CHAPTER 154
(CHRISTIAN)
"Sadie seemed much more coherent today" I say as Ana and I are heading home. Taylor is driving us and Sawyer who was sitting dutifully outside Sadie's house when Taylor and I arrived has been sent home for the evening.
Ana nods, "She was, I think she has come to terms with David's death but she is really still struggling with Jen's. As far as David is concerned, she feels relief more than anything because she knows she no longer has to wait for him to show up and destroy her life again. But I do think a part of her feels guilty for feeling that way, but the bigger part is over riding it as far as he is concerned. But things are more complicated about her feelings towards Jen, which is understandable considering she is her daughter. Both Grace and Mia have mentioned the idea of her talking things over with Caroline but Sadie isn't sure. I talked to her as well, and I explained how good Caroline was and how much she had helped everyone, but so far she keeps saying no… I'm not sure why but that seems to be her decision and we all have to accept that" she says with a shrug.
I nod, and make a mental note to speak to Sadie myself. I can understand her conflicted feelings especially towards her daughter. Elena abused me for years, she was a paedophile something I point blank refused to accept until Ana but even when I helped to put her in prison for her crimes and accepted the fact she had in fact abused me, it didn't stop me falling apart when she died. My mind goes back to that day and the repercussions of it which sent ripple effects through the family, and more importantly how Caroline helped us all deal with them. I put that to one side for now though.
"El looked preoccupied, as though he had something on his mind" I say and Ana nods.
"Yeah, I thought that, he disappeared into the kitchen with Lucy for a while… I think it's just concern about Sadie like the rest of us, and also on his part concern about Lucy… I mean she is bearing the lion's share of this, just like she did when they were in Seattle, so my guess is he is worried about her as well" Ana says.
I nod, "Lucy is an incredible young woman, I am in awe of her" I say with complete sincerity.
I feel my phone starting to vibrate in my pocket and I fumble for it. As I pull it out I see it is my dad calling me and I quickly answer.
"Dad" I say by way of greeting, "Is everything ok?" I ask.
"Everything is fine Christian, more than fine. I just thought I'd let you know that we have a date for the trial. I've been badgering the DA and he in turn has been talking to the judge and we've bumped it up. I wanted it to be over so that Jared can get his closure and begin to move on and heal. He can't do that while we have this trial hanging over us. That was put to the judge and he agreed with us and all the stops have been pulled out and it seems he was waiting for the sentencing in Chicago before he made his decision which he now has and the trial begins on November 29th, so that's the week after next. I've called Arash and he assured me he would make Gideon and Jared aware of this. He also told me that Jared was approached at the court in Chicago today by his other uncle".
"Other uncle?" I ask as I try and remember who else is involved with the Martin family.
"Patrick Martin, Arash said Jared gave him short shrift and told him to go. According to Arash he believes that there is more going on there than meets the eye. He said that Angus escorted him away and spent some considerable time with him. Angus assured Arash that he would sit down with him and make him aware of the details, so I think it's a case of watch this space… I just hope he doesn't try and cause trouble for that boy as he has been through enough".
"I'm sure Gideon will tell me what's happening" I say confidently. "How did the hearing go? Ana showed me the text Eva sent her; it appears the judge was heavy with his sentencing which is a good thing" I say.
"He was, which I am thankful for. I was of the impression Philip Martin pleaded guilty to try and get a more lenient sentence but things didn't work out so well for him. Arash said Jared played a blinder – those were his exact words. He said his victim statement was incredibly powerful".
"Have you heard anything from Martin's defence lawyer? Will he be changing his plea in the light of the evidence we now have?" I ask.
I hear dad sigh, "No, and to be honest with you Christian I don't think he will. From everything I've seen and read, and from Beverly's statement it appears he is a very controlling spiteful man. Jared has taken that control from him. He tried to regain it by pleading guilty to all the other charges as he seemed to believe his sentence would be more lenient. Now that he knows he is going to be spending the rest of his life in prison he wants to make Jared suffer for it. Punish him for what he sees as Jared getting him in this predicament… which is of course ridiculous but I think he sees this trial as punishing Jared for what has happened up to this point. So, I really don't think he will change his plea, he will make Jared have to go through the trial… he wants to have the last word".
