Greed and a Mistress

by Marti Talbott

  “I forgot to turn it off,” the man Jackie had sat beside the previous morning pleaded. “It can happen to anyone.”

  The bailiff was not impressed, and motioned for the man to come to him. Reluctantly, the man with the cellphone made his way down the row, which forced several people to stand up. As soon as he reached the aisle, the bailiff took hold of his arm and escorted him out. A moment later, the bailiff came back in and nodded to the still perturbed judge.

  “Continue, Mr. Davis,” said Judge Blackwell.

  Michael whistled. “Jackie, I hacked into the hotel computer. Whoever bought the voucher for Holly paid cash, and it’s good for a full month.”

  “Yes, Your Honor,” said the DA. “Miss Hamilton, were you, or are you now, in love with Mark Barrett?”

  Lexi scoffed. “No, he was just a diversion.”

  “Ouch,” said Michael. “The defendant isn’t supposed to show emotion, but that made Mark Barrett flinch. Only a diversion? I wouldn’t be surprised if the poor guy is scarred for life.”

  “Why did you need a diversion?” Davis asked.

  “The man I love married someone else, and I was having a hard time getting over him. I thought being with another man would help, but boy, oh boy, I sure know how to pick ‘em.” Finally, she glared at Mark.

  “Me too,” Holly whispered to Jackie.

  “Half the jury is watching Holly,” said Michael. “They are not supposed to know who she is, but apparently they couldn’t seat a jury that hadn’t seen her picture in the paper. By law, they are required to swear they can render an impartial verdict even if they have been exposed to pretrial publicity.”

  “I have no further questions,” said Davis as he picked up his papers and walked back to his table.

  “Neither do I,” Holly whispered.

  Jackie smiled and patted the back of Holly’s hand. She’d been watching Judge Blackwell, and more than once, the judge looked to see how upset Holly was getting. It was something Jackie found very endearing about the judge. So far, Holly was hanging in there, and in her place, Jackie wasn’t sure she could be that calm.

  IT WAS THE DEFENSE attorney’s turn. Livingston walked to the lectern and smiled at the witness the same way Davis had. “Miss Hamilton, have you ever been convicted of a felony?”

  “Objection, Your...” Davis started.

  Caught completely off guard, Lexi gasped, “No!”

  “Objection overruled,” the judge said. “The defense has the right to challenge the credibility of the state’s witnesses.”

  “Thank you,” said Livingston. “Miss Hamilton, at the time you began your affair with Mark Barrett, did you know he was married?”

  “Sure.”

  “Did Mr. Barrett ever show you a gun?”

  “No, I would have freaked if he had. I hate guns.”

  “Do you own any guns?”

  “No.”

  “Miss Hamilton, did the defendant, Mr. Barrett, ever mention knowing Mrs. Lockhart?”

  “No.”

  “Did he confess to killing Mrs. Lockhart?”

  “Good grief, no.”

  “Thank you.” Livingston quickly went on as if he didn’t want the witness to have time to think. “Miss Hamilton, you said you recognize two people in the courtroom today. Aside from the defendant, who is the other one?”

  “What?”

  “Miss Hamilton, how long have you known Slone Lockhart?”

  “Oh, boy, now this is getting good,” Michael said.

  Davis half rose up. “Objection, relevance?”

  “Your Honor,” said Livingston, “the state asked if she recognized anyone, and Miss Hamilton testified that she recognized two people. The defense contends the other person is Slone Lockhart, the victim’s son.”

  “Objection overruled. Continue, Mr. Livingston.”

  “Yes, Your Honor. Miss Hamilton, do you recall the question?”

  “Yes, do you want to know how long I have known Slone Lockhart? About ten years. I bought a car from him a long time ago.”

  “When was the last time you saw Slone Lockhart?”

  Lexi bowed her head and didn’t answer.

  “Miss Hamilton, are you having a memory lapse?”

  “No, sir.” She reluctantly raised her head and looked Livingston in the eye. “The last time I saw Slone was the week his mother was murdered. He came up to the lodge to spend the night.”

