An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1)

by Sherri McDuffie

  “Were you afraid of what Mr. Dinson might do if you went with him?”

  “Yes. I had never seen so much anger and hatred on his face before. I was scared he would hurt me, or worse. When I tried to get away, he slapped me then threw me against the car hard enough to knock the breath out of me. Two guys leaving the party heard us and rushed over to help. They held Jarrod while I got in my car.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “I tore out of the parking lot, got on the highway, and drove as far and as fast as I could. I just drove, and kept driving, until the car stopped.”

  “We’ve heard about the incident at the bowling alley. Was that the only time you’ve had contact with the defendant since moving here?”

  “No. Shortly after Derik and I were married Win had an accident on the school playground. I took him to the hospital and was in the hallway waiting for him to be x-rayed when Jarrod was brought out in a wheelchair.”

  “What happened?”

  Kelly looked at Jarrod then back at Mr. Hatcher. “When he saw my wedding ring, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him. Then he started yelling and saying I was his and I would always be his.”

  “You are mine,” Dinson said as he stood and leaned over the table. He pointed his finger in Kelly’s direction. “And don’t you forget it.”

  The bailiff rushed over and shoved Jarrod back into his chair.

  Judge Gaston rapped his gavel. “Folks, I think we’ll take a lunch break now. Court will reconvene in one hour.” He looked at the district attorney and said, “Mr. Bergren I strongly suggest you use the time to instruct your client on proper courtroom behavior.” He rapped the gavel again and left the bench.

  Chapter 43

  When they left the courthouse, Kelly took a deep breath. “I felt like I was smothering in there.” She leaned her head back and inhaled again.

  “Does anyone have plans for lunch?” Sheriff Foster asked.

  “No, I thought we would probably grab a bite at the diner,” Derik said.

  “I need to check in at the office for a minute. What if I pick up some sandwiches at the deli and meet you at the park?” Foster said.

  “That sounds wonderful,” Kelly said.

  Derik pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed Foster some money. “Ham and cheese for me.” He looked at Kelly and raised his brow.

  “Me too,” she said.

  Foster glanced at Mikki. “Have you ever ridden in a patrol car?”

  “Not in the front seat.”

  He laughed. “Would you like to come along? You can help carry the drinks.”

  “Sure.” She turned to Kelly and said, “Go get some air and relax. We’ll meet you there in a few minutes.” Mikki and Foster walked toward the cruiser.

  Derik took Kelly to the park, and they strolled around the pond. When Mikki and Pete returned, the four found an empty table in the shade and spread out their food.

  “This was a good idea,” Kelly said.

  “Yes, it was. I love a picnic,” Mikki said.

  “Glad to hear that,” Foster said. He looked at Kelly. “You’re doing a good job on the stand.”

  “Kelly, I had no idea how bad things were with Jarrod. I wish you had told me,” Mikki said.

  “I couldn’t. I was too ashamed.”

  “Actually, that’s not unusual. Many abuse victims never tell anyone what they’re going through.” Foster said. “They’re either afraid or embarrassed.”

  Mikki leaned toward Kelly and said, “Did you really knee him?”

  Kelly nodded and blushed. “Yes. That’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like that. You hear about it, and you see it in the movies, but until you actually watch a man fold up like a taco, you don’t understand the full impact, no pun intended.”

  Derik and Pete looked at each other and shook their heads.

  “Well, good for you!” Mikki said, lifting her hand for a palm slap. “I’m proud of you.”

  “I’m proud of you, too,” Derik said. He gave his wife a quick kiss and said, “It’s time to head back.”

  Kelly gathered the trash and took it to a nearby can. Derik watched her walk away. “Bergren gets to question her next. She’s pretty nervous.”

  “I’ve been watching Dinson. He’s a time bomb ready to blow,” Foster said.

  Kelly returned and looked at the people around the table. “Who’s ready to blow?”

  “I was just saying that I think Jarrod looks like he’s about to explode. Don’t be surprised if he has another outburst while you’re on the stand this afternoon. You’re doing great, Kelly. Keep it up and don’t let Bergren get to you,” the sheriff said.

  Kelly took a deep breath and said, “I’ll try. Come on, let’s get this over with.”

  “Before we go, I have a question,” Foster said. “Just before you took the stand, Mikki whispered something that made you laugh. I’m just curious, what was it?”

  The girls looked at each other and grinned. Mikki said, “I just told her not to worry because when Jarrod was put away for good I’d help her celebrate, but if he managed to get free I’d help her hide the body.”

  Foster shook his head. “Sorry I asked.”

  Chapter 44

  The four returned to the courthouse and took their seats in the front row. Kelly was on the end, and Mikki sat between the two men. No one talked as they waited for Judge Gaston to enter the room.

  The side door opened, and a deputy escorted Dinson and his attorney into the courtroom. Jarrod glanced toward the gallery. He spotted Kelly and stopped. He stared at her while the bailiff removed his handcuffs.

