‘That’s a relief.’
‘Anna does have abandonment issues. She felt abandoned by you, her father, and her grandparents.’ Ellen frowned. ‘My work with her has been to help her not blame herself. It’s deleterious for her self-esteem.’
‘I feel terrible for her. It’s just so sad. How can I help her?’
‘I think it’s important for you and your husband to demonstrate that you are there for her. She will expect you to leave her, let her down, or disappoint her.’
‘I would never do that.’
‘You can earn her trust and love bit by bit, day by day. I’m optimistic.’
‘Me too.’ Maggie knew she could turn it around. She owed it to Anna. She would make it her mission.
‘So.’ Ellen checked her watch, then rose. ‘I’m afraid I’m late. Feel free to call me anytime. I told Anna the same thing.’
‘Don’t you want to say good-bye to her?’ Maggie stood up and got her purse. ‘We can swing by tomorrow morning before we fly home.’
‘No, we said our good-byes.’ Ellen’s eyes twinkled. ‘Your response is exactly the one we hoped for, now that the abuse allegations have been debunked. By the way, Anna has no recollection of any abuse by you.’
‘What does she remember?’ Maggie asked, her curiosity piqued. ‘Can a child even have memories from infancy?’
‘Not often, but her sense memories are happy ones, and her recollection is feeling loved and safe with you.’
‘How great!’ Maggie felt a warm rush of happiness.
‘Tell her to stay in touch. She’s a lovely girl, your daughter.’
Your daughter. Maggie hadn’t heard those words in such a long time. ‘So she had this planned?’
‘Not a plan, a dream.’
‘Of mine, too,’ Maggie said, thrilled.
Chapter Thirteen
Noah, After
TRIAL, DAY 4
‘Hi,’ Noah said, as Thomas entered the attorney’s conference room carrying a brown bag that filled the air with the aroma of French fries.
‘You’re about to have the best cheesesteak in the jurisdiction.’ Thomas set the bag on the table and unpacked Cokes, French fries, and cheesesteaks wrapped in greasy waxed paper.
‘Thanks.’ Noah slid his share over and unwrapped the warm sandwich with his free hand, since the other one was handcuffed to his stainless-steel chair, which was bolted to the floor, like the table. The attorneys’ conference room was a secured room near the courtroom, where they went for breaks or lunch, usually shorter than bullpen stays.
‘Where do you stand on the best cheesesteak in town?’ Thomas sat down and opened the cheesesteak, releasing a steamy cloud. ‘Pat’s v. Geno’s?’
‘I’m a Geno’s guy. You?’
‘Pat’s.’
‘Tourist.’
‘Wannabe.’
‘Can we still be friends?’
‘We never were friends.’ Thomas smiled, taking the tinfoil top off the French fries. ‘Also Jim’s Steaks on South is awesome.’
‘Agree.’
‘And Sammy’s in West Philly, where the white people never go.’
‘I never go,’ Noah said, and they laughed.
Thomas slid his phone from his pocket, placed it on the table, and took a massive bite of his cheesesteak, tilting his head to the side, the way Noah’s father used to. It brought back a warm feeling that Noah hadn’t had in years. Jonah Alderman had been a bricklayer, a stoic Pennsylvania Dutchman. The only time Noah had seen him cry was with happiness, the day Noah graduated from college.
‘So how do you think it’s going?’ Noah took a bite of his sandwich, which tasted delicious.
‘It’s going,’ Thomas answered, chewing away.
‘I want to testify.’
‘You’ll get killed up there.’ Thomas took another big bite, turning his head again.
‘I’m ready. We went over and over it. I’m good to go.’
‘I prepared you, but you’re not bulletproof. And she can’t wait for me to put you up there. She’ll eat you alive.’ Thomas squirted ketchup on the French fries.
‘But we don’t have anything else.’ Noah finished the first half of his cheesesteak, wolfing it down.
‘They have the burden of proving their case beyond a reasonable doubt, and I hurt their witnesses on cross. That’s the way we’re going to do it.’ Thomas picked up some French fries.
‘But we need witnesses.’
‘No, we don’t, I told you. I’ve won on the burden plenty of times. I always say it, “bank on the burden.” I tell my associates, “bank on the burden.” My secretary even put it in a needlepoint pillow.’ Thomas chewed away. ‘It’s not like on TV, Noah. Most defendants don’t have witnesses unless they’re alibi witnesses. And there are very few character witnesses, which are never effective. Juries discount them. Every time I see them on the witness list, I think, that’s not a witness list, it’s a witless list.’
‘Lawyer humor.’
‘Hey, it’s all I got.’
‘So put me up. We’ve rehearsed it.’
Thomas cringed. ‘We didn’t rehearse. We prepared.’
‘What’s the difference? Rehearsed, prepared? Coached, studied –’
‘Never say coach. I didn’t coach you. I prepared you.’
‘Whatever.’ Noah straightened as much as he could with one hand cuffed to the chair. ‘I’m going to testify on my own behalf. I’m good to go.’
‘We’ve been over this.’
‘But we never resolved it. Now, we have to. I’m going up there. You take me through the direct examination we prepared, then I can deal with Linda on cross.’
Thomas shook his head, exhaling a heavy sigh that expanded his broad chest. ‘What’s your blood type?’
‘B negative. Why?’
‘Write it on your boots. You’re gonna need a transfusion.’ Thomas’s phone pinged with a text alert, and he swiped the screen. ‘Oh, yes! We caught a break. Isn’t this your wife? My paralegal spotted her.’
‘Where?’ Noah leaned over, and Thomas passed the phone across the table. On the screen was a photo of Maggie, sitting in the driver’s seat of her car, her head turned away like she was on the phone.
‘She’s in the garage across the street, right now.’ Thomas shifted forward, urgent. ‘Noah, I should put her on the stand. She’s already on our witness list. She’s already been served with a subpoena. She can’t be forced to testify against you, but she can for you.’
‘No,’ Noah answered, firmly. ‘She wouldn’t be a good witness for us anyway. She hates me now.’
‘I can make her into a good witness for us. I could get her to say that she isn’t totally sure you did it. I could get her to say what a great guy you are, a good husband and father. She thought that once, and I know I could get her to say it. That would be a home run!’
‘You just said they discount character witnesses. She’s my wife.’
‘But she’s also the mother. All the difference in the world. If she said she didn’t think you did it, you could walk out of here a free man. Noah, please!’
‘But Linda would get to cross-examine her, right?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then the answer is no.’ Noah felt his gut clench. ‘You’re worried about how I’m going to handle the cross-examination, how do you think she’s going to handle it? Anna was her daughter, Thomas. She loved her. And she loved me.’ He looked down at the photo of Maggie with a pang. He’d been inside that car so many times. She called it her office on wheels. She kept everything in the side doors, gum, napkins, perfume, and moisturizer. He’d even caught her putting Cetaphil lotion on her legs at a stoplight. They’d laughed and laughed. It hurt to see her, even in the photo. ‘What’s she doing?’
‘Who knows?’ Thomas glanced at the wall clock. ‘Dennis is waiting to hear from me. He can escort her over. We can even send over a deputy if need be.’
Noah looked up, recoiling. ‘You’re out of your mind if you think I’d let you –’
‘Maybe she wants to testify, you never know.’ Thomas threw up his hands in frustration. ‘She’s here, isn’t she?’