The Whole Truth
By Ayesha Haqqiqa
“Just the kind of detail I love,” Lennie Briscoe quipped as he buckled on his flak jacket. “A drug bust in the middle of the night. Wonder how many will have weapons this time?”
“Neighbors report it’s a quiet place for a drug apartment,” Ed Green said in a low voice as he ascended the stairs. “But all in all, I’m glad we’re just back up on this raid.”
The two detectives followed Garrison and Conrad, the lead detectives. “Police, open the door!” Garrison shouted as the door was battered down. There were screams and then people started to run. Those who made it out of the apartment came right into the waiting arms of Green and Briscoe.
“Let’s go to the station, sweetie,” Lennie said as a very young woman came crying down the stairs.
“And that’s far enough for you,” Ed said, grabbing the leather jacket of a young man. “Hey, don’t I know you?”
“Yeah, I’m Kent Donovan, the actor,” the young man said. He looked at Ed appealingly. “If I give you my autograph, do you think you can let me slip out the side door?”
“Sorry, buddy, but I don’t watch many movies,” Green said, getting out the cuffs.
“And if you keep snorting nose candy, you won’t have any brains left to make movies,” Lennie added as he escorted the girl and the actor down the stairs. Halfway down, the girl suddenly collapsed in a heap. Lennie knelt beside her, and then got out his cell phone and punched in 911.
“So you’re saying the girl died of an overdose?” Anita Van Buren asked Lennie as the two detectives came into her office.
“Yep, that’s what the docs at the Emergency Room said.” Lennie sat down in a chair.
“Good. There’s enough publicity on this raid because of Kent Donovan,” Van Buren sighed. “We don’t want to mess anything up because of charges of police brutality.”
“No, it was bad coke,” Ed remarked as he sat down, too. “All the symptoms of cyanide poisoning. The lab is checking for it now.”
“If you can connect it with the coke found in the apartment, we can charge the dealer with murder,” Van Buren continued.
“That may prove to be a problem,” Lennie said. “Garrison said that the place looked like a snowstorm. There was white powder all over everywhere, and that doesn’t count what the occupants had on their persons.”
“Well, we’ll hope that the lab will be able to pinpoint the source of the contaminated coke,” Van Buren said. “If it is as widespread in that place as I think it was, being arrested probably saved several people’s lives.” She got up and started for the interrogation rooms. “Let’s drop this bit of information on Marvin Chesterfield. He’s the man who apparently ran the place. Maybe the thought of a murder rap will make him come clean about his suppliers.”
Marvin Chesterfield leaned back in the chair and looked at the detectives. “Like I said, I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ until my lawyer gets here.”
“Good idea, Marvin,” Lennie said as he circled the table. “I wouldn’t talk either, with a murder hanging over my head.”
“Murder? What murder? Everyone that was there was havin’ a good time,” Chesterfield objected.
“Except for one little girl who collapsed on the stairway,” Lennie continued. “She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Do you know who she was?”
“I ain’t never seen her before tonight.” Chesterfield said, folding his arms defensively. “You jivin’ me. Ain’t nobody died at my party.”
“No man, it’s true,” Ed Green now got in the dealer’s face. “Some bad coke, they say. Laced with cyanide. Which gives you a bigger kick, Marvin, getting kids hooked on snow or watching them die?”
Marvin stood up. “I don’t know what you talkin’ ‘bout,” he said. “I treat my guests well. Why would I kill them?”
“We don’t know, and we really don’t care,” Lennie said, coming over and shoving Chesterfield back into the chair. “What’s important is what a jury decides. And once forensics goes over your apartment and finds traces of cyanide there—“
“They won’t!” Marvin Chesterfield started to get up, but Lennie just leaned on him some more. Frustrated, the drug dealer turned his head and looked at him. “Look man, I may do some things you think is bad, but I don’t kill people. ‘Specially with poison. That’s nasty. But some of those people that were there, they brought their own to snort. I don’t know what’s on their agenda. It was one of them.”
“Oh, you think we should check everyone’s clothes for cyanide residue?” Ed asked sarcastically.
“Yes,” Chesterfield said. “Starting with me.” He pushed Lennie aside and stood up. Both detectives came close, but all the dealer did was strip off his jeans and tee shirt. “You check those for cyanide,” he said. “And while you’re at it, check the clothes of that dandy ass actor, Kent Donovan.”
“It is a thought,” Lennie said as he came out of the room bearing Chesterfield’s clothes. “You want me to run these down to forensics?”
