Chapter One Hundred-Eighty-Five
Point of View: Nick
When the courtroom doors slammed shut behind Kevin, I turned to face forward again. My heart was swelled up inside my chest, barely able to be contained in there. I was all choked up, and so glad that Kevin had put his neck on the line to stand up for me. I really hoped he didn't get in trouble for it. I gripped the edge of the desk in front of me.
Kevin was right.
These people knew nothing about what happened or what I'd been through or what I'd done or seen or anything about Krystal at all. Even her own sibling had no idea about her. I imagined if we were in opposite positions - if I'd died and Krystal was sitting here in front of one of my siblings. Would BJ, Leslie, Angel or Aaron be able to testify without falsities slipping into their stories? Would they know anything about me or Krystal to be able to make knowledgeable judgments?
Probably not.
I glanced over at Dirk, but he was looking discreetly at his cell phone, which he was holding in front of him, inside his briefcase, where it was tucked away from Judge Heath's line of vision. He's probably texting Kevin, I thought.
Walters continued on with his examination of Amelia, but the bullshit she was talking wasn't penetrating through my exterior like it had been. Amelia's words couldn't change me, couldn't make me a different person. If I ended up in jail because of them, it didn't make them true. I knew that. And Kevin knew that.
When Dirk got up to cross-examine, I waited, praying he would set the record straight. But Dirk threw a curve ball.
He stepped casually up to the witness stand and stared at Amelia for a long moment. He took a deep breath. "How long have you known Leon DeLaurentis?" he asked.
Kayla's gasp was loud enough that it filled the courtroom. I blinked in surprise. What?
Amelia apparently had this same question echoing in her head because she stared at Dirk for a long moment. "Why does that matter?" she demanded.
"Well, it's a legitimate question. Desi Hernandez, your sister's boyfriend, was room mates with a man named Leonardo DeLaurentis, more commonly known to his friends and family as Leon..." Dirk shrugged, "I'm just asking you, how long have you known him?"
Amelia stared at him. "A while," she answered vaguely.
"Before or after he started dating Kayla Martin?" Dirk demanded.
Amelia hesitated. "Before..." she answered. She shook her head, "This is ridiculous."
"And how did you know that Zoe Sinclaire was going to be working with Nick Carter?"
I felt like my head might explode...
Amelia shook her head rapidly, "I- I didn't... I--"
"Don't you work with Stacey Newman?"
Amelia's eyes were darting every which way.
"Objection," Walters cried, standing up, "How the hell is this relevant?" he demanded.
Dirk turned around. "Stacey Newman is employed by the rehabilitation center that Nick attended," he explained, "Miss. Newman placed Nick with Zoe Sinclaire for the rehabilitated driving lessons. You see, there's been a strange connection between Nick and Leon DeLaurentis that, prior to this afternoon, nobody could quite piece together. Leon dated Kayla, who is Zoe's niece, who is Nick's driver's instructor, who dated Krystal, who dated Desi, who was Leon's roommate. Now isn't that a coincidence? Now check this out: Stacey Newman placed Zoe with Nick, and she works with Amelia, who was friends with Leon." Dirk turned to Judge Heath. "That is how this is relevant, your honor."
I blinked between Dirk and Amelia. What the hell is happening right now? I wondered wildly.
Amelia glowered.
"Overruled," Heath said simply to Walters.
Dirk turned back to Amelia, "Now my question to you is this: what's in it for you? What's the motive for you setting this all up?" he eyed her.
Why the shit would she want to make that connection? I wondered, my mind racing.
Amelia rolled her eyes with a dramatic flare, "Oh please. It's a coincidence," she said as flippantly as possible.
Dirk smiled, "Shall I find a mathematician to come in and prove how ridiculously coincidental that would, in fact, be?"
Amelia shifted her weight uncomfortably.
I glanced back over my shoulder at Zoe and Kayla. Kayla's face was blank. Zoe had her arms around her shoulders in a reassuring manner.
"So what's the story, Amelia?" Dirk pressed.
Amelia stared at him, but Dirk stared her down. She finally looked away from him. She looked out at the people sitting in the benches behind me. Her voice dropped. "There is no story," she snapped.
Something way bigger than I'd ever imagined was seething just beneath all this... and whatever it was, Amelia knew every detail.
Chapter End Notes:
*Note: If anyone notices a misalignment with Leon's name, please let me know. I searched several chapters for a last name for Leon, but I couldn't find one and I'm pretty sure I never gave him one, but just in case... I'll admit it. I forgot it. So let me know if there's a mistake here. Thanks!! :)
