"Hey Theresa," Fox said walking into her room, "you have a visitor."
"Oh." she said. She gave Hope one last kiss and lowered in her into the crib. She straightened herself up and walked into the living room to see Chloe sitting on the couch. "CHLOE?!"
Chloe looked up and smiled, "Hey. I'm glad you're back." she said walking up to her and giving her a hug.
Theresa was just stiff and stared at Chloe as if she were a ghost. "W-wait. I thought you were dead? You were dead. I felt you die!"
Chloe looked at Fox and then Theresa, "No, it was a little acting effect I put on to make Tony think I was dead."
"But why didn't you TELL me?!" Theresa screamed.
Fox walked over and sat Theresa down, "Chloe had on a bullet proof vest, Theresa. She didn't die. You had fainted before you were able to see her get up."
"No." Theresa said shaking her head and standing up. "I know what I saw. You're dead. Dead." she walked out of the room and slammed the door.
__________________________________________________________________
"Theresa, are you sure you're ready for this?" Fox asked her one more time before they walked into the court room.
Theresa nodded. "I can do this." she said. She walked into the courtroom and sat next to Ethan on the Prosecution bench. Tony had pleaded not guilty to all of his charges and today was the day of the trial. She looked straight ahead and did not look over at Tony because if she did she thought that she would attack him.
"I call the witness Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald to the stand." Ethan said a few moments later.
Theresa stood up and walked to the stand. She said her vows and then sat down looking straight at Ethan and not Tony.
"You were once married to the defendant, correct?" Ethan asked.
"Yes." Theresa said nervously.
"How long were you two married?"
"Three years."
"Why did you split?"
"He used to beat me and I had enough of it."
"When did you see Tony again?"
"He broke into my apartment and beat me then he kidnapped my son."
"And you saw him shoot at Chloe Lennox?"
"Yes."
"No further questions your honor, your witness."
Theresa sighed and focused her attention on Tony's lawyer.
"Did Mr. DiMetti ever abuse you before?"
"Yes."
"Did you notify the police?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because..."
"Because what Miss Lopez-Fitzgerald."
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" he said looking at the jury. "One thing that Mr. Winthrop left out was that you two had a son together...or so you thought."
"Yes."
"Why don't you tell us about that."
Theresa looked down at her hands, "Tony and I had problems with getting pregnant so we used a certain kind of surgery."
"So you thought your son was his?"
"Yes."
"But who's son did it turn out to be?"
"My fiancee's."
"You two had never met each other before, am I correct?"
"Yes."
"Then how did you get pregnant with his child?" he asked.
"Objection your honor!" Ethan shouted.
"Overruled. I'd like to hear how she got pregnant with his child." the judge said.
"Well?" the lawyer asked again.
"His father switched Tony's sample with Fox's."
"Thank you." he said smiling. "No further questions your honor."
"You may take your seat Miss Lopez-Fitzgerald."
Theresa nodded and walked back to her seat. They then called Chloe to the stand.
"How long had you been working for Tony?" Ethan asked.
"About a year." she replied.
"Why don't I just get to the point, did he or did he not shoot at you?"
"He did not."
The court room stirred and Theresa stared at Chloe in disbelief. The judge bang the gavel down on her desk, "Order in the court."
"If I'm not mistaken, there were bullet holes in your bullet proof vest."
"Yes, because he accidentally shot me."
"Oh. That's right, he shot at Theresa and you jumped in front of her."
"I wasn't jumping in front of HER." she said looking Theresa dead in the face.
"Then who are what were in jumping in front of?"
"A deer."
"A deer? Why would you risk your life for a deer?"
"Objection your honor!" Tony's lawyer said standing up.
"Sustained. Please rephrase your question Mr. Winthrop."
"I have no further questions your honor." Ethan said taking his seat.
"In the time that you've known Tony, has he liked to shoot deer?" his judge asked.
