CHAPTER SIXTY

Thank you for all the reviews from the last chapter! It did take me a while to write. The next court based chapter is chapter 62. Health update: I'm doing okay, not taking codine anymore, only paracetamol when needed which is about twice a day. Have managed 2 outings in the last 2 days, granted they were to refill the pantry and the freezer but after four days I was already starting to suffer cabin fever. Still have another 8 days till I'm back at work.

Returning to the hotel after the first day of the trial isn't as easy as it was during lunch. Apparently sometime in the afternoon session word had gotten out that the trial had been moved forwards. Because of the fact that one of the witnesses was from a very high powered family (Cam) it became news in the first place and once the full charges against Craig had become known it became a circus.

Stepping out onto the front steps Derek looks down and spots Joe in the Suburban at the curb, ushering us down the steps Charlotte stays at the top and my simple statement of 'No Comment.' Is repeated at least 15 times as we decent the stairs. Once Donna, Al, Cam and I are in the car Joe pulls away from the curb ignoring my startled squeak about leaving everyone else behind.

Joe shakes his head "Boss man said you girls needed a ride, the rest of them are big boys, they'll be fine."

I snort "Until they realise one of those 'boys' shares the same last name as me. Jax'll be mobbed."

Joe's phone goes off 10 minutes after we left the court room. "Sir." He says, hitting the speaker phone "I'm taking a very round-about route to the hotel."

"Good. The reporters descended on Charlotte like vultures on a carcass when the girls left. We'll need you tomorrow, all four trips."

"Certainly Sir." Joe says. "We're just pulling up in front of the hotel now; they'll be up to the floor shortly."

"Send them straight to my suite please Joe."

"Yes Sir." Joe disconnects the call as he pulls to the curb "You heard him, up to his suite."

I nod, leaning forwards in my seat "Sorry about this."

Joe laughs "Don't apologise, this is all part of the job. Besides, I get a couple of nights in a hotel in the middle of town as a bonus."

We all laugh as Cam throws the door open "See you at dinner?"

Joe shakes his head with a chuckle "No, I'm also enjoying the room service, the bath that could fit four people and the bed so soft it's like sleeping on a cloud."

Cam laughs while we get out of the car "Okay then."

Walking inside we go straight to the elevator and up to Derek's room where Trish is sitting on the end of the bed, Kenny and Ellie watching TV in the corner and Abel asleep in his borrowed crib at the end of the bed.

The kids look up hearing the door open Ellie running towards us "Mommy! We had so much fun. Trish took us to some store with a giant piano on the floor and brought us some toys."

Donna lifts her eyebrow at Trish who shrugs unapologetically "I took them to FAO Schwartz this afternoon. They each got two books and one toy. I didn't think it would be a problem."

Donna shrugs "It's okay, but no more toys."

Trish sighs dramatically "Okay. Tomorrow we're going to Central Park Zoo."

There's a knock at the door and Al who's leaning by the door opens it letting the guys in "We came the long way too. Charlotte's not far behind us."

Charlotte appears at the door with a frown, carrying in the trays of coffee she sets them on the bench "I figured a peace offering might help what I'm about to say."

"What?" I say as she hands me a cup, the Starbucks logo on the side something I haven't seen in a while.

"Johnson caught me just before I left the courthouse. He's added a witness for tomorrow."

I shrug "So?" Walking towards the bed I sit down on the edge and lean over Abel's crib, smiling at the soft plane that Trish brought him.

"It's Craig."

I'm not the only one whose head snaps in her direction. None of us say a word but I can read the expressions of shock on everyone's faces that knows there is no way on earth that Craig could be there tomorrow.

Charlotte says nothing, watching my expressions cycle through a range of things before settling on confusion.

"How?" It's the only word that I can find to say.

Charlotte shrugs "No idea, apparently he finally got hold of him today; he'd been hiding out in in some town in Connecticut. His excuse was that he didn't want to be lynched or attacked by any of Sarah's friends so he went out of state till the trial. Which he never found out was moved forwards."

I nod, my brain trying to work out what the fuck Craig's family, and his lawyer are playing at and how it's possible for a dead man to appear in a court room on the other side of the country to where he was last seen breathing.

Sharing a glance with Happy he shrugs one shoulder and gives me a look that plainly says he knows how much bullshit that statement is.

Charlotte sits down on one of the seats "I'm not really sure what Johnson's playing at anyway. His witnesses have done nothing to prove that Craig is innocent."

I shrug "I fully expect him to try and make me look like a delusional liar when he gets to question me."

"I expect so. I don't think he'll be as easy on you as he has been on everyone else." Charlotte says, getting back to her feet.

Nodding I take a sip of my drink as Charlotte opens the door, leaving the rest of the coffees on the table "Help yourself to those, top tray is lattes, bottom is flat whites. Didn't see you guys as low fat soy latte with extra foam drinking people. See you tomorrow at the courthouse."

She leaves the room and thankfully Donna manages to turn the conversation with Trish to the kids and how they behaved during the day. Jax, Opie, Happy and Juice gather in one corner talking in low tones till Jax looks over at me and jerks his head at me.

Stepping between him and Opie he rests his arm over my shoulders "Sarah babe, did Craig have any relatives that looked like him?"

I shake my head "Just one cousin who kinda did when they were kids but by the time they were adults there was a good 8 inches difference in height and Brad, the cousin, got into body mods."

"Body mods?"

I nod, grimacing slightly "Yeah. Tattoos and piercings I get and he had lots of those but he also had those ear stretching things, and he got horns implanted in his forehead."

"The fuck?" Opie says with a confused look.

"He had artificial horns implanted under the skin on his forehead."

"That's fucked up." Happy says with a chuckle.

"Yep."

"Thanks babe. We'll be done here soon." Jax says, kissing the side of my head.