Page 41 of Trial Run

“Johnny Rigley is one of my best prosecutors,” growled Lennox. “He didn’t talk.”

“Can’t say the same about Gloria Leland though, can you?” Wren asked.

“True.”

Reggie rapped on the table to get everyone’s attention. “Let me get this straight. What you’re saying is that when Benton figured out threatening Brooke wasn’t going to work anymore, he decided to frame Mitchell for jury tampering which isn’t that hard considering he’s the one who has all the evidence since he arranged the whole scheme.”

“Exactly,” Lennox said.

“I guess that would make it less likely anyone would believe anything she had to say if she then tried to flip on Benton.” Reggie started to wrap her mind around the idea. “She’d only look likeshe was desperate to avoid prison time.” She looked around the room. “So, what do we do know?”

“I think it’s time we bring Mitchell back in,” Sarah said. “Now that her own family has been targeted with threats, she might be more willing to talk.”

Reggie flashed back to the conversation between Benton and Mitchell in the parking garage. “I don’t know if that will be enough. Based on what I saw, those two have a really disturbing dynamic. They might take each other down, but I doubt either one of them would want to involve law enforcement to do it.” An idea started to churn in the back of her mind, but it was too crazy to say out loud.

“What are you thinking?” Lennox asked. She rolled her hand in the air. “Out with it.”

Reggie faced the intense gaze of the others in the room. Yeah, her idea might be crazy, but she was in a safe space here. “Mitchell knows I overheard her conversation with Benton, but what if she thought I knew even more?”

Sarah looked skeptical. “Like what?”

“Like what if there was another note—just like the others, and another juror being coerced to vote not guilty? At some point, when the evidence starts to pile up, it becomes undeniable. Maybe then she can be convinced there’s no way out for her other than to give up whatever she’s got on Harry Benton.”

“And this other juror is you, right?”

“Yes, but let’s do things differently this time. Instead of her attorney getting hauled into chambers and her getting threatened with legal action, what if I try and coerce her into telling me about Benton’s involvement in the shooting in exchange for my silence?”

“You said yourself, they have a strange dynamic,” Lennox said. “She’s not going to rat Benton out to you.”

“I said it was strange, but it’s not perfect. She would love nothing more than to put Benton away, but she’s not going to come clean with you people—why would she trust the DA’s office when you indicted her?

“And you, Sarah, she’s never going to implicate herself in a conspiracy when everyone knows all the bad actors are going to do time, it’s just a matter of how much. But I can appeal to her not only as someone who can shore up the tampering case, but also a victim of Benton’s atrocities.” She rubbed her injured arm to emphasize the point.

Skye was the first to speak. “She has a point.”

“And if Mitchell goes running to Benton and asks for his help to get rid of the problem?” Sarah shook her head. “It’s dangerous. We need a more controlled plan.”

“Sarah, you’re great,” Lennox said, “But you’ve got to lose the fed mentality. Sometimes you have to go rogue to get stuff done.” She turned to Reggie. “If you get caught talking to Mitchell, the plan falls apart. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

Reggie paused for only a second, knowing if she took too long to respond, her answer might change. But in that flicker of time, she thought of Brooke and Ben, and she knew she had to do something to end this once and for all. “A hundred percent.”

Chapter Sixteen

Brooke tried her best to appear casual as she walked up and down the hall outside of Judge Hunt’s courtroom, but she could tell by some of the looks she was drawing that she looked more lost than nonchalant.

Accurate. She was lost and she’d been that way since last night when Reggie had delivered the most incredible kiss she’d ever had in her life. Strike that. She’d been anything but lost in the throes of the kiss, but afterward when Reggie left her house, she’d never felt more alone, and the feeling persisted still.

Reggie had barely looked at her all morning, exchanging only a quick hello before burying her head in a book, studying no doubt, which was another painful reminder of last night’s abrupt ending. Not for the first time, Brooke wondered what was wrong with her that she couldn’t let someone like Reggie get close. Ben liked her and, based on what she’d seen, so did everyone here at the courthouse. Reggie had done nothing but be kind and helpful to her and all she’d done was push her away.

“Where’s your friend?”

Brooke turned to see Mark standing directly behind her, a little closer than she preferred, but she wrote it off to his social awkwardness. “Hi, Mark. Are you as tired as I am of sitting?” She hoped he wouldn’t notice she hadn’t answered his question.

“I saw her earlier, but then she disappeared.”

Brooke sighed. “I’m sure she had some things to do on the break.”

“Wanna get some lunch?”

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