“That’s right.”
“Now in my experience with law enforcement, for whom I have a great deal of respect, they generally don’t dismiss murder charges so lightly.”
The officer stiffened and glanced at the District Attorney, whose face remained impassive.
Jesse braced his foot on the witness platform and leaned in, as if having a social chat. “So why, Officer Mallory, did you reject Mr. Henderson’s claims?”
“The man had no proof, except his word, and it happened in another state eighteen years ago.” He grinned as he looked at the jury, apparently waiting for a chuckle. He got nothing but a few jurors shifting in their seats. One juror nudged another who appeared to be asleep.
Jesse walked away. “So, in your estimation, murder charges—which have no statute of limitations—are not worth the time and attention of the Galveston police?”
“I didn’t say that.” Mallory waved in Hunter’s direction. “He made these statements against the most prominent citizen of Galveston.”
Jesse tapped his lips, giving Mallory time to squirm. “I see. So then what you are telling me is, if an upstanding member of the Galveston community were to commit a serious criminal offense, say, this afternoon—the police would most likely ignore it?”
Mallory fumbled, trying to get the words out. “No. Of course not.”
“Mr. Cochran,” the judge said, “is there a purpose to this line of questioning?”
“Yes, Your Honor. Officer Mallory has testified that Mr. Henderson allegedly threatened the deceased as he left the police station. I am merely trying to establish that my client uttered no such threat, but was merely frustrated at the lack of cooperation by law enforcement.”
“Go on.”
“Now, Officer Mallory, when you refused to do your duty—”
“Objection.”
“Sustained. Watch your wording, Mr. Cochran.”
Jesse nodded. “When you did not file a police report after my client reported a murder, what exactly did Mr. Henderson say? Now I know you’ve already testified to this under your examination by the district attorney, but I’d like you to repeat it.”
“He said he would take care of it himself.”
“Were those his exact words?”
Mallory shrugged. “Something like that.”
“In fact, officer, didn’t Mr. Henderson say he would see justice done?”
Mallory studied Jesse for a minute. “Yeah. That might be what he said.”
“And to you, seeing that ‘justice would be done’ is tantamount to a threat?”
“It sure sounded like one to me.”
“I see.” Jesse walked in a circle in front of the witness. “Tell me, Officer Mallory. How long had you known the defendant before he appeared at the police station?”
“Hadn’t met him at all before then.”
“Yet, you feel as though you knew what he meant by those words?” Without waiting for an answer, Jesse returned to his seat. “No further questions.”
Emily watched the proceedings, the knot in her stomach growing stronger with every word. Hours had passed since Jesse had taken some of the steam out of the police officer’s testimony, but since she had no experience with trials, it was hard for her to assess what the jury thought. The twelve men in the jury box had sat stoned faced throughout the day.
Exhausted from the ordeal, she stood as court was adjourned for the day. She brushed past observers leaving the courtroom as she moved up the aisle to the defendant’s table. Jesse and Hunter had their heads together as she approached. She stood back waiting for them to finish.
“Ah, here’s my girl now.” Hunter smiled as he reached out his hand.
“Careful, Hunter,” Jesse mumbled.
Emily snatched her hand back. Jesse was right, tomorrow she would take the stand for the district attorney and she knew what was coming. Jesse had warned her, and would prepare her tonight for the next day’s grueling session in court. By the end of tomorrow, her reputation in Galveston would be in shreds.
The three left the courthouse and walked to the hotel. After dropping off their notes, they headed to the café a couple of blocks further down.
Once they were settled in their seats, Emily picked up the menu and regarded him over the top of it. “Hunter, I want to interview some of the witnesses Jeremy was working on.”
“No.”
She sighed and put the menu down. “Why not? After tomorrow I won’t have to be in the courtroom. Once the district attorney finishes up, Jesse needs to have those witnesses ready to testify.”
“She’s right, you know,” Jesse said.
Hunter’s lips tightened and he shook his head. “That could be dangerous. We don’t know what these witnesses said, and you both seem to forget that we’re dealing with a murderer here. It’s quite possible one of the people Jeremy talked to is the man who should be sitting where I am in the defendant’s seat.”
“Let me at least talk to Mr. Sanders, Louis’s partner. He’s harmless enough, and he might have an idea who in their business might be angry enough about losing money to murder Louis.”
“Have you seen him since the reading of the will?”
“No. He was so relieved when he left there, I can only assume he thought Louis might have left his half of the business to me and that would cause him a lot of trouble. I still don’t understand how they operated the whole thing, only that it brought in a lot of money.”
“What I can’t understand,” Hunter said, “is how Sanders is still in business. With all the problems the market has had recently, I would think the clients would be clamoring for their money.”
Emily leaned forward. “That’s why I want to talk to him. Since he’s been subpoenaed by the prosecution, I can only surmise that is why he’s still in business and not closing it all up and leaving town.”