I sigh at that, "That was my fear, well in that case all we can do is rally and support Jared, and make sure we get the last word by winning" I say firmly.
"The DA has asked if you would be willing to testify" dad says suddenly.
"Me?" I ask.
"Yes Christian, you were involved. You may not have been witness to what Barnett said but your testimony regarding Jared would be a very powerful thing. You could tell how Jared called you and told you what was happening, how frightened he was and how you went to help him… that would be compelling information to a jury and make the case more rounded, hearing the emotional aspects and negate any reasonable doubt that may persist" dad says.
"Certainly, of course I will, is our case still weak then?" I ask, alarm bells ringing at my fathers request.
There is a silence, "It is certainly far stronger than it was but it is all technical and circumstantial evidence so it can only help if you would be willing to offer a more human aspect to the case, our other witnesses besides Jared and your security guys are Beverley and Jerry Barnett. Jared is a child so I believe that alone swings things in our favour as the jury will hold a degree of sympathy for him, but he was in hiding at the time of his aunt and uncle's murder, he heard the shots but he never actually saw what happened. The same applies to the security guys, they stormed the house and found Barnett there with the gun in his hand and the bodies lying at his feet. Barnett is a problem as he has been convicted and could be viewed by the jury as simply lying… we hope the evidence we now have will negate that, plus the fact he has already been convicted of his crimes and admitted to his part in them. But that leaves Beverley and she isn't a completely reliable witness… she participated in the murder of Jared's parents by helping Martin after he shot Angela. The only reason she wasn't charged with anything is because of the deal Arash got for her for her evidence… so that could play against her should the defence use it. Which I am certain they will as I believe that Philip Martin feels a degree of bitterness towards his now ex-wife. I'm not saying it will play against her as nobody can predict how a jury will interpret what is put in front of them but we have to look at all eventualities and be ready with a viable convincing rebuff" dad says.
"Well, I will do all I can to help put that bastard away" I say.
"Thank you Christian, he is already going away for the rest of his life but he should also be held accountable for his part in the deaths of Peter and Suzanne Martin".
"What charge are we going for?" I ask.
"First degree murder, he wanted Peter and Suzanne out of the way – permanently and we now have the evidence to prove that. He solicited Barnett to undertake the act, plus he solicited Barnett to snatch Jared and we have the evidence to prove he planned to kill Jared after extorting money from Gideon. His defence just has to prove he played no part in it which now we have that phone with all the messages and other evidence they can't, all they can do is try to discredit that evidence" dad says.
I bring the call with my father to an end and quickly outline to Ana everything I've been told. When we arrive home I hesitate before climbing out of the car.
"Are you skyping with Eva tonight?" I ask and Ana nods.
"Yes, I am… and I'm guessing you will be wanting to sit in on it?" she says with a smile.
I return that smile with one of my own. "You know me too well baby" I reply as I pull her towards me and kiss her soundly.
oooOOOooo
(EVA)
I sigh as I throw myself down on to the sofa and close my eyes. It's been a long day, but one down one to go. I'll be glad when we get the trial date and get it over with so that Jared can finally move on.
I watch him now as he walks into the room with Gideon at his side. My dad has gone home but told me to call him if I need him.
"How are you doing Jared?" I ask and he smiles shyly at me.
"I'm ok… I… I erm… just want to say thanks for what you said to Uncle Patrick" he says slightly nervously.
I frown as I try and recall my words.
"You… you called me your son… that means a lot" Jared says quietly.
That moment earlier replays in my mind, and I shrug, "Well it's true you are. You asked me if you could call me mom. You are Gideon's son, I'm Gideon's wife ergo I am your stepmom… I dislike that label immensely so we will just go with mom" I say with a grin. Jared returns that grin with a huge one of his own and he sits down beside me and gives me a massive hug.