“Yes,” Van Buren said. “But take him in a jumpsuit to put on first. We don’t want his lawyer coming in and seeing him sitting there like that.”
“I need to see you in my office,” Van Buren told Green and Briscoe some two hours later. They went in and she shut the door. “Forensics did a rush job on the clothing. Marvin Chesterfield’s were clean.”
“What, not even coke?” Ed asked.
“Oh, enough of that to make me believe his story,” Van Buren said. “What I meant was there was no trace of cyanide.”
“But—“ Lennie said. “Come on, LT, I know that look.”
Van Buren looked at him and nodded. “We’re still checking the clothing of the others, but it seems that the girl came in with Donovan, and wasn’t known by anyone else in the apartment. Have you got a name on her yet?”
“We’ve been checking missing persons, and a photo of the girl will be on the news tonight,” Ed replied. “Donovan says he met her on the way up to the apartment, and she gave her name as Crissy or something like that. He says he’d never seen her before then.”
“Oh fine,” Van Buren said. “She comes in out of nowhere to a party where she doesn’t know anybody and then dies. Maybe she was suicidal.”
“Cross suicide off your list,” Ed said. “The others at the party said she seemed to be having a good time, laughing and carrying on, mostly with Donovan. And forensics found no trace of cyanide powder in her pockets.”
“She looked like a clean-cut, wholesome girl,” Lennie put in. “The kind that came into the city for a little fun and got in over her head.”
“Call for missing persons reports from the suburbs,” Van Buren instructed. “Hopefully we’ll give the little girl a name soon.”
“Other than the fact she was poisoned by cyanide, she was in excellent health,” Dr. Oaster, Medical Examiner, said. “Extensive dental work—she’s using those clear braces.”
“We’ll interview dentists as a last resort,” Lennie said.
“She had no track marks on her arms, and no indication that she was a heavy drug user,” Dr. Oaster continued. “We did a hair test, and it indicates that the worst she ever did was smoke a little marijuana, and that not recently. Neatly groomed, good clothes—I think you’ll find out who she is fairly fast. Somebody out there is probably looking for her.”
Ed heard his cell phone beep and opened it up. “Yeah? Yeah. Thanks.” He turned to Lennie. “Mr. and Mrs. Billings came down from Westchester. They identified her from a photo. Her name was Crystal.”
“Crissy,” Lennie said.
“Yes, that’s our daughter,” Mrs. Billings said as she wiped tears away from her eyes. She was sitting beside her husband in Van Buren’s office. “We had just reported it to the police when they called and showed us the fax you sent with her picture on it. When can we go see her?”
“All in good time,” Van Buren assured her. “But we need to ask you some questions first. Was Crystal involved in drugs?”
“Drugs? No! That’s why we couldn’t believe it, when you told us where she was,” Mrs. Billings said.
“I believe it,” Mr. Billings said grimly. “If that Donovan fellow was there.”
“Why do you say that?” Van Buren asked.
“Because she was nuts over him. She’s seen all his movies, has his videos, and chats about him with her friends on the Internet. When she found out he was going to be appearing in an off-Broadway production, she begged us to let her come. She was ecstatic when she got the tickets.”
“Tickets?” Lennie asked.
“Yes, tickets,” Mrs. Billings said. “She went into the city with her friends Margie and Vikki. They are all juniors at Franklin High. When Crystal didn’t come home last night, I assumed she stayed over with one of them. But when I called Vikki’s house this morning, I found out what had happened….”
“Yeah, we all like Kent Donovan,” Vikki Schwartz said nervously as she sat perched on the edge of her chair.
“Sit up straight, Vikki!” her mother admonished her. “These detectives came all the way up here from New York, and you should pay them more respect! Do you realize if you’d stayed with Crystal this whole thing would never have happened?”
“Uh, let us do the questioning, Ma’am,” Lennie said gently. He looked at the girl, who was near tears. “So you got the tickets and saw the show. Where you all together until then?”
“Yeah,” Vikki gulped. “It’s not like we go to the city by ourselves every day. We knew to stick close together. We got off the train, ate a bite, and then went to the theater. After the performance, Crystal talked us into waiting at the stage door. I thought it would be nice to get Kent’s autograph, but while we were waiting…”
“Crystal went on and on about how she was sure that when Kent saw her he’d sweep her off her feet,” Margie Cohen said. The detectives wrote in their notebooks as Mr. and Mrs. Cohen looked on. Margie looked at her parents. “I know it was wrong, but we teased her about it, and it turned into a dare.” She looked at her living room floor. “We dared her to ask Kent to go out for a drink. We never thought she’d really do it, of course.” She looked up. “And then the door opened, and there he was. After we got our autographs, Crystal went up to him and – well, it was a come on, for sure. And he smiled at her, took her arm, and they left! We were dumbfounded! She turned and told us to go on home, she’d take a later train back. After some consideration, we decided that was all we could do.”
