by Erin Wade
“I’ll have to get inside to read it,” Katie said. “It’s too dark out here.”
Shay followed Katie and Bear into the apartment. Katie tore open the envelope and pulled out an official-looking document.
Katie gasped. “It’s a court order. Grafton has petitioned the court to force me to give a written statement on why I feel the need to have Bear in court. Otherwise, I must leave Bear at home.”
“Tell them Bear’s your service—” Shay stopped when Katie held up her hand.
“I can’t tell them he’s my service dog.” Katie grimaced. “Grafton and David will use that as further evidence that I’m emotionally incapable of running my companies and that David should be named chief executive officer of Brandt Technologies and Face2Face.
“I must make arrangements to put him in a kennel, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Leave him in the apartment,” Shay advised. “I’ll run home and walk him when court breaks for lunch. After your break-in, I’d feel better if he were here anyway.”
“I have an extra key,” Katie noted. “Let me get it for you.”
Shay followed Katie into her bedroom, where the brunette retrieved the spare key from her jewelry box.
She decided to mention the messages one more time.
A deep frown furrowed Katie’s forehead. She avoided Shay’s gaze. “What messages?” she asked.
“The messages you send me every night,” Shay persisted. “They’re of an extremely sexual nature.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t sent you any messages.”
Shay stood in stunned silence as anger flashed in Katie’s eyes. The brunette glared at her as if she’d grown another head.
“Shay,” Katie whispered, “I swear I’ve never sent you a sexually suggestive message of any kind. I wouldn’t do that.”
“Katie, I have the messages on my computer,” Shay insisted. “I’ll show them to you tomorrow after court.”
“Yes, I want you to do that. Maybe I can figure out who sent them to you.”
“They’re coming from your Face2Face account,” Shay said.
“We’ll figure this out tomorrow.” Katie scowled. “Shay, I’m so sorry I’ve gotten you embroiled in this mess.”
“You didn’t,” Shay insisted. “I knew you needed a friend to talk to. I’m glad you chose me.”
Katie smiled. “You should go,” she whispered. “I’ll see you in court.”
Chapter 30
When she arrived home, Shay clicked on her computer and checked her email. All the news from her office was good. Her patients were recovering nicely, and Dr. Hayes had left her a detailed report on each of them. She was thankful that Linda Hayes had agreed to carry her workload during the trial.
She hesitated before opening her Face2Face page. Part of her ached for a message from Katie, while her sensible side hoped there would be none. She exhaled in disappointment and relief when a glance through Messenger showed nothing from Katie.
As she prepared for bed, Shay ran the events of the past months through her mind. The brutal attack that brought Katie to Shay’s emergency room and the break-in at Katie’s apartment had been blamed on David. The thing that concerned Shay most was the sex messaging. It disturbed her because she liked it, and she wanted a woman like Katie Brandt, but something wasn’t right.
Shay wondered what it would be like to fall asleep in the arms of the brunette.
##
Shay called Katie as she left her home. “How are you today?”
“Bear didn’t like being left at the apartment,” Katie blurted. “Where are you?”
“About ten minutes from the courthouse,” Shay answered.
“I’m meeting Chandler in the coffee shop across the street. He wants to walk in with me,” Katie explained.
“I’ll go straight to the courtroom,” Shay said. “See you there.” She hung up, thinking how much she loved the sound of Katie’s voice. Although she was in her forties, Katie sounded like a fourteen-year-old girl. The sweetness of her voice made Shay want to protect her, but she knew the brunette was quite capable of taking care of herself. Shay especially liked it when Katie giggled.
##
Judge Wainwright called the court to order. “Mr. Davis, you may call your first witness.”
“Your Honor, I’d like to recall Dr. Sandifer to the stand.” Chandler stood beside his table as Sandifer made his way to the witness box, where the bailiff reminded him that he was still under oath.
