Disclaimer: Not mine, yada
Allow me a brief rant, if you will.
Trying to salvage the Moira Queen trial is... hard. Even allowing for TV shows getting trials wong, the Moira Queen trial is a particularly bad example of nonsense. Prosecution isn't allowed to just spring evidence on the defendant like Donner would have done if Laurel hadn't told Moira about the evidence he had linking her and Merlyn ahead of time, and knowing that Donner had this, Moira and her attorney would have prepared for it, if they had to use it. Plus, the nature of the supposed evidence proving the affair - the timelines are so baffling. That's the affair that gave us Thea, but for the timelines to match up, in canon, it had to happen in April '94, but Merlyn should have been in Nanda Parbat. Which is why in this fic, as we saw a few chapters back, I moved Rebecca Merlyn's death forward (since she died in '93 in canon). But then, given the timing, during that brief window that
What sort of evidence did Donner have, that somehow proved the affair? If it was DNA proving that Thea was Merlyn's kid, then Laurel would have known that sooner, but it also would have come up in court (because whatever it was, she did present it). But given the context, it's really hard to see what else it would be? Phone records, maybe? But that's hardly conclusive. Hotel stays? More conclusive, but how do you get records that old? How does Donner think to look for them? Email transcripts maybe, but their affair doesn't seem like it was really that sort of thing. Basically, however you look at it, the whole thing makes no sense.
Like most of Arrow on closer examination.
As a result, I'm bending this all to suit my needs. It's not really great Standards and Practices for canon-divergence fic writing, buuut It's kinda the best option. In this version, Donner never had some sort of smoking-gun no doubts evidence, and he also doesn't have Laurel Lance to save his bacon after his Vertigo-shot. He does have evidence a good lawyer could present well, buuuut...
The Siege of Starling City
By Kylia
Chapter 6: Everything I Wish I Didn't Know
Most of the attention on Vertigo's early years focus on the two Counts, Cecil Adams and Werner Zytle, and the role both men played in the beginning of Superheroes, and especially the careers of the Arrow and the Black Canary. The more farsighted will note the way Vertigo's initial breakout inspired the music of Sam "Chainsaw" Katuri or the impact it had on helping actress Donna Porter to get clean. But few recognize the fact that had Adam Donovan not gotten dosed by so-called Vertigo Vaccine, then the odds are Moira Queen would have been found guilty or forced to take a plea deal. And had that happened, the post-Siege "Starling City Miracle" under Mayor Queen would almost certainly never have happened.
-Excerpt from "Vertigo: The Life And Times Of The World's Deadliest Drug" by Michelle Kurlansky. Published by Martins & Queen Publishing, 2158.
Starling City Courthouse, Starling City
November 20th, 2013
Laurel tried not to let regrets dominate her life, and she'd made her choice to turn away from the legal career for all sorts of good reasons. And she had liked her work for NOVA, and as tiresome and... sometimes futile as it felt, she was enjoying running the Queen Family Charitable Trust.
But sometimes... she really hated that she wasn't a lawyer. Like right now, watching Adam Donner deliver his opening statements, completely mischaracterizing Moira Queen, the entire nature of the Undertaking. The man was barely acknowledging Tempest was a thing!
And I know that the information we gave the police had the details on the other members of Tempest. And I also know SCPD arrested them and has them all under house arrest/protective custody pending their trials. That much wasn't exactly classified information, but it was closely held under wraps, kept as quiet as possible.
And yet, here Donner was, grandstanding and acting like Moira had been as much the mastermind of the scheme as Merlyn.
Laurel would have loved to be part of Moira's defense team, and wipe that smug little smirk behind the man's eyes as he delivered his statement, made his argument.
Though it's not like Jean isn't a good defense lawyer. Laurel had to admit. The woman knew her stuff, and realistically, there were very good reasons for Laurel - had she been a lawyer - to not actually take her boyfriend's mother on as a client.
Finally, both sides had delivered their arguments, and the case broke for the day, with first witness testimony tomorrow. And then stretching for however long it would. Donner seemed confident of victory.
And to be fair, there's a chance. Laurel hated that, but the judge had refused summary dismissal on the grounds of coercion months ago, so all Donner had to do was cast enough doubt, and a vengeful jury - because why not hold the trial in the same city because who ever heard of change of venue?
