Disclaimer: I asked Santa for the rights to Mort Rainey and Secret Window, but it didn't happen, so I still don't own them…damn it.
AN: Okay, before this chapter gets started, I just thought I'd mention that I know nothing of law, so please, please, don't review and complain about how wrong I am about this sort of thing, okay? This is a fictional story, and I'm making things up as I go, or going off of remembered episodes of Law and Order (which I don't own), so please keep an open mind while reading this. Thanks, and enjoy!
Chapter 6: Trials:
Amber's POV:
Playing with Elizabeth, cleaning the apartment, and cooking for two to five people were some of the things that kept me sane while I waited for a message from Mort. He had been taken to prison three days ago, and no one had called or come to visit me to tell me what was going on! I missed my husband and was practically tearing my hair out when the phone rang. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of cleaning the kitchen floor and had no way of answering it, so I had to let it ring while I cleaned myself up. I was drying my hands when I heard it stop ringing.
"Hello?" asked a small voice.
I froze. Could that have been Elizabeth answering the phone? No, she's never been allowed to do it, but she was the only other person in the apartment, so it had to be her. I dropped my towel and raced for the living room. Sure enough, there was Elizabeth, the phone up to her ear and a proud smile on her face. My jaw dropped and Elizabeth came over and offered the receiver.
"Here you go, Mommy," she said, beaming at me. "It's Daddy."
I sighed with relief and took the phone from her. "Mort, are you okay?" I asked, extremely concerned for my husband's health. "Why haven't you called me?"
I heard him sigh into the phone. "I'm sorry, baby, but my lawyers told me not to," he said. His voice was tired and strained. "They said that it wouldn't be a good idea, considering the kinds of charges against me."
"But are you okay?" I had to know how he was, since long separations were torture for us both.
"I'm as fine as can be expected, since I don't like being so far away from you," Mort whispered. I could hear the longing in his voice, the emptiness that separation always brought whenever we were apart for too long. "I miss you."
"I miss you, too," I said, smiling sadly. "Did you hear Lizzie answer the phone? I didn't know she could do that."
"I didn't either, sweetheart," Mort chuckled softly, though I could tell he was holding back tears. "She surprised me when she pulled that one off. I had to make sure I dialed the right number."
I felt a tug on my pants and looked down. Wide, innocent brown eyes looked up at me as tiny hands reached up, fingers wiggling in a signal to be picked up. A small pout puckered her mouth as Elizabeth begged for me to hold her. I bent down and carefully picked her up, tucking her firmly against one hip as I again turned my attention back to the phone.
"There's someone here who'd like to talk to you, Mort," I said before putting the phone against Elizabeth's ear.
"Daddy?" she asked, her voice quivering. "When are you coming home?"
I felt like crying. In her memory, Elizabeth had never been separated from her father for such a long period of time. The only time Mort and I had been apart was when he had been on tour during the first year of Elizabeth's life; after that, he had always been there and we had always been together. I put my ear against the phone so I could hear what he told her.
"Daddy will be home as soon as he can, sweetie," he said, sounding cheerful. "There are people that really need to talk to Daddy about some things, but as soon as they're done, I'll be home."
"Promise?" Elizabeth asked.
"I promise, sweetheart," Mort said. "Now let Daddy talk to Mommy real quick, huh?"
"Okay." Elizabeth gently pushed the phone away from her and towards me.
I kissed her forehead and pressed the device to my ear once more. "Mort, what's going on?"
"Amber, my lawyers are going to be coming to see you soon to let you know what's happening," he said, his voice extremely serious. "They'll ask you questions, and I want to you tell them everything."
I paled. "You mean you told them about us?" I asked. His silence was enough. "Alright, I'll tell them everything they need to know. And don't worry about us, Mort. Kaitlyn and Mike have been here to help with everything, so all I want you to do is focus on getting home as soon as possible."
"Okay, darling," Mort said. "I love you."
I smiled. "I love you, too, Mort."
