Just Be True To Me

Chapter 11

Mia felt like a new woman after the trip. Refreshed and renewed, her focus had returned to its previous levels. Having spent the previous two days preparing, her confidence was at an all-time high.

The courtroom felt like her home once more. She purposely arrived an hour before the trial was supposed to start. After dropping her briefcase off at her table, she returned to the back of the room, reminding herself of how far she’d come. She compared her career to the progression of the rows, each one bringing her closer to her goal. She sat in one of the pews. Aside from the vantage point, the feel was different from sitting at the defense table. It wasn’t accompanied by the pressure that came with being a defender of people’s freedom, as her father affectionately called her.

“Thought I might find you here.” Milton sat next to her. “It’s always amazing how large a few feet seems.”

“We’ve gone from watching the action to being in the middle of it.”

“You’ve come a long way. I’m proud of you.”

She waited for the but.

“There’s nothing else. I’m just proud and I’ll be even more so after you win.” A smile appeared on the half of the face she could see. “You always liked being the underdog.”

“Meaning?”

“I think you dug this hole you’re in on purpose. Setting the stage for a major comeback.”

She couldn’t control her grin. “I’ll never tell.”

“You still underestimate me, Ms. Bishop. I already know.” He groaned as he eased himself back to his feet. “Oh, and about that picture…”

Her breath caught in her throat. Unable to look at him head on, she spied him out the corner of her eye. “What picture?”

“The one you took from my office.” He rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I was wrong. He’s a good guy. You did the right thing choosing to defend him. You know our motto.”

“Finish what you started,” they said together.

“That’s my girl. Get your mind right. Today’s a big day.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be in my usual spot if you need some inspiration.”

***

Mia hadn’t said a word for Rosario’s questioning. She spent most of the time constructing her rebuttal. She looked down at Clifford’s hand, watching his thumb as it traveled back and forth across her skin. Their renewed trust and establishment of their physical bond put her at ease. Worry didn’t exist in her. Neither did fear. She felt freer than she had since the beginning of the case.

“Your witness,” Rosario said. She held Mia’s eye until she reached her table.

She positioned herself so that everyone could see her. Mia could feel the anticipation beginning to build. She used the silence like a magic wand, calling everyone’s attention to her. She used it to entrance them, knowing the longer she remained quiet, the more of their focus she would hold. She wanted their minds to wander, for the longer they did so, the more possibilities they would have to consider. More reason to doubt would be the result.

“Ms. Bishop,” the judge said, “are you okay?”

Turning on her heels, she responded with a cheeky grin. “I’m more than okay, Your Honor. I’m spectacular. I’m in the best mood I’ve been in since I decided to take on this case because now I finally get to expose the prosecutors for the liars they are.”

Various people in the gallery shifted in their seats.

The man sitting in the witness box shifted in his seat. He patted the sweat from his forehead. He circled his thumb vigorously around his glasses lens, looking through them twice before he was satisfied with their cleanliness. He was one of Clifford’s most trusted CFOs, responsible for allocating funds to various projects that his companies were working on. His knowledge of the books were intricate, so much so that Clifford never questioned his methods, letting him work without any direction. Something he took advantage of.

“Mr. Ross, what is your official title?”

“Chief Financial Officer of Knight Development Enterprises.”

“You’re responsible for keeping track of the money regarding each project,” Mia asked.

“Correct. Among other things.”

“What other things?”

“I make sure each project is properly funded. I, along with Jacob Locke, are also in charge of the company’s bank accounts.”

She made her way to the stand, positioning herself so that he wasn’t able to see Rosario. “How would you describe my client, Mr. Knight’s, leadership style.”

“Hands off,” Ross said. “He puts a lot of trust in us. That’s the foundation of our relationship.” He made eye contact with Clifford. “I thank him for that as I don’t like being micro-managed.”

She asked if he’d ever broken, misused, or taken advantage of that trust, which he declined. She handed him a piece of paper. “Would you explain what I just handed you?”

He took a moment to read it, his face turning visibly red. “It’s a transaction. It looks like money was taken from one account and put into another. That’s not abnormal.”

“What is the account that received the funds?”

“A restaurant. The funds were added to fund an addition.”

“Objection,” Rosario said. “Relevance.”

“Sustained. Get to your point Ms. Bishop.”

“I’m getting there, You Honor.” She pointed to a highlighted portion on the paper, explaining to the audience that the information appeared twice, the only difference being the amount of the transaction. She asked him again if he’d ever taken advantage of Clifford’s trust.”

“No.”

“Ms. Rosario was correct in accusing Mr. Knight’s company of misappropriating funds, but per her usual tactics, she failed to suggest a culprit. You’ve heard Mr. Ross say twice that he hasn’t taken advantage of Mr. Knight. It seems that two is today’s number.” She slid handed another paper to him. “Mr. Ross, would you care to explain who Stephen Samply is?”

He cleaned his glasses once more. “I don’t know who that is.”

“You don’t know your dead great uncle?”

He stammered, going to wipe his glasses again.