Intersecting Lines – The Trial
02 – The Defence Opens
In Court
Alex's viewpoint
"Defence?"
Peterson rose at Craven's call as we sat there waiting; frankly I was fascinated, almost morbidly so, to hear what he had to say after we'd spent all of yesterday and much of this morning laying out our case. The evidence we had was damning beyond measure, leaving Peterson with damn all to work with; as Liv had bluntly, crudely but all too accurately described it on the way in this morning, no matter how much he tried polishing a turd, it remained a turd.
Peterson walked round from behind the Defence tables and into the center of the open space between the judge, the jury and audience and turned to face Craven and the jurors. He'd worn a very well-tailored dark blue suit, it looked to my eye like an Armani; matched with a conservative red striped tie and a white shirt he looked like the lawyer or banker from central casting.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we have heard the prosecution lay out a case made up of innuendo, half-truths, supposition and guess work" He shook his head, all theatrics for his audience, both here and watching via the cameras. "They have attempted to paint hard-working members of the Los Angeles Police Department and Justice Department as criminals based on little but hot air and wishful thinking" I sat back, wondering where he was going with this. He knew the evidence we had to bring to bear, so he must have known he was facing an oncoming avalanche of undeniable proof, enough to bury his clients. I flicked a glance at Andrea but she sat there, apparently unmoved and unconcerned, one hand holding a pen poised to make notes but apart from that she was the picture of serene calm. I took a breath and tried to emulate her as Peterson pushed on.
"Why then, given that this case is so shaky has the prosecution brought this case against my clients?" He paused to heighten the jury's interest then pressed on. "The true reasons are interlayered and complex" He stepped forward from his desk and walked towards the jury.
"The first layer deals with the incompetence of the LAPDs own Internal Affairs section, the one that investigates shootings by police" He shrugged. "During the course of their duties police are required to discharge their firearms regularly to protect lives; their own and those of the public, they undertake a dangerous job on our behalf" He gestured with his hands as he continued. "No one would begrudge an officer having to discharge his firearm when attacked or to protect another, well no unbiased observer that is" I felt my eyes unconsciously narrow as he pressed on. "Unfortunately unbiased is not what we are dealing with here, not when it comes to the actions of the LAPD's Force Investigation Department, the Department's own secret police" I flicked a glance at Andrea, wondering if she was going to let that one pass unchallenged. I wasn't disappointed as, with a tap of her pen on the writing pad Andrea broke in, interrupting Peterson.
"Objection Your Honour, I would strongly protest the characterization of any area of the Los Angeles Police Department as acting as any kind of 'secret police' in the manner Defence has suggested" Craven looked our way, then nodded.
"Sustained, the jury will disregard that statement" Peterson nodded and continued; he'd probably not expected to get that one past but more than likely he was trying to taint the juror's perceptions of our witnesses, a bit grimy but not unexpected.
"The Force Investigation Department of the LAPD investigates any officers who discharge their firearm, a laudable duty but one which, under its current leadership, has developed a reputation amongst officers for arbitrary and brutal methods and outcomes" I saw Andrea's jaw tighten but she stayed silent as Peterson continued. "Force Investigation has the power to break an officer, to decide after the fact, without knowing what exactly transpired in the minds of the officers or suspects in a tense and stressful situation, what the supposed 'truth' is. That however is the remit of the Force Investigation Division and in particular it's rightly feared former head, Commander Sharon Raydor"
I sat there, staring flatly at Peterson, wondering just how far he was going to push this; as it turned out, pretty damned far.
"I say former head because Sharon Raydor was promoted to a more senior role following her bringing charges against my clients, a reward as it were for delivering up innocent law enforcement personnel to trial. The LAPD was embarrassed by their inability to solve these crimes and were desperate for a scapegoat, Sharon Raydor was the one who sought out and selected those scapegoats and was duly rewarded for it" He looked around the jury, the audience and, not coincidentally, the cameras as he continued.
"Commander Sharon Raydor is now one of the prosecution's key witnesses. Why? Because she is the one who looked into a series of shooting incidents involving these innocent officers and decided that she didn't like the results, therefore she would continue to harass and torment these officers, all because she couldn't accept that they were innocent" He took a few steps towards the jury and stopped, standing where the cameras could get a clear shot of him. "In Raydor's biased world view, officers who have to discharge their firearm, in the face of imminent death, when they have to kill or be killed, are guilty until proven innocent" I flicked a glance at Andrea to see her watching Peterson with a cold, unwavering gaze. I sat back and joined her as we waited for him to overstep.