  “Just one night?”

  “Yes.”

  “Which night was that?”

  “Tuesday.”

  “The night his mother was murdered?”

  “I guess.”

  Livingston was trying hard not to look pleased. “Did you and Slone Lockhart sleep in the same bed that night?”

  Lexi stared at Slone for a long moment. “No.”

  “I see. So you cannot provide an alibi for him?”

  “Well, I saw him arrive, and then leave the next morning.”

  “But you cannot swear he was there the whole night, can you?”

  “No,” she answered.

  “How long does it take to drive from Portland to the lodge?”

  “About two hours.”

  “So roundtrip takes approximately four hours?”

  “That’s about right.”

  “Isn’t it true that you are having an affair with Slone Lockhart?”

  Davis hopped up. “Asked and answered, Your Honor.”

  “Sustained.”

  “I’ll withdraw the question. Isn’t it true, that Slone Lockhart gave you a new car for your birthday last year?”

  Again, she hesitated to answer. At length, she said, “Yes.”

  “Excuse me,” said Livingston as he placed his hand beside his ear. “Miss Hamilton, could you speak up?”

  She lifted her chin and glared at the defense attorney. “I said yes.”

  “Was that about six months after his mother’s murder?”

  “Maybe...probably.”

  “Yet, you just testified that you had not seen Slone Lockhart since you saw him at the lodge the night his mother died.”

  “I forgot about the car.”

  “I see. Miss Hamilton, if you are not having an affair with Slone Lockhart, why did he give you such an expensive gift?”

  “He likes me, I guess.”

  “Our Mr. Slone looks none too happy right now,” said Michael. “He is not frowning at Lexi, but he hasn’t taken his eyes off her either.”

  “Isn’t it true, that the new car Slone Lockhart gave you was a bribe to get you to provide him with an alibi for that night?”

  “No.”

  “Is it your testimony, under oath, that you are not lying about seeing him at the lodge that night?”

  “No, I am not lying. He was there. I saw him.”

  “You mean Slone Lockhart gave you a new car for no reason?” Livingston pressed.

  “It was my birthday.”

  “I see. Do you know of anyone else he has given such a generous gift to?”

  “No.”

  “Did Slone Lockhart give you the car to keep you from implicating him in his mother’s murder?”

  “Asked and answered,” said Davis.

  “Sustained.”

  Livingston continued to push forward with his rapid questions. “Did Mr. Lockhart ever talk to you about his mother?”

  “No...well, yes, once.”

  “What did he tell you?”

  “It was years ago, I don’t remember exactly.”

  “Miss Hamilton, please tell the jury what you do remember.”

  “It was something about a fight he had with his father over something his mother did. He didn’t tell me anything more than that.”

  “Have you been promised any future monetary gain for providing him with an alibi?”

  “No.”

  “Isn’t it true, Miss Hamilton, that Mr. Lockhart gave you the necklace and not Mark Barrett?”

  “No,” she nearly whined. “Mark gave it to me.”

&
nbsp; Livingston paused to stare at the witness for a moment. “I wonder, did you kill Mrs. Lockhart?”

  Lexi rolled her eyes. “Of course not.”

  “Did you steal her jewelry?”

  “No. I didn’t even know where she lived.”

  “You said that Mark Barrett never mentioned knowing Mrs. Lockhart, is that correct?”

  “That is correct.”

  “So to your knowledge, he didn’t have any reason to kill her?”

  “That’s right,” Lexi answered.

  “Just so I am clear, to your knowledge, did Mr. Barrett own a gun?”

  “I never saw him with one.”

  “Could he have been wearing one without your knowledge?”

  “I don’t think so. I would have noticed when he took off his clothes.”

  Livingston ignored the laughter in the room. “Did he ever ask you to keep anything for him?”

  “No.”

  “Miss Hamilton, did he leave a cellphone at your house?”

  “He didn’t have one that I know of.”

  “Do you know where the rest of Mrs. Lockhart’s jewelry is?”