  Derik could feel her tremble. Without taking his eyes off the man, he draped an arm around her shoulders. He then lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her wedding ring. The corner of his mouth twitched when he saw Dinson clench his jaw. The district attorney said something to his client, and the two men sat down.

  Kelly released the breath she had been holding.

  “He can’t touch you. Just look at me and ignore him,” Derik whispered to her.

  After court was called to order, Kelly took the stand, and Judge Gaston said, “Mr. Bergren, I believe it’s your turn.”

  The short, round man stood and laid his glasses on the table. “Thank you, Your Honor.” He faced Kelly and smiled. “Mrs. Stone, it’s been a long day, so I’ll try to keep this short. There are just a few things I’d like to go over with you.”

  Kelly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

  Bergren clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing in front of the witness stand. “You testified that you met my client in a photography class. Did you ever pose for Mr. Dinson?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, so Mr. Dinson had a studio?”

  “No.”

  “Then where did these photo sessions take place?”

  “Around campus and in the woods near the college where we took the class.”

  “You described your relationship as friends hanging out. Did you hang out with other people from the class?”

  “No. But like I said, there was a young man—”

  “Just answer my questions, Mrs. Stone. You described my client as”—he walked to the table and flipped a page on a yellow legal pad—“you described him as fun and easy to talk to, isn’t that right?”

  “Well, yes, but that was—”

  “You said he never asked you on a date. The truth is he didn’t have to ask you out, did he? You were more than willing to go out with Mr. Dinson. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Stone?”

  “Yes, I mean no, not like—”

  “You testified that another classmate asked you out, and you accepted. You knew that Mr. Dinson was interested in you, didn’t you, Mrs. Stone? T
he truth is that you accepted the young man’s invitation, hoping to make my client jealous. Isn’t that right?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “You were going to coffee with Mr. Dinson, you were going to the woods alone with him, you agreed to pose for him, you went out to eat with him, and at the same time, you agreed to go out with another man. That sounds like mixed messages to me, Mrs. Stone. Some would say you were teasing Mr. Dinson. Perhaps you were leading him on.”

  “Objection.”

  “Mr. Bergren, do you have a question?” Judge Gaston said.

  “Mrs. Stone, you mentioned that you should have taken some of my clients’ behavior as a warning. Why didn’t you? If you were really afraid of him, why didn’t you simply refuse to see him outside of class?”

  “I don’t know. Like I said, I didn’t think of it as a pattern. I just dealt with each instance. But—”

  “So it wasn’t enough for you to be concerned about, or feel that you needed to end the relationship?”

  “No, not at—”

  “Even though he pulled your hair and yanked on your arm, as you stated earlier, you didn’t see it as a reason to leave him. Mrs. Stone, some women like their partners to be forceful, dominant. Perhaps you prefer your men to be a little rough. Could it be that you stayed with Mr. Dinson because you liked the way he treated you?”

  “Objection.”

  Jarrod crossed his arms over his chest and laughed.

  “Watch it, Mr. Bergren.”

  “No, of course not.” Kelly looked from Bergren to the judge and then to Derik.

  The district attorney continued to pace, his double chin resting on his chest.

  “Let’s talk about the fight you said you had with my client. You testified that Mr. Dinson called you and the two of you argued over the phone. You argued enough that you hung up on him. Is that right?”

  “Yes, I wasn’t feeling well.”

  “You want the court to believe that you were angry enough to hang up on him, yet you let him into your apartment minutes later when he knocked on your door.”

  “Yes, but I was—”

  “Wouldn’t that be even more mixed signals, Mrs. Stone?”

  “No, I mean I guess, but—”

  “Is it your testimony that my client pulled your hair, grabbed your arm, and arrived uninvited to your apartment and shoved you against the wall?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you call the police when any of these instances occurred?”

  “No.”

  “Were there any witnesses to any of these alleged assaults?”

  “No, we were always alone.”

  “So when these alleged assaults occurred, you simply threatened to call the police, yet you never did. Am I right?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Were you playing games, Mrs. Stone? Were you trying to keep my client in a state of emotional turmoil?”

  “No. I—”

  “Perhaps you didn’t see a pattern because there wasn’t one.”

  Kelly looked at Mr. Hatcher and then at Derik.

  “Objection.”

  Judge Gaston picked up his gavel. “I think this is a good place to take a break. Be back in fifteen minutes.”

  Kelly rushed off the stand into Derik’s waiting arms. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I need a drink.”

  “Let’s get out of here.” He led her into the hall, leaving Foster and Mikki in the courtroom. “You’re doing great,” he said.

  “Did you hear what that man was saying about me? Did you hear what he was trying to imply? It’s not true, Derik. That’s not the way it was.”

  “I know that, and so does everyone who knows you. That’s his job. Don’t let him get to you. If you do, then Dinson wins.”

  Kelly took a cup from the water cooler and filled it. She let the cool water slide down her throat then crushed the cup in her fist and slammed it into the trash can. “I’m ready.”

