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I hope you are still hanging in with me. The story is nearly at its' end. Thank you for all the new readers. You make me a happy writer!

And Their World Came Tumbling Down

Chapter 26 Sally and Lazlo

The new day dawned bright and clear over Austin. Such impossibly beautiful weather seemed to scorn the grim testimony which would be the focal point of the trial today. Patrick and Teresa sat in the courtroom with Cho and were waiting for the session to begin. The evidence presented yesterday by the Prosecutor was substantial. There was still much to be revealed in support of the claim that Beau and Colton were psychopathic monsters.

The courtroom filled rapidly with spectators and soon the Judge entered, ready to begin the day.

After a brief rehash of the evidence from the previous day, both lawyers were eager to begin. The first witness called to the stand was Sally Morgan.

Sally was reminded that she was still under oath from her previous time in court. She seemed calm and assured of herself, much more relaxed than she had been her first day in court. This was because she was here for her friend Annie. Aniela Krakowski to be exact. Meeting Annie's husband had had a profound effect on Sally and she wanted and needed to find justice for her today. Any testimony that she could give to the court in support of her claims of Annie's death and that of her baby was vital to removing Beau and Colt from society forever.

Taking her seat in the witness box, she turned to see who would question her first. The prosecutor stood and walked over to her. She liked him, he was kind and took his time to get her to feel safe up there on the stand. He began his line of questions.

"Miss Morgan, you have previously told this court that there was a young woman living at the farm with you three years ago."

"Yes Sir, that's right. She was my friend Annie."

"How did Annie,or Aniela Krakowski, come to be at the farm with you, Beau and Colton? Did she hitchhike out there one day and just stay?"

"No Sir. I was living out there alone already for a good long time, and Beau was always tryin' to get me pregnant. Said I should be givin' him his kid. I didn't want one but it was his house, his rules, so we kept on tryin'. Then one day Beau comes in with this pretty blonde woman, and she was really pregnant. Like, out to here with a baby!" she indicated, holding her hands out around an imaginary large belly.

"Was this woman happy to be with Beau"

"Oh no Sir. She came in screamin' and cryin' and Beau had to smack her hard across the face to get her to stop carryin' on."

"Was this woman Aniela restrained in any way? Tied up or handcuffed?"

"Yes Sir. She had handcuffs on and her wrists were all bloody from her tryin' to get them off. Beau called them his lion tamers" she said sadly.

"So she appeared to be there under duress?"

"Duress? Sorry but what does that mean?" asked Sally with embarrassment.

"Duress means she was there against her will. She did not willingly go with Beau, in your opinion."

"In that case, she was for sure under duress. She kept runnin' for the door and he kept draggin' her back into the house by her hair."

"Can you describe your friend Annie for the court Miss Morgan?"

Sally nodded her head and faced the room. She conjured up a picture in her mind of Aniela and smiled at the memory of her.

"She was real pretty. She had this real nice thick hair ya know? Thick and wavy, not like mine at all. I was jealous of her hair. And she was tiny, real short. Her eyes were blue and she had a sweet face. She talked with a strong accent. Said she came from Europe someplace, but I never knew where it was since I ain't never been nowhere but here. I had a hard time undertandin' her sometimes."

"Why was that Sally?"

"Well her accent was pretty strong and her English was bad, like she hadn't been here all that long. She told me her husband was a guy named Lazlo, and she cried for him every night. If Beau heard her he would threaten her but then he would lay a beatin' on me. He didn't want to beat her too bad because he wanted that baby of hers for himself. That's why he took her, you know. For her kid."

"So Annie did not go with Beau because she wanted to, but was taken against her will. She was kidnapped because she was pregnant and he wanted her baby, correct?"

"Yes Sir, that's what he done to her."

"Is that what happened to Teresa Jane as well Sally?"

"Yes Sir. One day Beau come home with Teresa and told me he had brought me another friend to take care of. She was gonna have a baby at the end of the summer and it would be mine to take care of. I sure was happy to have a friend again in the house."

"Sally, did you understand that this was wrong of Beau to do this to these pregnant women?"

"I ain't gone very far in school, and I ain't the smartest person around, but I knew that what he done was wrong. Ain't nobody got the right to take a woman away from her family and her husband and steal her baby and keep it for yourself. I knew it was a bad thing he was doin'."

"Did you try to escape with Aniela?" asked the lawyer.