“It will only be a matter of time before he is arrested,” Jesse said.
Hunter waved his hand in the air, attracting the waitress’s attention. “Right now I want to cease talk of the trial and just enjoy dinner. I’m tired, hungry, and feeling grouchy.”
“You’re right, we need a break.” Jesse smiled as the middle-aged woman approached their table, pad and pencil in hand.
“Let’s not go in just yet.” Hunter pushed a loose curl behind Emily’s ear.
They stood in front of the hotel. After the fire, Hunter had insisted she move into their hotel. He’d become very protective and she wasn’t all that sure she was comfortable with his overzealous attention.
Almost since the day she’d met him, she knew there was something special about Hunter. So many times she’d wished she had met him before her parents had died. They would have loved him, and he would have been the one to step in after their death, instead of Louis.
But that was not to be, so wishing made no difference. After the disaster of her life with Louis, and his spiteful last will and testament, she no longer trusted anyone. As appealing as it had been to imagine a man as strong and loving as Hunter taking care of her, that thought now brought more fear than happiness.
She had to learn to stand on her own two feet and provide a living for herself. No more depending on a man to keep a roof over her head and food on her table.
But she would be a fool to deny how much she cared for him. Was it love?
“I could use a walk to clear my head.” Hunter took her hand in his as they strolled along.
“I don’t think Jesse would be too happy to see us holding hands in public.” Emily attempted to remove her hand from his.
“Honey, after tomorrow, it won’t make a bit of difference.”
“I know.” Her stomach knotted once again.
“I hate that you’re going to have to go through that.”
&n
bsp; “And I hate what you’re going through.” She slashed her hand through the air. “Obviously, someone out there wanted Louis dead.” Coming to a complete stop, she tugged on Hunter’s fingers. “Please give me the list of witnesses Jeremy was going to speak to.”
Hunter pressed his index finger and thumb against the bridge of his nose. Once more his silky locks lay against his forehead, making her hand itch to smooth the strands back.
He studied her face, both of them ignoring the people who cast them dirty looks when they had to scoot around them to pass by. “Don’t you understand I want to keep you safe? That a murderer is out there who could be thinking about killing you?”
She blanched at his words. That likelihood had flitted through her mind once or twice, but hearing it spoken aloud made it seem all the more real. Since they had no idea who had actually killed Louis, they also had no motive. Oh, they had plenty of guesses and ideas, most likely someone who had been scammed by the business, but no strong suspect. Which could, of course, be why the district attorney had been so focused on Hunter from the very beginning.
“Millie is on the list. It certainly would do no harm to find out what the district attorney expects her to say. I can at least talk to her. There would be nothing unusual about me going to her shop if you’re so sure I’m being watched.”
When he hesitated, and before he could speak, she added, “I want to help, Hunter. I need to do something besides sit on the sidelines and watch you convicted for something you didn’t do. And it will help Jesse. He’s spending all day in court, and then hours afterward talking to witnesses. I can lighten his load.”
Hunter’s lips tightened. “I hate how helpless I feel. And I hate that Jesse is doing all this extra work because of the person I trusted to do the investigation. I should have known better.”
“Jeremy was your friend. You had trusted him before.”
He continued walking, a shroud of darkness seeming to cover them both. It no doubt hurt Hunter to not only lose the interviews and notes that burned up with Jeremy, but also to have a friend die so senselessly. How sad both her and Hunter’s lives had been the last several months.
Emily shook herself, refusing to give way to self-pity. It would serve no purpose and felt too much like giving up. She would survive this and go on. It was important to look at the bright side. She no longer had to worry about Louis, his moods, his demands, and his fists. In that way her life was already better.
And losing everything? It was almost freeing. With nothing to keep her here, once the trial was over and Hunter acquitted—please, God—they would leave Galveston far behind. Where she and Hunter would go from here was yet undecided. She only knew she wanted this man by her side. She might even love him already. But to love him completely, she had to trust, and that was one area where she might always hold back.
Hunter turned them to head back toward the hotel. “It’s getting late. You need your sleep.” He smiled at her, making her heart beat just a little bit faster.
Yes, this was the man she wanted.
Chapter 22
“Just answer yes or no to all the District Attorney’s questions. Don’t embellish, that will only get you into trouble.”
Emily nodded as Jesse once more prepared her for the grueling encounter with the district attorney. They stood at the back of the courtroom, waiting for the trial to resume. Mr. Sanders had just testified and she was next on the list.
Observers packed the room, word having spread that something juicy would be happening today.
Emily looked the area over. Women she had thought were friends eyed her speculatively, anxious to hear her testimony. Heads together, they whispered to each other, almost drooling as they waited for her fall from grace. Disgusted, she turned from them and made her way up the aisle to her seat in the front row behind the defendant’s table.
