Forever Lost

by Laura Morgan

  “Clearly self-defense. He was an abusive man who kidnapped you and forced you into a life of servitude, and an involuntary marriage. His death will not be the issue. It’s Jonah’s family who are pushing for a trial. They never knew what he did to you, they just thought you were a disgruntled ex who lashed out at their son, and murdered him. They’ll soon learn the truth, and I believe that once the facts are heard, you will not be found guilty. It is likely you’ll be deported back to England, but otherwise you’ll be free.” Justin grabbed his things and offered Cassie a supportive pat on the shoulder.

  She thanked him, grateful for having been able to tell her story at last, and Justin left. Once she was alone, her thoughts swallowed her up, but all in all, Cassie was glad. She might not be free, but she was free of Victor, and that was all that mattered.

  Chapter 37

  A few months later, Cassie was tried before a jury for the manslaughter of Jonah Smith, and the murder of Victor Sanchez. She’d spent the time between her arrest and the trial date in a low-security prison, where she’d had sessions with a psychiatrist daily, and was treated well by the guards and other inmates. They’d heard her story and viewed her as nothing more than a victim, many of the inmates respecting her for finally killing Victor. Not all women were lucky enough to get away in one piece. Those few she’d grown relatively close with understood her reasons for having Jonah hurt in an attempt to save herself from becoming a sex slave, despite the awful consequences.

  Justin defended her brilliantly. He started at the beginning, opening with a brief history of Cassie’s life before falling into a relationship with Leo. He then called Mrs. Brown to the stand, and asked for her account of the night she’d overheard Victor and Cassie talking at the restaurant. The lovely woman spoke slowly and clearly, telling the jury about the ultimatum she’d heard Victor give Cassie, and that she’d told Mrs. Brown she had no other choice but to go with him.

  “Cassie is a lovely girl. She just got mixed up with the wrong people, and they took her choices away from her. I didn’t know Jonah, but I know for sure she would have never hurt him willingly,” she said, gazing warmly at Cassie as she sat behind her defense table.

  Mrs. Brown was cross-examined and dismissed, her testimony ironclad, so they didn’t go too hard on her.

  Then Leo Solomon took the stand. He was handcuffed, but had been allowed to dress in a suit and tie for the occasion. He looked well, and smiled at them all after saying his oath. Cassie couldn't take her eyes off him. Her body yearned for his touch, and as he regarded her with the same intensity, she felt herself blush.

  “Mr. Solomon, please tell us what happened on the night of September sixteenth, last year,” Justin requested, pacing slowly as he listened to Leo’s testimony.

  “Absolutely. I was entertaining Victor Sanchez and his men at my home, when he slipped a sedative into my drink, and tied me to a chair in my hallway. When I came to, he interrogated me at length and shot me in both kneecaps. He also tortured my assistant, Tina, for information regarding the whereabouts and personal history of my girlfriend at the time, Cassandra Taylor,” he said, receiving gasps from the few onlookers, and grumbles from the jurors. “Victor then left for a while, his men having taken possession of my home, and we were kept there while he went off in search of his prize, Cassie.”

  “I see, and could you please tell the court what happened the following morning?” Justin continued, drawing out more of the story, while Cassie fought back her tears as she relived the awful day.

  “Victor returned in the early hours. He didn’t tell me where he’d been, or what had happened. Later that morning Cassie came to the house. It appeared Victor Sanchez had delivered her with an ultimatum. She was to go with him to Mexico and become his whore, or he would kill me, as well as all her friends. I begged her not to go with him, but she couldn't do it, she couldn't let me die, and so she went. He took her with him, where he turned her into his forced subservient. I know this because he insisted on sending me proof, and told me during our few meetings that followed how she was at his full command.” Leo took a deep breath, shaking his head as though trying to clear away images his mind had pulled into focus again.

  He took a sip of his water, eyed Cassie intently, and carried on. “I didn’t see her again until my birthday party on July twenty-third this year, when I helped set up a raid with the FBI to ensure the arrest of both her and Victor Sanchez at my home.”

