Trials (Rock Bottom)

by Sarah Biermann

  “Hello, Gentlemen,” Mr. Current says to the room. “I want to introduce you to my co-counsel, Steven Brightman. We also have a very accomplished intern from Harvard Law, a third year, sitting in with us today if you don’t mind, Ms. Dylan Ackhart.”

  I freeze, my body going rigid. Jeremy’s eyes shift immediately to me. A thousand emotions drift across them in a single moment, none of which I can easily identify. Finally, his face settles on a very heated look, violent and terrifying. “Oh, wonderful,” he spits, his voice somehow both lovely and ferocious. I tremble slightly at the sound.

  He turns his body so that his back is facing us. “Just fucking great,” he mumbles.

  Mr. Current and Steven look at me in curiosity, obviously confused, and then back at Jeremy. I keep my face stoic. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say or how I’m supposed to explain what’s going on. I only know that this opportunity is extremely important in my career, and I don’t want to lose it.

  And, truth be told… I want to be near him.

  “Is there a problem, Mr. Mason?” Mr. Current says, stepping a bit in front of me. Jeremy turns around again, his eyes wild with panic. He glances at me fleetingly, and I shake my head at him, silently begging him for discretion.

  Jeremy clears his throat. “No, let’s just get on with it.” He shoots me a glance full of hatred.

  Ouch. My eyes water instantly.

  “Okay, then,” Mr. Current says, pulling a chair out for me and then sitting himself. The rest of the people in the room, including myself, sit in unison. I stare intently at Jeremy, but he seems to be looking anywhere but at me.

  “Mr. Mason, I read the statements you gave to the police at the station, and I’d like to ask you more questions about those, okay?” Mr. Current takes papers out of his briefcase and shuffles them around.

  “I’ve told them everything I know,” Jeremy growls. “This is a waste of my time.” His lawyers whisper in his ear, obviously trying to get him to calm down.

  “I understand Mr. Mason. However, I assure you this is no waste of time. In fact, I’d concentrate on giving us full and truthful answers.” Mr. Current looks friendly but his eyes convey the threat behind the words. Jeremy stares back at him silently.

  Oh, wow. I put my hands on my lap, concealing them underneath the wooden conference table to hide the shaking.

  Mr. Current continues. “Mr. Mason, you had a party in your home on the night of September 1, is that right?”

  “Yes.”

  “And on that night, were you engaging in the party?”

  “I was around until about ten. So only for the first twenty minutes or so.”

  “Then where did you go?”

  “Upstairs to my bedroom.”

  “Hmm, and why did you go up there?”

  Jeremy shifts a bit in his chair. This catches my attention immediately. It’s a tick, a sign that he is about to lie. “To sleep.”

  I know Mr. Current will catch it, too. “Why would you have a party if you were going to sleep twenty minutes after it started?”

  It doesn’t make sense to me, either. I eye Jeremy’s face suspiciously. I see sweat subtly start to bead on his forehead. “Because I don’t like to party anymore. The men in my band throw the parties. I have no desire to be around that shit.”

  “And is that because you claim you no longer use drugs and alcohol?” Steven chimes in. His voice is almost sarcastic.

  “I am clean,” Jeremy confirms. His voice is certain and final. He looks over at me pointedly, and looks back towards Steven. I feel like I just got punched in the stomach. His confirmation along with the parole officer’s reports make me want to believe him. But, I’m not stupid enough to think that he couldn’t have paid someone off if he wanted to.

  “Did you go up to the bedroom alone?” Mr. Current continues.

  Jeremy huffs. “No, a girl came up with me. I guess she was trying to fuck me. I wasn’t interested.”

  Everyone looks at each other and then back at Jeremy. “There are witnesses stating that she never came back downstairs after they saw her walk up with you. Hand-in-hand I might add,” Steven states.