Gideon sits himself down, he has poured himself a glass of bourbon and he throws it back before setting the glass down beside him.
"Arash has spoken to me again, Carrick has called him and we have a date for the trial" he says.
My eyes widen, and I turn towards Jared who confirms this with a nod of his head, "Yeah, November 29th" he says.
"Are you ok with that?" I ask and Jared nods again.
"I just want it over, I don't really care now what happens… no that's not right, I care I mean I want justice for Uncle Pete and Aunty Suzy but I just want it to end" he says.
I squeeze him, "And we will be with you every step of the way" I promise.
"I have some more interesting information" Gideon says carefully as he looks at his phone. I hadn't heard it but he has clearly received a text or something.
Jared and I look at Gideon as he says this, "Well don't keep us in suspense Ace" I say.
Gideon looks up, "Christian is testifying… this is from Carrick, he has asked Christian to testify and he has agreed" he says holding up his phone.
I feel my eyes widen at that, "Fucking hell!" I gasp before I realise what I've said, I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment and I turn towards Jared, "Sorry Jared… you didn't hear that" I say to which he just giggles.
"Are you skyping with Ana tonight?" Gideon asks and I nod.
"Yeah, I hope Christian will be there so we can find out why" I say.
"Mom" Jared says quietly.
I immediately turn towards him, "What is it?" I ask.
"Are you going to call your mom… now you have a date for the trial?" he asks.
I sigh, I know I should and I nod, "Yes, I'll call dad first though" I say, then sigh again. "In fact, I'll do it now" I add.
I reach for my phone and I feel Gideon's and Jared's eyes on me as I place the call.
"Hello" my dad says as he answers.
"Dad, just letting you know… we have a date for the trial in Seattle. November 29th. So, obviously that is when we will be flying out, so I'm going to suggest we fly out a couple of days in advance so that we can have our session with mom and Caroline before everything kicks off with the trial, as I don't want to have to deal with my shit with mom when I need to be supporting Jared… what do you think?" I say.
"Sounds good to me. Let me know what you organise with Caroline and I'll book my leave accordingly" he says.
"Thanks dad" I reply gratefully. That was easy enough, but I'm guessing the next telephone conversation won't be as simple.
I hang up and Gideon clears his throat, "Why don't you call Caroline first and arrange the date, you can call your dad back and then call Monica" he suggests. I think about that and nod.
Taking a deep breath I place the call, "Caroline Maguire" comes the polite greeting.
"Erm… yeah hello this is Eva Cross I'm Gideon Cross's wife and erm… Gideon spoke to you about an issue I have with my mom and erm…" I stop.
"Oh hello Eva, how are you?" Caroline says simply.
"I'm good, listen we have a date for the Seattle trial and I was hoping if you could fit us in for our session before that all starts… the date of the start of the trial is November 29th which is the week after next so if you could fit us in before that… we were looking to fly to Seattle at some point next week… if that is ok with you?" I ask.
"Let me see" Caroline says and I hear tapping on her screen. Gideon leans forward.
"If Caroline is struggling to fit you in, I am willing to offer one of my regular sessions which are already booked" he says.
"Erm Caroline, Gideon is here with me and he said if you are struggling to fit us in, he said he would give me one of his allotted sessions – if that is ok with you?" I say.
"Oh, well if that is what he wants and is happy to do that it would make life easier… let me see… If I alter this, and then move Gideon's appointment to here… How does next Tuesday sound at 10.30am?" she asks.
I look up at Gideon, "Next Tuesday at 10.30am?" I ask and Gideon just waves his hand and nods.
"That's great thank you so much for doing this" I say gratefully.
"You are very welcome and I will say that I've booked a double session as am I correct in assuming this will be the one and only chance to do this?" Caroline says.
