Uncorked

by Rebecca Rohman

  Mitch held Chella’s hand tightly as they sat in the courtroom. Within minutes, she was on her feet, rushing to the bathroom to throw up. She knew the timing could not be any worse. She rinsed her mouth with water, popped in a mint, and returned to meet Mitch in the hallway.

  When they returned to the courtroom this time, Aaron made eye contact with her. He had a sinister look on his face.

  Chella flinched. Her grasp on Mitch tightened and her breath turned shaky.

  Mitch continued to hold her hand as they sat and waited for the proceedings to begin. It wasn’t long before the bailiff introduced the judge—a middle-aged woman with short, brown hair and a no-nonsense look on her face.

  Samantha Marlow was about to make her opening statement when Aaron Stewart’s lawyer interrupted and addressed the court.

  “Your Honor, my client would like to change his plea on all counts.”

  Everyone in the courtroom gasped in shock. Mitch’s hold on Chella’s hand tightened.

  The judge addressed the defendant. “Mr. Stewart, your council has advised that you would like to change your plea. Do you understand the charges that have been brought against you?”

  Standing up in a sharp suit, Aaron answered, “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “Your attorney has advised the court that you would like to change your plea from not guilty to guilty. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “Do you understand you will be pleading guilty to the following charges: eight counts of first degree attempted murder, two counts of first degree residential burglary, two counts of battery, two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of felony criminal threats, one count of felony false imprisonment, two counts of felony stalking, four counts of felony vandalism, eight counts of violation of a restraining order, one count of felony arson?”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “In that case, you will be remanded into the custody of the San Diego county sheriff’s office. Your sentencing will be ten weeks from now, Monday, April fourth. Court stands in recess until then.

  As Aaron was taken away, Chella looked at Mitch completely speechless. For whatever reason and for once in Aaron Stewart’s life, he did what was right and made things simple for her. As people vacated the courtroom, Mitch pulled her in his arms and held her in a warm embrace.

  “I can’t believe this,” Chella whispered. “Is it finally over? Is this real? Can he change his mind?” She turned to their lawyers and asked.

  The eldest of her lawyers answered. “He must have good cause. It’s not enough for him to claim he has good cause. He must be able to prove it by clear and convincing evidence. It would be my guess that his lawyers told him to plead guilty so the judge gives him a lighter sentence.”

  Another lawyer added, “Ms. Noon, I think it’s safe to say this is it. With all the evidence against him, it’s highly unlikely that would happen. At this point, he’s looking for the best deal he can get from the judge.”

  “What, exactly, might this so-called best deal be? What if the judge hands down a ridiculous sentence?” Chella asked.

  “You needn’t worry about that. Mr. Stewart has two previous violent assaults on his record. Attempted murder is a violent felony. Under the third strike mandate, he must serve a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty-five-years-to-life in California state prison.”

  “I can’t believe this is over,” she said. She looked at Mitch and smiled. After thanking her lawyers, she walked over to Detective Carter.

  “I don’t know how to thank you, Detective. I could hug you right now.”

  “I was—”

  “I know, just doing your job. If it weren’t for your dedication, this would not be happening right now.”

  “You’re welcome, Ms. Noon. It was a pleasure.”

  “We’re grateful,” Mitch said, shaking the detective’s hand. “There were so many times things could have been worse if it weren’t for you. Thanks for everything.”

  Before leaving, they said a polite thank you to Ms. Marlow and her team and then they were on their way.

  It was over.

  Mitch dropped Chella at home then went to see how things were going at his office. Chella wasn’t quite sure what to do next. This was the beginning of the rest of her life. For the first time ever, she could live a life free of fear. The next day, she went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get her driver’s license. After that, she headed to Sheyenne International to tell Craig she would be more than happy to accept the new position, on the condition that she’d get to work from home over the next few months. She was still bleeding, and both Mitch and Dr. Suarez wanted her to be careful. While at the office, she picked up files and instructed the driver to take her home where she’d plan a nice romantic evening with Mitch. He deserved it. He had been so patient, loving and supportive throughout the entire ordeal. It was time to give back.

  She was no expert on gourmet cooking, but over the last few months, Mitch had gone beyond the call of duty to spoil her. She wanted to reverse the tables that night, starting with dinner.

  On the way home, she picked up a couple of bottles of Mitch’s favorite, Opus One, for the main course and her favorite Dom Perignon for dessert. She made sure she had all the ingredients she needed for dinner, made a quick stop at the jewelry store, and headed home to prepare the perfect night.

  She chose simple recipes, hoping they would be a breeze to prepare. Earlier, she had called Mitch and invited him to dinner. When he was on his way, he called her to tell her he’d be arriving shortly.

  After preparing all three courses, Chella placed them in the warming drawer. She turned on romantic mood music and dimmed the lights. She set the table with white linens, their finest stemware and silverware, and went to shower.

  She covered her body in Mitch’s favorites: lotions, perfumes, the sexiest underwear she owned, a strapless navy maxi dress—one of his favorites.

  She set the pool alight with fifty floating candles she had bought, spreading them evenly over the pool, and waited for Mitch to arrive.