  “I do not. I certainly don’t have it, if that’s what you are implying.”

  Livingston ignored her irritated answer. “To your knowledge, did Mrs. Holly Barrett know you were having an affair with her husband?”

  “I doubt it. Half the town knew, but not his wife. He wasn’t very secretive about it and he wasn’t worried about her finding out either. She had two little kids to take care of and no car, so it wasn’t like she was going to drive around trying to find him.”

  Once more, the judge watched Holly, and Jackie watched the judge. When Jackie glanced at her, Holly had her head down, but she didn’t seem to be too upset.

  “Did Mr. Barrett talk to you about having fights with his wife?”

  “He mentioned one or two.”

  “Did he tell you what they were about?”

  Lexie took a deep breath as though she had forgotten to breathe. “Mostly, they fought about money, but I don’t know the details. I really didn’t want to know.”

  “Did Holly Barrett ever call or threaten you?”

  That question made Holly raise her head and stare at her husband’s defense attorney.

  “No,” Lexi answered. “I never heard from her. I didn’t even know what she looked like until her picture was in the paper.”

  “To your knowledge, has Holly Barrett ever threatened to harm anyone else?”

  “No.”

  “So you do not know if she had a reason to kill Mrs. Lockhart?”

  Davis shot out of his seat. “Objection, Your Honor! Foundation.”

  Judge Blackwell looked equally outraged when he loudly said, “Sustained!”

  Livingston ignored the judge, consulted his notes, and then said, “I have no further questions for this witness.”

  Holly continued to stare at the public defender as he left the lectern and returned to his seat beside her husband. Her brow was deeply wrinkled when she turned to Jackie. “What...what was that all about? He’s not trying to blame the murder on me, is he?”

  Jackie sighed. “I hope not.”

  “Amazing,” said Michael. “That jerk of a husband actually let his attorney imply that Holly had something to do with it. He’s looking smug too. What a nice guy, what a really, really, nice guy! I say it’s time to help the defense blame this on someone other than Holly. Touch your chin if you agree, Jackie.” He waited, and when she did, he gleefully rubbed his hands together. “Good. I’ve discovered Slone Lockhart has a bit of a secret life. I bet his wife doesn’t know about it, and I bet Lexi does. Don’t ask me how I found out. It’s a little trick I learned at hacking school. See, you make a simple request to a...never mind, I’ll explain it later.”

  CHAPTER 6

  “MR. DAVIS, ANY REDIRECT?” Judge Blackwell asked.

  “I only have one question.” Davis stood up. “Miss Hamilton, did Slone Lockhart know you were having an affair with Mark Barrett?”

  “Not to my knowledge.”

  “No further questions.”

  “Mr. Livingston?” the judge asked.

  “Nothing more, Your Honor.”

  This time, Judge Blackwell was looking at her instead of Holly, as if he was trying to tell Jackie something, and she thought she knew what. Lexi was about to step out of the witness box when Jackie leaned toward Holly and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Yes, let’s.” Holly said.

  Judge Blackwell watched the two women dash down the aisle, and then said, “Gentlemen, let’s take a little break. Court will reconvene at 10:20.”

  “All rise,” shouted the bailiff.

  Before Holly could make it out of the courtroom, a woman shouted, “Mrs. Barrett?”

  “Oh, shut up!” Holly yelled back. She dashed out the door the bailiff held open for them, turned down the wide hallway, and then peeked in the window of the next courtroom. It was empty, so she yanked open the door and the two of them slipped inside.

  IN THE DARKENED COURTROOM with her back tight against the wall, Holly laughed. “That felt good.”

  “A reporter?”

  “Yes, and not a pleasant one, as if any of them are pleasant.”

  “Where are you?” Michael asked. “I can’t see a thing.”

  “It’s lucky this courtroom was empty,” Jackie said.

  “Got it,” said Michael.

  “You’re holding up very well,” said Jackie.

  “I’m fine. It’s not like the papers haven’t...” Holly giggled again. “Super stud? It was worth it just to hear Alfred say that to Mark’s face.”

