entering into my home and planting evidence, then arriving first at Fallen Oaks stable before a police presence, is it or is it not possible that that individual could have attacked me?” Frank was on a roll, knowing he was turning the heads of more than a few jury members.

“I guess, but you know that’s not-” Derrick started.

“And is it possible that the scene police arrived at could then have been the result of me defending myself against such an attacker?” Frank leaned forward, closer to Derrick, as he spoke loudly, almost threatening.

“Objection! The witness is not an expert in criminal tactics nor can he judge hypothetical situations, Your Honor.” The district attorney looked flustered.

“Sustained. Finish up, Mr. Bild.” The judge told him.

“That’s all the questions I have for this witness, Your Honor.” Frank smiled at the jury and walked back to his seat.

~~~~~~

“Do you actually think anyone bought that line of questioning?” Derrick groaned then bit into his sandwich.

“It doesn’t matter if they believe it or not. Frank doesn’t have the burden of proving it, I do.” The district attorney told him across the lunch table during recess as they sat in the courthouse cafeteria.

“Frank just has to put the possibility of doubt into their mind. If there is reasonable doubt, he could potentially be found not guilty.” McCraig explained, finishing up his lunch.

“That’s not going to happen though.” Liz reassured them, cutting her eyes at McCraig for not softening his statement.

“Well, there is plenty of other evidence that would help convict him, right?” Kate asked, sliding her hand into Derrick’s lap and squeezing his leg gently.      

“That’s our hope.” The prosecutor said.

“This is bad, isn’t it?” Derrick said after a few moments of silence fell over the table, everyone contemplating the trial.

“Well, it’s definitely not good.” The prosecutor confirmed.

“I’m up next after lunch, so we still have time to turn this around.” Liz told them.

“Right, but remember that you can’t bring up any part of the investigation that relates to before the kidnapping and murders. Nothing about the rape investigation at all. The only thing you can say is that he was on your radar for ‘possible involvement in another case’. That’s it. If he gets the slightest whiff that we are saying anything to make the jury prejudiced against him, I guarantee he will call for a mistrial. And most likely, he will get it.” The prosecutor leaned forward, his tone serious. Liz just nodded.

“Do we need to be there this afternoon?” Kate spoke up.

“No, just stay near the courthouse in case you get called back.”

“Can we go outside, Derrick? I can’t be cooped up in this place any longer. I just want to stretch my legs.” Kate leaned her chin on Derrick’s shoulder, looking at him as she wrapped her hands around his bicep.

“Of course, babe. Let’s get out of here.”

~~~~~~

“Tell me the truth, Derrick. Did you break into his house?” Kate spoke softly as the duo walked around the large pond that centered the park next to the courthouse.

Derrick nodded and sighed, causing Kate to groan and close her eyes as she squeezed his hand tighter in hers.

“Why? You’re a lawyer, you know that can mess up a trial.” Kate whined, feeling so hopeless at the moment.

She scuffed the tip of her shoe against the dirt and watched a few duck feathers flutter up and drop back down to the earth.

“Kate, I wasn’t thinking about a trial. I was just thinking about finding you, and finding you alive. Before he did anything else, I just didn’t think.” Derrick shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging his shoulders defensively.

Kate felt tears sting at the back of her eyes, but blinked them away. She gazed at the different feathers left behind below her, but saw a speckled white and brown long feather that caught her eye.

She reached down and scooped it up, dusting it off gently with her finger and softly blowing on it. Derrick watched her, waiting for her to say something before caving and continuing talking.

“And it worked, that’s how Annie and I found you. I don’t think we would have otherwise. Maybe the police would have, but who knows how much time could have elapsed by then.” Derrick explained, pulling her down onto a bench that was off the concrete walkway circling the pond.

She let him pull her close as she slid the feather she was holding into the front pocket of her purse, she didn’t know why exactly. She just knew that she wanted to keep it close.

She curled her body up next to him, leaning her back against his side with his arm wrapped around her front, his hand in hers. She pulled her feet up onto the bench next to her and bent her knees. He held her tighter as he thought about the day and what could have happened had he not gotten there when he did.

“Lately, I’ve been wondering if that would have been such a bad thing.” Kate’s voice was low, almost whispering.

“What do you mean?”

“If it would have been better for you or Snow and McCraig to find me after he killed me.” She completed her thought, staring at the pond and biting her lip.

“Kate, please tell me you’re kidding.” Derrick’s eyes widened.

“No, I’m not,” she sat up and turned to look at him, her expression serious.

“How could I not think that, Derrick? I mean, if he had killed me before anyone found me then you wouldn’t have a knife wound in your shoulder. Liz wouldn’t have her arm in a sling. Hell, if I had never said anything when I was a kid, then Uncle Lenny would still be alive. Annie would be alive. All of those deaths and people hurt happened to keep me alive. Was it really worth it?” Kate began crying, soft sobs escaping and tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Kate.” His voice was soft, but dripping with anguish at the very thought of what she was saying.

