Page 48 of Drowning in Lies
Joshua Parker shook his hand somewhat reluctantly, and directed us toward a small conference table in the corner of his office. There were several file folders there, along with his laptop and a notepad.
He got right down to business, Chris's presence making him forego his usual pleasantries, I was sure. The meeting was very straightforward. He went over my initial statements to the police, asking if I need to change or add anything.
After I confirmed that it was all correct, he asked a few questions to be certain he understood various points and we discussed everything in minute detail. I was able to be truthful with the majority of my answers, giving carefully crafted half-truths for most of the others. There were only a couple of instances when I had to blatantly lie to cover up what had really happened.
Chris sat quietly at the table, not feeling the need to interject, although I did notice him glance at me a time or two with an odd look on his face. Unless you knew him well, you would likely never notice, but I could tell something was on his mind. I tried not to worry, and he soon returned to his normal self.
As the prosecutor wrapped up the review of the circumstances and his line of questioning, he informed me that the State of Indiana required trials to begin within six months of the defendant being charged, especially in a case like this when the defendants were being held in custody pending trial.
"The judge is unlikely to grant an extension unless we or the defense can show strong cause. There are a lot of facts to wade through, and I'm sure the defense team will be bringing in their own expert witnesses. Fortunately for us, our case is based on solid, documented evidence - the cell phone records, the video recordings, the bank transfers, the falsified documents. It would be nearly impossible for anyone to cast doubt on the charges for the fraud, forgery, embezzlement and drug possession."
He glanced at Chris, who nodded in agreement, then continued. "Now, the charges for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder aren't quite as cut and dried. We don't have a few pieces of that puzzle, but I think we have enough for the jury to connect the dots and agree with certainty that this is what happened. I don't think they will be swayed by an argument of reasonable doubt, but we just won't know until we begin the trial and get a feel for the jury's reaction."
Mr. Parker looked at a piece of paper in one of the folders, then looked back up at me. "We have one bit of good news from the lab. Most of the prints on the wine bottle were too smudged to be useful, except for two. Vanessa Caldwell's partial palm print was found on the bottom of the bottle, and her thumb print was found near the label. That clearly puts the bottle in her possession at some point."
I smiled at that knowledge and thanked him for his efforts on this case. Chris and I parted ways in the lobby, after he invited me to dinner with them that evening. "Sherry will want to hear all about this meeting," he said with a smile. Sherry hated being left out of the loop on anything, so it was probably driving her crazy that she hadn't been with us today.
I happily accepted the invitation, and arrived at their house later that evening to be greeted by the smell of Sherry's fried chicken when I walked through the door. My mouth watered - her fried chicken was fantastic and I was starving.
Over dinner, Chris filled her in, telling her he thought everything went well, and that Josh Parker wasn't quite as much of an asshole as he usually was when Chris faced off with him in a courtroom.
Sherry got agitated about the case all over again as he talked, undoubtedly helped by the several glasses of wine she had with dinner. At one point, she said "I swear, if David wasn't already dead, I'd kill him myself."
My eyes widened a bit at her statement, and Chris assured her that he would have defended her in court. He was watching me closely when he tilted his head toward me slightly and added, "I guarantee that I would have convinced the jury that it was self-defense."
Chapter 26: Chris Knows
I tried to smile normally - hoping I was just imagining things - as Sherry corrected him."It would have been justifiable homicide, not self-defense.You should know the difference, Mr. Criminal Defense Attorney," she joked.
He laughed and agreed."You're right as always, my love.Ifyouhad killed him, if would have been justifiable homicide."
I froze, knowing that I had not imagined his emphasis on the word 'you' just then.I forced myself to meet his gaze, and he gave me a small smile and an ever-so-slight nod.I looked away and swallowed hard, feeling my throat closing up as panic started to set in.
Shit! He knows...something.What does he know?How? Fuck, fuck, fuck, this is not good!My internal freak-out went unnoticed by Sherry, and I was afraid to look at Chris again.I was battered by emotions from all sides - fear of being discovered, guilt for my sins, shame for involving my best friends.
I felt sick to my stomach and fought back the urge to confess my sins and purge my soul. I couldn't put that burden on them.I couldn't make Chris choose between friendship and the laws that he had sworn to uphold. He was one of the good guys.He had always been adamant about making a difference with his work.He didn't try to subvert the law when defending his clients.He provided the best defense possible, by making sure that evidence was properly obtained, the investigation was legally conducted, and that any extenuating or mitigating circumstances were brought to light to help his client's position. He didn't lie for his clients, and I wasn't about to ask him to lie for me, either.
My heart broke as I realized that I would need to call Uncle Pat to activate Plan B...a new identity in a new country, cutting all ties to anyone who knew me as Lila Montgomery.
"Lila?Hey, are you OK?You've gone really pale, and you were totally spaced out there for a second." I startled as Sherry reached over to clasp my hand. I looked at her in a daze, still lost in my dark thoughts.
"Uh, yeah, I...I think things are just catching up to me. I'm going to head home.I just need an early night, I think." I stood up, before looking in dismay at the table of dirty dishes."I'm sorry for leaving you with this mess...let me at least clear the table first," I said, as I began to gather the dishes.
Sherry stood and took them from my hands."I'll get these, don't worry about it, honey.You look like you're about to fall over.Are you sure you're just tired?"
"Yes, I'll be fine, really. It's just been a long day.I'll call you tomorrow."I turned to grab my purse off the bar and heard Sherry telling Chris that she didn't think I should be driving.
I stopped and turned my head toward her. "No, that's all right, I'm fine to drive."
Chris walked over and gently cupped my elbow, guiding me toward the door to their garage."Nope, you heard my wife, and she's right.You don't look like you should be driving anywhere.I'll drive you, since Sherry's been hitting the wine tonight. We'll worry about getting your car back to you in the morning."
I stopped arguing, knowing that whatever happened - whatever he had to say to me once we were alone - was entirely deserved. I would hear him out, and call Uncle Pat as soon as I got home.
He didn't say a word as we got in the car, and he backed out of the garage.The silence was oppressive as he pulled out onto their street without even glancing at me.I tried to practice my deep breathing exercises, but it seemed as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the car.I knew I was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack.I closed my eyes, trying to focus on my "happy place" as my therapist called it.
My eyes flew open as I felt the car slow to a stop. I looked around and realized that Chris had pulled into the park a few blocks from their house.I watched him warily as he turned the car off and shifted in his seat to face me. The nearby streetlight illuminated the interior of the car just enough to make out his features.
"It's OK, Lila. Breathe."
