Chapter 25
"Thank you for sharing your story Mr. Lindley. I know it wasn't easy," Nick spoke up while there was a pause in the conversation.
"Well I think you need to thank my wife. She's the one who helped me get through some of the darkest moments in my life," the elder gentleman smiled at the woman seated next to him. Mrs. Lindley put a hand on his thigh.
"He doesn't give himself nearly enough credit," she smiled back.
"Agreed," Elliot nodded.
"I have to confess though, I'm not sure how my story will help you nail the bastard," Lindley said.
"While his prior bad acts can't be allowed into the trial, we can still trip him up when he takes the stand. After his newest victim testifies tomorrow morning, he'll have no choice but to do so," Elliot explained.
"We are sorry that we could not get you justice," Nick said.
"There will be plenty of justice when he's convicted. I've put it behind me and now it's time for him to realize that he can't get away with what he's done. That sick sadistic guard too," Lindley told them.
"Oh they are both going away. It'll just be for how long that the jury will have to decide," Nick gave him a wink.
"This might be a little weird but can I come to the city for his sentencing? It's something I need to see," Lindley said.
"It's not prohibited. I would head down as soon as possible. The defense will probably start their case on Monday," Elliot said. He was getting a weird vibe from the elder man which he wasn't getting from before but maybe he had been out of the game a little too long.
"Ok, thanks. Now do you boys need anything to eat? Marge and I haven't eaten dinner yet," Lindley told them.
"We need to get going I'm afraid. Thanks for the offer though," Elliot shot the offer down before Nick had a chance to open his mouth. The younger detective didn't question him in front of the couple however.
"Thanks again," Nick smiled as he stood. Elliot followed suit and Marge showed them to the door. The two men climbed back into the standard issue sedan and headed for the hotel.
"What's going on?" Nick asked.
"I might be losing touch but it seems like something shifted in the conversation. I'm calling Liv," Elliot said. Nick gave him a look while the former detective pulled out his phone.
The next morning, Rollins led Samantha into the courtroom. She wished that they weren't putting her through this but she understood Barba's reasoning. The little girl didn't want her to leave but the blonde promised she'd be right outside the courtroom waiting for her. They took a seat right behind Barba at the prosecution table. He turned around and gave them a smile.
"Are we all prepared?" The judge asked as he entered the courtroom.
"The prosecution is, your Honor," Barba stood up from his seat.
"The defense as well your Honor," Gregg's court appointed lawyer, Sam Sneed, nodded and rose from his seat.
"Bring in the jury then and we'll proceed," Judge Lorenzo ordered. With that Rollins stood up and squeezed the girl's shoulder before heading out of the doors of the courtroom.
"The prosecution calls Samantha Boze to the stand," Barba stood and announced. The little girl left her seat and walked up to the witness stand where she was quickly sworn in. The women on the jury and even some of the men were already giving Gregg harsh looks. Barba took his time and began to ask her questions. How did she come to meet the defendant? What happened when she did? What happened in his apartment? Most of the questions she stumbled through mostly because of the memories. Still she was able to complete the answers, sometimes in gruesome detail, and Barba was glad that his prepping was helping.
"The prosecution rests," Barba said.
"Defense counsel, would you like to question the witness?" Judge Lorenzo asked.
"Yes, your Honor," Sneed stood. He was between a rock and a hard place. The jury already hated his client and the only way to hate his client less was to throw some dirt on the victim. It was a risky strategy but he didn't have much of a choice.
"Samantha, I know this is hard but can you tell us why you're wearing a turtleneck?" He asked. Under the table, Barba clenched his fists. He could not object however, no matter how hard he wanted to.
"I…" she started and stopped.
"You're covering up what you did to yourself, aren't you?" Sneed pressed.
"Objection! Badgering!" Barba protested.
"Watch yourself Mr. Sneed. Sustained," Lorenzo gave him a look so the defense attorney tried a different tack.
"What happened in your hospital bathroom?" Sneed wanted to know. This Barba could not object to, it was a legitimate question.
"I…" the girl couldn't actually bring herself to say it and instead she pulled down her turtleneck collar. The large bruises were terrible shades of purple, blue, and yellow as they healed.
"Do you know how long you were without oxygen?" Sneed asked to which a very small "no" was uttered from Samantha.
"At this time, I'd like to request to recall this witness at a later time, once the defense has had the opportunity to have its medical expert take the stand," Sneed said.
"Objection!" Barba stood up and practically shouted.
"Approach! Both of you!" Lorenzo ordered.
To Be Continued…