“And you didn’t tell us—or the Billings—about this?” Mr. Cohen sounded stern.
Margie shrugged. “What was there to tell? We assumed she’d be on a later train, and we didn’t want to get her in trouble. Besides, when she got home, we wanted to know all the details, and she wouldn’t be able to talk with us if she were grounded.”
“Now she can’t talk to anybody,” Lennie said.
“This is the kind of case that can get us a load of publicity,” Serena Sutherland said as she brought in the folders with the police reports.
“Which one?” Jack McCoy, tieless with rolled up shirtsleeves, was frowning at a motion.
“The Donovan case,” Serena replied. “The police have found evidence linking him to the girl who died in the drug apartment raid.”
“I remember that,” Jack said, holding his hand out for the folder. “Wasn’t the girl poisoned with cyanide? Did they find some on Donovan’s person?”
“No, but they have discovered that the girl met him at the stage entrance after his play was over for the night. On a dare, she offered to buy him a drink, and they were last seen walking down the alley, hand in hand.”
“Not the strongest case in the world,” Jack said, giving the papers a glance. “Donovan can argue she asked for it.”
“But what did she ask for? A date with death?”
Jack shook his head. “Link Donovan with the cyanide, and we may have something. Right now, he can plead to drug possession and, at most, reckless endangerment of a minor.”
“Do you know how many times this man has been up on a drug charge?” Serena asked him. “Four. Twice in California, once in Nevada, and once in Florida. So far, he’s been found guilty only once, and did easy time for nine months in a work camp near San Francisco.”
Jack frowned at the papers. “Don’t get me wrong, Serena, I don’t like to see someone like this walking away from a drug charge. It sends the wrong message to our young people. But the only way to fight the Kent Donovans and their lawyers is to make sure you have all the evidence you can find.” He read from one of the reports. “It says here that no one at the apartment had seen Miss Billings before. Find out from them what they did see happening between Donovan and Miss Billings at the party.”
“I was there because Marvin said Kent Donovan was going to hang out,” a tall, stately blonde told Serena. She picked at the gray jumpsuit and sighed. “You know, this is the pits. And my first arrest, too. Legal Aid says there’s nothing they can do, but that you might be able to cut me a deal if I cooperate.”
Serena smiled. “Just tell me what you saw.”
Jack was lying on the couch when Serena breezed in. She triumphantly plopped a thick folder on his chest as he looked at her in surprise.
“I talked to them all,” she said. “And they all agreed that Crystal Billings and Kent Donovan were acting very friendly toward each other all evening. Several of the women were disappointed, as they had come in hopes of keeping company with Donovan themselves.”
“Jealousy does tend to sharpen the eyesight,” Jack commented as he sat up and looked through the folder. He stopped at one paper, reading it through. Then he glanced at Serena, who looked smug. “This—Arlene Drake—says she saw Donovan take a packet of white powder out of his coat and give it to Crystal Billings?”
“Yes,” Serena said. “And two more pages down you’ll see that Mary Lacey remembers seeing Donovan go to the bathroom and flush something plastic down the toilet.”
“The packet,” Jack muttered.
“This was after the powder Donovan had given Billings was already in a nice line on a tray. When he came back, he showed her how to snort it.”
Jack smiled. “Get a date set with the grand jury. I think we’re ready to indict on Murder Two.”
“Mr. McCoy, these charges are ridiculous,” Jacob Willis said. He was the senior partner of Willis, Appleton, and McCord of Los Angeles, and his thousand-dollar suit showed that the firm was a prosperous one. “We’re willing to plead to simple possession, and that’s all. Kent was just one of many at that apartment that night.”
“But Kent was the only one Crystal Billings knew,” Jack said. “She came there with him. He knew the kind of place it was, he knew the potential hazards. That’s depraved indifference, at the least.” He glared at Kent Donovan, who sat smirking beside his lawyer.
“Mr. McCoy, let’s be reasonable.” Willis spread his hands. “Celebrities are people everyone knows. People remember them from movies or TV. So it is only natural that when this woman went to the apartment she’d gravitate towards a familiar face.”