“Thank you, Dr. Sandifer, for answering the questions that have a bearing on the nature of my client’s mental state,” Chandler said, his tone friendly. “You said that Glencove Hospital did extensive testing and counseling with Mrs. Brandt. Is that true?”
Sandifer smirked. “Yes, of course.”
“A court order was served on Glencove Hospital for the records of all tests, including MRIs and CAT scans, and sessions with Mrs. Brandt. As of this morning, we haven’t received anything from you. Why is that?”
Sandifer cast a furtive glance at Grafton before answering. “I have that information with me.”
“All of it?” Chandler pressed. “Records of everything Mrs. Brandt’s insurance company was billed for?”
“Yes.” Sandifer fidgeted in his chair.
“I want to mention, Dr. Sandifer, that you are still under oath. What you are about to turn over to the court is all the records the insurance company was billed for?”
“Yes,” Sandifer muttered.
Once Katie’s medical records were entered into evidence, Chandler continued.
“We have the equipment needed for you to go over the MRIs and CAT scans with us to help us understand how you diagnosed Mrs. Brandt,” Chandler said to Sandifer as the screen and laptop were positioned so the judge could see.
“Judge, if the clerk could log in the CDs in Dr. Sandifer’s evidence, we’ll look at those first.”
“There are no CDs,” the clerk responded.
“How can that be?” Chandler asked.
“I didn’t need to do expensive MRIs and CAT scans,” Sandifer declared. “I’m an experienced professional. I know the symptoms of DID.”
“Your Honor,” Chandler said, “I’d like to excuse Dr. Sandifer, but we do retain the right to question this witness at a later time.”
Sandifer stepped down from the witness box, and Chandler continued.
“We’d like to call Dr. Link Weslin, chief of the psychiatric care department at St. Peter’s Hospital.”
“Objection, Your Honor,” Grafton yelled. “He’s not on Dr. Brandt’s witness list.”
The judge scanned her list. “He’s the fifth name down,” she pointed out.
“We request a recess,” Grafton barked.
“After Dr. Weslin’s testimony,” the judge said. “Dr. Weslin, you may take the stand.”
After Link was sworn in and settled in the witness box, Chandler nodded to his assistant. Within seconds, the CAT scans from Katie’s session with Link appeared on the screen.
“If I may, Your Honor?” Link said, smiling at the judge. “I’d like to move to the screen so I can point out the areas as I give my report.”
“Please do, Dr. Weslin.”
Link walked over to the screen and pulled a slim pointer tool from his jacket pocket. He tapped one of the scans. “Judge, this is a normal brain, and this is Mrs. Brandt’s. The third image is the scan of a patient who has DID. There are differences in the brains of people with ADHD, PTSD, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and other types of mental illnesses.
“Using a new technique established by the University of Pennsylvania, I mapped the three brains, and Mrs. Brandt shows absolutely no sign of DID. Her brain returned normal responses in all test. Katie Brandt’s brain is normal. She does not have dissociative identity disorder or any other abnormality.”
A murmur spread through the courtroom. Judge Wainwright called for silence. “Mr. Grafton, do you have any questio
ns for Dr. Weslin?”
“Not at this time, Your Honor,” Grafton said. “But we do wish to retain the right to call the witness later.”
Judge Wainwright called for a fifteen-minute recess, and Chandler approached the court clerk. “We haven’t had the chance to go over the reports from Dr. Sandifer,” he said. “When can we have that documentation?”
“I’ll have everything numbered and logged in by the end of the day,” the clerk promised. “You can pick it up then.”
As Chandler worked with the clerk, David took a seat beside Shay. “This isn’t looking favorable for me,” he muttered. “I don’t know what Chandler Davis is up to, but it can’t be good. I’m not sure what Grafton is going to do.”
The judge returned to the room and reconvened the court. “To expedite things, I’d like to have Dr. David Brandt take the witness stand,” Wainwright instructed.
David moved slowly to the bailiff to be sworn in and then took a seat in the witness box.
“Dr. Brandt, why did you take your wife to Glencove Hospital five years ago?” Judge Wainwright asked.