  Jeremy stares daggers at him and shrugs nonchalantly. “I don’t know what happened after I turned her down and she left my room. Honestly, I don’t care.”

  Jeremy’s lawyers clear their throats uncomfortably. He’s acting very defensive, even I can see that. I mentally will him to stop being such an asshole.

  “When did you see the girl next?” Mr. Current continues.

  “In the morning when I opened the door to the bedroom. She was laying outside of my door. Her lips were blue and she had a needle lying next to her.”

  Mr. Current nods. “Are you aware, Mr. Mason, that Ms. Carter had traces of semen inside of her when she was found by the EMTs?”

  Jeremy shrugged. “Okay? A lot of people have sex at my parties.”

  “Yes…well…let me show you a report my office received.”

  Mr. Current picks up a stack of papers beside him and hands one to each person on Jeremy’s team, including Jeremy. Jeremy and his team take a moment to look at it, each of them becoming instantly uncomfortable. My anxiety is barely contained.

  Jeremy finally looks worried. His eyes widen and his face pales. He looks directly at Mr. Current. “Why would I call the police if I gave her the hot dose of heroin?”

  Mr. Current ignores his question. “The paper shows that the semen found in Ms. Carter matches your DNA. Does it not?”

  My heart hits the floor. I look down at the table, trying to catch my breath. I have a strong desire to vomit. I can barely keep the bile from rising into my mouth. When I look up a moment later, Jeremy is staring at me. He doesn’t look angry or uncaring- he looks terrified and guilty.

  “Okay,” he says, still staring at me. “Okay. I slept with her.”

  His legal team instantly begins to whisper to each other, in his ear, grab papers…they look frantic. I stare at Jeremy, my mouth hanging open. His eyes tear.

  We both compose ourselves as Mr. Current asks, “And were you aware she was seventeen?”

  “No!” Jeremy answers instantly. “No one is allowed at my parties unless they’re twenty-one. And she must have had a damn good fake ID if she got through my guards.”

  “We would like to have a moment to discuss this new information with you in private,” one of his legal team members says to Mr. Current.

  Mr. Current nods. “That’s fine. Let’s go just across the hall to my office for a moment. Miss Ackhart will stay and collect some basic missing information from Mr. Mason. Alright, Dylan?” He looks at me, as if in anticipation.

  Fuck. Just, fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

  “Yes, Sir,” I say, looking towards Jeremy who has his eyes pointed at the ceiling in irritation. With a shaking hand I pull out Jeremy’s information sheet. Everyone in the room but Jeremy and I stand from their seats and leave the room. When the door shuts behind the last person, we’re left alone.

  We sit for a few minutes, not looking at each other. The tension in the room is heavy and I’m concentrating on breathing evenly so that I don’t give in and pass out. Regardless, my heart is more alive at this moment than it has been in the past ten months.

  “Wife,” I hear him whisper, so softly it could have easily been my imagination. But I know I would never imagine him saying that in this moment. I’m instantly transported back to the last time we were together, when he told me I’d always be his wife…

  My heart beats rapidly. “Don’t,” I choke out.

  When I look up, his jaw is clenched. He’s still not looking at me. His eyes are pointed towards the other corner of the room. “Are you seriously working on a case against me?”

  I find my voice. “You’re only a suspect, Jeremy. But you’re not doing yourself any favors by the way you’re acting. And withholding information.”

  He looks at me. His blue eyes glisten with his tears. “You know where this is going.”

  I don�
��t look away even though I want to. I want to hide from his pain. “I know. But, this is my career. My dream.”

  “I thought you loved me.”

  I give him a horrified look. “Seriously, Jeremy? You cut me out of your life!” My anxiety is turning to rage. How could he say something like that to me? He’s a manipulator and a liar. Just like every other addict. “You think you can come in here and spout shit to me so that I can help you climb out of the hole you put yourself in? Think again. I’ve changed since you left, Jeremy. I grew up.”