"How? How was I gonna do that? We was far out in the country, with no money and no way to get outta there. Annie had a bad pregnancy. She was sick a lot and couldn't work too hard. Walking was hard for her so taking off outta there and walking to some place safe was impossible for her. I wasn't goin' to leave her alone with Beau, so I stayed at the farm with her. We were both trapped there."

"How long was she with you Sally?"

"Well I can't be sure, but I guess it was maybe 7 or 8 weeks. She was big with that baby when she came, so I guess she was pretty near ready to birth that baby after two months."

"In the time she was at the farm, how often did she see a doctor?"

'Oh she never seen a doctor, not even one time. Beau said it was a waste of money since women were made for birthing babies by nature. So why pay someone to tell her what she should naturally do herself?"

"Sally, do you think Annie would have been less sick if she had seen a doctor during her pregnancy at the farm?"

"Objection! Speculation!"

"Sustained. Continue Counsellor."

Sally waited to see if she should keep talking. The lawyer smiled at her, "Please continue."

"Well I guess we will never know. But it seemed a shame she ain't never even got the chance to get some medicine or somethin' for her bad days when she was feelin' poorly."

"Sally, were you with Annie when she went into labour?"

"Yes Sir, I was. Beau and Colt had gone out for the day and about 2 hours later, Annie went into her time. She said her water broke and soon after the pains began. I didn't know what to do so I just stayed with her and tried to make her comfortable. I was just a kid myself, and I ain't never seen a baby get born before."

"Sally, did the labour go well?"

Sally shook her head emphatically at the memory of that horrible day.

"No Sir it did not. That poor woman worked so hard all day to birth that baby but nothin' happened. When Beau came home he was pretty excited about his kid almost arrivin'. But Annie just kept on screamin' and moanin' and workin' on pushin' out that baby. Beau got real angry cause she was makin' such a racket. Later that night he came into our bedroom and screamed at her and shook her. Told her to stop all that caterwaulin' and just have that baby real quick. She tried to be quiet but she was in so much pain and the baby was stuck."

There was a murmur of disgust throughout the courtroom when Sally revealed this added cruelty. Beau just sank lower in his seat and looked at his hands. Shame was a foreign concept to him, so this was the closest he was capable of feeling it.

"How long did she try to have that baby?"

"After it was all done, I figured that she had been pushin' that baby out for 27 hours."

"What happened when the baby was finally born Sally?" asked the prosecuting attorney gently.

Sally sighed deeply and didn't answer right away. She looked off into the distance, seeing that moment in time in her mind, and it was a harsh memory. Finally she spoke.

"Annie pushed and pushed and finally the baby popped out. I helped pull the baby out but she was all blue and grey. I ain't never seen a baby look so bad. The cord was wound around the baby's neck real tight. I pulled it off right quick and tried to help the baby into breathin'. But she never took a breath, she was born dead."

This news shook the small courtroom and there was an audible sigh of sadness as Sally revealed this detail.

"Sally, what happened next?"

"Beau came into the room all excited and asked me to give him the baby. I told him the baby was a girl, and that she was dead. He was right angry about it. Said it was a good thing the baby had died since he didn't want no stupid girl child around the house. He expected Annie to have a boy, since that's what he wanted. He never looked at the baby, and told me to wrap it up in old towels 'til he got rid of it. Said it would stink up the house."

A large uproar exploded in the courtroom at this point, a tidal wave of emotional revulsion felt by all the spectators and the jury. The Judge had to hit his gavel on his desktop, reluctantly. He too was repulsed by this testimony. Professor Krakowski wept silently in his chair outside the courtroom when he heard the commotion through the door. He knew what Sally was saying now. Sally was tearing up at the memory of that sad day. She had buried that memory so deeply, so completely, that she had hoped never to think about it again, but this was her chance to get justice for Annie. And for her heartbroken husband Lazlo.

"Miss Morgan, are you able to continue or would you like a moment to compose yourself?" asked the prosecuting attorney.

Sniffing loudly, Sally blew her nose and then nodded yes, she could continue.

"Sally, do you know what happened to the baby and Annie after both died? What happened to their bodies?"

Sally looked at Beau with hatred and spoke directly to him.

"Beau told me to leave Annie on the bed, and to put her baby with her. He took me out to the shed and locked me in there. When he came back about an hour later, I went back into the house. Annie and her baby were gone. I never seen them again."

"What do you suppose happened to them?"

"Same as what happened to everyone who got caught by Beau and Colt. They just disappeared."