"Yes. He used to take me hunting, but the deer he was shooting at was a doe. I think its wrong to kill does."
"And you WERE in a park that permitted you to shoot deer, am I correct?"
"I'm not sure." Chloe replied.
The lawyer pulled out a brochure and handed it to the judge. "In the bottom right corner it says that you are permitted to shoot deer."
The judge nodded and handed the brochure back to him.
"Let me present to you Exihibit A." he said showing a picture of a dead deer on a poster. "This dead deer was found only 10 feet away from where Miss Lopez and Lennox were found. Mr. DiMetti was simply trying to kill his lunch, not his former wife and his friend. No further questions your honor."
"We will have recess as the jury finds the verdict. Court dismissed." the judge said and she gave her gavel one last blow.
________________________________________________________________
"Has the jury found the verdict?" the judge asked after recess.
"Yes." Grace Bennett said standing up.
"Please read it to the courtroom."
"We the jury find Tony DiMetti not guilty of 3rd degree murder, not guilty of kidnapping, and guilty of physical abuse."
Theresa squirmed in her seat angry that Tony got off the hook of murder and kidnapping her son.
"And have you decided on his sentence?" the judge asked.
"Yes. Tony DiMetti is sentenced to 5 months in prison and 200 hours of community service."
"Court dismissed." the judge said dismissing everyone.
Theresa sat in her chair shocked that Tony only got 5 months for what he had done to her. She looked up in time to see him walk past her and give her a sly smile. Theresa looked away and buried her head in her hands. She would never be rid of Tony. She then thought of how Chloe had lied on the stand and got up to find her. She walked out of the courthouse to see her getting into her car. Theresa ran up to her and held the door so Chloe wouldn't close it.
"You lied didn't you?" Theresa yelled.
"What are you talking about?" Chloe asked innocently.
"You LIED. He made you lie." she screamed crying.
"Theresa..."
"I thought you were my FRIEND. I trusted you. You're just like him!" she yelled. "I hate you!" She took her hand off the car and ran away from Chloe like a wounded puppy.
"Oh." she said. She gave Hope one last kiss and lowered in her into the crib. She straightened herself up and walked into the living room to see Chloe sitting on the couch. "CHLOE?!"
Chloe looked up and smiled, "Hey. I'm glad you're back." she said walking up to her and giving her a hug.
Theresa was just stiff and stared at Chloe as if she were a ghost. "W-wait. I thought you were dead? You were dead. I felt you die!"
Chloe looked at Fox and then Theresa, "No, it was a little acting effect I put on to make Tony think I was dead."
"But why didn't you TELL me?!" Theresa screamed.
Fox walked over and sat Theresa down, "Chloe had on a bullet proof vest, Theresa. She didn't die. You had fainted before you were able to see her get up."
"No." Theresa said shaking her head and standing up. "I know what I saw. You're dead. Dead." she walked out of the room and slammed the door.
__________________________________________________________________
"Theresa, are you sure you're ready for this?" Fox asked her one more time before they walked into the court room.
Theresa nodded. "I can do this." she said. She walked into the courtroom and sat next to Ethan on the Prosecution bench. Tony had pleaded not guilty to all of his charges and today was the day of the trial. She looked straight ahead and did not look over at Tony because if she did she thought that she would attack him.
"I call the witness Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald to the stand." Ethan said a few moments later.
Theresa stood up and walked to the stand. She said her vows and then sat down looking straight at Ethan and not Tony.
"You were once married to the defendant, correct?" Ethan asked.
"Yes." Theresa said nervously.
"How long were you two married?"
"Three years."
"Why did you split?"
"He used to beat me and I had enough of it."
"When did you see Tony again?"
"He broke into my apartment and beat me then he kidnapped my son."
"And you saw him shoot at Chloe Lennox?"
"Yes."
"No further questions your honor, your witness."
Theresa sighed and focused her attention on Tony's lawyer.
"Did Mr. DiMetti ever abuse you before?"