Derrick pulled her tightly against him, wiping away a few tears with one hand. He was quiet for a bit, trying to figure out how to respond. She had clearly been thinking about this for a while, and the fact that she had been holding in such pain caused his heart to ache.

“I can’t speak for Lenny and Annie, but knowing the type of people that they were and knowing how much they both loved you, I really think that they would do the same thing again. Annie knew what she was doing, Kate, and she did it anyway. And Liz? Well, that’s the life she signed up for becoming a police officer so I highly doubt that she regrets anything. Plus she cares for you as a friend, I know she does and I know you can see that.” Derrick spoke slowly as he caressed her hair, both of them staring out over the water in front of them.

“And then me? God, Kate, the thought never even crossed my mind to regret it. Why would it?” He kissed her forehead, squeezing her tighter against him.

“I would rather have been stabbed a hundred more times than to go a single day without you, Kate.” She glanced up at him, seeing the sincerity in his expression.

“Kate, you are worth it. You’re worth every sacrifice that was made, and more. You are worth the world to me, Kate. Or should I say, the future Mrs. Kane?” He smiled as he leaned in and kissed her lips softly.

“Do you think they feel that way too?” Kate whispered after a few gentle kisses.

“Not for a second would I think anything different. They loved you, Kate. They still do, wherever they are.” He pushed a stray piece of hair off her face and the duo’s eyes locked, searching one another for answers to questions they hadn’t yet thought of.

“I love you, Derrick.”

“Love you more, Kate. Always.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“Have the ladies and gentleman of the jury reached a decision?” The judge looked over at the twelve jurors as the courtroom turned deadly silent.

“We have, Your Honor.” The foreman stood and responded.

“Please present your decision to the court.”

Kate clenched both of her hands around one of Derrick’s, closing her eyes. She had no idea which way the jury was going to vote. After five straight days of testimonies, evidence, and a legal fight to the death, the jury had gone into deliberations. It took them four days to come to a verdict.

Nothing about that gave her confidence.

She felt as if she had lived at the courthouse these last two weeks, and if she never ate in the courthouse cafeteria again, it would still be too soon. Spending just enough time at home to sleep and shower, then coming back to court just to sit around and wait, had been a nightmare.

Seeing Frank every single day, even in the safety of the court, had been a nightmare. Everything about the last few weeks was a nightmare and Kate wasn’t sure that she was ever going to wake up.

“We, the jury, find that for the charges of attempted murder of a police officer, attempted murder of Mr. Kane, the kidnapping of Ms. Kate Jackson, and the murders of Ms. Annie Jackson and Mr. Lenny Martin, the defendant, Frank Bild, is guilty on all five counts.”

Relief flooded Kate’s body at the words and she felt every bit of tension slide away as everyone around her broke into an uproar of cheers.

The courtroom was immediately alive with excitement, but Kate just sat on the wooden bench watching everything around her as if someone had put it all on mute. Derrick was hugging her and saying something, but she didn’t hear him. She didn’t hear anyone.

Tears slid down her cheeks rapidly, but she wasn’t crying. She wasn’t even sure where they were coming from, but she let them fall anyway. Her eyes were locked onto Frank, who refused to turn and look at her, but she didn’t care. The look of devastation on his face was a victory all in itself.

“It’s finally over, Katie.” A soft voice next to her said.

Kate turned and smiled at her sister, nodding in agreement.

“Twenty years, Annie.”

“First, his father, then him. All those years, Dad died and Mom left. You never wanted to talk about it, but I saw the guilt you carried every day, Katie. Now look, that guilt is finally where it belongs.”

“He’s guilty.” Kate continued staring, repeating the words, savoring the feeling as she watched the bailiff handcuff Frank and lead him out of the courtroom through a side door.

“And you’re not, Katie. Remember that.” Kate turned to respond to Annie, but she was gone and so was the silence.

Kate smiled, surprising herself, because it didn’t hurt. She felt lighter and free. She missed her sister, her uncle, her whole family; but right here and now, it didn’t hurt.

Somehow she knew that they weren’t hurting either, maybe Annie had told her that, because she wasn’t sure how she knew. There was just an overwhelming feeling of calm in her soul and she knew that her family was around her.

Turning to look at her other side, she saw Derrick grinning at her, an anxious look in his eyes. She knew that he was hoping this news would bring her back to him, bring back the Kate he had first fallen in love with. Right away, she could feel inside herself that she would never be able to give him that.

She could give him better, she would give him more.

Frank’s verdict didn’t just end the terror of the Photographer over her life, it was ending his father’s grip on her life. She had spent years trying to deny that the abuse she suffered as a child still played a role in her life, but she knew better now.

“Are you happy, Kate?” Derrick asked her, searching her eyes.

“It’s finally over.” She smiled, pure joy on her face.

~~~~~~