Final Courtroom Testimony
Chapter 16
Heather Brantley pursed her lips as she worked to recover, after insisting that she had been in Mexico, not at the Starlite Motel.
Defense lawyer James Granick stood again, "Your Honor, the vice of this is now apparent. This is an attempt by Mr. Cutter to muddle the issues in this case. It is also a dastardly attack on this witness. She had already answered the court as to where she was on the night of the 19th of May. Now, if Mr. Cutter has evidence to refute her claim..."
Heather Brantley finally managed to pull herself together.
"No, that's fine," she gave an assured smile towards the jury box," I will answer Mr. Cutter's question again."
Granick had no choice but to sit down and hope for the best.
"So Ms. Brantley," Mike repeated, "did you go to the Starlite Motel of the evening of May 19th?"
She looked directly at Mike, her expression giving away nothing, "Certainly not, Mr. Cutter," she stated in a calm but frustrated tone, "I was with my husband! Your conversation with him that morning proved that I was with him! I can't believe you would even think of such a ridiculous claim!"
She is quite the actress. From the prosecution table, Connie worked at controlling her own emotions. Heather Brantley was obviously playing the victim.
"Well then, Ms. Brantley," Mike said, "If what you stated is true, can you explain how it was possible for you to journey throughout Mexico alongside a corpse?"
"What?" Heather's face turned red with anger as the gallery began murmuring.
"Objection!" Granick shot up.
"Thank you for your reaction of anger, not surprise, Mrs. Brantley," Mike said, "No further questions."
Mike went back to the prosecution table and sat as Connie exchanged an unreadable expression with him.
Granick was still on his feet, "Your Honor, I object to the theatrical statement made by the prosecution. It was inflammatory and prejudicial. And I object to the Court permitting any such statement in front of a jury! I charge counsel with misconduct of that remark, and I ask the Court to admonish the jury to disregard it!"
The Judge nodded as he turned to the slack-jawed jurors, "The jurors will not be influenced by any unsubstantiated remarks made by Mr. Cutter." He turned to Mike, "Just watch your step, Mr. Cutter or you may be stepping on a contempt charge." Then he looked towards the witness, "and you may leave the stand now, Ms. Brantley."
Heather Brantley bristled. She held her head up high as she left the witness seat and walked angrily past Mike and Connie.
"Are ready for your next witness, Mr. Cutter?" the Judge asked.
"Yes, Your Honor," Mike stood again, "The People call Bolt Jackman to the stand."
Bolt stood and walked up to the Bailiff. After being sworn in, he took a seat. Mike then went over and showed People's exhibit 12, a copy of the guest registry from the Starlite Motel, supposedly signed by Larry Jackson.
"Although Larry Carson's name appeared on the agreement, Mr. Jackman, we have a statement here by our handwriting expert that says this signature from the guest registry of the Starlite Motel on the night of May 19th matches your signature," Mike looked directly at Bolt who didn't even blink.
Granick stood, "Is there a question in that hypothetical statement?"
"Thank you for reminding me," Mike stated, as he turned back to the witness, "So Mr. Jackman, I have our handwriting expert in the gallery, (he gestured at graphologist Navjot Patel, who nodded back) ready to testify, however, you can save the court's time by just answering the question: Were you the one who signed this guest registry?"
Jackman was actually enjoying this, he had nothing to lose. After all, going to prison was his intention anyway. However, if the prosecution wanted to find the truth, they would have to work at it. He was not going to give them anything. His previous story was to protect Heather Brantley, but after he considered it, he thought, why?
So if Cutter had figured out the truth, Bolt would give him his due.
Mike had just finished asking him if he had been the one to sign the guest registry at the Starlite Motel.
"Yes," he said, amidst the murmuring sounds of the courtroom.
"So you were the one who had signed the guest registry and rented the car found at the Starlite Motel," Mike wanted to be sure he verified it.
"Yes."
"Thank you, Mr. Jackman," Mike felt relieved at the admission, "and now, I'd like to change directions slightly... I'd like to go back a ways to your past. Have you ever been to Yucatan?"
Jackman knew exactly where Cutter was headed and he smiled at Cutter's brilliance, "Yes."
"Were you there approximately two years ago?" Mike asked.
"Sounds about right."
"Larry Carson was also there about that time, as a reporter, doing a local color story on Yucatan. Did you ever meet him?"
Bolt didn't fidget, "There was a street party one night, and he was there and so was I, but no, we never spoke directly."
"So you were there when Larry Carson's body was found two years ago," Mike stated almost like a fact.
"Not at the exact moment of his demise," Bolt answered, "but yes, this was a small town and word spread quickly and I heard that he had collapsed in the center of town of a heart attack."
"And you were there shortly after?" Mike asked.
"Yes."
"Through researching, we have several pictures of him when he was alive," Mike said, "and every time I came across a picture of him, I couldn't help noticing how you are approximately the same built and coloring as him."
Bolt took a second look at the picture, "At certain angles, I suppose."
"In fact," Mike said, "being the mysterious man that you are, is it safe to assume that you when you saw his body, you managed to take his driver's license and you have used his identity many times after that?"