“Oh, it was more than that,” Jack replied. “We have witnesses who will testify that your client walked away with the victim from the theater where he was appearing in a play.”
Willis shook his head. “You don’t understand celebrity,” he said. “People are always following Kent around. He can’t do much about it. Be rude, and it ruins his public image.”
“Oh, she was doing more than following him, according to our witnesses,” Serena put in meaningfully.
“What is a man to do when women throw themselves at him?” Donovan spoke for the first time. He smiled at Serena. “What I did was walk away with her for a little ways, that’s all. When I suggested my hotel, she got cold feet and ran away. The next time I saw her, she was at the party.” He turned to McCoy. “I didn’t take her there. She must have followed me. No one has ever held a celebrity accountable for the actions of his fans.”
“Your facts are incorrect,” Jack replied. “Celebrities have been held accountable in civil court for damages inflicted by their fans. And I think I can make you be held accountable for the death of Crystal Billings.”
“Then we have nothing more to say,” Jacob Willis got up and Donovan did, too. “We’ll see you in court.”
Jack and Serena were sitting in Nora’s office, filling her in on the progress of the Donovan case.
“Judge Rivera shot down all their pre-trial motions,” Jack said with satisfaction. “I thought Willis was going to have apoplexy when he was told that we could bring in Donovan’s earlier drug arrests as well as his convictions, to show a pattern in behavior.”
“That’s California lawyers for you,” Serena said. “They expect everyone to be star-struck by celebrities.”
“Well, Willis will find that I set a high standard for celebrity behavior,” Jack said. “They are role models for their fans and—thanks.” He took the blue backed form from the clerk and studied it for some time.
“What is it?” Nora finally asked.
“They are adding a new member to the defense team,” Jack said quietly. “A junior associate of the firm named Elizabeth McCoy.”
“That’s not—it can’t be—“ Nora began.
“It is,” Jack said solemnly. “My daughter.”
“A defense ploy,” Serena said. “They are trying to rattle you.”
“Maybe,” Jack said, running his hand on the back of his neck. “Serena, it might be a good idea to check the witnesses’ depositions again.”
Serena got up. “You could have just told me to go, “ she said, “and I would have understood.” She shut the door behind her.
Jack slumped in his chair. Nora went over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and smiled wanly.
“You have a son,” he said. “How well do you get along with him?”
“Fairly well,” Nora said. “He works for a law firm out in Oregon now, but up until two years ago he worked in the city. He’d come over once a month and we’d eat dinner, talking but not saying much, if you get my drift.”
Jack nodded absently. “A better relationship than I have with my daughter. Ever since her mother moved to the coast about twelve years ago, it has been difficult to be with Elizabeth. Money was tight for a while after the divorce, and I couldn’t afford to by a ticket for her to come see me. So it was long phone conversations once a week, then once a month, then once a year. I’ve seen her a total of maybe seven times since she moved—and once was her graduation from Stanford, which doesn’t count, because her mother and step-father were there.” He sighed. “The thing is, I don’t really know her—but I want to.” He looked at Nora and took her hand. “It’s comforting to know that when you talked with Dan at those dinners you didn’t say much. That’s what it has been with me and Elizabeth.” He looked at the paper again. “I hope she calls when she comes into town.”
“You think you can keep your relationship with your daughter separate from the case?” Nora asked.
Jack nodded. “I’m a professional. I just hope I get a chance to see Elizabeth and really talk with her.”
Jack got a call the next morning to go to Ryker’s Island to meet with Donovan and his attorney. He and Serena walked in to see the actor flanked by Willis and a tall, dark-haired beauty with piercing black eyes who looked straight at Jack McCoy.
“Miss Sutherland, may I introduce my colleague, Elizabeth McCoy,” Mr. Willis said. “I don’t believe Mr. McCoy needs an introduction.”
Jack nodded gravely at his daughter. “Elizabeth,” he said.
“Dad,” she replied.
He tried to read into the intensity of her gaze, but found himself bewildered. He sat down and spoke to Willis. “What do you want?” he asked.
“A plea bargain,” Elizabeth said, leaning over and looking at her father. “My client pleads to criminal possession of cocaine, with a sentencing recommendation.”
Jack’s brows went up. “I didn’t know it was Christmas in July,” he said. “What do we get in return?”
“Testimony against Marvin Chesterfield and his associates.” Elizabeth continued to stare intently at her father.
Jack met her gaze. “You mean on the murder?” he asked.