  “Even the jury smiled at that one.”

  “Did they? Good for them.”

  “You know Alfred Smythe?”

  “I’ve seen him a couple of times, and talked to him on the phone when Mark wasn’t in the office for some reason. Of course, now we all know what that reason was. Jackie, why do men cheat on their wives? I mean, is it because we are not enough for them?”

  “I think it has more to do with the thrill of getting away with it. One thing is for sure, you are a very sweet and pretty lady. A man who takes a chance of losing you is truly stupid.”

  “Thank you. That is a very kind thing to say.”

  Jackie checked the time on her cellphone and then turned it off again. “I notice you’re not wearing your wedding rings.”

  “I hocked them a long time ago so we could eat. I didn’t get much for them; the guy said if Mark paid a lot, he got ripped off. That’s my Mark.” She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t sorry to see them go, mind you. When you marry, the rings bind you to the marriage. Too bad hocking the rings doesn’t get you out of it.”

  “You intend to divorce him?”

  “Wouldn’t you? Jackie, I’m still young. Am I supposed to live alone without love and sex for the rest of my life, because I married a murderer? I mean, why am I being punished?”

  “You’re right, you don’t deserve that. Promise me something.”

  “What?”

  “When you find a man you are thinking of marrying, call me and let me do a background check on him?”

  “You would do that for me?”

  “In a heartbeat. You deserve a good man who loves both you and your daughters. They’re going to need a father, you know.”

  “I know and I promise. Thank you, and thank you for being my friend.”

  Jackie stepped to the closed door and peeked through the window. The hallway looked pretty crowded still. “What’s the deal with the cellphone?” she asked Holly.

  “Oh, I guess they can’t find any other way he could have communicated with the person who hired him.”

  “Did he have a cellphone?”

  “Yep, but like a lot of things, it disappeared after the murder. When I asked him about it, he said he broke it and threw it away. It was just one of those cheap disposable phones, probably.”

  Jackie moved away from th
e door and thought about that for a moment. “It’s a puzzle, isn’t it?”

  “What is?”

  “Well, he is stupid enough to give the necklace to Lexi, and smart enough to get rid of the cellphone.”

  “I think he had help after he committed the murder.”

  “That makes sense. Are you ready to go back in?”

  “After a stop in the ladies room. Hopefully, all the reporters are gone by now.”

  Just as Holly and Jackie were making their way to the ladies room, Slone and Atticus were headed back to the courtroom. Following behind them, Carl slightly nodded to Jackie, walked past the guard at the door checking IDs, went down the marble steps, and hailed a cab. As soon as he got in, he called Michael.

  “Michael, put me on speaker phone.”

  “You’re on,” said Michael.

  “Jackie, the oldest asked if their sister had gone to the post office. Apparently, she went last night to get the mail forwarded. They said something about a hidden bank account.”

  Jackie wanted to ask Carl where he was, but she couldn’t without Holly hearing her. She finished washing her hands and then looked at herself in the mirror. The room was nearly empty and they were probably going to be late, but she had a feeling the Judge would wait for them. What an interesting man the judge was.

  JACKIE WAS RIGHT. EVERYONE was already seated except the judge and the jury. While they waited, she watched Sharon Smith, the court clerk. She suspected it wasn’t a very challenging job, at least not in this case. There didn’t seem to be much physical evidence for her to keep track of, and swearing in witnesses only took a few moments, but perhaps there was more to it than she could see.

  Sharon Smith was such a common name that anyone looking specifically for that name would find it more than challenging. Of course, missing children rarely knew what their real name was, especially when they were taken before the age of two. Even when a child was older, their memories became cloudy at best, and if they were taken simply because someone wanted a child, and if by some miracle, they were loved instead of abused, cloudy memories could easily fade away completely.

  The moment the clerk spotted Jackie watching her, the detective looked away. That was the bad part about sitting close to the front. It made it a little more difficult to watch the subject of their search without being too obvious. As soon as the judge’s door opened and the bailiff called the court to order, Jackie stood up the same as everyone else.