Page 136 of Hush
“There was a problem with your escape, wasn’t there?” Ballard’s voice was hard.
“Yes,” Desheriyev growled. “My exit plan was cut off. I was supposed to drop down and cross the roof, go down over the fire escape, and disappear into crowds on Indiana Plaza. Then into the Metro station. I had rehearsed. I knew how to escape perfectly. But that day, the doors were locked. The fire escape was blocked. I was trapped.”
“Why did this occur? Do you have any idea how it happened?
“I was set up,” Desheriyev growled again. His voice dropped, growing harder, his accent thicker. Anger colored his vowels, crashed on the harshness of his consonants. “The only person who knew where I was that day washim.” He pointed at Kryukov. “Mu’dak!He set me up to take the fall.”
“Why would he do that?”
“He did not think I would turn on him.”
“But you did. You’re helping the government prosecute him.”
Desheriyev snorted. He looked away.
“Aren’t you, Mr. Desheriyev?”
“Da. Yes. In exchange for a lot.”
Ballard quickly changed topics, stepping away from the statuesque pose he’d been frozen in through most of Desheriyev’s testimony. “Mr. Desheriyev, do you have any idea what the verification code meant? Six-two-one?”
“Nyet. No. It was chosen by Kryukov. I do not care.”
“Would you be surprised to learn that the code six-two-one is the number of the law passed in Russia that deals with LGBT propaganda? The so-called ‘anti-LGBT propaganda’ law?”
Desheriyev shrugged. “He is well-knownpidor. It make sense his vendetta against Vasiliev would be tied to that.”
“Pidor?”
“Homosexual.”
Ballard nodded once to Desheriyev, and then to the jury. “Pass the witness.”
Renner rose, taking time to button his suit jacket. He appraised Desheriyev, who stared back calmly, serenely.
“Mr. Desheriyev, how many murders have you committed?”
Ballard was on his feet immediately. “Objection! That is inflammatory and clearly designed to prejudice my witness in the eyes of the jury.”
“I’m exploring the character of the witness, Your Honor. Mr. Desheriyev’s character is directly related to the veracity of his testimony. How trustworthy an individual is this man?”
“The witness is not on trial!”
“No, because he has already pled guilty to these murders.”
“Counselors.” Tom held up his hand, a silent call for calm. “Mr. Renner, your approach is more prejudicial and inflammatory than probative. Find another way to pursue your line of questioning.”
Renner wasn’t happy, but he nodded. Ballard sat back down, his scowl a permanent fixture. He still refused to acknowledge Tom.
“Mr. Desheriyev,” Renner tried again. “You have pled guilty to the shootings at the Capitol?”
“Yes.”
“And these are not the first murders you have committed?”
“Objection.” Ballard was on his feet again. “The witness’s background was established in his testimony.”
“Counselor, move it along.” Tom let steel into his voice, a hardening of the usual calm he liked to project from the bench.