“No, on the drugs.”
Jack shook his head. “No deal. We have Chesterfield and the others sewed up on the drug charges.”
“And you have no proof that my client did anything other than attend the same party as the victim!” Elizabeth said vehemently.
“We have a good circumstantial case that a jury will buy,” Jack snapped.
Elizabeth shook her head. “People will feel sorry for my client and his celebrity. That’s what got him into this fix. He deserves the benefit of the doubt, and a second chance at rehab.”
“Mr. Donovan got himself into this fix, and celebrity has nothing to do with it,” Jack replied. And he’s been given plenty of chances; he’s used them up.”
Elizabeth’s stare was like ice. “Like someone else I know.”
“If this is a sample of what we’ve got ahead of us, I think we’re in for tough sledding on this case,” Serena said during the drive back to Hogan Place. Jack stared at the road in silence. “Your daughter is one tough cookie, Jack.”
He glanced at her. “Thanks for not adding ‘just like you’,” he said wanly. “It’s obvious we’re not going to get anywhere on a plea bargain. I want to make sure that the investigation is thorough, and that the evidence is iron-clad.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I will not let Donovan go with a slap on the wrist. It sends the wrong message to young people.” Especially Elizabeth, he thought to himself.
Lennie and Ed became tired of seeing Jack at the 2-7 every day. They especially disliked it when he pressed them to find more and more evidence. Serena felt the pressure, too, and came to dread going into the office in the morning. Word of this soon reached Nora’s ears, and she called Jack in for a conference.
“I just need to be caught up to speed on the Donovan case,” Nora said.
“The defense team has nearly exhausted their stockpile of pre-trial motions,” Jack said, pacing back and forth. “The trial is due to start in a week. Briscoe and Green have uncovered a lot on the drug connections of the people at the party, but I’m sure there were one or two people who slipped out during the raid. Serena is working on the depositions of the witnesses at the party, and it looks like—“
“It looks like you already have enough evidence to convince a jury,” Nora said. “Are you going on because you want to convince your daughter as well?”
Jack stopped in his tracks and stared at her. Slowly, he walked to a chair and sat down. He put his head in his hands and sat quietly for a moment. Nora, concerned, went over to him. He looked at her with eyes bright with tears.
“She hasn’t called, she hasn’t come by,” he sighed. “The only time I’ve talked with her is in conference with Willis and Serena. And her attitude—not just towards the case, but towards me—I’m bewildered, Nora. She seems to think I did something terrible to her, and, for the life of me, I don’t know what it was! I wasn’t there when I wanted to be—but does that rate such hostility?”
Nora laid a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I don’t know your daughter,” she said, “but I do know you. Don’t kick yourself about this. Perhaps she’ll talk with you after the trial is over, and you’ll be able to straighten everything out.”
The trial was as sensational as Serena predicted. The fireworks started the first day, when Jack put Crystal’s friends on the stand to tell what happened at the stage door.
“This is immaterial,” Willis said. “These witnesses only saw the two walk down the alley. They have no idea what happened after that. And Mr. McCoy has no witness who places the girl with Mr. Donovan until she arrived at the party after he was already there!”
“Chain of evidence, Your Honor,” Jack said.
“Circumstantial evidence, and stretching that,” Willis said, but Judge Rivera overruled the objection.
But the next witness helped strengthen the circumstantial evidence quite a bit.
“Yeah, that Donovan dude had a deal with me,” Rodney Chesterfield said. “He’d come by my party and get free cocaine. That was part of the deal.”
“And what exactly were the terms of the deal?” Jack asked.
Chesterfield leered at Donovan. “He would come, and bring people. New people. They would find out about the party and decide to come back next time they wanted a high. That was the deal.”
“Thank you,” Jack said. “Did you always supply Donovan drugs when he came to your parties?”
Chesterfield shook his head. “That was the deal, but it didn’t always go down that way. Sometimes, Donovan brought his own. That’s what happened that night. He had some in a little plastic bag. Monica told me about it—she’s one of my regulars. Anyway, she was complaining that he wasn’t willing to share, and that he’d said it was good stuff. So I watched him. He was using my stuff, until he laid out some lines with his own and got this little girl to snort. Then I sort of lost track of him, and the cops busted in, and—“
“Thank you, that will be all,” Jack said.
Mr. Willis stood up and glared at the drug dealer.
“Seems to me that you were the main beneficiary of this so-called ‘deal’,” he said.
“We both got what we wanted,” Chesterfield said.