"That same Sharon Raydor is intimately involved in a relationship with another officer, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson:" Peterson paused and put on an exaggerated look, half surprise, half leer. "That's right ladies and gentlemen, the prosecution's two main witnesses are involved in a relationship, the officer who investigates police shootings and the person who she has co-opted to support her assertions against the hard-working, innocent officers in front of you, the very definition of conflict of interest" Andrea and I exchanged a glance and as one turned to Craven who saw us, I thought he was about to say something but he shook his head and looked back to Peterson who was pushing on.
"So Raydor and her lesbian lover Johnson were involved in an illicit affair, one they carefully concealed from the majority of their coworkers and in particular from their superiors" We both were on our feet objecting immediately, Andrea was marginally faster.
"Objection Your Honor, exactly how does the sexuality of the officers in question have any involvement in this case?" Craven looked from us to Peterson.
"Well Defence?"
"Your Honour, there was no imputation, I was simply making their relationship clear to all" Craven frowned at that then shrugged.
"Proceed" Andrea and I exchanged a look as we sat down, exchanging a barely–hidden expression of sheer disgust; I suppose we couldn't expect anything like a fair hearing from a reactionary like Craven. I saw puzzled frowns on a few of the jury members too, so at least some of them recognised Craven's behavior for the reactionary filth it was.
"As I was saying, Johnson and Raydor were involved, eager to keep this from their superiors, including the Chief of the LAPD, they each overreacted to a perceived threat, one created from their own paranoia" I glanced at Andrea, seeing her jaw tighten in anger as mine did the same, Peterson wasn't finished however. "Given their paranoid concerns they trumped up these baseless charges out of some overprotective instinct for their lesbian lover" That was a smear too far for both of us, we both shot to our feet, I barely beat her.
"Objection Your Honour" Andrea was barely a beat behind me.
"Objection Your Honour, please!" Craven looked our way and spoke.
"Prosecution?" Andrea glanced my way and nodded as she sat, leaving it to me.
"Your Honour, to so besmirch the character of the two most senior female officers in the LAPD is beyond contemptible, to accuse them of manufacturing charges is a disgusting smear on their integrity and character, offered up with neither substance or proof" I turned to stare at Peterson. "If the Defence has any evidence to the contrary I demand he produce it now or retract his slanderous accusations" I was pushing it a bit hard but we had to try and shut this line of crap down early before he could taint the jury. Craven frowned at me.
"You have no power to demand anything in my court, do you understand me Counselor?" I nodded; of course I knew that but was playing to the Jury, remaining there staring at Peterson like the contemptible filth he was as Craven spoke again. "Perhaps you might wish to explain this line of questioning Mister Peterson?" Peterson smiled and stepped a little forward towards Craven.
"You Honour, if it pleases the court, we believe that it's because of this illicit gay relationship that both women have acted prejudicially against my clients" I glanced to the bench, seeing Craven's mouth twist in thought before he spoke.
"In what way prejudicially are we talking about Mister Peterson?" Peterson spread his arms, all open honesty; at least that was the look he was trying for.
"By refusing to take into account my clients have offered full cooperation and offered to provide useful evidence which might lead the investigation to the true culprits, which has been ignored Your Honour" Andrea's interjection just beat mine as she stood once more.
"Objection!"
"Objection Your Honor" Craven glanced at us.
"Yes Counselors?" I deferred to Andrea who nodded gratefully and pressed on as I sat back down.
"The defendants have not offered full cooperation, in fact they have repeatedly refused to provide simple facts like the exact number of people they killed for Sinaloa" Peterson's reply was lightning fast.
"Allegedly killed" I shook my head as Andrea smirked and replied; mocking a comment he'd made yesterday.
"Really, you're really going with that?" I saw one or two smiles amongst the jury members; obviously they remembered it too as Craven stepped into the dispute.
"Prosecution will sit down. Defence, continue your explanation" Peterson barely bothered hiding his smirk.
"Thank you Your Honor. As I said my clients were ready to assist law enforcement officers however their cooperation was spurned by Deputy Chief Johnson and Commander Raydor in favour of attempting to send them to death row. I suggest that the evidence indicates that these actions are motivated by spite, motivated by their hatred for the officers of the LAPDs Robbery Homicide division" My eyes widened in shock even as Craven spoke slowly.