David grimaced, as if what he was about to say hurt him. “Your Honor, I love my wife. I’ve always loved my wife. She is brilliant, charming, good, and a workaholic. Katie accomplished things Silicon Valley said were impossible. She was toasted from coast to coast. She’s always been bipolar, but—”
“Objection, Your Honor,” Chandler barked. “Mrs. Brandt has never been diagnosed as bipolar.”
“I’m ignoring your last comment, Dr. Brandt,” Wainwright said. “Please continue.”
“We’d had a wonderful year,” David said. “Brandt Technologies and Face2Face were on fire. We decided to take the month of December off to enjoy ourselves and the holidays. To have some alone time.” David bowed his head. “A second honeymoon.
“We had family and friends over for Christmas and hosted a huge holiday party for our employees. Everything was like a fairytale . . . until Katie had a meltdown.”
David squinted, blinking hard as if fighting back tears. He cleared his throat and continued. “I’m a doctor. I can tell when someone is coming apart at the seams. I rushed her to Glencove.”
Judge Wainwright studied the sheet of paper in front of her. “You’re the chief of staff at St. Peter’s Hospital. Why didn’t you take your wife to Dr. Weslin?”
“I called Link,” David avowed. “He was on vacation.”
“Do you have any idea what caused your wife to suffer this meltdown?”
“I have no idea at all, Your Honor.” David broke into tears.
“But you allowed Dr. Sandifer to keep Mrs. Brandt locked in Glencove for five years.” The judge shook her head. “Why didn’t you let Dr. Weslin examine her when he returned?”
“I was ashamed,” David mumbled.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t understand you,” Judge Wainwright said. “Please speak up.”
“I was ashamed,” David blurted out. “I was the chief of staff, married to the most brilliant woman in the world. And she was crazy!”
A collective gasp hissed through the courtroom.
“Dr. Brandt, can you tell me your contribution to Brandt Technologies and Face2Face?”
David stared at the judge as if she’d ask him to devour a small child. “I . . . what do you mean? I provided her moral support and backed her in every way.”
“I see.” Judge Wainwright nodded. “I noticed in the financials that Mrs. Brandt borrowed several thousand dollars on her own signature to launch Face2Face. It appears you have not made any financial contribution to either company. Am I correct?”
“Yes,” David answered.
“Were Brandt Technologies and Face2Face owned entirely by Mrs. Brandt?”
“Yes,” David mumbled.
“You may step down,” Judge Wainwright directed. “Mrs. Brandt, I’d like to ask you some questions, but we’ll recess for lunch. Let’s return in one hour.”
Shay moved quickly to avoid David, in case he tried to have lunch with her. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with Bear before returning for the afternoon court session.
##
Bear greeted Shay in his usual exuberant way, nuzzling his huge head against her leg and wagging his tail so fast one could barely see it. “You’re such a good boy,” Shay said as they walked around the complex.
With only fifteen minutes to spare, Shay returned the dog to the apartment and looked around before giving Bear one last scratch behind his ears. “We’ll be back soon, big fellow,” she promised as she pulled the door closed and locked it.
##
Shay took her usual seat in the courtroom. She was surprised to see the menacing man she had run into in David’s office sitting at the back of the room.
Judge Wainwright walked in and called the session to order. “I have some questions for you, Mrs. Katie Brandt.”
Katie came forward, took the oath, and sat down in the witness box.
“Mrs. Brandt, you don’t seem incapable to me,” Judge Wainwright said.
“I’m not, Your Honor,” Katie replied.
“Can you tell me why you had a meltdown around Christmas five years ago?”
“Yes,” Katie answered clearly. “I had a miscarriage.”
The courtroom buzzed over Katie’s declaration.
“And your husband knew that?” the judge asked.
“He caused it.” Katie glared in David’s direction.
“Objection,” Grafton yelled as he jumped to his feet. “This is the first we’ve heard of this.”