"Yes."
"Did you notify the police?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because..."
"Because what Miss Lopez-Fitzgerald."
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" he said looking at the jury. "One thing that Mr. Winthrop left out was that you two had a son together...or so you thought."
"Yes."
"Why don't you tell us about that."
Theresa looked down at her hands, "Tony and I had problems with getting pregnant so we used a certain kind of surgery."
"So you thought your son was his?"
"Yes."
"But who's son did it turn out to be?"
"My fiancee's."
"You two had never met each other before, am I correct?"
"Yes."
"Then how did you get pregnant with his child?" he asked.
"Objection your honor!" Ethan shouted.
"Overruled. I'd like to hear how she got pregnant with his child." the judge said.
"Well?" the lawyer asked again.
"His father switched Tony's sample with Fox's."
"Thank you." he said smiling. "No further questions your honor."
"You may take your seat Miss Lopez-Fitzgerald."
Theresa nodded and walked back to her seat. They then called Chloe to the stand.
"How long had you been working for Tony?" Ethan asked.
"About a year." she replied.
"Why don't I just get to the point, did he or did he not shoot at you?"
"He did not."
The court room stirred and Theresa stared at Chloe in disbelief. The judge bang the gavel down on her desk, "Order in the court."
"If I'm not mistaken, there were bullet holes in your bullet proof vest."
"Yes, because he accidentally shot me."
"Oh. That's right, he shot at Theresa and you jumped in front of her."
"I wasn't jumping in front of HER." she said looking Theresa dead in the face.
"Then who are what were in jumping in front of?"
"A deer."
"A deer? Why would you risk your life for a deer?"
"Objection your honor!" Tony's lawyer said standing up.
"Sustained. Please rephrase your question Mr. Winthrop."
"I have no further questions your honor." Ethan said taking his seat.
"In the time that you've known Tony, has he liked to shoot deer?" his judge asked.
"Yes. He used to take me hunting, but the deer he was shooting at was a doe. I think its wrong to kill does."
"And you WERE in a park that permitted you to shoot deer, am I correct?"
"I'm not sure." Chloe replied.
The lawyer pulled out a brochure and handed it to the judge. "In the bottom right corner it says that you are permitted to shoot deer."
The judge nodded and handed the brochure back to him.
"Let me present to you Exihibit A." he said showing a picture of a dead deer on a poster. "This dead deer was found only 10 feet away from where Miss Lopez and Lennox were found. Mr. DiMetti was simply trying to kill his lunch, not his former wife and his friend. No further questions your honor."
"We will have recess as the jury finds the verdict. Court dismissed." the judge said and she gave her gavel one last blow.
________________________________________________________________
"Has the jury found the verdict?" the judge asked after recess.
"Yes." Grace Bennett said standing up.
"Please read it to the courtroom."
"We the jury find Tony DiMetti not guilty of 3rd degree murder, not guilty of kidnapping, and guilty of physical abuse."
Theresa squirmed in her seat angry that Tony got off the hook of murder and kidnapping her son.
"And have you decided on his sentence?" the judge asked.
"Yes. Tony DiMetti is sentenced to 5 months in prison and 200 hours of community service."
"Court dismissed." the judge said dismissing everyone.
Theresa sat in her chair shocked that Tony only got 5 months for what he had done to her. She looked up in time to see him walk past her and give her a sly smile. Theresa looked away and buried her head in her hands. She would never be rid of Tony. She then thought of how Chloe had lied on the stand and got up to find her. She walked out of the courthouse to see her getting into her car. Theresa ran up to her and held the door so Chloe wouldn't close it.
"You lied didn't you?" Theresa yelled.
"What are you talking about?" Chloe asked innocently.
"You LIED. He made you lie." she screamed crying.
"Theresa..."
"I thought you were my FRIEND. I trusted you. You're just like him!" she yelled. "I hate you!" She took her hand off the car and ran away from Chloe like a wounded puppy.
