Counsel (Counsel #1)

by Shenda Paul

  "Do you really think he’d do that?"

  "Defense counsels rarely take the risk; but to be honest, in this case, it may be their last and possibly best hope. Justin can be extremely persuasive.

  "How do you feel about cross-examining him?"

  "I came to the realization a long time ago that no matter what my personal feelings, I have to do my job. I’ve managed, since then, to inure myself against getting too personally involved."

  "What made you reach that conclusion?"

  "In one of my early cases, I had to prosecute a man who molested and then brutally murdered a young girl."

  "Oh…" Jodi exclaims, looking appalled.

  "That case tore at my heart strings and truly challenged my ability to remain objective, but with Bristly’s guidance, I realized that if I couldn’t remain impartial, I wouldn’t have a chance of getting justice for that little girl and her devastated family. Prosecuting Justin Wade doesn't come close to the emotional conflict I faced then. "

  "I don't know if I could face something like that," she says, looking genuinely stricken.

  "You can and will. Every prosecutor, at some stage, comes up against a case that touches him or her personally. You'll be fine when your time comes. You truly care about the victims, and you're a brilliant prosecutor," I tell her honestly.

  "Thanks," she says almost bashfully. "I guess we'll find out tomorrow if he takes the stand or not."

  "Yes, but whatever happens, we're ready." I smile, acknowledging her modesty.

  "Do you need me to listen to your closing?" she offers.

  "Thanks, but I'll be fine. I'll go over it at home tonight."

  "Just call if you need me, Adam."

  "You have a free night now that Jon's away?" I tease. "Seriously, though, I'm thrilled for both of you," I add, smiling to let her how genuinely happy I am about their budding relationship.

  "Thanks. He's a truly a great guy, but we're just getting to know each other. We're taking it slow."

  "Nothing wrong with slow, but I know it won't be long before you're ready to move things along. You're perfect for each other."

  "I know." She smiles bashfully. We part ways outside her office with the promise to meet early the next morning.

  Cait calls before I leave for home to confirm her pregnancy, and after an excited and emotional conversation, we agree on a weekend celebratory dinner.

  Mom calls soon after, practically jumping out of her skin when talking about her and Dad's joy at becoming grandparents. She’s thrilled about our planned family celebration and asks about the case. When I tell her I'm about to rehearse my closing argument, she says goodbye with a gentle, parting shot. "Of course, there's only one thing that would make me happier."

  "What's that?" I ask.

  "If both of my children made me a grandmother."

  "I’ll see you on Saturday," I reply, laughing lightly. "I love you; tell Dad I say hi." I may have dismissed the subject out of hand, but it doesn’t stop the tiny pang of longing.

  I stay up pretty late going over my closing argument and preparing various contingencies for different approaches I think Tom may adopt in the light of O’Flaherty’s no-show. Despite the late, I should probably say early hour, I set my alarm in time to go for a run because I want to be sharp tomorrow.

  We arrive at court early, but not early enough to dodge the gathering media whose anticipation, it appears, is at an all-time high.

  "Mr. Thorne, do you think you'll gain a conviction?" a female reporter asks.

  "Adam, this way!" a male voice yells out.

  "Guess this is the end of your friendship with the senator, Adam?" a third snidely suggests.

  "The jury will decide the outcome of this trial," I respond evenly, grasping Jodi’s arm to steady her as we jostle our way through the over-eager group.

  "What a circus!" she mutters, peering over her shoulder as we enter the lobby. I turn to see Justin and his entourage struggling to make their way in. Cynthia clings to his arm like a limpet while cameras and microphones are pushed into their faces. I can hear the shouted questions from here. Justin ignores them, jaw firmly clamped shut as he moves through the melee. They make it to the door just as I turn to lead Jodi toward the courtroom.

  .

  .

  A buzz breaks out in court when Justin is called to the stand, and Judge Bolton calls for order.

  I’m not at all surprised. There’s no legal requirement for Justin to testify, but he has a right to do so. The decision belongs to a defendant, not his or her attorney or anyone else; so this, I know, is Justin’s choice.

  There are advantages and disadvantages in a defendant taking the stand. The advantages are that it provides a forum for him or her to make a personal appeal to the jury and a chance to counter any adverse testimony or evidence. The disadvantages are that a defendant can be cross-examined about everything. Prosecutors are generally granted wide latitude, and providing that a defendant had been advised of his or her Fifth Amendment, which includes the right to remain silent, and Sixth Amendment, the right to an attorney before questioning, every statement made to police is admissible and can be used to discredit him or her during cross-examination.

  I understand Justin’s decision. The documented evidence against him is pretty conclusive. Testimonies against him have been equally damning, and those speaking in his favor haven't made compelling arguments. He is the only person left who can effectively counter both the evidence and witness testimonies.

  He appears calm and resolved as he’s sworn in and then takes his seat in the witness box.

  "Senator…how do you prefer to be addressed?" Tom asks.

  "I've taken leave of absence from my public duties for now, so I’d prefer to be referred to as Mr.," he replies.