  “That’s my girl,” Derik said, and followed her into the courtroom.

  Chapter 45

  Judge Gaston called court to order, and Kelly returned to the stand. Mr. Bergren approached and said, “All right, Mrs. Stone, let’s talk about the night of the costume party. We’ve already heard a description of the provocative costume you were wearing.”

  “Objection,” Mr. Hatcher said.

  “Sustained.”

  “You allege Mr. Dinson appeared out of nowhere and attacked you, then you got in your car and just drove away.” He walked to the table and referred to his tablet again. “You said, and I quote, ‘I tore out of the parking lot, got on the highway, and drove as far and as fast as I could. I just drove, and kept driving, until the car stopped.’” He returned to his pacing and continued. “Why didn’t you go home? Or to a friend’s house? Or better yet, why didn’t you go to the police?”

  “I just wanted to get away.”

  “So, dressed in a skin-tight costume, you took off alone, at night, and drove until your car broke down, then just happened to go to work for the first man you met. And you moved in with that man three days later. Do I have the facts straight, Mrs. Stone?”

  “Well, yes, but it wasn’t —”

  “Just answer my questions, please. While you were living with Mr. Stone, before you got married, did you date other men?”

  “Yes.”

  “We met your step-son earlier. Charming young lad. He has a brother, doesn’t he?

  “Yes, Win.”

  “Those young boys were living in the house when you moved in, isn’t that correct?”

  “Of course.”

  “Isn’t it true that you asked Mr. Stone if you could move into his house just days after meeting him?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “And even after convincing him to let you move into his house you dated other men. Isn’t that right?”

  “Yes, but we weren’t seeing each other.”

  “Oh, you weren’t seeing each other, but you were living with him, under the same roof as his young sons. I guess you would want us to believe that you two were just friends hanging out. You seem to have a lot of friends, don’t you, Mrs. Stone?”

  “Objection.”

  “Sustained.”

  “You’re twisting things,” Kelly said.

  “Let’s go back to the alleged assault at your apartment. Did you call the police that night?”

  “No, Mikki did.”

  “Did you go to the hospital?”

  “No, but the EMTs came and looked at my injuries.”

  “Did they advise you to go to the hospital?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “The truth is you have never sought medical treatment for any of the injuries you allege Mr. Dinson inflicted. The only time you have received any form of treatment is when someone else called the authorities.”

  “I didn’t want—”

  “You have testified that my client assaulted you on more than one occasion, came to your apartment uninvited, and stalked you at a party, yet there is no record that you ever sought medical attention, filed a police report, or asked for an order of protection. Not until the night your roommate called the police.”

  “I went to the safe house.”

  “Yes, but isn’t it true that you only went when Sheriff Foster insisted?”

  “Yes, but I—”

  “We have heard previous testimony that on one occasion my client was sprayed in the eyes with mace. On another he was left in a parking lot with not one but two men who had overpowered him. Mr. Stone testified earlier that he himself assaulted Mr. Dinson while the man was restrained and helpless to defend himself. It was your testimony this morning that you kneed my client
in the groin. Perhaps, Mrs. Stone, it was you who was the abuser in this relationship. Isn’t it possible that any injuries you claim were inflicted by my client were done in self-defense?”

  There were gasps and a low murmur of voices from the few spectators.

  Kelly looked at Derik on the front pew. His face was red with rage. He uncrossed his leg and sat forward. She watched Sheriff Foster drape his arm across the back of the pew and clamp a hand on his shoulder, keeping him in his seat. Everyone was waiting for her reply.

  Kelly looked at Mr. Bergren and pointed to the evidence on the wooden table in front of the judge’s bench. “Did you not look at those photographs?”

  “Your Honor, I move to strike,” Bergren said.

  Kelly didn’t wait for the judge’s response. “Those pictures show you what it looked like, but what you don’t see is the pain. I couldn’t eat anything solid for days because my teeth hurt, not just my jaw but my teeth. My eye was swollen shut. My ear rang constantly. I suffered bouts of vertigo for a week due to the concussion your client inflicted.”

  “Your Honor, the witness is refusing to cooperate,” the district attorney said.

  “Be quiet, Mr. Bergren. Go ahead, Mrs. Stone.”

  “The abuse was not a one-time occurrence. You are right, Mr. Bergren. I should have gotten away sooner. But in case you forgot, it was when I did try to leave that the abuse became even more brutal and vicious.”

  “Your Honor, I object. This witness is being uncooperative.”

  Judge Gaston slammed his gavel down. “I told you to be quiet, Mr. Bergren. I will allow her to speak.” He looked at Kelly and said, “You may continue.”

  “I did not play games or lead Mr. Dinson on. What time I spent with him was as one platonic friend with another. Your client is not a victim, Mr. Bergren. He is a pathetic, spineless excuse of a man. I was never and could never be romantically interested in him.”