"Did Beau or Colt ever tell you they threw them off a cliff into a canyon out of town?"

"No, not really. But one time Beau was real mad at me, and he told me that if I didn't do exactly what he wanted, he would toss me into the canyon. He said I wouldn't be lonely down there. I didn't want to find out what he meant."

The lawyer just shook his head in amazement and decided to end his questioning of Sally Morgan.

"Thank you Sally, you have been a big help. Your Honour, I am finished with this witness."

The Judge turned to the defense lawyer. "Care to cross-examine this witness Counsellor?"

"No Your Honour."

"All right then, you may step down Miss Morgan" said the Judge.

The defense lawyer knew that cross-examining Sally would be fruitless, and unhelpful to his clients. It would also make him look like a heartless man, creating more negativity for his clients. Better to leave Sally Morgan alone.

The next witness to be called was Professor Lazlo Krakowski.

The doors opened and the tall man entered the courtroom with as much dignity as he could manage, considering how emotional he felt today. Maybe, finally, he would get some justice for his lovely wife and daughter.

The oath to tell the whole truth out of the way, the professor sat down and the questioning began.

The prosecutor started.

"Can you tell the court who you are sir and how you know Aniela Krakowski."

"Yes, I am Professor Lazlo Krakowski. Aniela Krakowski was my wife. We were expecting baby together. Three years ago my wife disappear in Harrington County. She went out for trip to see family, and never came home again."

"Professor, why do you believe that your wife disappeared in Harrington County, not elsewhere?"

"She left Austin and drive short time, then stop at restaurant called a diner. She send me text telling me she is OK because I worry. So she is Ok and at diner, which we think is funny name for restaurant. Then, she leave, and never come back."

"Professor, your wife was pregnant when she left to visit her family. When was the baby due?"

"Our daughter was due in 8 weeks. We were excited. Our first baby!"

"Professor Krakowski, why did you decide to go to the FBI now, after 3 years of wondering where your wife was. What happened?"

"I graduate with Phd. Go back to Poland to become Professor in my country. I must go. But each day I check internet for clue to find my wife. Then I see story about Patrick and Teresa Jane, what happen to them, also in Harrington County. I believe it is the same thing as my Aniela. Same crime. So I come to USA for help."

"Did the FBI find your wife Professor Krakowski?"

The professor wiped his face with a large white handkerchief. He composed himself and answered.

"Yes. They find my Aniela. She is dead, our baby is dead, both at bottom of canyon. They say she was there 3 years."

"Sir, how did the FBI prove it was your wife?"

"My Aniela has sister in Houston. She is tested for DNA,, to find match to bones in canyon. It is perfect match to my wife. She is found."

"Thank you Professor Krakowski, I have no more questions."

The Judge turned to the defense attorney. The attorney stood up and approached the witness box. The defense lawyer wasn't sure what he could do with this witness, as it was clear that the body was in fact, his wife, and she had been kidnapped by Beau. But he had to try to defend his clients.

"Professor Krakowski, you have said your wife left to go on a trip to visit relatives outside of Austin. Could it be that she was leaving you?"

The professor was shocked by the question. It was the last thing he expected to hear.

"No! No! We love each other! We happy to have baby! She was not leaving me, I was on trip to Poland to lecture, she was home in Austin. So while I am in Europe, she go to visit family. That is all!"

"Professor, if you cared so much about your wife, why did you leave America soon after she disappeared? Why didn't you stay and try to find her?"

The professor looked flummoxed. He felt he was under attack.

"I go to police right away. I go to Harrington County, look for my wife many times. Many times! I go to Chief of Police Lassiter. He say he will find my wife. I give him photo of my wife and he say he make posters to show people in town. But no one ever see posters, no one see my wife again. Time goes so fast, then I graduate and I must go back to Poland. I look every day on internet to find information to find my wife. I never give up."

"Professor, did your wife have a life insurance policy?"

"Yes, of course."

"So it seems to me that you will profit from a body being identified as your wife. You can collect on the policy now. Is that why you came back to the States? To ride on the coat tails of this crime and to hopefully gain some money?"

Professor Krakowski was so stunned by the question that he couldn't even formulate an answer before the prosecuting attorney jumped up in anger.

"Objection Your Honour! My client is not on trial here, and this is harassment!"

"Sustained. Continue Counsellor."

"Moving on…" he began.

The professor wasn't going to let this go. It was too insulting to his wife's memory and his love for her.

