-1Hey Guys,
Thank you again to everyone that has read and reviewed so far.
There is only a couple of chapters left in this chapter, so I'm hoping to wrap things up pretty soon.
Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter Thirteen
August 30th
"Have you any more witnesses to call, Mr. Steele?"
Jim stood up, adjust his tie, the heat settling across his shoulders with an uncomfortable touch. "No, Your Honour. The Prosecution rests."
"Very well." Bryce Holland made a note on the docket in front of him. "Ms Phelps, are you ready to call your first witness."
"We are, Your Honour. The Defence calls Dr. Tony Salvo."
Dr. Salvo walked to the stand as a low rumble of whispers filled the courtroom. Julie stood up as he was sworn in, silence falling swiftly, the room hushed with expectation. "Can you state your name for the record?"
"Dr. Anthony Salvo."
"How do you know the defendant, Dr. Salvo?"
"I've been the family physician for twenty five years."
"How often have you treated Joanna Rossi?"
Dr. Salvo frowned, the lines deepening around his eyes. "When I started treating the family, not that often. Recently, though, I've seen her more weeks than I haven't."
"Why is that?"
"Objection."
Sustained."
Julie thought for a second. "When was Joanna's last appointment?"
"July 25th."
"What did you prescribe?"
"Painkillers. I refilled her prescription for painkillers." Dr. Salvo sat back, his face haunted by the shadow of his memories. "She had a lot of impact injuries on her abdomen and stomach."
"What caused those injuries?"
"Objection! Calls for speculation."
"Sustained."
"In your professional opinion, Dr. Salvo, what caused those injuries?"
"I think she was suffering domestic abuse."
xxxXXXxx
"Can you state your name for the record?"
"Jason Joseph Rossi.." He swallowed nervously, moistening his lips with a glass of water, his eyes tracking her around the court room, his eyes large in his pale face.
Michelle Sinclair smiled reassuringly, trying to settle her own stomach, twisting with nerves, her mouth dry, hoarse. "How long were your parents married, Jason?"
Call him by name, Julie had said. Settle him down. Make the jury see him as a son, a friend, a brother, rather than as a suspect.
"About thirty years."
"Had their relationship changed recently?"
"Yeah."
"How so?"
"He started beating on her. More than he did before. It was getting worse. She…"
"Were you afraid for your mother's life?"
"Yes."
"Nothing further." She walked back to her table, sitting down next to Joanna Rossi as Jim rose to his feet.
"Did you buy an illegal weapon in a bar in Harlem?"
"Yes."
"Did your mother use that weapon to shoot your father?"
"Yes."
"Nothing further."
xxxXXXxxx
August 19th
It didn't seem right, spying on them like this. Eavesdropping while she tried to save her mother from having to go through a murder trial. It didn't seem right, but he couldn't drag himself away.
He watched her, watched her smile that practised smile the graceful sway in her hips as she reached out a hand towards him, her hand shaking as she fought to keep her control.
Her eyes were dead.
Jim caught her wrist, shaking his head, pushing her away. She snapped something back at him, her anger clearly visible in the set of her jaw, in the flash of her dark eyes.
He shook his head again, and she stormed out of the office, the door crashing against the wall.
His eyes followed her through the Bureau, followed her with the whispers and the rumours and the gossip.
xxxXXXxxx
August 30th
"Thank you, Ms. Rossi." Julie smiled at Jessica an turned away, still smiling as she looked at Jim. "Your witness."
Jessica moistened her lips with a glass of water, waiting. She tried to look at Jim, tried to see him as a prosecution lawyer, trying to forget everything they had shared.
It wasn't easy.
He wouldn't look at her as he walked across the courtroom, stopping in front of the jury. His voice when he spoke was carefully neutral, expressionless, as if he spoke to a stranger.
That was what they had become to each other. That was what this case had made them.
Something else her father had destroyed.
xxxXXXxxx
"The defence calls Joanna Rossi."
The murmurs that filled the court room were of expectation. They had come to see this, the widow on the stand. Had come to hear her try and explain her actions.
Julie smiled reassuringly at her, as she was sworn in, taking care to pitch her voice, just right, to make it warm and comforting. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Rossi."
"Good afternoon." Her voice rose as she spoke, twisted into a nervous squeak by the microphone. The murmurs rose again, half amused, half sympathetic.
"Order, order!" Bryce Holland banged his gavel hard against the bench, glaring like an angry school teacher around the room. "Order!"
Julie waited until silence fell again. "Can you tell us what happened on August 18th?"
xxxXXXxxx
August 18th
Her hand shook as she pulled open the drawer, throwing clothes over her shoulder, onto the floor behind her. A sudden wave of pain raced through her and she had to stop, pressing her hand against her side. She could feel the bruise there, forming like a living breathing thing beneath her fingers.
Breathing hard through her nose, she searched through the drawer, moving slower, carefully. Until she felts its hard black mass beneath her shaking fingertips.
She drew it out, wondering what she was doing, feeling it mould to the palm of her hand. He wouldn't hurt her again.
He'd kill her.
She stumbled down the stairs, every step sending a fresh wave of pain through her body, her head clouding.
"Joesph…"
"Joa…" He turned around, stopping when he saw what was in her hand, aimed at him. He backed away, raising his hands defensively. "What are you going to do with that?"
"I'm sorry, Joseph."
She pulled the trigger.
xxxXXXxxx
August 30th
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Rossi."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Steele." Her eyes followed his movement around the room, nervous and unsure. She licked dry lips, her voice shaking.
He made his voice as cold and hard as he could, pushing aside his doubts and emotions. "After you shot your husband, Mrs. Rossi, what did you do?"
"I…eh…"
"Did you phone the Police?"
"No."
"No. You didn't. You phoned your son and between the two of you, you concocted this plan to cover up what you did, didn't you?"
"Objection!" Julie sprang quickly to her feet, fighting through the sudden swell of her memories. "He's badgering the witness."
"Sustained. If you have a questions, Mr. Steele, ask it. Otherwise move along."
"If what happened was self defence, Mrs. Rossi, if you were truly frightened for your life, why did it take you so long to phone the Police?"
"I panicked. I didn't know what to do…"
"And you tried to cover it up…"
"Objection. Is there a question here, Your Honour?"
"Over ruled. The witness will answer."
"I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I was in shock, in pain." A single tear trickled down her cheek. "Jason was the only person I could think off to call."
"And you let your son take responsibility?"
"Yes."
"I have nothing more for this witness." Jim started to walk off then stopped, his eyes fixed on Jess' pale face, her eyes dark and haunted. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Rossi."
End of Chapter Thirteen
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