Page 26 of Trial Run

Mark’s observation dropped like a rock. Yes, Reggie was back, but something was different; something was off from their easy back-and-forth this morning. This Reggie wasn’t the same person she’d ridden to the courthouse with this morning or the one who’d comforted Ben at the hospital, or her at her house. This version acted like she didn’t exist.

She was trying to decide between ignoring Reggie too or confronting her when Leroy appeared at the door.

“Judge’s ready for y’all. And he asked me to make sure you know that we’re on a tight schedule for the rest of the day. Everybody make sure to come back from breaks on time.”

He glanced at Reggie and squinted like he was tossing emphasis her way. Brooke followed his gaze, and for a brief second Reggie smiled, but she wasn’t certain if the friendly overture was for her or merely in response to Leroy’s gentle admonition, and with a busy day ahead, she doubted she was going to find out anytime soon.

The first witness of the day was another one of Shirley Mitchell’s business acquaintances. The prosecutor spent a lot of time trying to get him to say Shirley had tried to get him involved in a scheme with her, but he never quite went there and kept throwing uncomfortable glances in Shirley’s direction as if to say, “what have you gotten us involved in?” Brooke was laser-focused on his behavior and couldn’t help but wonder if he was under the same kind of pressure she was. Rigley finally passed the witness and sat down, visibly frustrated at the lack of cooperation from a witness he’d chosen to call to the stand.

Leland took her time starting her cross-examination, spending a few moments staring at a piece of paper in front of her like it contained the secrets of the universe. When she finally looked up at the witness, her expression was almost feral. “You look uncomfortable to be sitting there, Mr. Ross.”

Ross bit his lip and looked down.

“Nothing to say?” Leland taunted him. “Wait. Let me rephrase that. Why do you look so uncomfortable, Mr. Ross?”

This time he straightened his shoulders and looked directly at her. Brooke flinched inwardly at the daggers in his eyes and held her breath for his answer, but after a moment, his bravado deflated, and he looked down at his hands.

“I’m not,” he said.

“Okay, then.” Again with the exaggerated smile. “Let’s get to it.” Leland picked up the paper she’d been studying. “How many deals have you done with Ms. Mitchell over the past ten years?”

He shrugged. “I’d have to consult my records to determine the exact amount.”

“More than five?”

“Probably.”

“More than ten?”

He shifted in his seat again. “I’m not sure of the exact amount.”

“So somewhere between five and so many that you can’t remember the amount.”

Rigley shot out of his seat. “Objection, Judge. Defense counsel is testifying.”

Brooke stared at Leland who raised her hands in surrender. “I withdraw the question.” She turned to look at the jury and rolled her eyes. “Mr. Ross, did the prosecutors meet with you to prepare for your testimony here at trial?”

Again with the shifting. “We talked so they could give me a general idea of what to expect.”

“And they asked you questions, asked you about your interactions with Ms. Mitchell?”

“Sure, but—”

“Is it your testimony that no one in the DA’s office asked you how many deals you’ve done with Ms. Mitchell?”

His eyes darted around the room, but there was no escape from the cage of her questions. He shot a quick look at the jury before plunging in. “I’m sure they asked. They asked a bunch of things. That doesn’t mean I remember every little thing or the answer I gave.”

“Makes perfect sense,” Leland said. “You’d have to check your records, like you said.”

“Yes, that’s right.” He relaxed back into his chair looking relieved that Leland finally got him.

Leland reached into a briefcase sitting next to her chair and pulled out a stack of bound notebooks. She shuffled them into a different order and stood. “Your Honor, may I approach?”

“You may, counselor,” he said.

She was already on the move, dropping a set of bound notebooks on the prosecutor’s table before striding to the witness stand. She handed a set to Ross. “I had a feeling you might need these so I brought them along. Please describe to the jury what I’ve handed to you.”

He took a moment to examine the notebooks. His expression barely changed, but Brooke recognized the tightness in his shoulders and his pale face as signs he knew he was navigating a mine field. She should know. When he finally spoke, the trepidation in his voice was clear.

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