Two Days Later, Amber's POV:
Mort had been right to tell me about his lawyers knowing everything…well, everything except the falseness of our marriage documents. They had come the day after Mort's call, and had asked questions and made comments about things that few people knew about Mort and I. Before leaving, they had managed to squeeze every detail they could out of me, even things I thought that I had forgotten. I was completely drained afterwards, but I had a bit of good news: Mort's arraignment would be this afternoon and I was able to attend with Elizabeth. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but Miss McKnight and Miss Black thought that it would be a good idea and might score sympathy points with the judge. Mike and Kaitlyn wanted to go, but I didn't know if it was allowed, so I told them to wait for us outside the courthouse. They demanded to wait outside the courtroom, and I reluctantly agreed. At least they would be there if the worst should happen…
Presently, Elizabeth and I were sitting on a hard bench in the second row with a representative from Mort's publishing company, keeping our eyes open for when Mort came in. I didn't know the order of the files, so I tried to keep Elizabeth quiet while we waited. Finally, Mort came in his hands cuffed behind his back, and his two lawyers, Miss McKnight and Miss Black following behind. Elizabeth tried to get his attention, but I told her that it would get Daddy in trouble if she did. Lizzie immediately quieted down, and we both listened to the list of charges.
"Docket number 4652739, people versus Morton Rainey, charges of Kidnapping, Rape, and Assault," announced a man before handing the file to the judge.
The judge took the file and looked between our lawyers and the prosecuting party, which was the State District Attorney and those two horrible women my parents hired, standing there in severe outfits of black skirts and suit tops, trying to imprison my husband. "Mr. Rainey, how do you plea?"
"Our client pleads not guilty, Your Honor," answered Miss McKnight.
"Miss Kapusta, Miss Perez, what do your clients seek?"
"We request remand, Your Honor," said Miss Kapusta, hazel eyes flashing coldly. "Mr. Rainey is a well-known author with access to a several large bank accounts, is well-connected to wealthy members of the writing community, and has several homes in Europe. These resources make him a very severe flight risk."
"Your Honor, Mr. Rainey is a well-respected member of the community with no criminal record," protested Miss McKnight. "He has a wife and a small child to care for," at this point she motioned towards me and Lizzie, "and is not about to put them at risk by fleeing the country."
"Mr. Rainey also has a brother-in-law in a NYC college that depends on him for financial security," continued Miss Black. "This includes his brother-in-law's school fees and access to two separate homes, one during the school term and the other for school vacation periods. Mr. Rainey also provides money for food for his brother-in-law, and is unwilling to put the young man in financial jeopardy by fleeing the country."
The judge seemed to ponder the three arguments for a few moments. Everyone seemed to hold their breath. A moment later, the judge seemed to make his decision.
"I'm inclined to agree with Miss Black and Miss McKnight," he said, folding his hands on top of the bench. "Bail is set at five hundred thousand dollars. Upon posting bail, Mr. Rainey is required to surrender his passport and wear an ankle tracking device so that the police will be able to monitor his movements at all times. Mr. Rainey, you are also to remain confined to your home for the duration of your trial. Should you be found innocent of your crime, the ankle device will be removed." He banged the gavel to signal the end of the arraignment.
I breathed a sigh of relief and gathered Elizabeth in my arms. The representative from Mort's publishing company paid his bail, and when the handcuffs were removed from Mort's wrists, he reached over to hug me, Lizzie squashed between our two bodies. I could feel his tears falling on my cheeks, and him murmuring words into my ears. When we pulled apart, two police officers led us out of the courtroom. Mike and Kaitlyn instantly rushed up to us and hugged Mort, quickly gathering all of us into a group hug. After we broke apart, the officers quickly led us out towards their car. Mort was put inside, but the rest of us had to take a cab back to the apartment.
As we rode home, we rode in a relieved silence, happy that we had won a small victory against my parents. But we all knew that even though we had won a small battle, we had yet to win the war.
A Week Later, Amber's POV:
With Mort home, things went back to a state of semi-normalness. The tracking device had been strapped onto Mort's ankle and would let the police know the minute Mort left the apartment. Elizabeth was sad that she couldn't go outside to walk her father, but as long as she had her Daddy back, she didn't really care. It was a very good thing that Mort enjoyed being indoors so much, otherwise he might have lost his mind from being cooped up for such a large amount of time. And who knew how long this trial might be? Oh, well, I guess we'll just have to make the best of it.
