Here is the next installment. Only two chapters left. Amber
Chapter 26
After she gave her statement Callie was physically and emotionally drained. She went upstairs to lie down and was asleep in minutes. Frank moved Brooke to her crib and came into their room closing the door. He went to his desk and logged into his computer. He rubbed his hands together. He put Detective Hayes's full name into his database and began to do a run. When he was done he'd even know what type of underwear the man wore. He was truly worried about this man's vendetta against his wife. Frank dug down and discovered that his father had a criminal record dating over twenty years ago now. Frank found the original police report and saw a familiar name as primary officer. It was Fenton Hardy. He'd been arrested for DUI.
Hayes's father had been on the force with Fenton and some of his fellow officers had swept his DUI offenses under the rug. "So my dad ruined your dad's career." He continued to read. Sgt Hayes had been fired from the force and killed himself two years later on November 5, 2002. Frank printed the pertinent information and went to talk to his father.
Fenton was down in his office . He looked up from his laptop when Frank put some papers on his desk.
"Found you some reading material."
Fenton noted his son's angry tone. "What did you find?"
"Detective Hayes's father worked with you on the force."
Fenton closed his eyes thinking. Then they popped open. "I arrested him for DUI. Some of the other officers had just driven him home. But, they were enabling him so I took the hard line. He lost his job."
Frank nodded. "Yes and on November 5, 2002 he killed himself leaving behind a wife and five year old boy with a sister on the way."
"Christ."
Frank leaned back in the chair. "It explains a lot."
Joe came down stairs. "Where's my niece?"
Frank smiled. "My ladies are napping."
Joe took some of the nuts of Fenton's desk and popped them in his mouth. "I'm glad she's home. How's she doing? Have we heard from the state police?"
Frank answered. "She's holding up. The state police inspector came to take her statement today. Hayes is causing trouble. He's taking out his anger of what happened with his father on Callie."
Joe gestured for Frank to continue but Fenton did. "It started out my rookie year as a cop…."
When Fenton was done Joe whistled. "Woah. What are we going to do about it?"
Callie woke up at the sound of her baby crying. She rolled over and stood up. She hurried into the room. "My sweet girl." Callie's nose quickly determined why she woke up. She crooned. "My baby needs a clean bottom! Mommy will clean you right up." Callie took her to the changing table. She undressed her since some poop got on her little outfit. Then she cleaned her up. She put cornstarch powder on her bottom and some lotion on her legs. "All clean!" Callie took her to the rocker and rocked her. She began to sing one of her favorite hymns, the Hymn of Promise.
In a bulb, there is a flower
In a seed, an apple tree
In cocoons, a hidden promise
Butterflies will soon be free
In the cold and snow of winter
There's a spring that waits to be
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
There's a song in every silence
Seeking word and melody
There's a dawn in every darkness
Bringing hope to you and me
From the past will come the future
What it holds, a mystery
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
In our end is our beginning
In our time, infinity
In our doubt, there is believing
In our life, eternity
In our death, a resurrection
At the last, a victory
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see.
Callie looked up when she was done and saw her husband watching them. "Hi."
Frank came over and kissed her. He remembered the last time she sang a solo in church. She was naturally musically talented. She played piano and guitar. Now come to find out she could paint too. He said. "Hi. Did you sleep okay?"
"I did."
"Good."
Callie was a nervous wreck. She didn't want to testify. But since her father pleaded not guilty she had no choice. Frank was holding her hand in the waiting area. Fenton was now out of the courtroom. He had just testified. The bailiff came out. "Callie Hardy?"
Callie stood up and walked towards the bailiff. Frank followed them into the court room. He had not been subpoenaed and did not want her to be alone. He sat in the front row where Callie could see him. Joe and Vanessa were already there and made room for him. Photographs were taken by the media as Callie put her left hand on the Bible and raised her right hand. The bailiff asked. "Callie Ann Hardy do you swear, by penalty of perjury to tell the truth, the whole truth so help you God?"
Callie answered. "I do."
