CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: COURT CASE
The courtroom was full; most people had turned out to watch the trial of Rico White. Many had heard of Paul's successes in business, in particular in the gymnasiums he had recently opened. Paul himself had arrived, but he was inconspicuous in a way only he could manage. Mark saw him and sidled along the side of him and sat down. Paul looked up and Mark saw an uncharacteristic look of concern in the older man's eyes. Paul sighed deeply.
"I wasn't sure you'd be speaking to me, boy," he said, softly. Mark shrugged.
"You aren't responsible for your nephew's actions," he said, mildly. Paul patted Mark's arm appreciatively.
"I don't think your brother feels that way," he said, eventually.
"Kane's just angry, Paul. He'll come round. Hopefully when the trial's over we can settle back into more of a routine again."
"Routine?" echoed Paul. He laughed bitterly. "If Rico goes inside, Mark, he won't last. People know who he is and in my line of work you do tend to make some enemies. That's why I sent him abroad. Only let him come back because I felt sorry for the boy. He reassured me that nothing would happen; that he was over Eloise completely. His ex wife's here too you know, to testify against him."
"He just went too far, Paul. Even with what we do for a living we know where to draw the line. He doesn't. That's the real problem. I hate to say it, but he's used your name to make people fear him."
"Ironic really. She thought when her relationship was over she'd got away from him. Perhaps if she hadn't started working for Kane none of this would have ever happened."
"We can't know that, Paul. There's every chance that Rico would have ended up in court anyway…"
"I don't mean that, I mean you two boys being involved as well. It isn't what I expected to happen. Mark, whatever he's done he's still my nephew and I sure don't want to see him killed, but he disgusts me with what he's done. What we do is different. There's always a reason."
"Yeah, well perhaps in his twisted head, there was a reason. She betrayed him he thinks."
Mark fell silent as Rico was brought out. He was handcuffed between two officers and looked decidedly sorry for himself. Paul sat up and looked across at him, his eyes clouded with a mixture of sorrow and anger. Mark glared at the sight of him; he wasn't ready to forgive him for what he'd done to Eloise.
Mark watched the proceedings from where he was and noted that Paul barely moved. He occasionally drew in his breath sharply, like when Rico's ex-wife, a pretty young woman a little older than Eloise took the stand and described some of the things her ex-husband had done to her. Mainly though he didn't react much. Mark noted that Rico occasionally looked in his uncle's direction but clearly did not see what he hoped to. Paul's expression remained blank, neither condemning nor condoning his nephew's actions.
When Eloise took the stand, Kane came through and sat beside Mark. He had waited with her outside the courtroom, offering her what support he could, though she had remained silent, her hand shaking even as it tightly gripped his own.
"How's she doing?" asked Mark.
"Not good," replied Kane, darkly. "She's barely spoken since we got here. Only to beg me not to make her go through with this."
"What can you do though, bro? She has to go through with this or he'll be out on the streets hounding her for years to come. The very least she'll get is an injunction."
"The rate he's going after his ex-wife's testimony? I don't think he'll be out for quite some time to come." Paul glanced up at Kane's words and sighed.
"If he goes inside he'll be killed," he said, softly. Kane bit back the sharp retort that sprang to his mind. Instead he focussed on Eloise taking the stand. He could see how she trembled even from where he sat. She glanced across the courtroom, looking for him and he smiled, reassuringly. Rico was glaring across at her, which could not have gone unnoticed by the jury. As she began to give her evidence, Rico suddenly leapt to his feet and strained against the police officers on either side of him.
"Lying bitch!" he yelled. "I never laid a finger on you! I loved you and would have done anything for you! I left my wife for you!" The rest of his words were muffled as the police officers restrained him. The judge's voice bellowed over the proceedings, calling for order and Eloise was sobbing, as a police officer placed an arm round her shoulders. Kane got to his feet, looking across at her and saw how frightened she looked.
"He's insane"," came a voice from the row in front. Mark placed a restraining hand on Kane's shoulder.
