As the court was instructed to rise upon the judge's entry, Liz's heart seemed to beat a little faster. Her breath caught in her throat for a second, causing her to swallow nervously. She sucked in some air through her nostrils, trying to let it out peacefully but discreetly. The judge then instructed everyone in the room to be seated once again and proceeded to clarify where they were at and how they'd be starting off the day, but Liz paid little attention to that, already aware of what was to come as she tried to steel herself.
Sure enough, her brother Mark came up front, heading towards the witness stand. Her heart starting to race even faster, she turned and glanced back toward Mary Jane, who was seated almost directly behind her. Her best friend nodded affirmingly, making an in-and-out breathing motion with her lips. Liz followed suit before turning around just in time to see Mark sit down on the witness stand. Mary Jane had walked her through this moment, trying to get her to picture it so that she could prepare herself for the scenario. While it was safe to say that it helped more than she'd expected, it was still hard not to feel like her heart was already threatening to come apart all over again.
"Prosecutor," the judge spoke up, "I believe that when we were last convened, you were in the middle of questioning your witness. Do you wish to resume at this time?"
"We have no further questions at this time, your honor," the prosecutor replied.
"Very well," the judge said, turning to Matt and allowing him the floor. As her attorney rose from his seat, something about him seemed different to Liz. She couldn't exactly put a finger on what it was; even yesterday, he'd always seemed confident and determined, but now he also seemed more...purposeful? Whatever the case, she knew from talking with him earlier that he intended to grill her brother on things that may be sensitive to both her and Mark, and she'd agreed that he should do whatever he feels he needs to do to clear her name.
She just hoped she was ready for what that was.
Matt stood up, then paused as he contemplated exactly how to begin his line of questioning. After a moment, he spoke up.
"Mr. Allan, I understand that you were an excellent football player when you were younger."
The young man shrugged.
"I was alright?"
"Alright?" Matt questioned right back at him. "I believe when I looked you up, pardon the expression of course, it said something about how you were one of the most explosive, most athletic cornerbacks that your school had ever seen. You even set a university record for most interceptions as a freshman; certainly, sounds like nothing to sneeze at to me."
"Yeah, I guess you could say I was good," the young man said. Matt could hear his heartbeat picking up slightly already, which meant his plan was working.
"Someone like you surely would have been bound for the NFL, I would imagine," he continued. "So, I mean, what happened?"
"Your Honor, I object to this line of questioning," the prosecutor spoke up. "There is no relevance to the case here."
"Your Honor," Matt said, turning towards the judge's stand, "during the witness's initial testimony yesterday, it was established that it was during his college years that he first ran afoul of the law. The defense simply wishes to provide some context to this statement, as well as bring out some clarity on other matters."
The judge hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering what answer should be given.
"I'll allow it," he finally said. "The witness will answer the question."
Matt then turned back to the young man; he could hear Mark's heartbeat picking up just a little more.
"I suffered a career-ending injury during the opening game of my sophomore season," he explained. "I can do just about anything normal now, but my knee couldn't handle the quick cuts and lateral movement anymore."
"Ah," Matt replied. "I see. It's always such a shame when one loses a talent that they had for whatever reason. Still, I have to imagine a young man like you must have had other options, so how was it that you ended up running afoul of the law suddenly?"
"Like I said, I kind of got in with the wrong crowd," Mark said, some irritation escaping in his tone. "I made some mistakes because of it."
"I see," Matt replied. "This those mistakes ever involve, say, violence against others?"
Mark swallowed.
"Sometimes."
"I'd say a little more than sometimes," Matt insisted, "considering that even just two years ago you went to court for assaulting and threatening a Starbuck's employee who you claimed overcharged you."
"That case was dismissed," Mark defended.
"Yes... so it was," Matt said, taking a moment to straighten his glasses. "But it wasn't the only instance where someone brought a charge like this against you, was it?"
"Objection," the prosecutor said.
"That's fine; I've got some other questions anyway," Matt spoke up as he gestured his hand slightly over his shoulder towards the opposition. "Mr. Allan, growing up, how would you describe your relationship with your sister; that is, the defendant?"
"I mean, I guess we were as close as any siblings could be," Mark replied with a shrug.
"Were you two in touch a lot when she came to New York to start her business?" Matt asked.
"A little," he said, his tone shifting ever so slightly. "We were both very busy."