"And you base this claim on what exactly?" Peterson was smooth; obviously he'd expected and planned for this but even I hadn't anticipated his next words.
"Both Raydor and Johnson are radical lesbian feminists; they hate men and promote women over them, in keeping with their own personal sexual prejudices and agendas"
Andrea and I sat there staring at Peterson, aghast, then as one our heads slowly turned to face the bench where Craven chewed his lip for a moment, obviously fidgeting under our gaze.
"Prosecution, Defence, approach the bench" We made our way forward, ending up standing in front of him, I could see Craven noting the distance between us and Peterson and could almost read his mind from where I was standing right there in front of him. 'No love lost there'; he wasn't wrong; right now I wouldn't spit on Peterson if he was on fire. Looking at Peterson, Craven spoke, moving his microphone to the side and keeping his voice low in deference to the cameras watching every move and gesture.
"I hope you know what the hell you're doing Mister Peterson" The attorney nodded.
"I am fully aware of my actions, however I believe they will be of vital importance to this case" Craven's gaze flicked to where we were silently standing there, then back.
"The prosecution has threatened to go thermonuclear if you pursue this line of questioning; are you really willing to continue to do so?" Peterson looked across at us and smiled condescendingly.
"Yes I am" Craven sighed then spoke.
"I'm almost willing to let them, especially if I think you are in any way wasting this court's time, am I understood Mister Peterson?"
"Yes your Honour" Craven turned to look at us both.
"Prosecution, I will allow this line of questioning, but if I think the defence has overstepped the mark, you will have your free reign" I went to speak but he held up his hand, stopping me. "But not until then, am I understood?" Andrea and I shared a look and an unspoken conversation before Andrea nodded once, I looked back at him as I spoke for us both.
"You are Your Honour" Craven nodded and spoke a little louder.
"Then continue Mister Peterson, but proceed carefully or may god have mercy on you, because neither the court nor most definitely the prosecution will. Do you understand me?" He nodded once as he replied.
"I do your Honour" Craven looked at where the two of us were steaming; I was livid and I could see the same in Andrea's face, she was desperately trying to keep it together but the anger could be easily seen around her eyes and mouth, something even Craven must have seen as he addressed us.
"Defence may continue but proceed very carefully" Neither of us missed the smirk on Peterson's face as he walked back to the defence table as I exchanged a glance with Andrea, she was royally pissed, something I could see in the tight set of her face and the way she held herself, something I was in wholehearted agreement with as we resumed our places. Peterson returned to the centre of the room, holding court in front of the jury as we sat down before he spoke again.
"I give it to you that the two officers who ran this unsanctioned investigation or perhaps witch hunt might be a better term…" Andrea was on it immediately.
"Objection your Honour, there is no way that Defence can categorise this investigation as a witch hunt" I was on my feet right beside her.
"Nor in any way could it be described as unsanctioned" Craven looked to Peterson who shrugged.
"Force Investigation Division has seventy two hours to close an investigation into an officer involved shooting, clearly that time had passed and was long gone, why exactly was Raydor and her girlfriend continuing an investigation long after the time had passed? Perhaps she didn't like the fact that she couldn't find anything so she kept looking for something, anything that would support her own unfounded beliefs in the conduct of these officers, even though her own investigations had previously cleared them" He turned to the jury and shrugged. "Like a football team that didn't like the result, she kept at it after the game had finished, looking for something, no matter how tenuous or unlikely, to support her baseless allegations" Andrea leaned forward, one hand resting on the table, the other held out, hand open as I sat down, she had this.
"Force Investigation Division returned an open finding on the incident in question, something that is clearly within their rights to do, while not common it is allowed for under the federal regulations governing such investigations, allowing for on-going enquiries beyond the normal 72 hour limit." Peterson shook his head.
"Then why carry out the investigation covertly, out of hours and without approval from the Chief of the LAPD, Chief William Pope? And why did she drag her girlfriend, Johnson, into the investigation, as it wasn't a Major Crimes case and she had neither the right nor the expertise to take part in the case" Craven looked across at us and I almost interjected but deferred to Andrea who spoke, somehow keeping her voice calm.
