Page 21 of Vermilion Desire

Except for the body of Addison in the damn trunk of his car when the diver’s pulled it out.

“The police claim they have evidence against my client, but they’re all circumstantial. The car was stolen, and for all we know, the murder could have been committed by the car thieves!”

Scarletta links her arm with mine, listening in the argument and how hard the lawyer is trying to make the jury believe that Braxton isn’t a killer.

The crime is clear as a day in my head because I was one of the lead detectives on this case. I know this better than anyone else. This case haunts me because Addison was a young girl like Scarletta, bright and beautiful with a long future ahead of her that suddenly turned black by the hands of a monster hiding behind a mask and money.

If I could tell the jury that Addison had somehow met Braxton and something happened to make him kill her, it was a crime of passion from how many wounds were inflicted on her body. Security cameras have caught his car, with only himself driving in the night to a remote area.

We wouldn’t have found the car with her body inside if her blood hadn’t leaked from the trunk and onto the ground for stray animals to pick up on. Animal control was called for the excessive animal activity, and then they called the police regarding the car they saw in the deep river, but no one was ready for the body.

Every piece of evidence had been contaminated by the dirty river water, and I’m sure Braxton wanted that, and it’s why he drove the car there.

There isn’t much evidence, but the implication is clearly there. If the jury and everyone else in this fucking world can open their eyes, then they would see what kind of a monster he really is. They don’t need to see what he had done to Addison’s body to come to that conclusion, but if it means to get people to turn against them, the prosecutor will use it.

Just like right now.

He presents the injuries. Over fifty stab wounds, evidence of saw marks for dismemberment. Brutal tearing from a sexual assault that cannot be mistaken for rough sex and the medical examiner had noted that the sexual assault had been done when her arms were sawed off because her wounds had hints of elasticity that only a live human could have.

He had stabbed her, took her arms off to make her defenseless to his sexual assault. Braxton is a sick bastard and bringing Addison that much pain wasn’t enough for him. He had hacked off her legs too before decapitating her.

Leaving her naked and exposed was his way of showing the last act of humiliation on the poor young woman.

The prosecutor hisses, hands clenching on the edge where the jury sits, eyeing the young woman in front of him to get the most connection to for Addison.

“Braxton is a sadist. He had tortured a young woman—someone who you could feel for; your daughter, your friend, your mother, yourself. This is the behavior of a psychopath; he has no remorse for what he has done. He’s lying to you right now.”

The prosecutor spins around, tie flying and pointing a sharp finger at him. “He didn’t even flinch when he looked at the photos; he has no remorse looking at pictures of a woman who was once a bright and happy girl—and he turned her life into a living hell!”

“Objection!” the defense side rises up. “Speculation!”

The prosecutor nods. “Withdrawn.”

He sits back down, lowly speaking to his colleague, who is another lawyer. The prosecutor waits for whatever bullshit Braxton’s lawyer is going to pull off because everyone working for Braxton has the personality of a snake, actively searching for loopholes and attacking everything in all directions without caring for morality.

“Your honor, I would like to discredit one of the prosecutor’s character witnesses.”

A round of murmurs flows through the room. The judge smacks his hammer down in front of him. Scarletta absentmindedly rubs my arm, a soft hum under her breath, and I just know whatever she’s planning is in motion.

While the lawyers are up by the judge to figure out what the hell is going on, Scarletta straightens up her posture with a smile.

“I was like to call Miss. Scarletta to the stand.”

She stands while I’m still in shock. Cal on her other side shoots me the same look of confusion while the prosecutor practically demands to know what the hell is going on with his eyes.

“Your honor, Miss Scarletta is not a witness to anything. She has no connection to the case.”

The defense lawyer immediately jumps in as if he has been expecting his objection. “Miss. Scarletta currently resides with Detective Wolf as she previously did with his partner.”

The judge contemplates for a moment. “I’ll allow it, but only questions pertaining to the case.”

“Thank you, your honor.” The lawyer smugly smiles at the prosecutor.

Scarletta is at the stand with her hand on the bible to swear she is not to lie on record. She seems to be excited, and that concerns me because no one had been expecting her to be on the stand. The prosecutor hadn’t prepared her for any of the brutal cross-examinations from the other side.

I know she is a brave and strong-willed girl, but this is a professional lawyer that only has money in his eyes, so her feelings are simply dust flying around in the air.

“Miss. Scarletta.” The man nods. “As you have heard the testimony, my client is a wonderful man.”

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