"Right, of course," Matt said; he hated the line of questioning he was going down, but it was necessary. "Still, I would think she would have made it to at least some of your games or at least been in touch about them. Was that the case?"
"Again, a little," Mark said. "I'm sure she did her best."
"I'm not saying she didn't," Matt insisted. "However, I can't help but notice that the timing of the end of your football career coincided with when your sister's business was really starting to get off the ground. Did that... I don't know, did that bother you at all, seeing her become successful while you were at your lowest?"
"Your honor..."
"Overruled," the judge quickly stated. "The witness will answer."
"No, of course not," Mark insisted. "I love my sister; I'm happy to see her succeed."
"Really?" Matt questioned, "because a spontaneous search of my client's phone found no supportive messages or anything from you; no 'congratulations,' no 'proud of yous' or anything like that. Also, you lead a very active social media account, and you show plenty of support to other businesses like the 'Lincoln Fitness', or 'Lincoln Tires & Oil,' but not so much as a like or a share of the 'Madeline's' page or posts?"
"It's a women's clothing store," Mark said dismissively. "I only follow things that I actively use."
"Is that right?" Matt questioned, "because you've also reposted stuff from the Lincoln Dynamic Youth Center, even though you're too old to be a part of it and there's no record of you volunteering your time there, nor anywhere else like it. I guess you just really like the name Lincoln, don't you?"
Mark swallowed, suddenly squirming a bit in his seat, becoming more visibly nervous.
"But let's not dwell on that," Matt said, taking a couple steps over towards the jury before turning towards Mark again. "What about your parents? Did they support you in the same way that they supported her?"
"Of course," Mark insisted, seemingly trying to put on a more confident look again. "We're very close; we still talk a lot."
"Really?" Matt questioned, "because phone records show a surprising lack of contact made between you and your parents over the last couple of years."
"Your Honor..."
"You know what I'm getting at, Mr. Prosecutor," Matt interrupted. "Mr. Allan, did your parents cut you off?"
"Your Honor!" the prosecutor shouted.
"Did they?" Matt continued, ignoring the opposition's resistance.
"Yes, okay!?" Mark finally answered, now getting visibly upset. "Yes, my family cut me off, because I'm the 'black sheep' of the family now or what not, because I let them down or whatever. Why do you think I turned to my sister for help in the first place? I couldn't go to them!"
"Is that really the reason?" Matt questioned, "or is it because you if you couldn't be met with success in your life, you had to bring her down with you?"
"Objection!" the prosecution shouted.
"I'll withdraw the question, Your Honor," Matt said. He then went back to his table, taking a paper from Karen before coming back up. "Besides, I think your social media accounts speak enough about the subject as it is. However, I obviously can't read them here today, so maybe you would like to do the honors?"
Matt then approached the stand, holding out the paper. It was a couple moments before Mark finally took it from his hand, and Matt could hear the young man's heart beating faster still than it had yet today.
"It's funny how the people who claim to love you are the first to turn their backs on you."
"Hmm, I wonder who that could be about?" Matt questioned. "Read another one for us, please."
"So, you can have success and I can't? We'll just see about that."
"Objection, Your Honor," the prosecutor said once again. "There's no way to know for sure if these are pertaining to family or not. They could be referring to his former team."
"Maybe not those two, but the last one leaves little to the imagination," Matt explained, turning back towards Mark. "Would you read that one for us, please?"
Mark hesitated once again, and Matt braced himself as well, already knowing how his client was likely to receive the last sentence.
"Big siblings never leave anything for the rest of us."
"Thank you," Matt said. "No further questions, Your Honor."
The trial proceeded onward, but Liz found herself lost in thought for the better part of what remained of the day. Had she really become so distant from Mark? Throughout Matt's questioning, it felt like she'd been introduced to a brand-new person she'd never met before. The social media posts were particularly disturbing; she and Mark even followed each other on most forums, or at least that had been the case last she'd thought. Had she really missed all those blatantly terrible posts calling her and the rest of their family out?
Eventually, the day was over, and Liz and Matt relocated back to a meeting room in the jail with M.J. and Peter both joining them. Though she still was struggling, Liz did the best she could to pay attention as her lawyer addressed the group.