  “And what happened that night? How is it that Victor Sanchez ended up dead before the agents could apprehend him?” Justin pressed, wandering the court slowly while resting his chin on his fingertips.

  “They both attended the party, and I knew I had to keep them at my property until the authorities arrived. I played it cool so as not to rile Mr. Sanchez in case he got offended and decided to leave. Victor eventually took Cassie upstairs where I found him forcing himself on her sexually. I confronted him, but he wouldn’t stop, and that’s when Cassie reached for the knife Victor always carried with him, and she stabbed him in the chest. It was completely in self-defense. She’d endured months of forced submission, and finally snapped. I couldn't blame her,” Leo told them, peering over at her longingly, and she had to wipe the tears from her cheeks as she listened to him.

  Leo was asked a few further questions from the prosecution, but he remained calm and spoke of Cassie with nothing but warmth and even pity, clearly using her fraught past to help plead her case.

  He was later dismissed and taken back to his transport to return to his prison cell. The pair of them hadn’t had any time alone together during his brief respite from jail, but it was enough just seeing him, and Cassie’s heart felt a little better for having heard him speak so lovingly of her in front of the court.

  Soon it was Cassie’s turn to take the stand. She trembled as she made her way up to it, but she stood tall and spoke eloquently. She told the judge, jury, and onlookers exactly what had happened toward the end of her marriage with Jonah. Cassie held nothing back regarding their dreadful few days spent enduring his meltdown, and the injuries she’d sustained.

  In order to prove her story was true, her medical records were brought forward as evidence by Justin. The psychologist’s report corroborated her story as well, thankfully forcing the prosecution to leave that part alone.

  “I hated Jonah so much, but there was still a huge part of me that loved him, so I never pressed charges. I moved on with my life, and he did the same. I was lost and alone, but I found a new home, and new friends. Maybe they weren’t the right people to have around me, but they made me happy, and Leo did everything he could to keep me separate from his business dealings.” She gazed into the faces of the jury members, hoping they believed her story. She wondered how many abused and tortured women had sat in this chair before her, telling a similar story. She was a victim, regardless of all the times she’d told herself she wasn’t, and she hated both her dead husbands for having made her that way.

  “Victor happened upon me, and I knew right from the moment I met him I was done for. He was a predator, and saw me as nothing but Leo’s favorite toy, a plaything Victor wanted for himself. He set about making that happen in the only way he knew how, violence and intimidation. I was terrified of going with him, but I had no other choice. He made it quite clear that he would kill my friends if I ran, and he would kill Leo if I didn’t choose him,” Cassie told them, readying herself to give them the full details of Victor’s attack on Jonah, and the room fell silent, hanging on her every word. She took a deep breath and forced herself to carry on.

  “After I left the restaurant that night, Victor approached me outside. He asked to give me a ride home. I wasn’t tired, I was freaking out, thanks to his ultimatum, and had been trying to think of a way of reaching out to someone for help without him realizing it. Victor was an incredibly clever man, and in the ten months I lived with him I don’t think I ever really fooled him, not even once. He always had the upper hand, and even that first night I knew how a
s soon as I said yes to him, my life would no longer be my own. The only person I could think to help me that night was Jonah.” A sob forced itself out of her, and the judge spoke up from his seat for the first time since the trial had begun.

  “Would you like to take a minute?” he asked, but Cassie shook her head. He nodded, and motioned for Justin to bring her a fresh glass of water, and she took a sip with trembling hands.

  “I knew if I could get Jonah to suspect foul play, rather than me having run off into the sunset with my new lover, I might be in with a chance. He still loved me, despite all of our hardships, and I trusted that he would not just let me go without at least looking into my reasons why. So, I asked Victor to take me to his apartment. I told Jonah I was going away, that I had gotten mixed up with the wrong people, and that was when Victor beat him up. I hated every moment of it, and called him away, but he just wouldn’t stop. He took a knuckleduster and pounded into Jonah’s groin with it, and then I ran for the car, unable to see any more. I was sick outside in the street, I couldn't bear it, but Victor was calm and drove me home afterward without a flicker of guilt. I saw what a monster he was, and while I sat in his car crumbling under the pressure he was putting on me, Victor simply reminded me that I had twelve hours left to make my choice. He drove me home and left me to say goodbye to my roommate without a care.” She clutched at her stomach, the ache deep within making her feel as though her water might make a comeback.