"As I just explained, Force Investigation was continuing to investigate, the case remained open, allowing them every right to do so" She slowly shook her head at Peterson, as if appalled by his stupidity. "As for the involvement of Deputy Chief Johnson in the case, given Chief Johnson's exemplary record in solving some of this city's most difficult and high profile cases, it is hardly correct to call her involvement either unwelcome or unwarranted" She turned to Craven. "Force Investigation Division has call on any and all of the LAPDs resources necessary to solve Officer Involved Shootings. Requesting assistance from Major Crimes in this case was unusual but neither unlawful nor, as it turned out, uncalled for"
"Objection sustained" Craven looked to Peterson. "Another tack counselor" As Andrea sat down Peterson shrugged and walked around the table, playing to the audience.
"I would infer that these two officers were trying to keep their illicit lesbian affair hidden under the noses of the LAPD, keeping it secret because they didn't want anyone knowing about what they were doing, in contravention of their own department's code of conduct" We exchanged a look as Andrea wearily stood.
"Objection, how is this relevant to the charges the defendants face?" Craven looked to the Defence table.
"Defence?"
"We seek to prove malice on the part of the officers concerned" The judge's eyes flicked to where Andrea stood leaning forward; her hands on the tabletop, waving her back down then looked back to Peterson.
"Tread carefully here Mister Peterson" Andrea sank back into her seat, before standing again at Peterson's next words.
"They entered into an illicit affair..." Andrea wasn't going to tolerate that one, on her feet in a flash.
"Objection! Both officers informed LAPD Human Resources within one week of entering into a relationship, hardly illicit, which I will point out, has a very specific meaning in law" Craven thought that one over for a moment and nodded at Andrea then looked over at Peterson and spoke.
"Sustained, the jury will disregard that statement" Andrea sat again, as Peterson moved around the table and towards the jury.
"That both officers hid their activities from other officers..." This time it was my turn to stand.
"Objection! Appropriate arrangements were made to avoid conflicts of interest within one week and both of their squads and their superior, the LAPDs Chief Pope, were aware that they were together within two weeks of entering a relationship" I shook my head at Peterson's idiocy. "I don't know about you but that hardly seems to fit the definition of hiding their activities, though perhaps defence is speaking from personal experience..." I left that hanging but noted a few half smiles amongst the jury; Peterson looked like he was going to say something but instead stayed quiet as Craven nodded, more slowly this time.
"Sustained, the jury will disregard that statement" I sat down as Peterson turned back to the jury and started again.
"That these officers saw the actions of the defendants as a threat to their relationship, their knowledge of their office romance was unwelcome and that it potentially exposed their extracurricular activities to the wider LAPD community, which would have placed unwelcome publicity on their relationship" Andrea stood wearily.
"Objection Your Honour, nothing but sheer speculation" Craven raised an eyebrow then looked to Peterson.
"Well Defence?" Peterson was unfazed; obviously he'd expected this as he had an answer ready to trot out.
"One of these officers is still married, thus they had something to lose if their affair became public" Andrea sighed and ran her hand through her hair, the gesture easily conveying her annoyance at Peterson's tactics as I hid a small smile at her theatrics.
"Your honor, Chief Johnson is separated, awaiting her divorce being finalised. Separation is not a crime, at least not in any jurisdiction in the United States that I am aware of" She turned to face Peterson. "Perhaps Mister Peterson may be able to update us with some information only he is privy to?" Craven looked across to Peterson, his expression inviting him to reply.
"A divorce is all the more reason for Johnson and Raydor to keep it hidden" Peterson stated. "An affair carried out at work, behind the backs of her colleagues, would hardly look good during divorce proceedings, all the more reason both women would try to conceal their sordid liaisons from others" Andrea didn't bother hiding her disdain.
"I suggest that Defence may be speaking from his own experience here, given his reputation…" She elegantly shrugged before continuing. "…I'll leave the sordid liaisons to him, but Chief Johnson's marital status and relationship status hardly seems germane to this trial"
"Counselor..." Andrea looked back at Craven, tilting her head to one side in query as she spoke, her voice guileless.
"Yes Your Honour?" Craven made a 'sit down' gesture.
"Enough, for now, Mister Peterson, continue" As Andrea sat Peterson started up again.