The first night Mort was home, Becca and Kaitlyn cooked up a fantastic meal of prime rib, mashed red potatoes, and a chocolate cake for dessert. During the whole meal, Elizabeth leaned against her father's side and Mort held my hand. Afterwards, we all watched movies and had popcorn and soda. Mort held Elizabeth in his lap until she fell asleep, at which point he tucked her in. Once that was done, it was my turn to sit in Mort's lap until the movie was over. Mike, Becca and Kaitlyn went home after one o'clock, and Mort practically threw me over his shoulder as he raced for the bedroom…I guess he really missed me…
For the rest of the week, things went back to the way they were before Mort's arrest. Mort would spend the day with Elizabeth until it was time for her nap, then write until he couldn't feel his fingers. After Elizabeth woke, the two would play games until dinner. We'd eat, watch TV, and then put a sleepy little girl to bed. After that, Mort and I would sit together on the couch, listening to music and holding one another until Mort would drag me to the bedroom for some very intense loving.
Needless to say, things were good, but Mort and I knew that the court trial loomed closer with each passing day. Every night, after we had made love, Mort would hold me tightly against him and I would softly whisper to him, telling him how much I loved him and what a wonderful husband and father he was. He would eventually fall asleep, and we would wake up the next day wrapped in an intense embrace, enjoying each other's company until Elizabeth came bounding into our room and bouncing on top of our bed. Then our day would begin all over again.
But it couldn't last forever, despite how much we desired it.
Mort's POV:
As he worked on his latest writing creation, Mort could feel the inspiration leave him, little by little. His thoughts were too preoccupied by what could happen to his wife and daughter during this horrible time in their lives. Elizabeth was blissfully unaware that her beloved Daddy might be locked away, far away, from her for a very long time, but if worst came to worst, that's what would happen. He couldn't bear not being able to see his little girl for any amount of time, but the possibility of not seeing her for years scared him. What if he never got to see her grow up?
'Amber will take good care of her,' Mort thought to himself. 'She'll make sure that Elizabeth never forgets her Daddy, and that she knows how much he loves her.' Oh, yes, Amber would take care of everything, as would Mike and Kaitlyn. Maybe even that other girl, Becca…she's cut from the same good cloth as Kaitlyn, so she could be counted on, too…
Oh, God, Amber…
Of all the things he would miss most about his freedom, it was his wife…his beautiful, kind, loving wife…the one who loved him despite all that she knew about him and about his past. How could he survive not being able to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her? A sheet of clear plastic would stand between them during short and infrequent visits, and limited physical contact would be permitted whenever she was allowed to visit him. How could he bear that?
'I couldn't bear it,' Mort thought, groaning inwardly. 'I'd go mad within the first week, and then they'd really send me to the nut house to have me 'recover' even further'
It would be a nightmare come to life, one even worse than when Shooter had appeared in his life. If he were to go to prison, Mort was positive that he would never be able to recover from it. His wife and daughter were everything to him, and if he were to lose them, he might as well be dead. Mort knew that he had to win this, or everything would be lost. Plus, what if Amber's parents tried something while he was in prison? What if they tried to take Elizabeth away from them to raise as their own? He would never let that happen, and he'd do everything he could to keep it from happening.
'I'll keep you safe if it's the last thing I do,' Mort savagely thought, looking at a family portrait that he kept at this place and at the cabin in Tashmore Lake.
It was a wonderful family portrait. Amber had been adamant in having a picture taken every year, and Mort had grudgingly given into the request (even though he thought it was a good idea, too). From the photographer's position, Mort was on the left, Amber on the right, and Elizabeth seated on a raised seat in the middle. It was a Christmas portrait, so Mort had worn a deep red sweater and black shoes and slacks, Amber was in a black skirt and red top, and Elizabeth was in a red dress with gold lace and ruffles. A bow was in Elizabeth's hair, and she was absolutely precious. They were all smiling, and the photographer had said that he'd never seen such a happy family, or such a polite little girl. Mort smiled at the memory of that day. After their photo session, the photographer had given Elizabeth a small bag of candy for being "such a good little girl," and she had been hyper the whole ride home.
Mort sighed and turned his attention back towards his work. This book was going to be based on what was happening to him at present, and he had been working as much, and as quickly, as he could on it. Every detail was from real life, and Mort was determined to capture it all on paper in every way that he could. From the moment that he had been arrested up to now, it was all there. He'd recorded everything that had happened as though it were a diary, and was thinking of turning it into a story he'd make up in his head (based on real life, of course) as soon as he had a free chance.