  “What happened next, Mrs. Sanchez?” Justin asked, and she cringed at hearing her married name, but knew it was unavoidable.

  “After going to Leo’s mansion the next morning to make my choice, I left with him, and we took his private jet to Mexico. I was locked in a bedroom for most of the time to be his personal whore. Victor dominated every part of me ruthlessly, and without ever showing any guilt for what he’d done. I played my role. I’m not ashamed to say I went along with it and did everything he asked of me, all out of sheer self-preservation. I married him and forced myself to pretend I was happy. Along the way I think I even believed my own lies, so I played the part of the dutiful wife, and remained in Mexico, until the day before Leo Solomon’s birthday party. I wasn’t told where we were headed. I was allowed to attend the celebrations with Victor, but had been warned against trying anything foolish. He was testing me, but I was too afraid to go against his orders anyway, and hated every minute we were at Leo’s party.”

  “And can you please tell the court what then happened once the two of you were at Leo’s house?” Justin asked her, his expression warm and calm. Cassie stared back at him, finding comfort in his gaze, and she carried on, pushing herself to keep going no matter how hard it all was.

  “He didn’t care how well behaved I’d been. He was seething. Victor was so angry that nothing I said or did could calm him down. I think he hated being there too, but he wasn’t finished testing me. It seemed he wanted to know how I would react to seeing Leo after so long, but I didn’t give him what he wanted, neither of us did. I think he was looking forward to punishing me, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction. Leo and I were like strangers that night, and although Victor seemed satisfied that our bond had apparently been severed, it was evidently a bittersweet victory.”

  “Is this when he took you up to a guest room of Leo’s mansion?” Justin urged, keeping her going.

  She nodded. “Yes. He forced me down on the bed, and ripped off my clothes, forcing himself on me, and I let him. I had to, just like always. Leo found us and tried to pull him off me, but the damage was already done, and I snapped. I think having finally seen Leo again had set me off, and in a desperate bid for freedom, I acted at long last. I saw the knife Victor always carried, it was right next to me, and so as soon as he went to lay his hands on me again I stuck it in his ribs,” Cassie told them. She panted as a flurry of panic rose in her chest. She knew she was lying. Both she and Leo had elaborated the story to cover up his involvement, but it was all fundamentally true, and the thought of that night still brought her to the brink of tears again.

  “Thank you, Cassie,” Justin said. He handed her a tissue, and she dabbed at her eyes. The prosecution cross-examined her, but they seemed to have little to ask other than for clarification of details here and there. The case seemed cut and shut, and so they went easy on her. No one seemed to want for her to be made an example of. The only thing they needed was the truth so the case could finally be closed. Cassie was glad. She was truly grateful for Justin having spoken with the prosecution lawyer before the trial had begun, and that together they seemed to have already come to an understanding.

  Before long the questions were over, and Cassie sat opposite Hanna and Jamie in the holding office of the courthouse. Their baby daughter, Sandi, was in Hanna’s arms. She was a happy child, smiling and cooing sweetly, and Cassie was so glad they were all okay.

  “He never stopped loving you, Cassie,” Hanna told her, clearly talking about Leo, and she nodded.

  “I know, I never stopped loving him either, but how can we possibly get back to where we were before? I don’t know if I would even want to, Han. I can’t be the mob-boss’s wife ever again, and I cannot expect him to leave it all behind for me. I think we both just have to draw a line in the sand and say our goodbyes. My track record for lovers is looking pretty bad right now,” she replied, shaking her head at herself, and Hanna just laughed.