“Sit down, Mr. Moncrief,” the judge commanded. “Tell me what happened, Mrs. Brandt.”
“We’d been to several Christmas parties during the holidays, and I was exhausted,” Katie explained.
“I’d been to my OB-GYN and was certain I was carrying our first baby. I hadn’t told David, because I wanted to be sure. I wanted to surprise him.
“On the twenty-ninth we argued most of the day, because I didn’t want to take our companies public. I love what I do, and I didn’t want anyone else to get their hands on my technology and software programs. Face2Face is a very comprehensive program. In the wrong hands it could be used to manipulate the American people and undermine government operations. It could be very dangerous.
“We were making millions from our operations. I saw no reason to go public, where I’d have to answer to stockholders and boards. David saw it as an opportunity to make billions, walk away, and never have to work another day of our lives. But I like to work. God has given me a gift. I can’t squander it.
“David said if I didn’t agree to go public, he’d leave me. I told him to go ahead. It made him furious. I finally calmed him down and told him I was pregnant.
“He went berserk. He was out of control. I thought he’d be happy, but he said he’d never wanted children, although he always talked like he did. He kept yelling about splitting our fortune three ways. The baby would get a third of everything.
“I couldn’t reason with him, so I went to bed. I went right to sleep but awoke when I felt a needle stick in my arm. David had given me a shot. He said it was to calm me and help me relax. I remember feeling drugged and couldn’t keep my eyes open. I woke the next day in Glencove. I later found out I’d miscarried as a result of the shot David had given me.
“I was a prisoner there. I couldn’t get out. It was a hellhole. Eventually my sister Beth got a court order for my release. She showed up with our friends from the Texas Rangers and took me from Glencove.
“Beth works for the World Health Organization and travels extensively. After she left for Africa, David kidnapped me and once again committed me to Glencove, where I was confined for years. I managed to escape but was captured every time. The last time I escaped, Detective Wyatt caught me and returned me to David.
“Thank God I ended up in St. Peter’s Hospital after David tried to kill me. An emergency room doctor saved me and helped me get my life back.”
“Objection,”
Grafton barked. “The witness is making unproven statements.”
“I’ll ignore those statements,” Judge Wainwright declared.
“Your Honor,” Grafton continued. “Due to her fragile condition, I don’t want to cross Mrs. Brandt this late in the day.”
“I’m just fine, Mr. Moncrief.” Katie’s voice rang out in the courtroom.
“Well, I’m not,” the judge said. “I’m tired, so we will recess for the day. Mr. Moncrief, you may begin with your questions for Mrs. Brandt at eight in the morning.”
Shay quickly gathered her things, expecting David to run to her and defend himself against Katie’s damning testimony. Instead, he scurried to the man on the back row. Shay followed close behind.
“What are you doing here?” David hissed at the man.
“I thought I’d better see how things are going,” the man said, a nasty smirk on his face. “We’ve got a lot invested in you.”
Shay hurried out the courtroom door, thankful to avoid talking to David.
Chapter 31
Shay drove slowly home. Her thoughts were in turmoil. Katie had revealed so much, things Shay didn’t know until today. Why hadn’t the beautiful brunette shared the information with her? Could the man she thought she was in love with truly be such a monster? Did Katie have two distinct personalities? She had no answers, and the questions continued to haunt her.
##
Shay couldn’t get Katie Brandt out of her mind. The brunette’s testimony kept playing through her head as she placed a Lean Cuisine frozen dinner in the microwave. She poured a glass of wine and sipped it, waiting for the microwave to ding.
After dinner, she headed to her home office and turned on the computer to check on her patients. A scan of her messages told her everything was okay.
She opened her F2F page and laughed at a funny meme from her mother. She was poised to turn off her computer when a notification from Katie dinged into her F2F account.
“Hey, my gorgeous doctor. Are you okay after my true confession in the courtroom today?”
“A little surprised but mostly just disgusted that you went through all that alone,” Shay typed back.