"Yes Your Honour. To make an example of these officers, Chief Johnson and Commander Raydor conspired to ensure that the defendants were not given the opportunity to provide information that may have led to the actual perpetrators of these crimes, instead being bound and determined to send innocent, hard-working members of the LAPD and Justice Department to prison for crimes they did not commit" Peterson looked back at our table, almost expecting an objection, raising an eyebrow when none was forthcoming, then continuing. "That potentially critical information that the defendant's possessed that might lead to major advances against the Sinaloa Cartel was in fact disregarded by Johnson and Raydor because they wanted to keep their sordid affair under wraps"
I looked at Andrea who was frowning darkly at Peterson then stood, crossing my arms and summoning the coldest expression I could muster; it must have worked as Craven looked across at me and almost winced.
"Yes counselor?" he asked as I shrugged, trying hard to convey the very real contempt I felt towards Peterson as I spoke, not looking at Craven.
"Just allowing Defence to dig himself a deeper hole so I can bury him in it, Your Honor, standing now saves time later" I stared across at where Peterson was standing there looking at me shaking his head, then turned my head to look at Craven. "After all, I'm sure he'll say something particularly tawdry, contemptuous and objectionable soon enough" Craven's mouth twitched slightly while there were a few sniggers from the gallery and even from the jurors before Craven waved his hand in my direction.
"Please sit counselor"
New York NYPD Central Crime Lab
Mac Taylor laughed out loud at Cabot's comment. He was in his office in the New York Police Department Crime Lab, working though staff recruitment paperwork, they'd lost one of their admin people on maternity leave and had to replace them, all of which generated a mountain of red tape and paperwork. He was reading through the interview summary of the preferred candidate for the role with one eye cocked to the television in the corner. He'd heard about the trial and decided to tune in, surprised to discover that Alex Cabot was one of the prosecutors; he'd last seen her during that horrible child sex slavery trial, the night the last of the kids had died.
He mentally shrugged. Maybe she'd wanted to put some distance between the case and her, well her and her partner Olivia Benson both. Benson in particular had taken that case real hard, to the point that he'd been worried about her health and wellbeing. He hadn't missed that Benson was in the court either, seeing her and another woman in the background standing up against the wall watching over the public and media galleries, obviously on security detail.
He hoped NYC hadn't permanently lost them both to LA, they were both damned good at their jobs, before mentally shrugging, time would tell. In the meantime he was enjoying the trial, it looked like one well worth following, if for no other reason than to see a pissed Alex Cabot tearing the Defence apart, something he was looking forward to.
In Court
"Counsel, take a seat and let the defence continue to make his point. Mister Peterson, I dearly hope you actually have one" I sat down and turned to watch Peterson.
"Yes your honour, these women actively worked to build a case based on their well-known distaste for the hard-working officers of the LAPD's Robbery / Homicide division" Andrea's eyebrows lifted convulsively as she stood, one hand on her hip, the other sweeping across to the defence table.
"Your Honor, I object" Craven looked to her.
"Object to what Counselor?" Andrea waved Peterson's way.
"As fascinating as these far-fetched tales of conspiracy that the Defence seems hell bent on weaving may be, no matter how worthy they may be of inclusion in the National Inquirer, would it be too much to ask the defence to stick to two things; the first being facts and the second relevance?" The judge looked from her to Peterson, his eyebrow rising in an unspoken question.
"Your Honor, we plan to show that both woman were motivated by spite and dislike for their peers in Robbery / Homicide, from the leader of the Robbery / Homicide team, Commander Robert Taylor, a decorated, thirty-three year veteran of the force, right down to the hard working rank and file of the division" Peterson said. Andrea sighed dramatically, removing her glasses and dropping them on the table before leaning forward and resting against the table with one hand, the other massaging her eyes, before looking at Peterson with the resigned air of one much put upon.
"Your Honor, might I trouble you to once again enquire with the defence as to the relevance of this line of debate?" Craven looked from her to Peterson and spoke up.
"And your response is, Defence?"
"Deputy Chief Johnson forced Commander Taylor out of the Major Crimes division, it was well known that she hated and loathed him, she forced him out of Major Crimes but her antipathy continued, antipathy which she extended to Commander Taylor's squad"
Los Angeles LAPD Robbery / Homicide
"Well, that's about the first true statement that he's made all day" Sharon Raydor muttered to herself, carefully peeling apart a mandarin as she watched the television in the corner of her office in Robbery Homicide. "Brenda loathes and despises Taylor even more than I do and that's saying something" she concluded.
Working in the privacy of her office there was no one there to hear her comment; anyway if some of her squad saw her talking to herself, well their only surprise would be that she didn't do it more often. Given she was going to be fronting the court and Peterson's cross examination soon enough, she felt she could be excused a little idiosyncrasy or two.