Laurel closed her eyes and forced herself to take a breath as Donner started to wind down. She knew full well exactly what had happened, in a way that no member of the jury, no member of the prosecution could. Too many people would think 'oh, I wouldn't prioritize my family over innocent lives', or they'd think 'Merlyn wouldn't kill his fellow rich people, he just wanted to kill the poor people'.
And because Merlyn had the wreckage of the Queen's Gambit destroyed...
Eventually, Jean finished with her opening statement, and court broke, the audience filing out, reporters once more demanding answers from Donner, from Jean, from Oliver and Thea, even her. With Diggle feeling under the weather, they didn't have his help cutting through the crowd, but Oliver did a pretty good job of his own.
"No comment," Laurel answered as a reporter thrust a microphone in her face. She saw Donner head down a side hallway - a split second decision later, and Laurel broke off from the group, not so much pushing through the crowd now as weaving through the gaps, trying to make sure Donner didn't get too far ahead of her.
And by sheer luck, she managed to get the hallway, to see Donner answering questions to a microphone and a camera, Susan Williams, from Channel 52 behind the microphone.
"...and what does the DA's office plan to do about the other three members of Tempest that were arrested?" Williams asked. "None of whom stepped forward to warn the public at all?"
Good question.
"Ms. Williams, you know I can't answer any questions like that."
"You don't need to. I know for a fact that their indictments haven't been scheduled, and that they're all citing coercion and fear for their families as why they didn't step forward. But at least Moira Queen did." Williams pressed, and Laurel recognized her tone as the 'I'm about to spring the big question' one, from her other interviews. "So my real question, Mr. Donner, is this: Why are you trying Mrs. Queen first, given that her announcement absolutely saved hundreds of lives?"
"Her announcement was a last minute expression of cold feet, or a guilty conscience, neither of which should spare the 318 people that died that day justice," Donner replied. To his credit, Donner was handling Williams better than his boss Kate Spencer had six months ago when WIlliams cornered her with some questions. "As for the claims of coercion, the DA's office is not convinced that Malcolm Merlyn represented any threat to Mrs. Queen or her family."
Laurel blinked as she heard that, almost seeing red. No threat? No threat? Thanks to Merlyn, she spent five years in hell. She sold herself to Ivo to survive, and then spent two and a half years in the League. Merlyn planted the bomb knowing it would kill Robert Queen, his best friend, and didn't let the knowledge that Oliver was on the yacht stop him either.
"Given that she had every reason to believe that Malcolm Merlyn killed not only her husband, but her son," Laurel said, closing the distance between herself and Donner quickly. Much as she hated wearing heels, she appreciated how the way they clicked on the marble floor added to the drama of her entrance, "why wouldn't she believe that he'd just as easily kill her. Especially after what happened with Frank Chen?"
Ddonner turned to face her, blinking a moment in surprise. "Miss Lance, as you can see, I'm a bit-"
"Oh, don't stop on my account," Williams offered with a grin, gesturing to her cameraman, who adjusted his angle so he could catch both Laurel and Donner.
"So, why are you so convinced Mrs. Queen wasn't being threatened?"
"She was quite friendly with a man she claims was terrified of. How many social engagements at Queen Manor was Merlyn invited too? There's video evidence of them being friendly at numerous public events." Donner countered. "Merlyn was a threat to the people of the Glades, not his friends."
"So... what, Malcolm Merlyn didn't plant a bomb on his best friend's yacht?" Laurel countered. "Because if that were true, that would mean I didn't spend five years stranded on an island in the north China sea. Which is great news for me, since that means I went to law school and passed the bar." Laurel leaned in, "Tell me Mr. Donner, is the DA's office hiring?"
Donner stepped back a bit, thrown off balance, though she could already see the wheels turning in his head.
"And you actually saw this bomb, Miss Lance?" Donner countered. "If you'd had any reason to believe that the sinking of the Queen's Gambit was sabotage, why didn't you or Mr. Queen say anything when you returned?" There was a smug look on his face, like some kid who'd just scored a seemingly inescapable checkmate.