"Sir, please, I answer your question. OK?"

"If it pleases the court?" asked the defense attorney.

The Judge thought it through and allowed it. "If you so wish, you may answer the question."

"I had policy on wife, yes. It was very small university student policy, all we could afford. That policy has lapsed, so no, I will not get any money even though my wife was found. Sir."

The defense attorney looked slightly embarrassed but soldiered on.

"Can you produce one of these posters that you said the Chief of Police was going to put up to find your wife? Wouldn't you want some of your own to put up all over Austin to find her?"

"I wanted, yes. But Chief Lassiter say to me that it is his job, not mine. So I believe him. I am thinking he want to help me. But now I think he did nothing to help, not even print posters with the photo I gave him. He lied to me."

The defense attorney could not attack the DNA evidence, could not dispute where and when the text was sent to the professor by his wife at the diner, and he could not dispute Sally's testimony about the birth of the baby. Hell, Aniela Krakowski's DNA was still on a set of handcuffs. He decided to stop his line of questioning as he quite frankly had nothing else he could say to make the Professor look like anything other than a grieving widower.

"Your Honour, we are done with this witness. Thank you Professor."

"You may step down."

The professor stood up and strode out of the courtroom, empty of all feelings except grief and frustration. He needed to be alone for a while.

The Judge then called for a break for lunch and the court adjourned. Beau and Colt were shackled again and returned to their cells. Each man had his own two guards, making sure the men were securely handcuffed and shackled before they left the room. They could not take the chance that they could escape. So far both prisoners looked disinterested in the proceedings and quite frankly bored.

Patrick and Teresa stood up with Cho and waited to exit their row in turn to go out and have lunch. Sally's testimony was very hard for Teresa to hear. She had not asked Sally questions about the other pregnant woman held at the farm at the time she was there. Now she was glad she hadn't known how horribly Aniela had suffered during her labour and her subsequent death. Patrick put his hand on the small of Teresa's back and walked out with her into the sunshine, feeling the warm rays on his face like a cleansing shower first thing in the morning. Cho was invited to have lunch with them but had to decline. He had to get back to the office.

Patrick hoped the afternoon session was going to be a short one. He wanted to work on the house and get Teresa away from all this sadness, but he knew she needed to be at the court. She needed to hear all the testimony and see those bastards get their due.

'Soon...' Patrick thought. 'Soon this will all be over.'

XXXXXXXXX

Lunch was a quiet affair, in the heart of Austin, at one of the innumerable Tex-Mex restaurants that make Austin such a vibrant place to be. But for once, Patrick and Teresa were more subdued than normal. It had just been that kind of morning and they could not easily pull themselves out of the funk they both felt. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day.

XXXXXXX

When the court reconvened 90 minutes later, the first witness called was the garbage man, Paul Hendricks, who had dumped all of the trash over the cliff and all over Patrick.

The prosecution laid out a meticulous timeline of the illegal dumping schedule, which Hendricks confirmed. He had always used the legal dumping sites outside of town, until Chief of Police Lassiter cornered him and pressured him into making the illegal dumps down into the canyon. Fearful of the consequences, Hendricks had not wanted to do it, but he was more afraid of Chief Ralph Lassiter and his nut job son Deputy Sheriff John Lassiter if he didn't agree to the "request" to do the dumping. He had kept a private record of every occasion he was told to do dumping at the campground. Hendricks was getting paid under the table for the job but for his own peace of mind he decided to cover his own ass and keep a record. Finally, it had come in handy today. He had been assured no charges would be laid against him for the illegal dumping as he was under a threat of physical harm coming to both himself and his family if he did not play along. Consequently, he was more than happy to testify against both of the Lassiters, which in turn implicated Beau and Colton in the crime. Bodies needed to be covered up time and time again.

The defense attorney tried to find some reason to discount Hendrick's testimony, citing any little run in with the law the man had had as a teenager, but it was not enough to cast doubt on his truthfulness.

Finally, mercifully, the Judge adjourned court for the day, hit his desktop with his gavel, and the courtroom cleared out. The defense team was running out of ways to keep their clients from the death penalty.

Until Colton requested a special meeting with his lawyers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ugh, hard testimony to hear from Sally. That could have been Teresa's fate if she had not had the courage and the strength to run away from the farm. The trial should be over soon and then maybe Teresa and Patrick can enjoy the last few weeks of her pregnancy in peace.