For the People Chapter 97

"The courtroom will be cleared except for active participants in the trial," Judge Moran announces. "Bailiff please make certain that spectators and press exit the courtroom and the general area. The trial will be paused until we can ensure that the privacy of minors will be maintained. For the counsels and jury, if you want to take a rest break, now is the time. And I caution the jury again, not to discuss the proceedings. I also caution counsels against any release of information pertaining to a minor. The court is in recess for 30 minutes."

As the bailiff calls for all to rise, Kate stretches. She had put two more adult victims, both, like Lindy, women trying to make it as actors, on the stand. Aside from a few tears, they'd endured Lyssa Camden's expected attacks pretty well. Whether those tears were an actor's tool or not, Kate could see sympathy in the eyes of some of the jury members. Kate had made sure that her line of questioning highlighted that the witnesses had no chance to compare notes. They told similar stories because that was what happened. But with the case centering on the statutory rapes, the women's testimonies served primarily to establish Clint Sawyer's pattern of taking advantage of the vulnerable. And who could be more vulnerable than hero-worshipping 13-year-olds?

Kate has time to pee and go over her questions one more time before calling the first girl. She'll grab a bottle of water too. Much as she'd love coffee, even the courthouse sludge, she's already hyped up more than enough. As a class B felony, the statutory rape of a girl that age can carry up to a 25-year sentence. If Sawyer is convicted on both counts, and Judge Moran makes the sentences sequential, the leading man could be castable as a great-grandfather when he gets out, if he makes it that far. A prison inmate that good-looking could find himself on the receiving end of what he forced on his victims. Poetic justice can be incredibly harsh.

Kate's phone dings a text from Rick just as she's purchasing her water from a vending machine. "I don't want to interrupt the action, but I assume you'll mute your phone if you're in the thrall of a courtroom battle. I got a call from Alexis. She and Elliott want to take us out to dinner tonight. She says they have something to tell us. And she proposed that we pick a place we can bring Lily and pick a time, so we don't have to worry about a last-minute sitter. As soon as you can, let me know if you can make it."

Kate muses for a moment. Before starting the trial, she found out what she could about Judge Herman Moran. He has five grandchildren, two of them young teenage girls. She can't see him letting court run overtime with the girls on the witness stand. And Shapiro is out of town on family business. So he won't be calling any meetings. She texts back. "It should work, but I'll let you know. Tough stuff up next."

"I figured." Rick returns. "Hang in there. Love you."

As she shoves her phone back into her pocket, Kate can't help smiling. Even at his jerkiest, Rick never took advantage of helplessness. Men, even rich and famous ones, don't have to be like Clint Sawyer. Thank God!"


"All rise," the bailiff calls again, as Judge Malone enters the courtroom.

Malone sinks into his chair. "Be seated. I note that the courtroom is clear of spectators and the press. And I remind everyone here again that nothing relating in any way to minors involved with this case is to be publicly discussed. The names of the minors and any identifying information are under seal. Now, Ms. Beckett, call your witness."

"I call Lacy Swan."

If Kate hadn't seen Lacy's birth certificate, she might have pegged the girl at closer to 10 than 13. She has almost none of the curves that usually accompany the onset of puberty. Her hair is fine and blond, and from all appearances, naturally so. Her shoes have a little bit of a heel, but she's yet to learn the thigh-leading walk that would stabilize her. She hesitantly repeats after the clerk before taking her seat.

Moran looks down at the girl. "Lacy, Ms. Beckett, and Ms. Camden will have a lot of questions for you. All you have to do is answer them the best you can. But if you need to take a break, just tell me."

"Yes, Sir, I mean, Your Honor."

"Go ahead Ms. Beckett," Moran instructs.

"Hi, Lacy. I'm Kate Beckett. Do you remember when we talked before?"

Lacy's thin fingers twist the fabric of her dress. "I remember."

"I'll be asking you the same things I did before about what happened with Mr. Sawyer. All you have to do is tell me about them again, exactly the way you remember them. OK?"

"OK," Lacy agrees.

"Now, Lacy, have you met Mr. Sawyer?"

"Yes."

"How did you meet?"

"I was on a trip with the drama club from my school, Greenfield Middle School. We were visiting the set of Jason's Plain. They were shooting on location at one of those big houses in Queens. Mr. Sawyer came and said hello to us."

"Did he say anything else?"

"That he was always interested in helping young actors and that there might be little parts for us on the show. He said he might talk to one or two of us about it later.

"And how did you feel about that?"

"I was excited. I mean, a chance to be on TV and not just in the audience or something. And he's a star! I really wanted him to come back and talk to me."

"And did he come back to talk to you?"

"When we were all taking the tour, he came and told me that we could talk privately. He took me to a trailer and asked me if I wanted some of his actor's special energy drink. I said I did so he took a pitcher out of a little refrigerator and poured some into a plastic cup for me. I was afraid it might be yucky, but it tasted just like Coke."

"Coca-Cola?" Kate clarifies.

"Yes. It was good. So I drank it all."

"And did it give you energy?"

"No. After Mr. Sawyer and I talked for a while, I got sleepy. I don't remember much after that. But my teacher told me that Mr. Sawyer brought me back to her and told her I wasn't feeling well."

"Objection!" Lyssa Camden calls. "Hearsay, move to strike."

"Sustained," Judge Camden rules. "Lacy, just tell the court what you heard someone say, not something anyone else told you they said."

"All right," Lacy agrees. "I remember being back home. I was in bed, but I had to go to the bathroom. And when I went, there was blood on my panties, but it didn't look like my," she turns to Moran, "can I say period?"

"If that's what you mean, you can," the judge confirms.

"It wasn't like my period. It was just a couple of little streaks. But there was some white goopy stuff. I didn't know what that was. I thought it happened because I was sick or something. So I called my mom to look at it."

"And what did your mother do?"

"She told me it might be nothing, but she wanted to take me to the hospital to make sure. When we got there, my mother started whispering to a nurse. And the nurse called a doctor to come to look at me. And then he had another nurse come in. She took my blood and did some stuff, um, down there. And the police came. I didn't understand what was going on and I asked my mother. She started to cry and sort of blurted out that the doctor thought I'd been raped."

Lyssa Camden pops up. "Objection, hearsay."

"Exception for excited utterance," Kate argues.

"Objection denied." Moran gazes down at the shaky teen. "How are you doing, Lacy?"

"Can I have a break, now, Your Honor?"

Moran checks the clock. "It's getting close to the dinner hour. The court will be in recess until 9 am tomorrow."

"Moran recessed for the day at 4:30 in the afternoon?" Rick's text questions.

"Yeah. I can't tell you why, but I think he made the right call," Kate texts back.

"So we're on for dinner? I thought we'd go to Family Circus. The place has all those colored balloons that fascinate Lily, and they make adult versions of happy meals."

"Good," Kate texts back. "Right now, I can really use one."