  “No, Dylan. All you did was pretend to grow up. You’re playing house with a man you think you should be with. You’re in a job you think you should have. You’re still just as naive as ever.”

  “You don’t even know me, Jeremy. You made sure of that when you cut me out, you fucking narcissist. Just because you’re a genius doesn’t mean you have a clue about me or, frankly, anyone else.” I can feel myself burning with rage, my face on fire.

  “I left for the good of us. I cut you out because you wouldn’t have understood. I did it for us. Everything I’ve done since I met you has been for us, Dylan. I fucking love you. I love you more now than I ever have…”

  My heart swells but my mind races. “Stop, stop!” I cut him off. “I don’t want to hear your lies. I’m not interested.”

  He stands up and slides over to take the chair directly in front of me. He leans over the table and stares deeply into my eyes. “I’m sorry I was angry before. It just shocked the shit out of me to see the love of my life working on a case against me…to put me in jail for something I didn’t do. Dylan, I’m innocent. I had nothing to do with this and I have no idea how she got that heroin. But I didn’t give it to her.”

  He looks passionate and intense, making the flush in my face recede. Suddenly, we hear voices outside of the door and the doorknob begins to move. Jeremy jumps to his original seat and we wipe our faces with our sleeves. By the time the other men walk into the room, we both look relatively normal.

  I realize I haven’t gotten any of the paperwork done that I was supposed to, but a lot of it I can probably answer on my own.

  “Ms. Ackhart, everything wrapped up?” Mr. Current asks me before sitting in his seat.

  “Just a few more questions, Sir. Nothing that can’t wait,” I smile up at him and quickly look away.

  Jeremy’s legal team explains that due to the new information obtained, they need a day to converse with their client and that we can continue the meeting tomorrow. I sigh, unsure how I feel about seeing him again.

  As he stands with his team and walks out of the room, he looks behind his shoulder to look at me. His eyes convey what his mouth is unable to- that he’s sorry and he loves me. With the way the emotions dance across his face, it actually looks like it could be true. If it really is a charade he’s playing, then he’s a dangerously convincing liar.

  Chapter 6- The Truth

  I go through the rest of the day in a haze, purposely shutting my brain off to the point where I’m just barely able to function normally. I don’t want to even begin to process what happened in that questioning room. I’m kept busy by meeting all of my colleagues, learning the new paperwork and policies that need to be done in Homicide, as well as other things interns typically take care of. By the time I’m finally walking out of my building and towards my car, I’m so emotionally and mentally exhausted I feel like going home and falling into bed.

  I take the back door again just in case but I’m relieved to see that the press has cleared from the front of the building. I see my little car far off in the distance and take my time walking towards it.

  “Dylan,” I hear suddenly.

  Oh, God…

  I freeze in my tracks and swing myself around. I see his silver Honda stopped in the middle of my street. Jeremy’s staring out the window, his blonde hair shining in the sun and sunglasses reflecting my shocked face.

  “Huh?” I mumble out.

  “Get in,” he says. I stare at him like he’s crazy before I turn to continue walking towards my car.

  “Dylan, get in the car,” I hear him say as his car inches to match my stride. His voice is low and demanding. It makes my heart lurch in my chest.

  “Are you nuts?” I whisper out of the side of my mouth. “I can’t be seen with you.”

  “You won’t be if you get in the fucking car.”

  I sigh, my resolve wavering, but keep moving forward.

  “Dylan, I swear to God I will get out and throw you in this car.”

  Goddamnit.

  I turn and run around the front of his car, opening the passenger door and flopping onto the seat. I barely get my door shut before he drives away.

  “Where are we going?” I ask. I turn to look at him. His proximity shocks me, his face dangerously close. He looks so good. I’ve never seen him look so…healthy.

  He turns to look at me for a moment, catching on to the changing in my breathing pattern. He licks his lips as he looks into my eyes. “I’m taking you to my apartment. Just to talk. If that’s okay.” He looks back to the street.