The prosecutor was a woman named Blake Salisbury. "Mrs. Hardy can you describe the events that took place April 18th if this year."
"I was at home cleaning and I heard glass break towards the front of the house. I knew nobody was home and headed towards the basement but was stopped by a masked man. He covered my mouth with a cloth, and I started feeling dizzy. I knocked over the vase in the hall to alert Mr. Hardy and Sam downstairs in the basement. Then I lost consciousness. I woke up to my father slapping me."
The prosecutor held up her hand. "If it please the court. I would like to present exhibit 210 into evidence, the voice recording of this encounter."
The defense attorney surged up. "Your honor I must object. My clients didn't give permission to be recorded."
Ms. Salisbury crosses her arms. "We already litigated the legality of these recordings, your honor."
The judge said. "Overruled. Proceed."
For a third time Frank listened to the recording. He was grasping his brother's hand as he listened. His eyes never left Callie's. She looked calm but Frank knew this was hard for her to listen too. Some of the jurors gasped. One had tears flow down her face. When the horrible recording stopped. You could hear a pin drop in the room. The prosecutor continued. "Mrs. Hardy. When you were making a gasping sound what was happening?"
Callie took a sip of water. Her mouth and throat had gone so dry. She answered. "My father had his hands around my neck and was squeezing."
"Your honor I'd like to present to the court exhibit 42." She held the picture up to Callie. "Is this you Mrs. Hardy?"
Callie swallowed. "Yes."
The prosecutor gave the picture to the bailiff who passed the picture to the jury foreman. It was passed around the jury box. Callie felt like she was on display at a zoo. A news photographer took her picture at that moment. Callie wanted this to be over. She wanted to go home and see her little girl.
The questions continued, and with each one she felt her composure slip a little. When the prosecutor brought in the collar and chains she had been put in she let out a small sob.
Frank was watching her with great concern. Her voice had started to waver about three questions back. Now she was looking at this evidence and answering more questions about being confined, the pain she felt, what her father said. 'Come on Sweetheart hang in there.'
He looked at his watch. It was approaching five pm. The prosecutor said she had no more questions. Frank held his breath. He was saying a silent prayer. 'God, please have the judge wait til tomorrow for cross.'
Judge Glynn Donahue said. "We will adjourn for the day. The defense can cross tomorrow morning." He banged the gavel.
The bailiff said. "All rise."
Callie came off the witness stand. Her father as she passed grabbed her wrist. Callie, completely shocked, glared at her father. "Get your hands off me!"
Even the defense attorney was chastised.
The bailiff came over and quickly removed both defendants. Callie stayed where she was glaring at her father until he was out of sight. When he was gone she reached for Frank for support. Frank was already at her side. He pulled her to him protectively. "I've got you."
They walked through the sea of reporters. Fenton Hardy was ahead of them so they could continue walking. They shouted questions without any guilt at all. As Fenton walked toward the exit he said only two words repeatedly. "No comment."
When they were in the car Callie's emotions finally overwhelmed her. She cried in Frank's arms.
When she was calmer he whispered. "You are so brave."
Callie kissed him. "I don't feel like it."
"Sweetie, you stared him down after he tried to intimidate you. You got on the stand and told those jurors what he put you through. That's the definition of courage in my book." Fenton said.
Joe added. "Yeah and you didn't show him fear when he grabbed you. But determination and fury."
Callie smiled. "Thanks guys but the worst is yet to come."
Frank was awakened by a sobbing noise next to him. Callie was dreaming. He shook her shoulder. "Callie wake up. You're dreaming."
Callie for a second seemed to stop breathing. Frank more urgently shook her shoulders. "Callie wake up and breathe."
Her eyes popped open and her breath came out in a gush of air. "Frank…he was killing me!"
A knock at the door kept him from replying. Fenton Hardy's voice called. "Everything okay?"
Frank answered. "Just a nightmare. I'm getting her an anxiety pill."
They heard Fenton's footsteps head back to the master. Frank got up and brought her an Ativan. She took it without hesitation. "Frank I'm a wreck. How am I going to hold it together during the cross!"