  Moments later, she heard his car pull up and went out to greet him. Before she could say a word, he swept her into his arms and kissed her deeply on the lips.

  “You look, taste and smell awesome.”

  “Thank you. Come this way.” She escorted him to the table and poured him a glass of wine.

  “This is quite a sight. Looks like you went all out.”

  “I wanted to make tonight special,” she replied, removing the stainless steel plate covers to reveal the result of an afternoon of hard work.

  He looked surprised when he saw the plate before him.

  “I hope you enjoy. I did it all by myself, with the help of the internet, of course.”

  “It looks delicious. This is all really beautiful, Sweetheart. Thank you. When did you find time to do all this?”

  “After I got my driver’s license and popped in to see Craig to tell him I’d accept the job.”

  After they’d thoroughly relished their meal, they moved to the chaise for dessert. She spanned him, enticing him with the sweet treats she had prepared.

  “Sweetheart, this is all such wonderful news. So worth celebrating.”

  She looked at him and smiled. After putting the dessert on the side table, she pulled a little black box from inside her pocket and handed it to him.

  “Hopefully, we’ll be celebrating something else, too. Will you marry me?” she asked.

  Mitch looked at her in complete shock, opened the box. A slow smile stretched across his face. Still, he did not respond.

  “Are you trying to punish me?” she asked, smiling.

  “No, Sweetheart. I’m just really surprised. I’d love to marry you,” He replied, circling her face is his hands and charming her lips with his. She responded by allowing him to take over her mouth. He was tender and caring, and he touched her softly as her hands explored his body. She slipped the ring on his finger.

  “Well,
this is a first,” he replied, laughing, then kissed her again.

  “I love you,” she said as he pulled her into his arms and cuddled her.

  “I love you, too. I’ve been carrying this around, wondering if I’d ever have the guts to ask you again.” He pulled a similar black box from his pocket.

  “You have?” she asked, smiling at him.

  He nodded. “Give me your hand.”

  She did, and he slipped the solitaire on her finger. “You’ve made me a very happy man.”

  “I meant it when I said I was waiting for this mess to be over. Now that it is, we can move on. I’m so happy to share my life with you.”

  “You too, Sweetheart,” he said, caressing her cheek.

  “What kind of wedding did you want?”

  “It’s up to you. As long as my mom and Emily are there, that’s all I care about.”

  “Maybe something intimate with our closest friends—a sunset cruise or something like that. What do you think?”

  “That sounds great, but I really want you to have your dream wedding.”

  “My dream wedding is not what you might expect. I want an intimate wedding, and I definitely want to be on or near the water.”

  “We could get married at sunset on a boat and have our reception at one of the nice restaurants on the coast?”

  “Twenty or thirty of our friends?”

  “Sounds good to me. Now, when do we have this amazing sunset-cruise wedding?” Mitch asked.

  “You tell me. When next can you take time off?”

  “How about when Emily breaks from school for Easter? That’s sometime in April.”

  “April it is.”

  Three weeks later, Mitch and Chella sat with their lender signing paperwork to their new home in La Jolla, San Diego, not far from Chella’s old place. They purchased a beautiful, contemporary home on the water with an infinity-edge pool, and a rooftop deck overlooking spectacular Pacific Ocean seascapes. This time, when the agent slid the paperwork toward her, she had no trouble signing her name below Mitch’s.

  They had made their first purchase together as a couple.

  Weeks after, Chella and Mitch sat with their lawyers and Detective Carter at the courthouse for the sentencing of Aaron Stewart. Ms. Marlow and her team were in court, as well. Aaron sat with his lawyer in the front of the room. His father sat behind him. He hadn’t changed much from when Chella last saw him all those years ago. Aside from Aaron’s father, Chella did not recognize any of the other people on the defendant’s side of the courtroom.

  When the judge walked in, Chella’s palms began to sweat. The judge zipped through normal court proceedings then addressed Aaron and his attorney.

  “Mr. Jenkins, would you or your client like to address the court before sentencing?”

  “Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Stewart has taken responsibility for his crimes. We ask the court for leniency because of this. He is undergoing counseling with some of the best psychiatrists in San Diego, and he now understands the severity of the pain he caused Ms. Noon and the other victims. For that, he is sorry. Thank you, Your Honor.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. Mr. Stewart do you have anything that you’d like to add?”

  “No, thank you, Your Honor.”

  “Ms. Marlow, does the state wish to add anything?”

  “No, thank you, Your Honor.”

  Chella was surprised at her response. After making eye contact with her lawyers, one of them stood up.

  “Your Honor, my name is Zack Rogers. I’m Ms. Noon’s lawyer, and I’d like to address the court on Ms. Noon, the victim’s, behalf.”

  “You may.”

  “Your Honor, for years Aaron Stewart caused Ms. Noon an immense amount of pain. He tried to kill her on numerous occasions, and when he couldn’t get to her, he targeted the people she loved. Mr. Stewart had opportunities before to clean up his act. This is his third strike. By his actions, he has proven he is a danger to the public and to Ms. Noon. We ask the court that, in light of his past behavior, that he be sentenced to none other than life in prison. Thank you.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Rogers,” the judge replied.

