Chapter 100
It was finally my tum. I was in the witness chair and we had just gone through the easy parts. We were entering into the questions that would sting. I stubbornly refused to look at Simon. If I did, I might just walk over to him and plant my fist in that smug face of his. I might have spent a little too much time around Hunter and Jason, I thought. I didn’t look at Hunter either, even though I was acutely aware he was in the room. I wanted to look at him, but my facade of resilience was thin and I was afraid that if I looked at him, I would devolve into a crying mess. Two days of almost nonstop crying was enough. I took a deep breath and focused on the questions the prosecutor was asking. Had I known about the illegal activities? Had I helped in the running of the business? Did I have a police record? These were questions I had answered so many times in our preparation meeting, it felt like using muscle memory to answer them. I knew what was coming and braced myself emotionally. How had my marriage with Simon been? Why did we divorce? Had I reported the abuse to the police? I did my best to not turn off my emotions when answering. The prosecutor and Seymour had explained that the jury needed to see how it hard affected me. If I turned my emotions off, they would see me as cold and it would be easier for the defence to make them believe I was in the wrong. But I hated it. I hated that I needed to put my hurt on display and show how weak and foolish I had been. But I suffered through it, only hearing a slight wobble in my voice to the more difficult questions. Overall, it wasn’t as hard as I had imagined
“Mr Steel, do you wish to cross examine?” the judge asked as the prosecutor had told her he had no further questions.
“I do, you honour,” the man next to Simon said. He looked to be about a decade older than me. He would have been plain looking if it wasn’t for his eyes. They showed intelligence, but I also saw something hard, almost cruel to them. He was dressed in a high end, steel grey, suit with a discreet dark grey tie.
“Miss Bishop, how long had you and my client been together when you decided to divorce him?” he asked,
ars.” I said. He nodded as he moved around the table he had been seated at
“A little over six years,”
“What kind of family situation did you have growing up?” Mr Steel asked. I took a deep breath and was about to answer when Tim stood up from his seat at the prosecutor’s table.
“Objection, your honour, relevance,” he said. I closed my mouth as I had been instructed to stop talking the moment an objection was called. The judge, an older man with grey hair in a ponytail, looked at Mr S
Steel.
“It goes to lay the foundation for my next questions, you honour. If you give me a little leeway, it will become clear why it’s important,” Mr Steel said. The judge frowned
“I will allow it for now. But get to the point sooner rather than later, Mr Steel,” he said,
“Yes, your honour. Do you need me to repeat the question Mr Bishop?” Mr Steel asked me
“No, I remember it. I lived with my mother and father up until I was six years old. They were killed in a car accident and after that I went into the foster care system,” I said.
“Were you ever adopted?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Objection, your honour, it calls for speculation, Miss Bishop is not qualified to answer that question,” Tim objected.
“Objection sustained,” the judge agreed.
“During your youth, did you ever get in trouble with the police?” Mr Steel continued.
“No”
“Never?”
“Objection, your honour, asked and answered,” Tim said,
“Objection sustained. Mr Steel, get to the point,” the judge said.
“Yes, your honour, Miss Bishop, was it you that suggested to my client he should contact a Mr Aksakov?”
“No,” I answered,
“Do you know Mr Aksakov?
Chapter 100
“I know of him, but i don’t personally know him.” I said. It was a fine line I was walking. I didn’t think I knew the Russian mobster, I had met him and talked to him. But I wouldn’t define it as Inming him.
“And what do you know about him?”
“Ime he is the head of a criminal organisation that Mr Hunters has had dealings with,” I said.
“And how do you know this it, as you stated, Mr Huntings didn’t talk about his business with you and you don’t know Mr. Aksakov?”
“I was told by Mr Gardner.”
“Mr Gardner as in Hunter Gardner, my client’s f
Ether?” Mr Steel asked.
“Why were you and my client’s father t
talking about a criminal?” I explained the circumstances of how I first met Hunter in as few words as possible.
“I see. And isn’t it so that you and Mr Gardner are now dating?” Mr Steel asked. I needed to swallow an extra time before answering. It surprised me how much I had to say no hurt,
“No,” I said.