"Just stay here, bro," he said, softly. But the judge was calling that the case was being adjourned and Eloise was being led from the courtroom, supported by the police officer. Kane left swiftly, hoping to find her before everyone else left. When he got outside, a petite brunette was talking to her. She was holding a notebook and pen and Kane saw red.
"Leave her alone!" he snapped. Eloise raised a hand though.
"It's fine, Kane, honestly. This is Dolly, Mark's girlfriend." Kane stared down at the other woman, who had taken a step back.
"Hi," she said, extending a hand. "I just came to check Eloise was ok." Kane took her hand and shook it.
"Nice to finally meet you," he said, taking hold of Eloise's hand. She moved closer to him and he placed an arm round her. "You ok?" She nodded, but her face was pale.
"I want to go home," she said.
"Good idea," said Mark, emerging from the courtroom. He leaned across to kiss Dolly and then patted Eloise on the shoulder. "You want to come back with us? Have a drink?"
"I'd love to," said Dolly.
***
"She looks pretty shaken up," said Dolly. Eloise had just gone up to bed. Kane had gone up with her. She had asked him to, saying she wasn't sure she would sleep without him. He had grinned, as this was a step forward for her, to trust him to be with her at night.
"She's better now than she was," replied Mark. "Especially now Rico's been put away."
"I guess having him locked in a mental institution is better than nothing," said Dolly, taking a sip from her glass. Mark sighed.
"Not exactly the result we were hoping for no, but Paul was relieved. I think he needed for there to be a reason for Rico's behaviour. I mean, he's always loved the boy. I'm glad that you came round tonight, wasn't sure I'd see you for a while."
"I'll be around for a bit now. I took a couple of week's holiday that I was owed. I thought maybe we could spend some time getting better acquainted?" She grinned across at him and Mark laughed.
"You ain't backward in coming forward are you, girl," he said. She shook her head and then placed her wine glass on the table beside her. She got to her feet and then straddled Mark's lap, looking deep into his eyes.
"You think you can cope with two weeks of me?" she said.
"Oh yes," said Mark, running his hands up and down her thighs. "No question of that at all."
"Good," she purred. "I plan on spending a lot of time with you over the next couple of weeks."
"Sounds like a great plan to me," he replied, softly.
***
Kane sat down on the edge of the bed. Eloise was curled up in a tight ball on her own side of the bed, her eyes wide open. He could hear her breathing, heavy, almost fearful. He knew that she was still not entirely comfortable with his presence, but this was the first time she had allowed him to come back into her room since her kidnapping. Kane looked over his shoulder at her, before swinging his legs up onto the bed and climbing underneath the covers beside her. He lay perfectly still for a moment, conscious of her presence beside him. Suddenly she rolled onto her back and spoke, quietly.
"Do you think he really is insane?" she asked. Kane was silent for a moment.
"He must have something wrong with him, El. Just for the way he got so obsessed, never mind what he did before he was arrested."
"Do you think he'll ever be let out?" Her question was hesitant and Kane rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his elbow.
"He won't come near you again, El. Even if he is released, the court imposed an injunction on him, forbidding him from coming anywhere near you."
Eloise was silent, taking in what he'd said. After a long, uncomfortable pause, she spoke again.
"I feel sorry for him," she said, softly. Kane's eyes widened.
"Why? Why would you feel anything but loathing for that bastard?" he said, his voice rising slightly. She flinched and he sighed, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. "Sorry. It isn't you that annoys me, it's him. He treated you terribly and I cannot believe that you could veer forgive him for that."
"I never said I forgave him," she replied. "I said I felt sorry for him."
"I don't. Everything that he's got he deserved. I'm sorry that he hurt you though." Kane's tone softened and he leaned towards her. She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. They were still filled with emptiness and sadness and he truly pitied her. Once she had been full of life and now it seemed it had been diminished simply by the actions of one man. Something drastic would have to be done to take her mind from the difficulties of recent months.