"Have you ever been on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, during a storm, that just cracked in half?" Laurel countered, escaping the trap, though his point had been made. "I was a little busy."
"Unfortunate for Mrs. Queen then, because as it stands, all we have is her hearsay testimony that Malcolm Merlyn told her that he destroyed the yacht," Donner countered. "There's any number of other explanations - including her exploiting an accident to assist her claims of coercion."
Laurel didn't have much she could say to that directly, apart from laughing at the absurdity of it, but that wouldn't help at all. Instead, she changed tack. "You still didn't really answer Susan Williams's question - why start with Moira Queen?" She waved a hand dimissively, scoffing a little dramatically. "Wait, I already know. Tell me, Mr. Donner, have you already filed the 527 Organization paperwork to create the 'Adam Donner for Starling City DA Committee' for are you waiting until after the trial?"
"Excuse me?" Donner blinked, staring at her, the words coming out just a little hesitantly.
"That's what this is about. That's why you're so intent on railroading an innocent women as if she was the only person who had anything to do with the crime - the other members of Tempest didn't come up in your opening statement at all," Laurel pointed out. She looked directly at the camera:
"I'd invite all of your viewers to go over the information on Malcolm Merlyn's plans and organization that was opened to the public," Laurel even gave them a URL that would redirect to the overly complicated local government turned back to Donner. "But you don't care about any of that, because for you, the key thing is making a big splash, with a big conviction. All to set up your run for DA."
"I - my only interest is in getting justice for the 318 people who died thanks to Moira Queen's actions!" Donner countered, stammering at the start, apparently caught completely off guard.
"I'm sure it is, Mr. Donner. Have a lovely day." She turned, walking back down the hallway as Susan Williams started asking Donner questions, the ADA now completely off his game, more than a few verbal pauses as he tried to work his way through Williams's questions.
The Foundry, Starling City
November 22nd, 2013
"Somehow, I can't bring myself to give a shit about Donner being the one the Count decided to kidnap," Sara observed, as the Count's video ended.
"Sara!" Laurel turned to her.
"What? you don't like him either. I watched you eviscerate him on the news. And especially after what he did to Thea today!" She'd wanted to jump out of the stands and deck him for that. And she was stunned that the audience didn't start booing him for it, after seeing it made plain as day on the news what all this grandstanding was about.
"That doesn't mean he deserves to be kidnapped and dosed up with that trash," Oliver countered. "No one deserves that," He added, quieter. Sara followed his gaze as he looked over at Diggle, who had the blanket wrapped around him, the effects of his body needing Vertigo leaving him in cold sweats and worse.
"He doesn't, but I don't really care to shed a tear," Sara muttered. Her phone rang, and Sara pulled out. "Lance," She answered.
"Lance." It was Lt. Pike, "Where the hell are you?"
"I'm off for the day - or I was until that broadcast." Sara concluded. "Supporting my sister, and the Queens."
"Yeah, well, like you said, you were. It's all hands on deck, get back here, pronto," Pike snapped, hanging up on her. Sara glared at the phone and shook her head, "Somehow, I don't think we - that is, the police - will have a better chance of finding the Count than you do." She gestured to Felicity, Oliver and Laurel.
"I'm scrubbing the footage as fast as I can, as thoroughly as I can," Felicity said, a program scanning through the video frame by frame as she typed away at her computer.
"When you get to the precinct, figure out why now?" Diggle asked, voice shaking as much as he was. "The Count has been out since the Undertaking. No sign of him. Then this."
"Preparing for this?" Laurel suggested. "The Count's a showman. You remember what he was like when you pretended to be buying from him," Laurel gestured at Oliver, and Sara blinked, remembering her father mentioning that.
"Wait, so that's how you figured out where he was?!" Sara looked at Laurel. "You followed him home from the meeting!"
"Long enough to plant a tracker on his escape vehicle, yeah," Laurel nodded. "But the Count... he's all about the theatrics of it."
"He likes showing off, but he has to know this is unsustainable." Oliver countered. "Something this public - the FBI and DEA will come down on his head if the SCPD can't find him soon."
"It's a trap." Sara said, before she even realized the words were leaving her.
Oliver and Laurel both inhaled, catching her meaning right after she said it. "He wants revenge on the Black Canary," Laurel said after a long moment.