“So you say,” Mr. Willis gave the jury a knowing look. “How many times have you been arrested for selling or possessing drugs?”
“I don’t know, man.” Chesterfield squirmed in his chair.
“Twenty three, according to the records,” Willis continued.
“But only one conviction, and that was for possession!” Chesterfield said.
Willis turned and looked at him. “And have you made a deal with the DA so that this is simple possession as well? No need to answer the question. I’m through with this witness.” He strode to his seat.
Jack was up immediately. “Redirect, Your Honor,” he said. He looked at Chesterfield. “Tell the jury about the deal you made with me,” he said.
Chesterfield looked at the jury with mournful eyes. “I plead guilty to criminal possession with intent to sell, and I get a sentencing recommendation from the DA. That’s all. Hey, I did the crime, I do the time. But I didn’t have nothing to do with the murder of that girl.”
“The defense admits that Mr. Donovan has a drug problem,” Willis said in his opening argument before the jury. “But we will prove that Crystal Billings was not innocent to drugs either, and that she went to the party with the intent of getting close to Mr. Donovan. Her partaking of tainted cocaine was merely an unfortunate accident. I call as my first witness Dr. William Blake, an expert in hair sample analysis.” Willis sat down and nodded to Elizabeth McCoy, who was to handle the examination.
“Please explain hair sample analysis to the jury, Doctor,” she began.
The expert looked at the jury. “It is a way of finding out what drugs have been inhaled or ingested into the body since the hair has been growing. We checked for substances such as arsenic, cocaine, and marijuana, among other drugs.”
“And what did you find?”
“The subject had used a moderate amount of marijuana some two or three months ago,” Dr. Blake said.
“And what does the literature distributed by the DEA say about marijuana?” Elizabeth asked.
“Objection!” Jack was on his feet. “The witness is not representing the DEA.”
“But he is an expert in his field and he reads the literature,” Elizabeth shot back.
“Objection overruled,” Judge Rivera said.
“And what does the literature say?” Elizabeth asked.
“That marijuana is a ‘gateway’ drug—its use can lead to experimentation with other drugs,” the doctor said.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth sat down.
Jack stood up and glared at the expert. “In your expert opinion, was Crystal Billings a heavy user of marijuana?”
“No,” Dr. Blake said. “From our findings, it seems to indicate she used it once, or perhaps twice, and that is all.”
“And what does the DEA literature say about the likelihood of a one-time user of marijuana going on to harder drugs?”
“Objection!” Elizabeth stood up.
Judge Rivera shrugged. “You let the evidence in, Miss McCoy.”
“That smoking pot leads to other drugs,” she countered.
Jack looked at her. “You know that’s not true—and you’re not the expert. Let’s hear from him.”
Dr. Blake shrugged. “There’s no literature on the likelihood of one-time marijuana use leading to harder drugs.”
Serena and Jack were walking down the steps when they heard someone racing after them. They turned and saw a very angry Elizabeth McCoy glaring at them. With a glance at Jack, Serena made her way down the steps so the McCoys could talk in private.
“Nice work, Dad, bringing up my pot smoking in high school,” Elizabeth glared at her father.
“I didn’t bring it up,” Jack said. “I was just commenting on your allegation.”
“Yeah, right, rub it in,” she said. “I should never have told you about that party.”
Jack put out his hand, but Elizabeth moved away. “Look,” he said softly, “you were sixteen, you were scared, and you didn’t know what to do. I told you to be up front with your mother, that she’d understand. And she did, didn’t she?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth conceded that much. “I stopped hanging around with that crowd, and everything worked out. But that gave you no right to bring it up in court today!”
“I didn’t,” Jack said, but Elizabeth just walked down the steps in a huff.
Elizabeth sat at the bar of the Hotel Reed, nursing a Scotch. She didn’t even glance at the person who sat down beside her until he asked, “ Want to talk about it?”
She turned and looked at her dad, who smiled at her sadly. “Is there anything to talk about?”
“You and me, and what happened to our relationship.” Jack summoned the bartender. “I need mineral water with a twist. You want a refresher on that drink?”
“No,” Elizabeth sat staring into her liquor. “Mom told me she’d heard you’d stopped drinking, but I didn’t believe her.”
“A long story, but its true,” Jack said. He got his drink and said, “There are booths in the back. Want to go there and talk?”
Elizabeth followed her father to the booth and sat down. “I don’t know that there’s much to talk about,” she said. She looked at Jack. “You asked what happened to our relationship. It crumbled. You lived too far away, you missed too many important events in my life.”
