“You and me both, sister,” I mutter, and suddenly all eyes are on me, including Everett’s.
He offers a quizzical look as if to ask if I was okay and I nod for him to proceed.
Everett leans in. “Would the deputy DA begin, please?”
Mr. Wolfe stands and meanders our way. He hoists up a large frame with a picture of a man with dark wavy hair and sets it on an easel. The man in the picture holds all the charm of the quintessential boy next door—the boy who follows all the rules. There’s a warmth in his smile that seems genuine. “Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defendant has been charged with the murder of Carter Cameron, a car salesman from right here in Ashford. There is not an argument of how or even who killed Carter this past August in his own home while in his kitchen looking to make dinner for the woman who would ultimately take his life. She’s right here in this courtroom. Allison Gray.” He takes a moment to point to the woman with the strawberry blonde hair, and she looks down at the table as if she were trying not to listen in on someone else’s private conversation. “Carter was well-loved and respected in the community, within his family. He was a good person who often gave his time and resources volunteering down at the Ashford County homeless shelter. He had a bright future in front of him. Carter loved Allison. He flaunted her proudly to his friends and family. There were even whispers of a proposal in the works. And how did she return his love and affection? By plunging a knife into his heart—repeatedly.”
My body flinches just hearing it. It looks as if the innocent librarian might just be a viper in disguise.
Flo grunts as she pops a bright pink bubble, her legs still swinging wildly. “She’s guilty.” She winks my way. “Ten bucks says he cheated. I’ve had a few exes who deserved a knife to the heart themselves. Let her go, Lot. She’s a hero to all of us.”
Back in high school, Bear made it a sport of cheating on me, and even though I wanted to murder him at the time, I would have never gone through with it. And boy, am I glad. I’d be rotting in a prison cell right now if I did. I would have never met Noah or Everett. And I wouldn’t have this precious sugar cookie kicking me every now and again as if aerobics were in session.
Mr. Wolfe wanders over and looks me in the eye. “Carter Cameron’s body, however, was not found in the kitchen. He was discovered by police to be in the living room, slumped over in his favorite chair with what the coroner will call defense wounds on his hands. Carter Cameron experienced a horrific death, and we will prove that the killer went to great lengths to stage the crime scene in order to hide evidence. Towels and blankets covered in blood were discovered in a dumpster just down the street from here. Just a few paces away from where Allison Gray worked at a local boutique. Furthermore, the police noticed something else that was odd at the scene of the crime. Someone had taken the time to clean up Carter Cameron’s body, and although he had experienced significant blood loss and had multiple stab wounds, there wasn’t but a nominal amount of blood on the chair he was sitting in, nor was there any on his body. When police questioned Allison where she was that night, she initially said she was at the movies. Indeed, she has a credit card receipt for a movie playing at that time. Just one ticket was purchased and she claimed she went alone, but security footage revealed she never showed up. Instead, she stabbed Carter multiple times in the chest and back, then proceeded to cover it up by alleging there were perpetrators at his home—that she herself saw them. Allison Gray told this story to officers but has since changed her tune. Now she states she was there, there were no perpetrators, that she alone did it. And she wants to tell you yet another story. I can tell you this. She did kill Carter Cameron, but it wasn’t in self-defense. There were no other perpetrators—only the schemes of her own imagination. The People are seeking the death penalty in this case.”
Death penalty?
I blow out a breath at the thought. This is serious. Why in the world would I want any part in this? How can I sentence someone to die and then give birth as if it were the most natural thing in the world?
Fiona Dagmeyer nods to Everett and then to Mr. Wolfe as they change places.
“Judge Baxter, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, there is no question of what happened to Carter Cameron that day back in August. He died indeed by the hand of Allison Gray. We will not contest that. But we will demonstrate to you why she felt that needed to happen. We will demonstrate to you that Allison was once in love with Carter as the prosecution claims, but that quickly dissipated when he started exhibiting violent behavior toward her. At first it was verbal, a biting comment that would knock her down here or there, then it quickly escalated to something physical. Allison was ashamed of what was happening, as are so many domestic violence victims. She wanted to hide this from her family and friends. She tried to break it off with Carter, but he wouldn’t have it. He hounded her at work, at her apartment. He threatened her very life. Last August, she had enough and decided to return a box of his things. He invited her in and told her he would accept the fact she was leaving him. Allison had hoped they had turned a corner, but what she got was another argument—one that led him to hunt her down with a knife. And when she was lucky enough to turn the tables, she was forced to defend herself. And yes, it cost Carter Cameron his life. But it was necessary to save Allison. We will show you evidence of the mental and physical abuse Allison was subjected to, and you will see that anyone would have done what she did that day in order to save their lives in that moment. She knew what he was capable of. And she knew she wanted to live. She didn’t have a choice.”
Flo makes a moaning sound through the clicks and pops of her bubblegum.
“The guy made her do it, Lot. I say this girl walks.”
I nod her way. Now that we’ve heard what Fiona has to say, it’s clear this is open and shut. She said they’ve got proof. The poor girl was probably scared out of her mind when she saw what she had done. Not that I would move a body after the fact.
Last night runs through my mind, and I quickly run it right back out.
That was different. The body essentially demanded to be moved in fear of a bad hair day.
Everett nods to Mr. Wolfe. “The prosecution may call its first witness.”
Mr. Wolfe stands. “The People call Carter Cameron’s boss, Riley Ellis.”
Riley Ellis, a tall bald man with a shiny gray suit, takes the stand and is quickly sworn in.
“Riley”—Mr. Wolfe starts—“please state how long you’ve known Carter and to what degree would you consider him a violent person?”
The bald man leans forward. “I’ve known Carter his whole life. We were best friends from the time we were four years old. And about three years ago he came to work for me at the car dealership I manage. Carter was easygoing, fun to be around, never had a cross word to say about anyone. He had a few serious relationships that all ended pretty well, in that they came away friends. We all had drinks at the bar. And nobody has ever accused him of doing anything like that woman has.” He glances to Allison Gray, and his eyes harden a moment. “It’s no wonder Carter was trying to get away from her as fast as he could.”
“Objection.” Fiona jumps to her feet. “Hearsay.”
“Sustained,” Everett says, and I won’t lie. Watching him in action like this is getting me a little hot under the collar. The baby gives a kick as if he or she were excited to see it, too.