"One way or the other, he wants one or both of you to come after him." Sara nodded.
"Then we should spring it back on him," Oliver concluded. He turned back to Felicity, "Call as soon as you have something."
"You know I will," Felicity agreed, not looking away from the screen. "But no matter how fast I'm going, this could take a while. You may want to find another way to entertain yourselves in the meantime.
Private Conference Room, Starling City Courthouse, Starling City
November 15th, 2013
"Donner might have been rescued by our resident vigilantes," Jean explained, "But he's off the case until he recovers. Normally, I'd expect the prosecution to move for some sort of delay, but for some reason the DA is pressing ahead with this trial."
"Donner isn't the only one hoping to make this into political theater," Oliver's mom shook her head. "Spencer wants to strike when the iron is hot."
We might have rescued Donner, but that's about all we pulled off last night.
It had been a trap - that much they'd realized. Even if Sara hadn't said it, it would have been obvious at how unguarded every entrance to the old Records Building had been, including the mysteriously broken Skylight that opened into an empty part of the building.
And the Count had prepared well. All of his men had had earplugs, protecting them from Laurel's sonic device, and despite what they'd assumed, his production equipment hadn't been there - protecting it from being destroyed?
Donner had been there, the real bait, but alongside that bait had been a dozen men, all armed with state of the art assault weapons. And the Count himself, pontificating from behind several more of his people, unarmed.
Fighting a dozen heavily armed people without killing them was easier said than done. Oliver had had to move carefully the entire time he was in the courthouse, so no attention could be drawn to the injuries on his left side - two grazing shots, one on the side, one on the leg. Laurel had managed to avoid getting shot, but in the process had taken a nasty blow on the shoulder that had nearly dislocated her arm, among other smaller injuries.
But what had been most telling was something the Count had said while grandstanding.
'It's remarkable the number of people in this city who want you both dead. And even more interesting how much some of them paid me to see you dealt with.'
That people wanted the Arrow and Black Canary dead wasn't news. That someone was putting money behind that also wasn't news. The going rate on the Arrow's head was $1,500,000 and the Black Canary's bounty was $850,000, last they'd heard. The disparity wasn't entirely surprising, given the Black Canary's focus on the Glades, on lower-level crime, on street dealers and that sort of thing, and the Arrow had targeted white collar criminals a lot more. It was honestly a bit surprising that Laurel's bounty was so high.
But Laurel had pissed off people with resources, and from what they'd heard, China White was the chief sponsor of that high bounty. Which did make a lot of sense.
But for someone to pay the Count to lure them out? To give him the resources to take his product city-wide with the flu vaccine? All to try to kill the Arrow and Black Canary?
That - that didn't make much sense.
"That's probably what Spencer has in mind. But she's not taking over the case herself, at least." Jean agreed, jolting Oliver back to the now. "Either way, Moira, your best bet is still to testify."
"But -" Thea started, looking at their mom, then, "You said you didn't want to."
"I don't want to," Their mother agreed.
"But you have to," Thea looked down at her hands in her lap, voice lower. "Because of me."
"No, no-" Their mother reached out, touching Thea's shoulder. "None of this is your fault." She inhaled, "We're here because of what I did."
"What you were forced to do," Thea corrected, and their mother shook her head.
"I still choose to do what I did, and - if the jury finds me guilty because of it-" She shook her head. "It will never be your fault. Neither of you." She looked from Thea, to Oliver.
"Mom, if you go on the stand -" Oliver started. Laurel had explained why it was a risky play, to expose her to cross-examination. All it would take was a good - or at least, good at being misleading - question and a poorly worded or hesitant answer from her, and his mother could end up crucified by her own words.
"I know. Which is why I didn't want to do it." His mother nodded.
"But it is our best option. Your mother was a victim of Merlyn, terrorized by him for five years. The best way to get the jury to sympathize with her is to put her on the stand." Jean added. "And fortunately, we know what Donner's play is almost certainly going to be." At a nod from his mother, Jean went on, opening a folder. "He tried to bury it in all the documents he gave us, but..." Jean hesitated, trailing off.
"He's going to try to make it look like I was having an affair with Malcolm Merlyn," their mother provided.