  "Thank you, Mr. Wade. Would you please tell the court how and why you chose to become a member of Liaison?"

  "I was invited by Mr. Joseph Cordi to meet him and some influential businessmen there."

  "Did you know the true nature of the club's business when you accepted his invitation?"

  "I did not," he answers decisively.

  "What was your first perception of the club?"

  "It reminded me of a gentleman’s club I once had the privilege of visiting in London."

  "When did you realize it was more than that?"

  "I'd been visiting infrequently for months to meet with businessmen whose company I enjoyed. One or more of the hostesses often joined the men, and on that particular occasion, I questioned one of the men at our table about it. He told me that enjoying the company of female employees was part of the benefits of being a member."

  "So you were not aware of these benefits when first invited to the club by Mr. Cordi?"

  "I was not."

  "What was your response to learning this information?"

  "I assumed he meant it was purely for company over drinks. I didn't think anything more of it and decided shortly after to join the club myself as I found it a pleasant place to unwind and relax in good company."

  "You didn’t seek membership immediately after your first visit?"

  "No, despite Mr. Cordi’s attempts at persuading me."

  "How soon after gaining membership did you discover the truth about the female company?"

  "A couple of weeks after. A man left the table in the company of a hostess and returned alone. He openly discussed the woman's sexual prowess with another man present. I asked a third man whether they’d both dated her. He laughed at my assumption, and then informed me that every female worker at the club was employed to have sex with its members."

  "How did you respond?"

  "I was shocked, obviously, but I was assured that the women were doing it freely, enjoyed what they did and were well compensated. My companions argued that if the women weren't doing it at Liaison, they'd be doing it in less safe places. They said the club ha
d strict rules and guidelines, which protected both members and female workers."

  "What did you do after that?"

  "I struggled with the fact that women were being paid to have sex and stayed away, for about a month, I think. I found that I missed the company and stimulating discussions I’d had with some of the people I met there. When I did return, I made sure not to do more than socialize with the females over a drink."

  "But things changed, did they not?"

  "Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that I did what I swore not to. I succumbed to temptation. What I did was wrong, but I truly started to believe what I'd been told, and my interactions with Ms.Perkins convinced me. It was obvious that she hadn’t been coerced, in fact, she told me just how much she enjoyed her occupation."

  Tom then asks the court officer to hand Justin two documents. He asks that they be tabled as Exhibits One and explains that it’s the first page of the contract securing Angelique Bain’s services and Exhibit Two-A, B and C, key pages from the Fidelity Properties Contract.

  "Are you familiar with the documents you've just been handed?" he asks Justin.

  "I am."

  "Could you confirm that the signature on both documents is yours?"

  "They both are," he replies without hesitation.

  "Would you tell the court why you entered into the contract to secure Ms. Bain’s services?"

  "I watched Ms. Bain dance and was instantly captivated. She was different from the other female employees, not just in her dance routine, but also in appearance and demeanor. When she eventually accepted my invitation to join me for a drink, I found her to be charming, bright and refreshingly naive. She’s a beautiful woman, without any artifice, and I wanted to know her, but she left the club shortly after. I questioned Mr. Cordi about her, and his response was that she thought herself above the other women but that she would almost certainly be back. He called me months later to say she’d returned and was working as an escort. I remarked that I’d hate to see her sleep with other men, and he said he had the power to prevent that. He named a price for her company that I think he believed I’d balk at, but I instantly agreed."

  "So you paid for Ms. Bain’s company?"

  "I did."

  "Why, if she was already escorting and available to you, did you decide to enter into a contract for her exclusive services?"

  "Joseph Cordi broke his word, and I didn't think she should have to sleep around."

  "So you entered into the agreement for Ms. Bain's benefit?"

  "Primarily, yes."

  "Why did you agree to purchase equity in Fidelity Properties?"

  "Joseph Cordi wouldn’t enter into the agreement for Ms. Bain unless I also agreed to his business offer. I tried to negotiate, but he remained adamant that the contract for her was dependent upon my entering into the Fidelity partnership. I agreed for two reasons; firstly, because I couldn’t secure Ms. Bain’s services without doing so, and secondly, because I believe commercial property development to be a sound investment."

  "Were you ever concerned about Mr. Cordi breaking the law by operating an escort service?"

  "Of course, and I confronted him about it. He assured me that he hadn’t set out with that objective in mind. He said he opened Liaison because of his desire to replicate an English gentlemen’s club, and that the escort business started when two members unofficially consorted with a female staff member.

  "He canceled their membership and dismissed the staff member, but it later became apparent that the practice was more widespread than he’d thought. The women were being paid paltry sums, given the financial positions of the men involved. He decided that someone had to act in the best interests of the women; he said he intended to phase it out in time."

  "And you believed him?"

  "I had no reason not to."

  "Did you undertake any research on Fidelity Properties before signing the agreement?"

  "I questioned Mr. Cordi about the company, obviously, and he said its operations were based solely in commercial property development. I conducted some preliminary research and found that to be true."