"Well, the good news is that I think we've managed to create enough doubt that we have a real shot at proving Ms. Allan's innocence," he explained. "Unfortunately, we still have yet to ascertain enough physical evidence that backs our side up, and we still don't know how much is going on behind the scenes to turn that courtroom against us. Karen is looking into some leads, but there's nothing for certain as of now."
"Okay, so what are our options right now?" Mary Jane asked.
"If Ms. Allan is willing, she has the option to get on the stand and testify herself," Matt answered, turning to her. The suggestion caught her off guard.
"What good would that do, me trying to be my own witness?" Liz questioned.
"Never underestimate the power of being able to share your side of the story in court of law," Matt insisted. "Plus, if nothing else, it can help us buy time until we have something more substantial to present."
Liz then turned to M.J, meeting her best friend's gaze for a moment before looking away.
"Guys, can Liz and I have the room please?" Mary Jane requested. The men complied, quietly taking their leave. The two women's eyes met again, a brief silence for a moment happening between them.
"What are you thinking?" M.J. asked.
Liz shrugged, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
"What am I supposed to be thinking right now, Mary Jane?" she questioned. "I just found out that my brother has secretly hated me and the rest of our family for years now, that he's likely trying to help whoever's behind all of this... yet, I can't even hate him, because he's right."
"No, Liz..." M.J. started, but Liz quickly cut her off.
"It's true; once we really got Madeline's off the ground, I hardly ever reached out to him even though I meant to; we hardly spoke in general, I stopped paying much attention to his social media, I was just so concerned with our business and my life here in the city that I didn't even realize my family was falling apart!"
"Hey," M.J. spoke up, placing her hand over Liz's on the desk. "We'll figure it out."
"How?" Liz questioned, standing from her seat. "You heard Matt; we still need more, and where's that going to come from? But you know what, maybe I'm getting what I deserve..."
"No," Mary Jane asserted, coming right up to Liz. "You never believe that. Mark's choices are no one's fault except his own, you understand? You did nothing to deserve being in here, and we're going to prove that. We can deal with what happens afterward when it comes, but right now, you need to focus on yourself. I know it's easy for me to say that from my perspective, but it's how we must approach this. So, what do you want to do; do you want to get on that stand tomorrow?"
Liz glanced away, taking a moment to think.
"I don't know," she finally conceded. "I don't know much of anything anymore. I just want this nightmare to be over."
"I know," M.J. replied. "Me too."
The redhead then reached over, wrapping Liz in a hug, which the woman reciprocated, allowing the tears she didn't even realize she'd been holding back to slip out from her eyes. M.J.'s grip tightened, her best friend clearly doing the best she could to comfort her, and it worked at least a little. If nothing else, it was a reminder that, no matter what had happened, she still wasn't alone.
"I'll do it," she finally said. "I want to do it."
M.J. could only offer a light smile at first before nodding, seemingly as if she was proud of her.
"Okay, good."
As Hammerhead put his phone away, Tombstone eyed his expression, and it concerned him.
"What is it?" he questioned.
"That was one of our contacts from the media," his right-hand man replied. "They said your name was brought up in the courtroom today."
"How so?" Tombstone replied, folding his hands together and resting his chin on them.
"It was the name of several of your companies; apparently, they investigated the Allen boy's social media and found a bunch of 'likes' or whatever about them. The defense made a point to draw attention to the name as well. Our contact assured me that it will stay out of the coverage of it though, and I'll make sure the others do the same."
Tombstone said nothing at first, simply narrowing his eyes as he pondered his next move.
"What do you want to do, boss?" Hammerhead questioned. "You want me to take care of the Allan kid?"
"Not yet," he said. "If discovered, the loss of a witness would raise too much suspicion, especially after what you've just told me. Take a group of men though; take him to one of our more discreet locations. Keep him there until this is over... then we'll deal with him."
"Yes sir, boss," Hammerhead replied.
Detective Lee watched as Mark Allan got into a taxi, immediately heading out. Placing her hands on the steering wheel, she pulled out into the street, merging into the same lane he was in. The detective from the firm of the defense, Karen, was with her, sitting opposite her in the passenger seat. In the aftermath of the day's events, the two ladies had contacted each other and agreed that the younger Allan had to be their ticket to this Lincoln guy or whoever was behind all this.
So, they followed as discreetly as they could, staying far enough behind in the hopes of keeping a low profile... and in the hopes of finally unraveling this case.
Hope you're still enjoying it!
Continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." 1 John 4:16