“No?” he asked
“No,” I confirmed.
“Miss Bishop, may I remind you that you are under oath. Are you not dating Mr Gardner?”
“Objection, your honour, asked and answered and he is badgering the witness, Tim exclaimed. I was relieved for the objection. I had caught a glimpse of Hunter and he looked ready to run up and kill Mr Steel. Not that I would have minded it too much, but it would make a mess of the situation.
“Objection sustained. Mr Steel, do I need to remind you that Miss Bishop is not the one accused of a crime? the judge asked.
“No, your honour. I withdraw my question,” Mr Steel said, but I could see he wasn’t happy. Tim and Seymour had told me that I didn’t need to act strong all the time when I was on the witness stand, I hated the idea when they had told me to look frail, and I hated it now. But if this man would act like a jerk, then I had no problem in using it against him. “Miss Bishop, have you ever been in a relationship with Mr Gardner?”
“And when did this relationship end?”
“Objection, your honour, relevance, Timm interrupted. The judge looked at Mr Steel.
“I’m trying to show a pattern in your honour.”
“I’m running out of patience with this, Mr Steel, but I will allow it for now. Objection overruled.”
“Miss Bishop, when did your relationship with Mr Gardner end?
“Last week,” I answered, this time I didn’t control th
“And was the reason you broke up this trial?”
the tremor in my voice.
“Why did you break up?”
“Objection, your honour, relevance. I can’t see how Miss Bishop’s cument personal life is relevant to thin
to this case, Tim objected.
*Your honour. The witness was in a relationship with my client’s father. I think it’s relevant to determine if the relationship has anything to do with the accusations made against my client, Mr Steel argued.
“Mr Steel, I won’t allow you to harass a witness. But I can see it may be relevant due to the relationship between Mr Hunters and Mr Gardner, But tread lightly,” the judge told Mr Steel “Objection overruled, you may answer the question Miss Bishop” I nodded to the judge.
We didn’t want the same things going forward. I wanted a family, he did not,” I said.
“You have stated that my client abused you, did Mi Candnes abuse you?
No! Never,” I said, putting as much strength into the answer as
r answer as Lconki.
““Did you start the relationship with Mr Gandner in hopes of securing another rich husband?” Mi Steel asked.
“There was no financial motivation behind your relationship with him?”
ude you have a relationship w
“Then what your ex–husbands father?”
“Love.” I said and 1 let a single tear roll down my cheek as I looked down into my lap. Lrould play Mr Steel’s game.
“Love, Miss Babop?”
“Objection, your honour, asked and answered. I don’t see any connection to this case and he is upsetting the witness,” Tim said.
“Mr Steel, you are taking this too far. Objection sustained,” the judge said.
“Let’s switch topics. Miss Bishop, who was the owner of the business my clients now own during your marriage?” Mr Steel asked.
“And you still maintain that my client was the one controlling it?”
“Then why was it in your name?”
“I don’t know. Simon, Mr Hunters, told me it was for the best,” I answered. Mr Steel kept bombarding me with questions, Tim did his best to limit the harmful or hurtful ones. When the judge finally called it for the day, the defence had not finished their cross examination. I knew I would be right back in the witness stand the next morning. I felt like crying for real as I made my way out of the courthouse to catch the bus home.
“You did a good job today.” I turned around and gave Seymour a weak smille.
“Thank you. I don’t feel like I did,” I confessed.
“It’s okay, it always feels like that. But you gave good and relevant answers and don’t think I didn’t see your performance with that stray tear, I was watching the jury and they had a very strong reaction to it. Most of the men were angry and the women felt for you. You made the defence look like a bully.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you have any plans for tonight?”
“No. I think I’m going home and try to
to relax and prepare for tomorrow,” I told him..
“How about joining me and my wife for dinner?”
“That is so nice of you, Rain check? I think my cat is the only living person who should be around me today,” I asked…
“Sure. But at least let me drive you home,” he insisted.
“That would be lovely, thank you I had my suspicions that Hunter had sent Seymour. But he didn’t seem insincere, so I didn’t mind,