  “Well, you spent the night with us and look where we are now. I think you need to stop attracting gangsters and you’ll be fine,” she said, making them all laugh. Cassie was glad to have had some time with them before they needed to head back into the courtroom for the final moments in her trial.

  Cassie thought of all the truths that had come out during the hearing. Learning about Leo’s hidden cameras in the apartment had come as the biggest shock of all. It was an intrusion she wasn’t sure she could ever forgive. As much as she wanted to get back to some semblance of a normal life, she didn’t know whether Leo could fit into it anymore. Cassie was sure there would need to be some very strict ground rules in place before anything could ever begin again. She couldn’t let herself be vulnerable.

  “He won’t be a mob-boss any more, don’t forget, sweetie. You know he’ll have to say goodbye to that part of his life after his incarceration. His legit businesses are fine, but the drug trade is now closed for him. Don’t forget that,” Hanna repeated. She smiled affectionately, seeming proud of Cassie. She was glad knowing Hanna would be happy to go along with whatever she eventually decided, but she would stick by her all the way.

  The guard came in and ushered them back to the courtroom. They made their way back inside, and the onlookers took their seats while Cassie and Justin stood eagerly awaiting the ruling. A woman from the jury stood and readied herself to read out the verdict from a sheet of paper, fidgeting nervously.

  “Madam foreperson, has the jury reached a verdict?” the judge asked.

  “We have, Your Honor.”

  “What say you?”

  “In the charge for the manslaughter of Jonah Smith, we find the defendant not guilty,” the spokeswoman said, pausing for a moment while Cassie exhaled loudly, and began to shake. She needed a moment to regain her composure, but wasn’t afforded it.

  The woman said, continuing to read from the paper in her hands. “And in the charge of the murder of Victor Sanchez, we find the defendant guilty.”

  Chapter 38

  Noise erupted from the court in an instant. Cassie could hear shouts and pleas from her friends behind her, and she hung her head, waiting for the sentence to be given.

  “Order in court!” the judge shouted, slamming down the gavel, and silence descended. “You find the defendant guilty?” he asked the jury spokeswoman, and she nodded, but added a little more explanation to their findings.

  “Yes, your honor. But, we believe the murder to have been in self-defense, and recommend that Mrs. Sanchez is sentenced to time served,” she said, and then took her seat. Cassie lifted her head, watch
ing the judge to see his reaction to the jury’s recommendation, and he thankfully seemed to agree with the verdict.

  “I concur. Cassandra Sanchez, you are charged with the murder of Victor Sanchez, carried out solely in self-defense. I hereby release you from custody in light of your current time served and good conduct throughout. Your visa to live and work in the United States of America has been revoked, and you are to leave the country immediately. The Mexican authorities have seized your husband’s assets, however the IRS has found several offshore accounts in your name. Regardless of his intention, it seems your husband has left you with some compensation for your time as his prisoner. Those funds have been transferred into a holding account, which you will be able to access and transfer over to your British bank account when you get there. The case is now closed, and I wish you well,” the judge said. The loud whack of his gavel resonated through the room, and within seconds Hanna’s arms were wrapped around her from behind while the room emptied. Justin shook her hand with a smile, and escorted her from the courthouse to an awaiting car that would take her to Hanna and Jamie’s apartment.

  ***

  The next afternoon Cassie gave baby Sandi one last hug, along with her friends and even Mrs. Brown, who’d come to see her off at the airport. She checked her luggage and waved goodbye from the security gate, taking one final glimpse of the few people she truly cherished, and would miss with all her heart. Jamie and Hanna had decided to get married in England the following year, though. They told her they’d opted for a long summer visit, and Cassie couldn't wait to see them. Despite hating having to say goodbye, she left safe in the knowledge that this was not forever.

  After a long flight and an emotional reunion with her family in London, Cassie finally set off in search of herself again. She found a reputable accountant and set about gaining access to her funds, the rather strange inheritance Victor had somehow left for her. She almost fainted when he told her how much was waiting in the account.