“It wasn’t because I wanted to,” Jack placed his hand on hers. “There were years I couldn’t afford the air fare out to LA. You know that.”
“Yeah, and I know you kept up the support payments until I was eighteen. Thanks so much.” Elizabeth downed her drink and made to go.
Jack held onto her hand. “You know I tried to be there for you,” he said. “Not just in money, but for you. I called you every month—“
“Yeah, that was nice,” she said, sitting back in the seat again. She looked at her dad. “Until you didn’t return my calls anymore. Don’t look shocked, and don’t deny it. What was it, five years ago now? I was breaking up with Paul, and I needed your help and you weren’t there for me. All I got were brief messages on my answering machine saying you’d call back, but you never did.” She looked at her father angrily. “You never did.”
“Five years ago…” Jack looked at his daughter in shock. “Elizabeth, was it in May? I- need to know.”
“May, and into June,” Elizabeth replied, her voice still hard.
Jack took a deep breath, and hung his head. “I can explain it, then,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you have to forgive me—and you probably won’t. There was this woman—Claire—well, we were involved. And she died in a car wreck on account of me. At least that is what I thought at the time. The last time we saw each other we fought, and … well, her death shook me up. No, it nearly killed me. I tried to hide in the bottle, and didn’t really come out of it until a year or two later, after I nearly lost my license to practice law. I was in such pain—I was only vaguely aware of what you were going through. I remember the few times we talked, how you told me about your fights, and him abusing you—I tried to help, offer advice, but my heart was in shreds and I couldn’t think straight. And when I came out of it, Paul was gone. I never asked what happened, and I apologize for it. I just—couldn’t handle more pain at that time.” He looked up at his daughter. “And I feel your pain, sweetheart, because I love you, even if I am a rotten father.” He hung his head again.
Elizabeth sat gazing at her father, and then took his hand in both of hers. “I didn’t know,” she said softly, then laughed. “The two McCoys, tough lawyers but not so tough human beings.” Jack looked at her with hope. She smiled at him.
“I was so proud when you told me you’d joined Willis’s law firm,” Jack said.
“The dozen roses you sent gave me a hint,” she said. “Funny, isn’t it? My first big case and I’m opposing you.”
“A true McCoy,” Jack said. “We sidestep personal issues and hide behind talk about our jobs.” He looked into her eyes. “Just make sure, sweetheart, that they aren’t just using you. And, even though you’re on the other side of the aisle, look for truth. That’s the only way we can operate in this world.”
“The McCoy credo,” she smiled. “Yeah, Dad, I know. As for this case…hey, you were ambitious once. And I do think Donovan was given a raw deal. But no more talk of the case, or we’ll be called before the Ethics Committee.”
“Then it means we have to face talking about ourselves,” Jack said. “What has been going on in your life since Paul?”
“A new boyfriend, a new house,” she replied. “Doug’s into contract law and is very supportive of me. He’s gotten me to go back to church, of all things. He says that God is very important in any relationship, and, you know, I’m beginning to agree with him. There are no immediate plans for a wedding, but we’ve bought a house together at Laguna Beach. Now, how about you?”
“Her name is Nora, and she’s my boss,” Jack said. “We are just good friends, and enjoy each other’s company. I hope you can meet her, once the trial is over.”
“I’d like that. I’d like that very much,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“The defense calls as its next witness Kent Donovan,” Mr. Willis said. Once Donovan was sworn, Willis got right down to business. “Mr. Donovan, tell us about the events that transpired on the night of May 12th after you had finished the performance of your play.”
Donovan looked appealingly at the jury. “It was nothing I was proud of,” he said. “I met some fans at the backstage door. One, who called herself Crissy, well, she threw herself at me. We walked down the alley together, away from her friends. I-well, I propositioned her. At first she said yes, and then she got cold feet. I made some remark about coming back when she grew up and left her. I drifted over to the party at Chesterfield’s, and the next thing I know, there she is. She sidles up to me and says “I’ve grown up now,” and I took it as an invitation to invite her to indulge. I laid out some lines of coke, and the next thing I know, the cops are there. We are being led downstairs when she collapses. That’s all I know.”
“Thank you,” Jacob Willis said.
Jack sat in his chair, looking at Kent Donovan thoughtfully. He got up slowly and said, “So, Mr. Donovan, you admit you propositioned the girl, leading her away from her friends.”
“It was her idea,” Donovan said defensively.