I sigh, "Yes, it is and to be honest with you I'm not entirely convinced my mom will show up at all. I am quite expecting her to make some excuse not to come or not show up when we fly out, she is pissed that I won't sit down with her and her shrink" I say.
"And if that happens?" Caroline asks.
"I would still like to talk to you with my dad, I have a number of things I want to get straight in my head" I say firmly.
"Why don't you want to sit down with her shrink?" Caroline asks, "If you don't mind me asking?" she adds.
I sigh, "Because we have tried that before with some other issues we had, and he basically just told her what she wanted to hear, she sulked when he tried to make her see my side which resulted in him backtracking and making my issues with what she was doing seem unimportant. Plus, she isn't always totally honest with him so he only gets half the story with her and he doesn't seem inclined to press her to be more honest with him" I say.
"But if… she feels comfortable with him, maybe… this is thinking out of the box slightly… why don't you put it to her to bring him along as well or we could set up a video link for him to join us that way?"
I snort loudly at that, "I bet he wouldn't dare… in case it showed him up too much" I say.
"Just a suggestion" Caroline asks.
I realise that this might just be the thing we need and I can also highlight my own issues with how he made me feel the last time we were in a room together. With a sudden rush of clarity, I realise this is probably Caroline's intention. Oh she is good!
I bring the conversation to an end and after calling my dad with the date I eagerly call my mother.
"Hello" mom's breathy voice hits me and I feel myself stiffen and it saddens me that I am having that reaction to my own mom.
"Mom, we have our date for the session I told you about with Caroline in Seattle. It is next Tuesday which is the 22nd November at 10:30am so that being the case we will fly out the day before" I say as I glance at Gideon who nods in response before pulling his phone out.
I wait and there is a long silence, "I really don't think…" mom argues but I quickly butt in.
"Caroline suggested if you feel uncomfortable you can bring Dr Petersen with you, or if he is unable to do so she can set up a video link for him" I say.
There is another long silence before my mom replies.
"Really?" she says sounding more positive.
I smile, "Yes, and I would like the chance to see him again after our disastrous joint session. I would like the chance to let him know how unheard he made me feel" I say.
There is a brief silence before she replies and her voice is hard. "Well I don't think we need to rehash old ground Eva… I thought this was about your issues with your father and Frank?" she says. I roll my eyes at that.
"Mom this is about our relationship as a whole and how it is gradually falling apart, that started when you behaved like a crazy stalker and invaded my privacy. You have never acknowledged what you did was wrong because he told you what you wanted to hear" I say.
There is a long silence where she doesn't answer.
"And things have just got worse and worse to the point we are at now" I add.
"And whose fault is that Eva?" Mom fires back. "You aired all our dirty laundry in public it was awful" she says with a sob. I can't help but notice she has totally ignored everything else I said, focussing on the one part where I accept that I do hold a degree of responsibility, but it still irritates me enough to fire back at her in exasperation.
"You know why we did that mom… and this is why we need this session, but if you are afraid to face the truth then so be it. The session is next Tuesday in Seattle at 10:30am. We are flying out… next Monday at 7:30pm" I say reading the flight plan confirmation on Gideon's phone which he is now holding up. "If you are not at La Guardia to get on the plane when we leave I know where I stand with you" I say my patience evaporating and I hang up on her.
I feel Jared wrap his arm around me offering me comfort, I had quite forgotten he was sitting there listening. I turn and smiling at him I pat his knee.
"Ok Angel?" Gideon asks and I take a deep breath in and letting it out slowly I nod.
"Yeah, let me call my dad" I say.
I call my dad once more and lay everything out for him that has just happened with mom and I tell him that I really don't believe she will come. He sighs and then he assures me regardless of what mom decides to do he will be there and I am confident he will be… I wish I had the same confidence in my mother. I long for the mom I had when it all came out about Nathan, that mom moved heaven and earth to make things right and support me… admittedly she went too far and became over protective and over bearing but I also realise with a degree of surprise that I would sooner have that mom than the version I have right now.