"I am a man without an identity," Jackman stated evenly, "and after his unfortunate passing, he had no use for his identity any longer, so I thought, what would it hurt?"
Low murmurings could be heard, causing the Judge to bang his gavel.
"Can I also assume that you were not alone when you were on that trip to Yucatan two years ago?" Mike asked.
From the gallery, Heather Brantley was vigorously shaking her head, but Jackman's eyes were cold when he spotted her.
"If you're asking if I was with Heather Brantley, the answer is yes," he admitted.
The time the gallery was silent as they all seemed to be leaning at the edge of their seat except for one. Heather Brantley shot up from her seat.
"That is a damn LIE!" she screamed as the Judge pounded his gavel.
"Another interruption like that, Ms. Brantley," warned the Judge, as he shook his gavel at her, "and you will be escorted out of here!" He then turned to Mike, "Proceed, please, Mr. Cutter."
Mike acknowledged.
"Why don't you, Mr. Jackman, tell us what happened at the Starlite Motel on the night of May 19th?" Mike asked.
Jackman cleared his throat, "Well, the night of the party, Edward and Heather had left the party early. Edward had gone back home and Heather rushed to meet me at the motel."
"And you two expected Edward to figure out what was going on, because you were the one who reported to him that his wife was having an affair at the Starlite Motel; is that correct, Mr. Jackman?" Mike asked.
"Yes."
"For the purpose of killing him?"
Bolt didn't blink, "No, I had planned to come clean with him about the affair."
"Please tell the court what had occurred that night, Mr. Jackman," Mike encouraged.
Jackman cleared his throat.
"The lights in the motel room were off at the time because me and Heather had been uh, resting, so when Edward burst into the room, I knew he did not recognize me, at least not yet." Jackman continued, "Still, he was like a madman, yelling and cussing. So I grabbed the flashlight I kept by the bedside and aimed the beam right in his eyes, blinding him. Then I threw a chair and launched an attack on him. I had it under control until that idiot pulled out his gun. I hadn't expected that. We struggled for control of it . The gun went off at close range, right at Edward's head."
The silence was deafening in the courtroom.
"And then what did you do?" Mike asked.
"After Heather and I talked some, I banged his body around so that his features would be unrecognizable, making it appear to be a hit-and-run accident," Bolt sounded emotionless, "Meanwhile, Heather planned to go back to the Brantley's going away party and then she would drop a rufee I had given her into Tim's drink."
"Please continue, Mr. Jackman," said Mike.
He shrugged, "Then Heather -Mrs. Brantley, that is- and I flew out to Mexico and a few days later I made the call to you, introducing myself as Edward Brantley."
"So it was you whom I had spoken to that morning, because Edward Brantley was already dead. Is that what you're saying, Mr. Jackman?" Mike knew the answer, but he wanted the jury to know.
Jackman nodded, " We knew you had never met him, so we knew you would not recognize his voice. "
"Quite clever of you," Mike said rhetorically.
He shrugged modestly, "That's my job. To think fast on my feet."
Connie sat at the prosecution table, nodding knowingly. She and Mike had finally figured out why Jackman had told them that ridiculous story about Edward Brantley killing Larry Carson. It had been done to protect Heather Brantley. With Bolt's story, at worst Heather might be found guilty of involuntary or negligent manslaughter. Either one would carry a lighter sentence than first degree murder or voluntary manslaughter, which is what she would be facing now.
But Bolt actually felt good about revealing everything. Patriarch Edison Brantley was right-they had picked the right prosecutor for the case.
"But, Mr. Jackman, " Mike inquired, "why frame Tim Brantley?"
"We knew he could never be convicted, " Jackman explained, "Edison Brantley would have used up every last dime to set his grandson free. Edison Brantley never gives up. He would have utilized all his money to save his grandson."
Mike was satisfied, "Thank you, Mr. Jackman." as Bolt stepped down.
"Your Honor, " Mike then addressed the Judge, "at this time, I would like to dismiss all charges against defendant Tim Brantley."
From the defense table, Tim Brantley buried his head in his hands in pure relief. When he lifted his head, his expression was of total elation. Meanwhile from the gallery, Katherine Scott's eyes were brimming with tears of happiness.
The Judge breathed freely at last, "Motion granted," he said as he turned towards the defendant, "Young man, you are free to go, along with our best wishes."
Everyone watched as Tim turned towards the gallery, Mike and Connie had previously explained to him Katherine's role in help setting him free. He met Katherine's shining eyes with a look of pure appreciation.
Judge Harper turned to his Bailiff, "Bailiff, arrest both Mr. Bolt Jackman and Mrs. Heather Brantley; their trials to be held at a later date."
It was over.
Mike felt exhausted as he headed towards the prosecution table, but his steps felt lighter the closer he got to Connie. From where she sat, Connie gave him an encouraging smile when he reached the table and he gratefully returned the gesture.
"Looks like all the complications just got very simple," Mike commented he sat next to her.
"It usually does for all the great, successful men of the world," Connie stated back to him, alluding to their previous conversation.
Then the sound of the pounding gavel could be heard for the last time as the case of the People vs. Timothy Brantley case finally came to an end.
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