Black Diamond.
I walked into Black Diamond this afternoon, knowing I looked like I hadn’t slept. Matt was standing with Bree and I nodded to him, relieved to see him. “How you been?” he asked me, as if he could tell something wasn’t right.
“I don’t even know how to answer that question anymore...” I shook my head.
“Come sit down in my chair Trin,” Bree offered and I smiled at her.
“I’m alright if I’m leaning,” I nodded to her. “Yesterday was a hell of a trial.”
“Which trial was that?”
“Oh yes, I recall. It was really long and hard.”
“Yes it was... and made me do a bit of... reconsidering. Has left me somewhat... let’s just say uncertain.”
“Ricky and Sommer,” Bree answered for Matt.
“Who was defending them?” Matt asked with a sigh.
“Cora. She did well...”
“Who was the prosecutor?”
“It was me that did poorly,” I looked down.
“You were?” he blinked.
“Cora was good, and I wanted guilty,” Bree said.
“I had a day to prepare, Matt. A day. And Gabe couldn’t even make it so I had to rely on his statement and Ali as my only witnesses.” I said and Matt shook his head and chomped on the cigar as he listened. “Meanwhile there were two people on the defense who could spin a better story. It made me question... everything..”
“That case was a slam dunk. Was V in the jury?” Matt asked.
“It’s my fault, Matt. It’s all...” I sighed and shook my head.
“Dang, I wanted V in the jury. She would have brought sense to the knuckleheads.”
“No not your fault, Trin,” Bree promised me. “They just clever with words.”
“They said it was weird that the photo shop was unlocked. But it was always unlocked.”
“That’s why I wanted V there.. they stole the cake from her.. V does not care much for the bank. no offense, Ms Bree... but stealing from V? That’s worse than being bathed in honey and dropped over ants in the desert,” Matt looked over at Bree.
“Yes, always,” she nodded.
“They stole the... cake? What cake?”
“Yes... V brings freshly made cake every day,” Matt sighed.
“That never even came up.”
“You see if a good statement is not done you will fail,” Bree pointed out.
“I am sorry, Trin.. I should have been there and you would have called me as witness,” Matt said.
“I sure would have. I didn’t even have much from a law report to call Nim as one. She’s the one who signed it but she didn’t witness anything, just the aftermath.”
“Postpone the trial ‘till all are there, Trin,” Bree suggested.
“I’ve tried that in the past, Bree,” I shook my head.
“I told them to postpone it...” Matt sighed.
“Remember? When the bank was robbed and Chase and Ansar were my only witnesses... Chase never gave me a bloody statement and Ansar had quit law by then.”
“Yep,” Bree nodded.
“I interrogated them.. and their story has more holes than spider web,” Matt said.
“It was going to do me no good to have him as my witness. I had no report from you, Matt. That would’ve helped...” I sighed. “I didn’t even know you were involved.”
“I gave the report to Nim,” he sighed.
“You gave her the report?!?!” I blinked, opening my notebook to see if Matt’s report had been there in the court docket and I’d missed it, but it wasn’t there.
“Damn it... Just the one from Nim. Your name isn’t even mentioned, Matt,” I looked at him.
He showed me the witness statement that he’d written and I looked over at him, “This is unbelievable. Nim didn’t even mention your name.”
“Well... they have may slip this time... but not for long.. they almost killed the Mayor... I thought that the odds against them set free were slim to none.”
“Well there, see? Maybe it’s not my fault. Maybe it’s the damn court reports fault. They almost killed BOTH mayors, Matt. They claimed that the sun was in their eyes and they didn’t know it was them. And yet Ali and Gabe both saw them clear as day.”
I headed home after that and spent the rest of the day reflecting on what had happened. I was relieved to know that wasn’t entirely my fault and wondered to myself why Nim would have withheld the information that Matt had been involved in the arresting of the two women on trial.
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