  "Did you learn anything about Fidelity's subsidiary, Sigma, through those searches?"

  "I did not."

  "Did you request that anyone else investigate the company?"

  "I met with Connor Jones, my accountant, and asked him to conduct the necessary checks."

  "Do you realize that Mr. Jones believes you instructed him not to undertake a thorough investigation?"

  "I learned that fact only recently."

  "How do you explain his misunderstanding?"

  "I must not have made myself clear. Perhaps my mistake was in admitting I conducted research. I may have inadvertently given the wrong impression about the extent of my investigation into the company."

  "Why mention your research? Why not just let your accountants do what they would normally do in the course of business?"

  "I foolishly trusted Joseph Cordi; it’s now obvious that I shouldn't have. I believed the Cordi family to be honorable, legitimate and successful businessmen. I made an error of judgment, there is no doubt; but I genuinely believed everything Joseph told me."

  "Mr. Wade, the court has heard that you received monthly financial reports for Fidelity; reports which included income recorded simply as Sigma. Why did you not ask questions about such a significant revenue stream?"

  "I only cursorily glanced at the results before forwarding them to my accountants. They manage all of my business interests because, for me, my political responsibilities take precedence. Also, I had no reason to question Fidelity’s source of income, particularly, given that I had no inkling that a subsidiary existed. I know my ignorance doesn’t totally absolve me of responsibility, but I didn't ever set out to knowingly become involved in an illegal business."

  "Thank you, Mr. Wade," Tom says before turning to the bench. "Defense rests, Your Honor," he announces.

  Justin may have sounded sincere throughout his testimony, but he had, in my view, provided glib responses to carefully crafted questions. It was a high-risk strategy to have him take the stand, but if he’s managed to convince the jury to accept that he’d been victimized, he will have gained not only his freedom but also a chance to redeem his political career. The stage would be set for a public mea culpa for having indulged in prostitution, and after an acceptable time in the wilderness, during which he’ll undoubtedly embark on suitable acts of contrition, he’ll be seen to have redeemed himself.

  That may well be their plan, but I intend to thwart them; not because of any personal vendetta, but because he’s committed a crime, several in fact, and it’s my job to bring him to justice.

  Chapter Twenty

  He’s composed, eyes meeting mine in silent challenge as he waits.

  "Mr. Wade, when were you elected to the Senate?" I ask, breaking the expectant silence that’s fallen over the room.

  "September third of two thousand and twelve," he replies evenly.

  "And when did you first visit Liaison?"

  "I think it was July of the same year."

  "You testified that you learned about the sexual benefits on offer at Liaison some weeks after your first visit, is that correct?"

  "No one admitted then that the benefits were sexual. At the time, I believed the comment referred simply to having female company over drinks."

  "When did you learn the truth?"

  "A month, perhaps two months after."

  "Was it before or after your election?"

  "It was after my election to office."

  "And when did you become a member of Liaison?"

  "It would have been around early to mid-August."

  "Of the same year?"

  "Yes, August of two thousand and twelve."

  "So you were already a member of Liaison when you ran for office?"

  "I was," he says tersely.

/>   "I suggest that you knew the truth about Liaison from the outset, that you applied for and gained membership knowing about the prostitution…that you knew the truth about the club while campaigning for office…"

  "Objection, Your Honor. Badgering. " Tom interjects.

  "Sustained," Judge Bolton rules.

  "Would you claim to be an intelligent person, Mr. Wade"? I ask.

  "People say I am."

  "Do you consider yourself gullible?"

  "I’d like to think I’m perceptive and not easily swayed to an argument."

  "Yet you readily believed the fraternization between members and female employees at Liaison to be purely social?"

  "I did."

  "Were you gullible then or are you attempting to garble the truth now, Mr. Wade?"

  "I am not distorting the truth. I had no reason to doubt what I'd been told. The men involved are respected businessmen and people of influence."

  "Is that what you're hoping for, Mr. Wade; that this court will believe you simply because you’re viewed as a respectable man? Are you inferring that men considered respectable never lie; that history is not littered with instances where seemingly respectable man have lied, cheated, committed crimes?"

  "Objection, Your Honor. Argumentative."

  "Your Honor, Defense Counsel has sought to convince this court that his client had been ignorant of facts or that he had been misled. It is only right and proper that court is granted insight into the defendant's motivations; that we are given the opportunity to decide whether he is obfuscating or not."

  "Overruled." Judge Bolton decides.

  "Mr. Wade, when exactly did you learn the truth about Liaison?"

  "I can’t be sure, but it was definitely after my election."

  "You signed the agreement for Fidelity Properties on February first of two thousand and thirteen, did you not?"

  "That’s right."

  "And the agreement to procure Ms. Bain's services was signed on January sixteenth of the same year?"

  "A point you've made a number of times, Counselor," he says with a raised brow.

  "You're in a court of law now, Senator, not the floor of the house; answer the question, please?" I respond equally pointedly. Judge Bolton interjects with his own caution.