"But you didn't." Thea looked up, insistent in word, in tone, back stiff, but Oliver could see a plea in her eyes, desperation. And fear that she had been lied to again. "I asked you about this. Oliver asked you about this, last year. And you swore there was nothing between you."
"And there wasn't," his mother assured her. "There was no affair. But... until he murdered your father, and tried to kill you," she looked at Oliver, "Malcolm was a man I considered a friend. He has letters we wrote, during periods when I was... upset with your father's unfaithfulness. Travel records - when I went to his villa in Corto Maltese at the same time he was there, nine years ago. More recent phone records. Evidence of Malcolm at social events at Queen Manor."
"Circumstantial evidence." Oliver dismissed, believing his mother when she said there was no affair.
"Exactly," Jean agreed. "Unfortunately, there's a real risk that the circumstantial evidence could convince a jury. And you two need to be prepared for the accusation." She spread the papers out, and Oliver looked them over. Photos, phone records, letters... Oliver's eyes passed over one sentence: 'I wish my husband was as devoted to me as you are to your wife's memory'.
In hindsight, probably not. But it was true - as far as Oliver knew, Merlyjn had never even so much as dated. No string of stepmothers or potential stepmothers. Tommy had always appreciated that from his father, at least.
Probably didn't want to let feelings of love, or moving on, distract him from his need to murder people to make himself feel better, Oliver considered, not caring that the spiteful thought was more than a bit petty.
The letters did have an affectionate tone, and a lot of detailed complaints about Robert Queen and his affairs. More than Oliver really wanted to hear. If they were in the hands of someone wanting to make a case that there was something going on...
"If the jury falls for this, they won't believe that Merlyn's threats were real." Jean concluded. "And if they think either of you believe it-"
"They might think it's true," Thea finished.
"Exactly," Jean nodded. She took a breath, "In a way, we may be fortunate that Donner is out of commission. The jury knows and trusts him, and he knows how to twist the facts to suit his case. Anyone else they replace him with will be a new face, and won't be as familiar with the case."
"I just wish he was still -" Thea started, then cut herself off, "I mean... I don't, but- after what he did when I testified..."
"No one deserves to be kidnapped like that," Oliver told her, and Thea nodded.
Starling City Police Department
November 15th, 2013
Even though they were all supposed to be working the Count, trying to figure out where he was hiding, where he was cooking his new product, every cop in the station had half an eye - at least - on the TV playing the Moira Queen trial.
"Mrs. Queen," the ADA replacing Donner - a new guy Sara didn't know named Victor Quinn - spoke, looking down at the papers on his table. "What was the nature of your relationship with Malcolm Merlyn before he started threatening your life?"
"We were friends, or at least I thought we were. My husband was his best friend, my son and his were inseparable."
"And you were quite close to him as well."
"I considered him a friend, yes."
Sara wondered where the ADA was going. He wasn't impressing Sara with his delivery, coming off a bit hesitant, nervous. Not a lot, but just a little. I hope the jury is picking up on that too.
"So much so you stayed at his villa in Corto Maltese, while he was there," The prosecutor said, lifting up a piece of paper, "Prosecution Exhibit 17-A. Flight records for both the defendant and Malcolm Merlyn, as well as Exhibit 17-B, the signed affidavits," he held up more papers, "Of three staff members at said villa testifying that the defendant stayed at the villa while in Corto Maltese." There were some whispers and murmurs among the crowd and jury, and Sara bit her lip, stiffening as she heard the same at the station, as more people looked fully at the screen, watching intently.
Is he about to-
"Objection!" Jean stood up, "Is there a question in all that?"
"Sustained," The judge nodded, sounding reluctant that he had to agree with Moira's lawyer on anything. "Ask a question, prosecution."
"Why were you there, at Malcolm Merlyn's villa?"
"Have you never visited a friend's home, Mr. Quinn?" Moira asked. "I'm aware that being a lawyer is a hard job, but I assumed you were allowed some social life." Despite everything, the tension thick in the courtroom - and the precinct - there were a few soft giggles and laughs from the audience.
"You traveled without your husband, and stayed for several weeks. That's more than just a 'visit'. That sounds more like an assignation."