  After taking a deep breath and writing some notes she said, “Mr. Stewart, I have to say I agree with Mr. Rogers. I’ve read the files, and you seem relentless in your efforts to harm Ms. Noon. I’m glad you’re getting the best psychiatric help money can buy. You need it. However, you’re going to have to get your help from behind bars. Mr. Stewart, it is hereby the decision of this court that you be sentenced to fifty-years-to-life in prison without the possibility of parole. You will be immediately taken into San Diego police custody, where they will arrange to have you transferred to a maximum-security state prison. This court is adjourned.”

  Chella watched the police slap handcuffs on Aaron and take him away. She felt great relief knowing it was finally over.

  As they left the courtroom, Aaron’s father approached Chella.

  Mitch pulled her to his side, stepping in front of her.

  “This is her fault,” Aaron Stewart Sr. said.

  “Don’t you dare come near her. Your family has caused her enough pain,” Mitch replied.

  “How could I possibly be responsible for this?” Chella said angrily, being careful not to shout. “All your life, you’ve bailed him out and made excuses for his bad choices. I suppose you’re going to blame me for that, too.”

  “He’s hurting from his mother’s death.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. His mother has been dead for years. Are you going to make excuses for him all his life? Was it my fault when he sent me a package that blew up in my face, or when he and Jade rigged a bomb to blow up Mitch’s boat, or when he and Jade destroyed Mitch’s vehicle in a matter of minutes? People like you make me sick.”

  “I can pay for those things.”

  “You think you have enough money to pay for her pain and suffering?” said Mitch. “Do you even care about what he did to her?”

  “He’s sorry. He’s made a lot of progress in the last few weeks. We’re getting along better than we ever have.”

  “You’re delusional if you believe that garbage,” Mitch responded, raking his hands through his hair.

  “You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t share your optimism when it comes to your son,” said Chella.

  She was dying to say something about her parents, but she promised Detective Carter she’d keep her mouth shut.

  “He’s sorry.”

  “I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s useless talking to you. Goodbye, Mr. Stewart,” Chella said, pulling Mitch away.

  “I’m warning both you and your son. Stay away from Chella and my family, or I’ll come after you and your son with a civil lawsuit that’s so big, you’ll be broke by the time I’m done with you.”

  As she looked over her shoulder, so many visions of her past slipped through her mind—from the day she met Aaron and his parents to that moment. The Stewart family, as of then, would be out of her life. She was looking forward to finally concentrating on a new family with Mitch.

  Days later, after Mitch stepped out of a meeting at his office he listened to a voice message from Chella.

  “Hey, hope your day’s been going well. Mine’s been crazy. I think I might be coming down with the flu. I have a nasty sinus headache, so I’ve taken two Benadryl, and I’m going to lie down. My phone’s on silent. It’s been ringing all day. Anyway, don’t be surprised if I’m still asleep when you get home. These things usually knock me out. Love you. Bye.”

  He smiled as he listened to her voice at the other end of the line. Half an hour into his next client meeting, his cell phone rang. Detective Carter’s number appeared on the screen. His instincts told him to pick up the phone.

  “Detective, what can I do for you?”

  “Mr. Mariani, we have a major problem. Aaron escaped custody.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mitch excused himself from the meeting and stepped out into the
corridor. “What do you mean he escaped custody?”

  “His transport vehicle was found abandoned. We found the guards inside unconscious. We have every reason to believe he is on the way to your house,” Detective Carter replied.

  “Why?”

  “We found your address written on the back of his transfer papers at the escape site.”

  “Fuck!” Mitch exclaimed. He returned to the conference room to pick up his keys. He apologized to his clients and ran out of the room.

  “We’ve been trying to call Ms. Noon, but there’s been no answer,” Detective Carter continued. “I’m trying to get over there, but there’s a bad accident on the freeway. We’ve asked troopers to get over there, but it might take time. The backup is miles long and parts of the freeway are shut down.”

  “Shit, I’m heading there now. Chella wasn’t feeling well. She took an antihistamine and went to bed. She’s sedated.”

  “If you get there before me, please proceed with caution. One of the guard’s firearms was missing.”

  By the time Mitch ended the call, he was driving out of his office parking lot. He tried calling Chella on the landline and the cell phone several times, but they both rang out. He left her a message telling her to get out of the house, to go to the neighbor’s or to the beach. At that moment, he didn’t care where she went as long as she wasn’t at home. He also reminded her to take her cell phone if she was able to leave safely.

  The deafening alarm woke Chella out of a deep sleep. For minutes she couldn’t figure out what was going on. Then the phone rang.

  “Hello?” she answered.

  “Yes, ma’am, I’m calling from Security Teknowledgies. We’ve received a signal that your alarm has gone off.”

  “Yes, I was asleep. I’m not sure why it went off.”

  “What is your name?”

  “Chella… Chella Noon,” she replied, still dazed.

  “Ms. Noon, the signal is coming from zone two. That looks like your back kitchen window.” While talking, Chella looked at her phone and saw she had over twenty missed calls from Mitch and Detective Carter.