"Abigail Griffen is one of the most dedicated prosecutors I have ever met. She is brilliant, thorough and scrupulously fair."
"Thank you, sir. No further questions."
"Mr. Geddes?" Judge Baldwin asked. Geddes thought about going after Stamm, but he knew Stamm would try to help Griffen if given the chance.
"No further questions, your honor. The state calls Anthony Rose."
Tony Rose entered the courtroom looking impressive in his police uniform. He would not look at Abbie. When he took the witness stand, he sat with his shoulders hunched and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Geddes established that Rose was a police officer who had testified in several cases which Abigail Griffen had prosecuted. Then he stood up and walked over to the end of the jury box farthest from the witness.
"Officer Rose, when did you learn that the Supreme Court had reversed the conviction of Charlie Deems?"
"The day it happened. It was all over the station house."
"At some point after you learned of the reversal, did you have an opportunity to talk about it with the defendant?"
"Yes, sir."
"Tell the jury about that conversation."
"There's an Italian place, Caruso's. It's downtown on Second and Pine.
I eat there every once in a while. One night I saw Mrs. Griffen, the defendant, as I was leaving. She was by herself, so I went over to say hello. While we were talking, I told her I was sorry the case was reversed."
"What was her reaction?"
"She was furious."
"Did she mention her husband, Justice Griffen?"
"Yeah, and, uh, she wasn't too complimentary."
"What did she say about him?"
"She called him a son of a bitch and she said he reversed the case to get her. I guess she was going through a divorce and figured he was trying to make her look bad."
Geddes paused long enough to get the jurors' attention. Then he asked, "Officer Rose, did Mrs. Griffen tell you about something she wished Charlie Deems would do to Justice Griffen?"
"Yes, sir. She did."
"Tell the jury what she said."
"Right after she said she thought the judge had reversed the case to make her look bad, she said she hoped Deems would blow Justice Griffen to kingdom come."
Geddes nodded. "Blow him to kingdom come. Those were her words?"
"Yes, sir. They were."
Geddes turned toward Matthew Reynolds. "Your witness, Counselor."
Rose turned toward the defense counsel table, but he still refused to look Abigail Griffen in the eye. Matthew Reynolds stood and walked slowly toward the witness stand.
"You don't like Mrs. Griffen, do you?" Matthew asked, after taking a position that would not block the jurors' view of the witness.
Rose shrugged nervously. "I've got nothing against her."
"Do you respect her, Officer Rose?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is she a woman you treat with respect?"
"Well . . . Yeah. Sure. I respect her."
"Did you treat her with respect on the evening you have spoken about?"
Rose shifted nervously in his seat.
"Your Honor, will you instruct Officer Rose to answer."
"You must answer the question," Judge Baldwin Said.
"Look, that was a misunderstanding."
"I don't believe we were discussing a misunderstanding, Officer. We were discussing the concept of respect in the context of the respect a gentleman should have for a lady. Did you treat Mrs. Griffen with respect that evening?"
"I thought she was sending signals. I was wrong."
"Signals that indicated she wished to be raped?"
"Objection," Geddes shouted.
"This goes to bias, Your Honor."
"Overruled," Judge Baldwin said. "Answer the question, Officer."
"I didn't try to rape the defendant."
"Then why did she have to slap you to make you leave her house?"
"She . . . Like I said, there was a misunderstanding."
"That reached the point where she had to use physical force to make you leave her home?"
"That wasn't necessary. If she'd asked I would have left."
"At the time Mrs. Griffen slapped you, was she pinned to the wall?"
"I . . . I'm not certain."
"Was your hand up her dress."
"Look, everything happened very fast. I already said it was a mistake."
"This was not the first time Mrs. Griffen had rebuffed you, was it?"
"What do you mean?"
"On two occasions, when she was trying to prepare your testimony for trial, did you make sexual advances to her?"
"It wasn't like that."
"How was it, Officer Rose?"
"She's a good-looking woman."
"So you suggested a date?"
"I'm only human."
"And she was married. You knew that when you propositioned her, did you not?"
Rose looked toward Chuck Geddes for help, but the prosecutor was stone-faced.
"Did you know she was married when you propositioned her the first time?"
"Yes."
"And the second time? You were still aware that she was a married woman?"
"Yes."
"Nothing further, Officer Rose."
"You were fantastic," Abbie said as soon as her front door closed.
"You crucified Rose."
"Yes, but the jury heard that you wished Deems would blow up Justice Griffen."
"It doesn't matter. Rose's credibility was destroyed. You weren't watching the jurors. You should have seen the way they were looking at him. They were disgusted. If that statement's all they've got . . ."
"But we know it isn't. There has to be something more."
"Well, I don't want to think about it now. I want to relax. Can I get you a drink?"
"I have to work tonight. Geddes is calling several important witnesses tomorrow."
"Oh," Abbie said, disappointed.
"You know I want to stay."
"No, you're right. It's just . . . I don't know. I'm so happy.
Things went well for once. I want to celebrate."
"We'll celebrate when you're acquitted."
"You believe I will be, don't you?"
"I know you'll never go to prison."
Abbie was standing inches from Matthew. She reached out and took his hand. The touch paralyzed him. Abbie moved into his arms and pressed her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating like a trip-hammer. Then she looked up and kissed him. Matthew had imagined this moment a thousand times, but never believed it would really happen.
He felt Abbie's breasts press against his chest. He let his body fit into hers.
Abbie's head sank against his chest.
"When this is over, we'll get away from here," Abbie said.
"We'll go to a quiet place where no one knows us."
"Abbie . . ."
She placed her fingertips against Matthew's lips.
"No. This is enough for now. Knowing you care for me."
"I do care," Matthew said, very quietly. "You know I care."
"Yes," Abbie said. "And I know you'll win. I know you'll make me free."
Chapter TWENTY-TWO
"The state calls Seth Dillard," Chuck Geddes said. Tracy checked off Dillard's name on the defense witness list. Dillard followed Mrs.
Wallace, who told the jury about Abbie's hysterical appearance at her door on the evening of the attack at the coast.
"What is your profession?" Geddes asked.
"I'm the sheriff of Seneca County, Oregon."
"Sheriff, if I wanted to buy some dynamite to clear stumps on property in Seneca County, what would I have to do?"
"You'd have to come to my office and fill out an application for a permit to purchase explosives. There's a fifteen-dollar fee. We'd take a mug shot and print you to make certain you weren't a felon. If everything checked out, you'd go to the fire marshal, who'd issue you a permit. Once you had the permit, you'd take it to someone who sells explosives."
"Did Justice Griffen secure a permit from your office for dynamite to clear stumps on his property?"