For the People Chapter 11
"Mr. Collier, are you an inmate at Rikers Correctional Complex?" Kate inquires as the witness settles himself on the stand.
"Yes, I am," Collier replies.
"Did the people promise you anything in exchange for your testimony today?"
"To get a recommendation for the work release program. I would get to leave the prison compound from nine to five on weekdays and do deskwork."
"Were you in any way induced to testify falsely?"
"No."
"In fact, what were you informed would be the consequences of testifying falsely?"
"Being charged with perjury and doing more time with no chance of work release."
"So is it in your best interests to answer truthfully?"
"Yes, it is."
"Why were you sent to prison, Mr. Collier?" Kate inquires.
"I was convicted of bribing and conspiring to intimidate witnesses."
"And did you expect to realize any personal gain from those crimes?"
Amusement lights Collier's eyes. "I expected to get paid."
"Paid by whom?" Kate queries.
"Alfred Baird."
"And why did you expect Mr. Baird to pay you for those activities?"
"Because he benefitted from them."
"And how was that, Mr. Collier?" Kate probes.
"I convinced witnesses to refuse to testify against him."
"How?"
"Money and threats."
"Without revealing names, can you describe who those witnesses were at the time?"
"Two girls, one thirteen years old and one fifteen years old."
"And what was the testimony you sought to prevent?"
"That while at the home of Judson Birdstein, Alfred Baird tied up and raped the thirteen-year-old. The fifteen-year-old was a witness to Baird's actions."
"To be clear, are you telling the court that Alfred Baird tasked you to prevent testimony that he had sex with an underage girl?"
"Not that he just had sex with her, Ms. Beckett," Collier responds, "that he tied her to the bedposts in one of Judson Birdstein's playrooms and raped her."
"And did Mr. Baird pay you for your work?"
"He gave me a deal on a condo in one of his buildings. Then I heard he stiffed his contractor and there's a mechanic's lien on the place. But it will be a while before I have to worry about where to live."
"Thank you, Mr. Collier, that's all that I have."
"Mr. Kaplowitz, cross?" Judge Willis queries.
Kaplowitz drums his fingers on the defense table as he gets up. "Mr. Collier, are you angry that you went to prison and Alfred Baird didn't?"
"Yeah, I'm angry," Collier responds. "He raped a girl. Then I got sent away while he walked away."
"Do you know for a fact Mr. Baird raped anyone? Did you witness any rapes?"
"No, I didn't witness any rapes," Collier admits. "But I know how Baird was strutting around when he told me to keep those girls from testifying."
"Do you believe that some men lie about their sex acts, Mr. Collier?" Kaplowitz asks.
"I've heard some guys mouth off."
"Could Mr. Baird have just been 'mouthing off' as you put it, about his activities at Judson Birdstein's home?" Kaplowitz presses.
"Mr. Kaplowitz, if Baird was just mouthing off, he wouldn't have needed me to fix anything," Collier retorts. "And believe me, Baird doesn't give anyone a deal on anything for nothing."
"To the best of your knowledge," Kaplowitz clarifies.
"Yes, to the best of my knowledge," Collier concedes. "But Mr. Kaplowitz, you'd be amazed just how much about Baird I know. And I'll even offer you some advice. Get your fee now and don't accept any deals on condos."
"I'm finished with this witness," Kaplowitz declares, disgust edging his voice.
"Fifteen-minute recess," Willis announces.
"I'm delighted but surprised you could meet me for lunch," Rick confides over hotdogs purchased from a vendor near the courthouse. "And Yossi does sell some of the best tube steaks in the city. I believe he really does answer to a higher authority. The mustard is excellent, too. Just spicy enough. So was Collier's testimony spicy enough?"
"You couldn't watch it on ZNN?"
"No. The cops in Colorado caught the latest school shooter. The network was covering that."
"Yeah, it should have been. Who was it?"
"Same old story. Disturbed kid the teachers had been warning the school and the parents about for years, but no one did anything. Then he walked into a gun store and legally bought himself an assault rifle. He killed fifteen students and three teachers. The school had an armed cop on campus, but he was at the other end of the building, and by the time he got there it was too late. The shooter took off, but cops used dogs to track him in the woods. He still had the damn gun with him, but he'd used all his ammunition at the school. And it was a good thing they caught him when they did. Apparently, he was heading for a hunting shack where he'd stowed extra magazines. Who knows how many more people he could have killed?"
"Did the news say anything about a motive?" Kate asks.
"Not yet, and if he was that disturbed he may not have needed one. Still, I'm sure the talking heads will be pontificating about the reasons until the next news cycle. So what did happen in court while ZNN was broadcasting images of senseless carnage?"
Kate grimly shakes her head. "Well, I hope what happened wasn't senseless. Collier testified. Kaplowitz tried to plant the idea that Collier was doing it because he's pissed off at Baird. I don't think the jury bought it, but you never know. Kaplowitz put up a woman who's been working in Baird's office. She testified about how kind, thoughtful, and considerate he is to the women there. Kaplowitz has a couple more like that on his witness list, but then he'll probably rest."
"Do you think those women will rehabilitate Baird?" Rick wonders.
"I don't think so. I saw some pretty hard looks on the jury's faces when Collier was talking about what happened to Jane Doe. But you never know. Baird's been successfully selling his BS for a hell of a long time. I think it will all come down to the closings, and Kaplowitz is supposed to be a master."
"So who's closing for the people, you or Shapiro?"
"Shapiro said he is. I suspect that's more politics than anything else. He's the one who has to be elected, and he needs to maintain his visibility."
"No place better to do that than on ZNN. But it hardly seems fair, Kate. You've done most of the work on this case. If you win, you should get the kudos."
Kate shrugs. "It's no different than it was when I was a cop. We'd bust our asses to solve a case and then the chief would do the press conference, thanking the fine men and women on the force but taking all the bows."
"This is different, Kate," Rick insists. "A very substantial number of people got to see you on ZNN. And the clips are all over social media. If you win this case, the viewers will know who did the heavy lifting."
Kate's fingertip catches a dribble of mustard from her hotdog. "And if we don't, they'll know who did the heavy losing." She checks her watch. "I need to get back in soon. I think Judge Willis wants to hurry things along. He only gave us 45 minutes for lunch. And Shapiro wants to compare notes before the next witness. He may have more info coming in. See you for dinner?"
"I'll count the minutes."