  My palms instantly break out into a sweat. No, Dylan. No. No no no…

  “Okay,” I whisper.

  We drive in silence the rest of the way. I don’t think either of us knows what to expect.

  We park in an unassuming parking lot in front of a partially run down building. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion as we exit the car. “Where are we?”

  He rounds the car to my side, stopping in front of me at a respectful distance. “Uh, well…this is where I’m living while the whole investigation happens. It’s nice because I don’t think anyone has caught on that I live here yet. The press hasn’t exactly been scouting out places like this.”

  When I don’t respond he turns and begins to walk towards the building. I follow behind him as we walk up cement steps and through a yellowing glass door.

  The building smells old and a bit musty. We beginning climbing stairs. After the first two flights, we stop on a landing. Jeremy turns and his body is painfully close to me. I feel the familiar electricity between us, awakening every dormant cell in my body. I hadn’t realized how dead I’ve felt.

  “Sorry,” he says nodding towards my high heels. “A few more flights.”

  I manage a small smile and nod. It’s endearing he’s worried about my feet. That’s what was so nice about Jeremy, the little things he would do like that. It almost could make you forget all of the crazy shit he pulled.

  We climb another few flights of stairs. Honestly, I stop counting after I accidentally focus my attention on Jeremy’s ass that happens to be right in front of my face. I’m only human, after all.

  We get into his apartment and it’s much of what I expect of him. There’s a couch, a TV, and a beautiful piano in the small living room. And that’s it- there’s no other furniture or pictures. The apartment has beautiful hardwood floors. It looks much better than the rest of the building.

  I feel the atmosphere change as I close the door behind me. We’re now alone in his apartment. My body trembles and as I inspect him, I think I see him shaking, too.

  He turns towards me and his blue eyes sparkle. He smiles and laughs an adorable, awkward chuckle. He grabs the back of his neck with his hand and motions with the other towards the couch. “Let’s, ah, sit…”

  I sit at the end of the black couch, almost on the arm rest. He flops down gracefully at the other end. Immediately I’m brought back to the first time he had me in his dressing room and I smile despite myself.

  “A little familiar, yes,” Jeremy says, reading my thoughts.

  I try to push the memory away. I’m not here to reminisce and it’s dangerous to do that. He hasn’t explained anything to me about our break-up and even if he does, I’m not sure it would change anything.

  “So, you need to talk to me?” I press. His smile falls.

  “Yes. I think you need to know what happened. I think you deserve that.”

  I feel a lu
mp in my throat. I try to swallow it down.

  “Remember our last conversation? I was helping you get ready for Theresa’s wedding.”

  My eyes tear but I will myself not to cry. “Yes, I remember.”

  “Well, I wasn’t able to call you again before the wedding. I was exhausted and I had shows within eight hours of each other. But I missed you desperately. Especially that night, wishing I could be there to support you. So the next day I went on your profile and saw that you were tagged in some pictures from the wedding.”

  I look at him, confused. I rack my brain to think about where this could be going. “Yes…” I urge him to continue.

  “I looked through them and I saw in more than half of the pictures, you were dancing with Scott.”

  “Okay…” So what? Both of us had gone stag that night and I like to dance. Where is he going with this?

  “In some of them he was holding you really close and playing with your hair. You guys were laughing together…I don’t know. I know now that I was being ridiculous. I know that you weren’t mine and you had a right to date him if you wanted to. But it set me the fuck off, seeing you with him. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take the pain of knowing you were with him and I couldn’t even be there to fight for you. I hated knowing it was probably for the best, too. For a few days I let the pain stew around in my head until I went out and found a dealer on the street and bought a bag of heroin.”

  I gasp and go rigid. So he is using again. I don’t understand. How is this getting by everyone?

  “Wait…wait…I didn’t use it.”

  Huh?

  “Huh?” I squeak out.