'If I ever have a chance to do it after this,' Mort thought bitterly. 'If I stay free, I'll write it here, surrounded by my family, and if I go to prison, I'll definitely have the time to write it there.'
Mort feverishly hoped that would never happen, but if worst came to worst, he still might be able to provide for his family, even from behind bars. The last thing that Mort wanted was for Amber to have to work herself to death to provide for Elizabeth. He knew that there was enough money in the bank to live on for a quite a few years, but after the trial, legal bills were sure to pile up, and then where would she be? No, Mort would do his best to keep Amber and Elizabeth comfortable and happy until he got out.
Sighing once more, Mort returned his attention to his laptop. Hopefully this story would have a happy ending.
Amber's POV:
We had been together as a family for ten days before a call came in from our lawyers, informing us that the court date was two and a half weeks from now. The worst part was that I might have to testify at the trial, as would Mike and Kaitlyn. We would likely be asked questions that gave information against Mort, but we would be prepared; our lawyers would be going over every scenario they could with us to keep us from getting caught in a trap by the prosecution.
"I don't know about this, Amber," Mike said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
It was after dinner and we'd just gotten the call from our lawyers. Mike, Kaitlyn and Becca had come over for dinner and a movie, and Mort had just told them about what was going on with the legal procedures. Kaitlyn was fully ready to testify, but Mike was unsure about the whole thing. After all, these were our parents, and they had given us life. Of course, I'd rather have been born in any other life but this one, but my mom had actually been somewhat decent to my brother. While I was being constantly tormented, Mike was being treated fairly normally (except for whenever Mom decided that one kid wasn't enough to yell at and torment). This was why I had no problem with going against our folks and Mike did.
"Look, bro, I know that you still care about Mom and Dad, but this is my life that hangs in the balance," I said, looking straight in the eye. "Mort and Elizabeth are my life, and if I lose Mort…"
Mike let out a huge breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "I know, sis, I know," he said.
I knew at that point that he'd do what he had to in order to help my husband. I stood up and hugged him tightly to know how much I appreciated what he was about to do. Mort patted him on the shoulder and Kaitlyn kissed him on the cheek. Elizabeth climbed into her uncle's lap, and we all enjoyed our peaceful night together.
As Mort and I got ready for bed, there was a sort of uneasiness in the air that I could feel as I climbed into bed and pulled the sheets up to my chest. As I settled down to sleep, I felt a strong arm slide around my waist, and I knew that something was troubling Mort. I turned around to look him in the eye and saw fear and concern reflected in his deep brown eyes. Reaching up, my hands caressed his face, slowly sliding down towards his chin and over his beard and mustache. His eyes closed as my fingers drifted towards his neck, moving down to his chest. Mort's breathing slowly eased, and I knew that he was relaxing under my fingertips. Whenever he was scared or upset, he asked me to touch him, claiming that my touch 'relaxed' him and made him happy.
"Are you okay?" I asked, my hands stopping on his chest. "What's wrong, Mort?"
Mort opened his eyes and looked at me, hard. His arms tightened around me as he pulled me close to him, his face buried in my hair. Oh, dear, something must really be wrong if he needs me this badly.
"I don't want to lose you," he whispered into my hair.
"You'll never lose me, Mort," I whispered back. "I will always be here for you, like you are for me and Elizabeth."
I heard him chuckle as he pulled back slightly so that his nose brushed my neck. Suddenly, he rubbed his beard against my neck, making me giggle. My giggles turned into laughter as Mort continued to tickle me with his facial hair. He continued to do that for several moments before stopping, my laughter turning into the occasional snicker.
"Your laughter makes me so happy," Mort whispered as he smiled down at me. "I love you so much, Amber. I don't know what I'll do if…"
I pressed my fingers to his lips. "Don't say it," I said, giving him a kiss. "Everything will turn out alright in the end…you wait and see."
As we drifted off to sleep, I could only hope that what I had promised wouldn't turn into a lie.
AN: I hope that this last part wasn't too mushy or anything, or that the chapter wasn't too boring. Reviews and comments are welcome (hint, hint)!