The State had subpoenaed her to testify as a hostile witness for the prosecution. Hostile was exactly how she felt. As well as terrified. The district attorney would use her to lay the foundation for his contention that Hunter had killed Louis to free her so they could be together. There would be no good ending to this. Her reputation would be in shreds, and the district attorney would put into the jurors’ minds that she was an adulteress and Hunter a murderer.
Jesse hoped to diminish the impact of her testimony by asking about Louis’s business practices and the beatings she had endured at her husband’s hands. As she waited for court to begin, she fought the urge to race outside and throw up. Once again she wiped her sweaty palms on her handkerchief and took a deep breath as they waited for the session to start.
“All rise. Court is in session, the Honorable Marcus Stenger presiding.”
Within minutes they were all seated in their respective spots. Emily fought the dots that danced in front of her eyes as her name was called. The last thing she wanted to do was faint.
Here it goes. She stood on shaky legs, stiffened her shoulders, and walked to the witness box. Taking her seat, she looked out at the many eyes staring at her. She tamped down the urge to run shrieking from the courtroom.
“Good morning, Mrs. Smith.” The district attorney preened as he sauntered toward her.
She nodded, her mouth dry.
“Please state your name for the court record.”
“Mrs. Emily Smith.”
The district attorney smirked. “Actually, it’s Mrs. Louis Smith, correct?”
She raised her chin. “Not at all. My first name is not Louis.”
Titters and nods of approval swept the courtroom. The judge banged his gavel.
“Very nice, Mrs. Smith.” The District Attorney turned from her and walked toward the jury box. “Tell me ma’am, how long were you married to the deceased?”
“Three years.”
“And was yours a happy marriage?”
“Objection. The state of the witness’s marriage is irrelevant,” Jesse said.
The judge regarded him with raised brows. “Mr. Cochran, Mrs. Smith is the State’s witness, not the defense.”
“Hostile witness, Your Honor.”
The District Attorney moved to stand in front of the Judge. “Your Honor, the State’s case against Mr. Henderson stems from our belief that he killed Mr. Smith in order to free Mrs. Smith from an unhappy marriage.”
“Overruled. Proceed.”
“I repeat, was yours a happy marriage?”
“No,” she whispered.
Mr. Spencer leaned in. “Please repeat your answer, Mrs. Smith. I don’t think your voice carried to the jury.”
She raised her head and looked the jury members in the eye. “No.”
“Last spring you were absent from Galveston for several months. Can you tell the court where you were?”
“Guthrie, Oklahoma.”
“Really? Visiting family, I presume?”
“No.”
He waited as if he expected her to continue. She looked over at Jesse who gave her a slight nod.
Only answer yes or no. The words he’d told her earlier ran through her mind. She looked back at Mr. Spencer.
“Were you visiting friends?”
“No.”
“How odd for a married woman to travel so far from home with no particular destination in mind.” He stared at her, and the knots in her stomach tightened.
“Objection, Your Honor. There is no question here.”
“Sustained. Ask a question, Mr. Spencer.”
“What was the purpose of your trip to Guthrie?”
“I took a job at the Harvey House.”
“A job? And can you explain to the court what the Harvey House is?”
She started to relax a bit. All eyes were still riveted on her, but she no longer feared the district attorney. If anything, she loathed
the man. He was sneaky, and spittle spewed from his mouth every time he talked.
“The Harvey House is a chain of restaurants at train depots across the country.”
“Mrs. Smith, it turns out I am somewhat familiar with the Harvey House chain.” He returned to his table and picked up a piece of paper. “According to this ad in the Houston Chronicle, dated September ninth, nineteen hundred and seven, the Harvey House seeks to hire young single women to work at their restaurants.”
She fidgeted and pleated her skirt with shaky fingers, but didn’t say a word. Once more Jesse smiled and gave her a slight nod. She took a deep breath and waited for Mr. Spencer’s next question.
“So how is it that you were hired by the Harvey House, since they only hire single women?”
“I felt the need to get away for a while, so I . . . lied.”
“Ah. You lied.” He looked over at the jury and smiled. Emily felt the need to kick the man in his shins.
“Now when you were in Guthrie, did you meet the defendant?”
“Yes.”
“Did he court you?”
“No.”
“No? Yet when you were confronted by your husband, who found you after months of worry about your safety, the defendant followed you to Galveston.”
Jesse rose half way. “Your Honor, once more I ask if there is a question here?”
“Mr. Spencer. Please phrase your questions better.”
“Yes, Your Honor. Why did Mr. Henderson follow you to Galveston if he hadn’t been courting you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Ah. You don’t know. A married woman runs away from her husband, begins to see another man behind her husband’s back, and when her husband brings her back home, her lover follows her—”
Anyplace But Here (Oklahoma Lovers Series Book 5) Page 21