“And when she got cold feet, you chastised her, and then drifted over to the party at Mr. Chesterfield’s?”
“I wouldn’t say I chastised her,” Donovan said.
“Belittled her, then?” Jack said sharply. “Or perhaps challenged her to go against her better judgment and—“
“Objection!” Willis shouted.
“Sustained,” Judge Rivera said. “Tone it down, Mr. McCoy.”
“You said you drifted over to the party,” Jack said. “I’d like some clarification on that. Did you take a cab?”
“No.”
“The subway?”
“No.”
“How did you get to the party, Mr. Donovan?”
“I walked,” Donovan shifted nervously in his seat.
“Quickly?” Jack leaned over the witness box.
“No,” Donovan admitted. “Not quickly. But not really slow, either.”
“Would you say that your pace was such that someone could easily follow you if they wanted to?”
“Objection!” Willis shouted. “Witness is not an expert.”
“Overruled,” Judge Rivera. “The witness can tell what his intention was. And that I’d like to hear it.”
Donovan looked over at his lawyer, who shook his head. “I don’t really know,” he said.
“Did you look back to see if Crystal Billings was following you?” Jack asked.
“No,” Donovan said quickly. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Jack pounced. “Did you use other methods of ascertaining if you had a tail?”
“Uh, I’m not sure what you mean,” Donovan said nervously.
“Oh, come, Mr. Donovan. You’ve played detectives in movies. You know what a tail is. You also know that detectives routinely use objects such as windows or car mirrors to look for reflections of people who may be following them. They also vary their pace or make sudden changes in their route. Did you do any of those things?”
Donovan licked his lips.
“We’re waiting, Mr. Donovan,” Judge Rivera said.
Donovan appealed to Jack. “It was a joke, ok? Just a gag. Sure, I checked to see if she was following, and she was. I figured we’d go up to the party, I’d get her high, and then…well, I’m a sick man. I know that.”
“Yes, Mr. Donovan, you are,” Jack said. “Because you lured that girl to that apartment. You gave her cocaine, even though she had never had any before.”
“I didn’t know that!” Donovan blurted.
“Oh no?” McCoy raised his brows. “Then how was it you had to show her how to inhale it? Or were all our witnesses wrong about that?”
“I-I was sick, out of my head,” Donovan said. “When I get high, I don’t remember things. I thought because she was there, she was into snorting cocaine.”
“But remember, Mr. Donovan, she was only there because you lured her there. It was your words that incited her, and your actions that allowed her to follow you to that apartment. I call that depraved indifference at the least, don’t you?”
“Short recess, Your Honor?” Willis asked.
“Murder Two, twenty to life,” Jack said. “Take it as a gift.”
“That’s no gift,” Willis snorted. “Man One, five to fifteen. He didn’t know that the cocaine was poisoned.”
“Oh, so that makes it all right,” Serena said sarcastically. “Getting a kid hooked on cocaine is ok.”
“You know what will happen when this goes to a jury,” Jack said. “They will want to lock him up and throw away the key.”
“I don’t think—“ Willis began, but Elizabeth McCoy stopped him.
“Mr. Donovan,” she said, “with all due respect, I think you might wish to take this deal. If the DA will allow drug rehab in a medium security prison.” She looked at her father, who nodded. Willis looked on, and finally shrugged.
Donovan looked at his lawyers, and then at McCoy. “I’ll take the deal,” he said.
Jack smiled as he escorted his two favorite ladies into the dining room of the chic restaurant. He held the chair for Nora, and then for Elizabeth, then sat down himself.
“I’m so glad I got to meet you before you flew back to California,” Nora said, smiling at Elizabeth.
She sipped some water and said, “Well, I’m not so sure I’m going back, at least to work with Willis,” she said. “I – had a little talk with Jacob Willis after our meeting with Dad, and he said that he was disappointed. That I didn’t show ‘team spirit’. I asked him about finding out the truth. He said the truth had no place in defending a client, and I decided then and there that I needed to pull up stakes.” She looked at Jack. “I’ve had an offer from Crawfield and Bowers in Laguna Beach,” she said. “Doug’s firm is in the same office building.” She smiled. “Come and see me sometime? I think you’ll both like my new house.”
Nora looked at Jack, who raised his brows. “Just what have you been telling your daughter about us?” she asked.
“That we’re good friends,” Jack muttered, quickly taking a drink of water.
“And that’s what I want us to be from now on, Dad. Friends.” Elizabeth smiled as she took his hand.