In Court
Andrea looked at me, flicking me a barely there wink, before slowly shaking her head then straightening, the move drawing the jury's attention. Clasping her hands behind her back and strolling forward, Andrea's attitude and posture conveying casual nonchalance. As she moved into the centre of the room, I nodded to myself slowly, Andrea was a master at the drama of a courtroom; I knew I was no slouch either but there were things I could learn from her here.
"Your Honor, Commander Taylor was transferred from a deputy position in Major Crimes to head up his own, larger squad in Robbery/Homicide, allowing him to take the lessons learned and experience gained under Deputy Chief Johnson and apply it to his new, more senior role" She threw her hands wide, all innocence. "If this is some sort of way of showing antipathy well..." She looked across at the jury, taking them in and smiled innocently. "I'm sure we'd all like to be on the receiving end of similar treatment"
New York 1PP
It was late afternoon in New York where Casey Novak sat back in her office in 1 Police Plaza and smiled to herself; she'd arranged her schedule to, as much as possible, free up the late afternoons for her to work in her office and watch the trial, it was going out live and was pretty compelling viewing.
As expected Alex wasn't taking a backwards step in this case, not that she ever did, though the judge was allowing the defence to get away with, in her opinion, way too much, but to their credit Alex and the other prosecutor, Hobbs, were giving them as good as they got. Alex hadn't had a chance to unleash on Peterson yet, but that was coming and frankly Casey couldn't wait to see Alex at her brutal best as she eviscerated the defence.
Until then the case was fascinating viewing and she continued to watch, as did millions of people across America.
In Court
Craven looked from Andrea to Peterson and back again then spoke.
"Resume your seat counselor, the objection is sustained, Defence, this particular avenue isn't getting you anywhere, I suggest you try another" Peterson sighed, though I suspected he'd been on a fishing expedition, not really expecting to get too far with it.
"Yes Your Honor" As Andrea sat Peterson got rolling again; if this was the sort of slime he was going to be throwing I could see a long and tedious series of objections ahead, all the way through his summation, running the risk that the jury would see the Prosecution as quarrelsome and determined to prevent the Defence being heard. That might hurt their view of both the case and us, making me wonder if this was part of Peterson's strategy, attempting to negatively taint the jury's perceptions.
"We will point out that much of the prosecution's case is circumstantial, they cannot produce solid, factual evidence linking the defendants with the crimes they have been falsely accused of" Peterson walked towards the jury, turning to take in his clients and incidentally one of the cameras. "The farfetched nature of the prosecution's case can be summed up in one sentence; can anyone here honestly believe that six highly-regarded members of the Los Angeles Police Department and a trusted Justice Department employee suddenly took it upon themselves to act as vigilantes…" He waved towards the defendants who sat there, all trying to look like apostles of moral rectitude. "…let alone sought out a connection with international organised crime to act as their surrogates here in our city" Peterson didn't try and hide his scorn. "A plot that ridiculous would be rejected by any studio in Hollywood as too fanciful for words, no one there would believe such a ludicrous fairy tale and we will demonstrate why you should not believe it either"
I shared a glance with Andrea that could only be described as 'long-suffering'. It was going to be a very long day.
Los Angeles LAPD Major Crimes
I was going over the facts we had in the magic murders case, all of which didn't really amount to a pile of beans. Someone was out there, killing middle-aged women for their innards and we were no closer to solving it than we were after the first killing.
Every now and then I'd glance up to take in the television screening in the corner of my computer screen, Buzz and Kahn had worked some IT magic and we were getting the main cable coverage on our desk computers. It was a neat bit of work but I had to keep the amount I was watching to a minimum otherwise I was gonna get angry and upset at some of the filth that man was attempting to smear us with.
It looked like they were going after us because Sharon and I were involved, which suggested that they were declaring open season on all of us for being gay. Given both Andrea and Alex were too I found myself wondering if Peterson and his people would dare go after them too. I felt my lips quirk, I couldn't see that ending well for them, Andrea didn't take that sort of stupidity lightly and Alex, she had a venomous tongue on her when she let it loose.
I smiled crookedly, almost hoping in a way that Peterson crossed the line and did something that Andrea and Alex could go to town on. Looking to the screen and hearing Peterson going on and on about how because we were involved our objectivity was non-existent I winced a little and reminded myself of the old adage to be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
It looked like I was going to get my wish.