For the People Chapter 3
Gidon Shapiro offers Lauren Amell his most sympathetic look. "Ms. Amell, I realize that recalling the details of these events must be painful. But I need you to tell the court exactly what took place on the night of March 3, 1991. Please start with your first contact with Alfred Baird."
Hiram Kaplowitz jumps to his feet. "Objection. Assumes facts not in evidence. The prosecution hasn't established that Ms. Amell had contact with Alfred Baird."
Shapiro nods at Kate who sets up a blowup of a photo of Lauren Amell, Alfred Baird, and two other people on an easel. "Your honor, I call your attention to People's exhibit 52," Shapiro announces. "As is plainly visible from the time stamp, this photograph was taken at nine pm, March 3, 1991."
"Objection overruled," the judge responds.
"Now, Ms. Amell," Shapiro begins again. "Please start with your first contact with Alfred Baird."
Lauren rubs her fingertips over the smooth wood of the witness stand. "I went to Dominoes Down to try to get an interview with Leonardo DiCaprio for an article. But he didn't show up that night. So I was looking around for someone else who might make good copy. I thought Alfred Baird would be perfect. He was always looking for press for one thing or another, and he'd just left his wife for another woman. The rumor was the mistress was pregnant, and I wanted to see if I could get the real story.
"So Alfred and I took a booth in the back where it was a little quieter, and he bought drinks – Champagne. At one point we clinked glasses, and I got a little sprinkle of wine on my coatdress. It wasn't much. It barely showed. But Alfred insisted that he wanted to buy me something nice to wear for the rest of the evening. He wouldn't take no for an answer. Bloomfeld's was close and open, so we went there. Alfred pointed to the most expensive dress on the rack, saying I should have it. I didn't think it would fit, so I took it to the changing room so I could show him it wouldn't work. I took it into a stall with me and tried to close the door. But he barged in after me. My dress was just closed with a belt. He jerked it open, tore my pantyhose and my underwear, and forced himself into me."
"I'm sorry Ms. Amell," Shapiro apologizes, "but when you say he forced himself into you, exactly what do you mean?"
Lauren's eyes blaze. "I mean he shoved his penis into my vagina. But I wasn't about to let him get any further. With every ounce of strength I had, I pushed him off. He dripped on my dress. Then I stuck my knee in his balls and ran out of there as fast as I could. I hailed the nearest cab and went home to try to shower him off."
"You didn't call the police?" Shapiro asks.
"No."
"And you didn't go to the hospital?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I couldn't think of anything to do but call my best friends. And after that, I was sure that the police wouldn't do anything. Alfred Baird got away with so much, I was sure he'd get away with raping me too. And I'd be called a slut, maybe lose my job."
"Thank you, Ms. Amell." Shapiro turns toward his seat. "That's all I have."
Hiram Kaplowitz strides up to Lauren. "Were you pleased by Alfred Baird's attentions, Ms. Amell?"
"I was pleased by the chance to get an article," Lauren retorts. "I didn't want to have sex with him."
"And yet, you left Dominoes Down with him and found yourselves in a private place. Might you have considered a closer relationship with him?" Hiram presses.
"No, I didn't," Lauren insists. "All I wanted was the article. And he insisted on the new dress, I didn't."
"But you never claimed rape until you needed it to sell books," Hiram throws back.
"I told my friends it was rape that night. And if I wanted to have sex with someone, it wouldn't have been in Bloomfeld's changing room."
"But we only have your word for that, don't we?" Hiram proclaims. "That's all I have."
"Redirect?" the judge asks.
Shapiro signals to Kate. "Ms. Amell, Mr. Kaplowitz claims we only have your word. You have a reputation for honesty, don't you, Ms. Amell?"
"I'd like to think so," Lauren acknowledges.
"In fact, the periodicals for which you write employ fact-checkers, do they not?" Kate queries.
"Yes they do," Lauren confirms.
"Have you ever had to rewrite an article because a fact-checker discovered something that was untrue?" Kate asks.
"No."
"And concerning your book," Kate continues, "doesn't your publisher employ fact-checkers as well?"
"Yes."
"And in fact, when Alfred Blair claimed in the press that he'd never met you, the fact-checkers came up with the photograph I displayed to the jury, did they not?"
"They did," Lauren confirms.
"So, if there's anyone involved with this case with a documented history of being less than truthful, isn't it Mr. Baird?"
Hiram lunges upward. "Objection! Ms. Beckett's asking the witness to draw a conclusion."
Kate smiles sweetly at the defense attorney. "Withdrawn. I have what I need."
Rick grabs Kate in a hug as she comes through the door of the loft. "I caught your act. You made Lauren look like Honest Amell, and Kaplowitz look like a jerk. Too bad ZNN didn't zoom in on his face. I would have loved to have seen it."
"Shapiro did the heavy lifting, getting Lauren to put her story out there. I just had to make sure the jury believed her. And we've got a long way to go. We've got other witnesses, but if Kaplowitz puts Baird on the stand, he can convince almost anyone of anything. He's been doing it for years. Still, if Kaplowitz makes that move, we may have a surprise for him. I've been working on it, and I'm not sure my witnesses will come through. But if they do, it will knock the pins out from under Baird."
A grin spreads over Rick's face. "That, I'd really enjoy watching."
"Actually, it won't be fun. The whole thing will be sad and twisted. But we'll have to see what happens. So what have you been up to besides watching the trial?" Kate inquires.
"Working on a new book. It's about a senator from Oklahoma who took a bunch of money from the fossil fuel industry and then waged a war against legislation to fight climate change. I've been reading some of his speeches. It's incredible how so many people bought his BS. Now they're seeing the glaciers melt and wondering what happened. But the intriguing thing about the story is that I think he may have actually convinced himself of what he was saying. He's a pilot, and there's a story going around DC that he suffered brain damage in a crash. If that turns out to be true, the tale won't just be about greed and corruption. It will be a lesson in how a random event occurring to one person, can change countless lives."
"It sounds like it will be a cautionary tale."
"Could be. Perhaps we should have legislators' heads examined before they're allowed to vote on anything."
"I wouldn't hold your breath. You'd probably have more luck asking to have their bank accounts examined," Kate offers.
"Has anyone examined Baird's?" Rick asks.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you said it yourself, the man's been skating for years. He must have paid someone off along the line."
"Yeah, Kate considers, "and that may factor into my plan B."