"Are you insinuating-"
"I'm not insinuating, Mrs. Queen, I'm saying." Quinn managed the delivery with confidence. "I'm saying that you and Mr. Merlyn were having an affair."
"On a single trip?"
"On a trip, on your phone records, and on these letters." Quinn entered more things into evidence. "These letters - they're not something I'd write to a friend. Especially not someone who was also friends with my spouse." He started reading off excerpts, and Sara stiffened. They did sound pretty affectionate. Intimate, in places.
And I know that there was an affair. Thought it was longer than nine years ago, since Thea was the product of it.
I hope to god Tommy really did destroy all evidence of that video, that test... Sara inhaled, sharply. Thea did not need to find that out - but especially not in open court.
"All you have is evidence that I trusted Malcolm Merlyn with my secrets." Moira countered. "A trust he betrayed when he murdered my husband and nearly killed my son!" Somehow, Sara doubted that Moira raising her voice there was unplanned. She did know the other woman pretty well, and she was very good at controlling her emotional displays.
But it does look pretty authentic...
"Yes, I traveled to Malcolm's villa nine years ago, because my husband was having yet another affair, and I was unhappy about it, and wanted to get away from the house." Moira countered. Sara winced. Robert Queen had hidden his affairs well, and now it was getting revealed, his name dragged into the mud posthumously. Oliver and Thea don't deserve this either.
"I went to stay with a friend, someone who knew Robert, and who wasn't any happier with his infidelity than I was."
"Right. Because you wished your husband was as devoted to you as Merlyn was to his late wife." Quinn paraphrased, sneering. The Camera panned to the jury, and Sara was heartened to see several of them looking at Quinn like he was covered in slime, or bugs. But others were leaning forward, as if earnestly thinking he may have a point.
"If your goal is to make me seem like a fool for believing that Malcolm Merlyn was a good man, a good friend, then yes, I believed that once." Moira admitted, softly.
"And then he murdered your husband and - as you believed - your son, and started threatening the life of your daughter," Quinn's expression and tone were smug, like the cat that had eaten a canary. "At least, that's what you'd have us believe."
"It's the truth." Moira countered.
"Is it? Because it looks to me like you and Malcolm Merlyn were having an affair, you killed your husband together and then plotted to level the Glades in some elaborate real estate scam." The Camera panned to the audience, to Thea and Oliver. Oliver had a hand on Thea's shoulder, and Thea looked like she wanted to launch herself at Quinn. "You were never under any threat from him, and you only got cold feet at the last minute-"
Sara could almost hear Moira's control snap, like a taut rope being cut. "Are you accusing me of nearly murdering my own son!? I went through hell for five years thinking he was dead, and now you want to claim I had something to do with it?! What-" Her voice was raised, and she
"If Malcolm Merlyn was an ever-present threat in your life, why did you have him over at your house time and again for all sorts of social events? Your own daughter's birthday, for instance." More noises from the audience, low murmurs, gasps -
"Shut up asshole!" Someone in the audience shouted, more murmurs quickly in response, louder -
The judge banged his gavel, "Order in my courtroom! Bailiffs, get that man out of here!" For a moment, Sara worried it might have been Roy, but when the camera panned to the young man being dragged out of the courtroom by two bailiffs, she didn't recognize him.
Still, the man had been shouting at Quinn. And there hadn't been boos or attempts to shout him down.
He's losing the jury. She'd seen Donner's altercation with Laurel. Donner had more than once insinuated and suggested that the Queen's Gambit's sinking wasn't Merlyn's fault, but he'd never come out and accused Moira and Merlyn had done it deliberately to kill Robert - and Oliver. He wasn't that stupid.
"Mrs. Queen, answer Mr. Quinn's question," the Judge instructed, once everything quieted down again, a minute or so later.
Moira inhaled a moment, "Malcolm made it very clear that it was important to maintain appearances."
"Right." Quinn dropped the papers on the table again. "Let's move on. Last year, Malcolm Merlyn kidnapped your second husband. You've clailmed it was to ensure your co-operation, but if fear of reprisal against you or your family is what kept you quiet all these years, why wouldn't he have just killed Water Steele like he did Robert Queen?"
"He needed my cooperation, not just my silent complicity." Moira replied after a moment's silence.
