Chapter 4

Mr. Mason and Miss Sweeney stayed inside the courtroom. The secretary brought them some lunch from the restaurant nearby.

"How are you holding out Miss Sweeney? said Mr. Mason as he took a bite of his stew. She drank from her cup of iced tea and set the cup down on the table.

"I am doing fine Mr. Mason. I am worried about Jason Bolt. I glanced at him as Mr. Bailey asked me about 'a lover's tryst.' Jason looked as if he was going to jump over the railing and hit Mr. Bailey!" she said and then took a bite of her stew as well.

"Yes, that is what I was worried about. The prosecuting attorney is going to make you look like you have a soiled reputation and Jason, being who he is would defend you to the 'death' so to speak. Would it be better to have Jason elsewhere until this line of questioning is over?" Matilda looked at Mr. Mason and thought about it.

"I am not sure that it would be any better, but I do know that he would rather use words instead of fists to explain things." Matilda said. Mr. Mason looked at her. When he was finished, he said:

"Miss Sweeney, please stay inside and in the courtroom until I come back." She nodded yes and watched as he left the courtroom.

Jason and his brothers were in the hotel dining room with Mr. Smith.
"Jason, they are going to ask all sorts of questions like that of her!" Barnabas said. "They will be accusing her of consorting with the men and find everything they can to tear her reputation down including yours as well. Not only your reputation but Jeremy and Joshua's as well!"

Jason nodded and then asked:

"Well, what are we supposed to do, let them lie about Matilda? I know her, she is not what they are trying to make her out to be!" Jason said in between bites of a sandwich. Barnabas nodded and then said:

"The accusations are only going to get worse. They will say that she had relations with her previous cases as well. They will be getting very nasty. But Jason, you will need to hold it together for the sake of the lawsuit and your family name as well!" Barnabas said as he wiped his mouth with his handkerchief. Just then MR. Mason showed up.

"I would like to see all of you upstairs in your suite now. Barnabas, come with them please." Mr. Mason said as he left the dining room in the hotel. When everyone was upstairs and in the suite, Mr. Mason spoke with them.

"As you can guess, the newspapers are having a field day with your reputation. The Bolt Logging company will be in trouble if we do not win this case. Therefore, I have an idea that may help to calm your nerves, Mr. Bolt as well as keep Miss Sweeney's reputation from further damage and also the Bolt Logging Company will have a better reputation." Mr. Mason said.

Everyone filed back into the courtroom at 1:45 pm. No one wanted to be late. After all the papers' said this was "The Trial of The Century!"

Mr. Bailey was sorting his papers out and was ready to continue the examination of Miss Sweeney. Mr. Mason was ready as well. The Bailiff came in and said:

"All Rise! The honorable Judge Stone will take the Bench!" The judge took his place on the bench, the jury had already come in and were waiting to be seated. As soon as the judge sat, everyone sat also.

"Your honor, I would like to continue to question the witness, Miss Sweeney?" said Mr. Bailey, the judge indicated to do just that. She returned to the witness stand and sat down. She had already been sworn in so, Mr. Bailey continued his line of questioning:

"Miss Sweeney, you have been a detective for 20 years now? Aske Mr. Bailey.

"Yes." She answered.

"As a detective you have had to don many disguises and characters is that correct?"

"Yes."

"One disguise that you have had to implement is that of a 'mistress'? Is that correct?
"Yes."

"As a mistress, were you expected to participate in any untoward behavior not befitting a lady?"

"No"

"Are you sure?" Mr. Bailey said.

"Yes!" Matilda said.

"What about pretending to be Mrs. Benson? Did he not try to have his way with you?"
"Objection!" Mr. Mason said.

"Your honor, I am trying to establish this woman's reputation?" said Mr. Bailey.

"Will both attorney's approach the Bench" the judge asked.

"Now, it does not seem befitting whether the lady is a lady or a 'tramp' to drag her past deeds into court. We are not talking about her life; we are talking about the scam and perpetrators of the scam are we not?" asked the judge quietly.

"Your honor, it is not my intention to drag this 'woman's reputation but it is necessary for my clients that the jury understand that she is a woman of ill repute!" Mr. Bailey said. Mr. Mason looked at Mr. Bailey, he waited for the judge to say something.

"Mr. Bailey, it does not matter what her questionable background is, what matters is that she worked for the Pinkerton Agency, and I have a letter that was mailed to me several weeks ago by her supervisor who himself owns the agency and hired her back in 1848. Her reputation is not at stake here and you will no longer follow that line of questioning! Do you understand?"

Mr. Bailey looked at Mr. Mason, then at the judge who said:

"Objection sustained. If you have no further questions for Miss Sweeney she may step down from the bench!" The judge said.

The attorneys went back to their tables.
"Are there anymore witnesses to be called?" Judge Stone asked. Mr. Bailey said no, Mr. Mason said yes.
"I would like to call Mr. Jason Bolt to the stand!" said Mr. Mason as he stood at his table waiting for Jason to come to the witness stand.

"Mr. Bolt, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I do!"

"Please take your seat!"

"Now, Mr. Bolt, please state your name and occupation!"

"My name is Jason Bolt, I am a logger and I own the Bolt Logging Company with my two brothers, Joshua and Jeremy."

"Where is this logging company located?"
" In Seattle."

" Now, do you know these three men who are charged with criminal activity concerning the city of Seattle?"

"I have met them, but no, I do not know them."

"When did you first meet them?"

"I first met them when I returned to Seattle from a business trip."

"What was this business trip?"

"I was in Olympia when I met with a friend of mine, and she was working on a case and needed a cover!"

"Would that be Miss Sweeney?"
"Yes."

"Has she ever asked you for help on a case before?" Jason smiled remembering all the help she had given him many times.

"Yes."

"How many times? You do not have to describe each case, but I need to know how many times?"

"About 5 or 6 times" Jason said without smiling.

"Why did she ask you for help?"
"Well, she trusted me." Jason said.

"Thank you, Mr. Bolt, your witness Mr. Bailey." Mr. Mason said.

Mr. Bailey took his time walking up to the witness stand. He did not like that Mr. Mason had stepped in and stopped his questioning of Miss Sweeney, but he knew he could get Mr. Bolt riled up and to a point to show that he had a temper.

"Mr. Bolt, would you say that you and Miss Sweeney have an 'understanding'?" Mr. Bailey sneered at Jason. The jury did not see this, Jason saw it and chose to ignore that.

"I would say we don't have an understanding we are just friends!" Jason said.

"Just friends!" "Really, a woman and a man, just friends? I see, and when you first met her, were you not bringing women to be married over to Seattle. Marriageable women? Wasn't there a woman who was not 'marriageable' in your mail order 'harem'!" Jason looked at Mr. Bailey and was about to say something when instead of Mr. Mason or Barnabas shouting objection, Aaron Stemple stood up and said.

"Objections Your honor!" Everyone started to talk. The judge had to put the gavel down several times.

"Mr. Stemple you are out of order!" The judge said and waited for MR. Mason or Mr. Smith to say something.

"Your honor, I agree with Mr. Stemple, could he come to the stand?" asked Barnabas.

"Your honor, this is highly irregular!" said Mr. Bailey.

The judge looked at Mr. Bailey and again at Mr. Smith and said:
"Mr. Stemple, Mr. Mason, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Bailey, meet me in my chambers. Recess for 15 minutes!" The judge bange his gavel and left for his chambers.