Chapter Twenty-Eight
It was a morning for visitors. In his solitary Federal cell, Steve met his new attorney for the first time. They went over every detail of what had happened to Michael, from the very beginning (how he'd brought Jaime back from the dead and they'd slowly built a relationship together – and then a marriage), through the day he came so close to killing her, to the night he died. Steve was careful to leave nothing out, not even the unflattering parts; he knew his future depended on it.
The attorney took it all in (recording it for future reference) and nodded his understanding when Steve was done. "Mrs. Marchetti was in visible, imminent peril when you went back to find her," he summed up.
"Absolutely," Steve confirmed. "He had her by the throat – she couldn't breathe."
"And he was already seriously injured?"
"Yes. They both were. But somehow he got the upper hand...and he was killing her!"
The attorney nodded again. "How badly would you say he was already injured?"
"In other words, do I think what Jaime did could've killed him?" Steve clarified.
"Well, yes."
"I don't know. He was dazed – but completely enraged. He still had enough strength to – to do what he did."
"And you believe he was dead when you left him?"
"I know he was. His neck was bent at the wrong angle. I just slammed his head into the wall because my only thought was to get Jaime away from him."
"It wasn't your intention to kill him?"
"No," Steve insisted.
"But you did know at the time that – given your special capabilities – your actions were extremely likely to cause his death?"
"Yes, I suppose I did. But I wasn't thinking of that at the time."
"We have an excellent chance of beating this," the attorney affirmed. "As soon as the autopsy report is in, I'll file a Motion for Dismissal of all charges. For now, we just have to wait."
- - -
Jaime had cried herself to sleep and woke up still in tears. To Rudy's dismay, she had refused sedation...and her breakfast. Her distress only deepened when her visitor walked in. "Aw, don't cry...please," Jenn said softly, reaching out to embrace her. "We'll beat this."
"How?" Jaime whispered. "Steve and I....we...killed him."
"Did you have any other choice?" her friend asked reasonably. She took Jaime's chin in her palm and tilted her head so Jaime met her calm, unwavering gaze. "It'll be okay – we will all be okay."
"I'm so sorry I got Steve into this," Jaime pleaded. "It's all my fault."
"It was Michael's fault! Nobody else's!" Jenn told her firmly. "You are NOT to blame – for any of it! Do you hear me?" Jaime couldn't answer. "You need to hear that and believe it! Steve has a wonderful attorney. He'll be wanting to get a statement from you, but not until you see your own attorney. They told me the OSI will be sending one over this morning for you. You'll meet with him before you talk to anyone else." Jenn patted Jaime's hand and gave her a smile. "This will all work out....just wait and see."
- - -
Oscar was somber as he and Russ entered the FBI building and made their way to Trudeau's office. Frank and Jack Hansen looked up expectantly, then did a double-take when they saw that Oscar wasn't alone. "Mark Russell will be taking my place on the investigative team," Oscar announced simply. "You have one more confession to hear. Mine."
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