"And he couldn't have gotten that just by threatening to kill Mr. Steele?" Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe he kidnapped Mr. Steele because he was a threat to your plan, and you persuaded him to spare Mr. Steele."
"Objection, this is unfounded speculation!" Jean cut in, and once more, the Judge sounded disgusted when he had to sustain it.
Yeah, let the whole world know which side you're on. Sara knew this judge was a detective's dream, given how often he sided with the prosecution, but...
When I arrest someone, I know they're fucking guilty.
"Was I having an affair with Malcolm Merlyn, or did I love Walter and intervene to save his life, Mr. Quinn? Pick, because it can't be both. I don't know what was going through his mind. What I can say is that he said we were getting close to the end, and he wanted to remind me what was at stake. I demanded proof of life, which he provided-"
"And then you continued right along, doing as he said."
"Because my husband, myself and my children were under threat. I was well past any point where I though any friendship I thought we once had would have saved my life." Moira inhaled, "Do you want me to say I should have spoken out anyway? That I should have taken the risk sooner? Yes, I probably should have, but I challenge any mother or father, any husband or wife, to so casually risk the lives of their loved ones given the circumstances!"
The audience was silent enough you could hear a pin drop, but the jury - some of them anyway - seemed thoughtful. Quinn looked them over, and the Camera caught his expression dropping, mouth twisting in a grimace.
"No further questions, your honor." Quinn dropped.
"Defense, would you like to redirect?" The judge asked Jean, who nodded, starting to stand up.
Quinn raised a hand, "I'm sorry your honor, but the prosecution requests a recess-"
"Granted. Half an hour." The Judge didn't even need Quinn to give some BS excuse and banged his gavel, and the TV went back to the newsroom.
Before Sara could hear what the talking heads were going to say about what they'd just scene, her desk phone rang.
"Detective Lance," She replied automatically.
"Hello Detective," Sara felt a chill down her spine as she heard the voice - and remembered the last time she'd heard it over the phone. "Miss me?"
"Vanch," Sara's hand tightened into a fist on her desk. She started to text Kelton, to get him to trace the call.
"So you do remember me. I'm touched," Vanch drawled. "I assume you've been watching the trial. How wholesome, to know that the Arrow's own mother is a killer. I guess it runs in the family."
Sara's blood chilled and her phone slipped from a nervless grip, right as her thumb had hovered over a send button.
No.
"That's right, Detective." Vanch chuckled. "It really wasn't that hard to put two and two together, when you and your sister's boyfriend showed up to rescue her. Tell me, does your father know when his daughter does at night, or is that just a secret between sisters?"
"Now, I sure hope you don't have the police tracing this call, because if any cop that isn't you gets within a hundred feet of me, you can be sure I'll be going to the presses."
"With what?" Sara demanded, her voice a low hiss.
"Well, I think we'll save the show and tell for later, don't you? Right now, I think it's time we had a chat. Just you and me. Someplace... private." Vanch's tone almost made it sound like he was trying to flirt with her, but Sara suspected it was probably just him getting off on being a creep.
"I don't think so." Sara countered. "You've got nothing."
"Do you really want to take that chance?" Vanch teased. If he's telling the truth...
But what could he have? Oliver and Laurel were careful. The only time there was anything other than circumstantial evidence at best was that video in the stairwell at the Unidac auction, and that was planned.
"Do I really want to take the chance you'll try the same thing you did last year, with a different sister?" Sara countered. "I'm not that stupid, Vanch."
"Oh, don't worry, I have nothing but respect for your mind, Detective. It's one of your two best features." Sara cringed at the way he said that, his tone making it clear what he thought her 'other' best feature was. I'm going to need a long shower after this.
"You can armed with whatever you like. I won't be carrying so much as a taser." Somehow, Sara actually believed him there, but there was no way he was being sincere. He was just that good of a liar. He's never played anything straight once in his life. "Trust me, I don't have any plans to kidnap you. Promise."
"Trusting you is something I'll never do."
"Well, the hard way it is, then." Vanch's playful tone didn't change at all. His voice lowered a bit more, as if he was leaning forward to share a secret. "Honestly, that way's more fun. I'll be in touch. But remember what I said - no cops, or you can say goodbye to your sister being a free woman."