"Sustained," the judge said immediately.
Waverly gave Abernathy a tight smile, then sat back down.
It was a good move, Hutch thought, if a little late. It was obvious that the prosecutor was hoping to establish that Ronnie had grown more and more frantic in the days just prior to the murder, and while the logic didn't necessarily connect, that thought had already been planted in the minds of the jury. Had Waverly jumped in a handful of seconds earlier, she may have prevented this from happening.
It suddenly occurred to Hutch just how crucial the timing was in a trial of this kind. A tiny mistake like this could change the whole dynamic of the beast, and he hoped Waverly would be a little quicker on her feet in the future.
He and Matt exchanged a look and he knew that Matt was thinking the same thing.
They waited for Abernathy to continue, but the ADA glanced at his watch and said, "Your Honor, it'll be a while before I'm finished with this witness and I'm thinking now may be a good time to break for lunch."
Of course it would, Hutch thought. Leave the jurors mulling over those phone calls as they eat their Big Macs.
"You read my mind," Judge O'Donnell said, then turned to the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen, I want to remind you that you're not to discuss this case with anyone, including each other. You're also reminded not to read any newspapers or watch any news programs during the lunch hour. And I expect you all to be back in your seats and ready to proceed by one-thirty this afternoon. Understood?"
The jurors nodded, several saying, "Yes, Your Honor."
"Good," O'Donnell said. "We're adjourned for lunch."
— 22 -
"Mind if we join you? Or is this table pro-defense only?"
Hutch looked up, surprised to see Monica Clawson and Tom Brandt approaching their booth. He, Matt and Andy had taken one that faced the entrance of a crowded bar and grill called The Jury Box, which was located about a block from the courthouse. Matt had suggested the place, and Hutch figured it would be a nice change from his usual vending machine sandwich.
Over the last several days he had been reluctant to venture outside the courthouse at lunchtime, for fear he'd be hounded by aggressive reporters and their video cameras. But to his surprise-and relief-their interest in him seemed to have waned. He wasn't sure why, but figured there must be some other poor fool, much higher on the celebrity food chain than him, who had gotten himself in trouble and would be dominating the news tonight.
Probably some human train wreck vying for a reality show.
The Jury Box was nothing more than a glorified hamburger joint, but its close proximity to the courthouse-and its name, no doubt-made it the lunchtime hotspot for attorneys, trial watchers, jurors and even judges. With their booth facing the door, Hutch saw several people from the courtroom wander in, searching for a place to sit, but had somehow missed Tom and Monica.
"We promise not to bite," Monica continued, then smiled. "Unless you want us to."
"Speak for yourself," Tom said.
Andy, who was staring openly at Monica's chest, patted the spot next to him. "I've got no problem with it. Have a seat."
Matt didn't seemed too thrilled by this intrusion, but they had plenty of room and he said nothing as Monica slid in next to Andy, and Tom took the spot next to Hutch.
"When did you guys get here?" Hutch asked. "I didn't see you in the courtroom."
"We couldn't find a seat," Monica said. "Place was packed."
Andy's eyebrows went up. "And you stuck around anyway?"
"We hit a couple museums to kill some time. Figured we might be able to squeeze in after lunch." She looked at Hutch. "So is it true? You're back on Ronnie's team?"
"How did you know?"
Tom said, "We saw the three of you coming out of the courthouse together, so we figured you'd had a change of heart."
Hutch nodded.
"Mind telling us why?"
"Mostly because of Matt here," Hutch said. "He's seen the police reports first hand and the evidence is largely circumstantial and doesn't really hold up. But I think what really sealed the deal is when I realized how much of what the prosecution has been doing over the last four months is nothing but crass PR."
"What do you mean?" Monica asked.
"Think about it. It's as if they've been running a political campaign rather than looking for justice. Leaking just enough information to pique our interest, but always in control of the message. They painted the picture of Ronnie they wanted us to see and the media gobbled it whole like the careless bastards they are." He looked at Matt. "No offense."
Matt shook his head. "None taken."
"So," Hutch went on, "I had to step past all that and realize that, at her core, Ronnie will always be Ronnie and she just isn't capable of doing what was done to Jenny."
Andy nodded agreement. "She may be nuts, but she isn't that nuts."
They all looked at him.
"What? I can't say something nice once in a while?"
Hutch just shook his head. "Anyway, it's been a bit of a roller coaster, but I'm finally on steady ground."
Tom smiled. "It's funny, but you aren't the only one riding that roller coaster. You've pretty much summed up exactly the way we've been feeling."
Matt looked surprised. "Seriously?"
Monica said, "Do you know how many meals we've shared with Ronnie. How many times we've laughed together? Cried? So what if we haven't seen each other in a few years? She's still Ronnie and God knows she's never judged me." She paused. "I'm ashamed I ever doubted her."
They sat in silence a moment, then Hutch said, "So we're all in agreement now? That she didn't kill Jenny?"
Nods around the table.
"So then the question remains," he said. "Who the hell did?"
— 23 -
They spent the entire meal contemplating the question.
Hutch told them how he had sat in the courtroom, looking around at the faces of the spectators in the gallery, wondering if any of them could be the culprit-as Waverly had suggested.
The idea seemed pretty ludicrous on its surface, but it was an intriguing one.
Monica said, "I think Ronnie may have been right. That this was a random murder. Some slasher who saw Jenny and killed her to get his rocks off."
"Which makes it unlikely he'd be in the courtroom," Tom said. "Why would he bother?"
"Why else?" she snorted. "To get his rocks off again. Relive the moment. Trust me, I've been running a cam girls website long enough to see some pretty screwed up people."
They all thought about that, then Hutch said, "That's only one of the possibilities. Do any of you know if Jenny had any enemies?"
Matt shook his head. "Not that I can think of. But we weren't exactly bosom buddies anymore. What about you, Andy? You were probably the last one of us to talk to her."
Andy looked surprised. "You know about that?"
"Ronnie told us. Said Jenny told her."
"That was a few months back. But it was just a phone call. I was trying to see if she knew how to get hold of Hutch."
"You sure it wasn't more than that?"
Andy frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Matt said. "It's not important."
"Well you sure as hell meant something by it. So why don't you illuminate us?"
Matt suddenly looked uncomfortable. "It was just a stupid joke. I know you always had a thing for her, so…"
Andy's face reddened. "So… what? Now all of a sudden I'm a suspect?"
"That's not what I meant."
"Then why even bother bringing it up?"