Checkmate

36

She did not disappoint.

   Josephine Parker was a solid witness. There was no way for McAdams to twist her words into some fabricated tale, Mr. O'Day's record and her stellar reputation made that impossible. My colleague was also unprepared for this smackdown. With the news of Dr. Alexander, our obvious next move would be to concede, so he didn't bother to check our new list of witnesses. He was so laser-focused on the finish line that he didn't see the bolder rolling his way until it was too late.

   Even without our expert witness present, I still dove into Ms. Samuels' medical records. Mr. McAdams tried to use her past statements to the press against her when she'd blamed her ever-changing face shape on botched botox and a bad nose job. No doctor was needed to read her X-Ray that documented the great abuse she sustained over the years. Which matched the many events she described throughout this trial.

   Cameron and Iris seemed to have waited for this opportunity their whole lives. The two women did not back down and described eerily similar encounters with the defendant. They spoke of the man he was then, and Erin was here about the man he still was all these years later.

It took us one more day to hear from all the new witnesses and cross-examine them. Once that was through, it was time for the closing argument.

Standing in the middle of the room, I cleared my throat as I brought the mic closer.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this trial brought to light the secret life of three women: Cameron Marie Iris, Lisa Miller, and Erin Samuels. You heard from Josephine Parker, the woman who hoped by offering Ronan O'Day a better life, she'd be able to save him. As it turns out, it was Cameron and Lisa who needed saving. They were able to escape, although they were left with scars to show for it. Erin Samuels wasn't so lucky. She had to endure ten years of silent abuse at the hand of the man that vowed to love, protect, and cherish her. All she wanted was her freedom, and she earned it. She planned to never look back, only she couldn't. Erin simply refused to abandon her child in the care of a man that only cared about himself. Erin Samuels showed great courage by coming forward. Cameron Iris and Lisa Miller also broke their vow of silence because this man,"

I paused and pointed to the defendant.

"This man should no longer be allowed to carry on with his sins unpunished. Ronan O'Day, aka Kevin Parker, got away with destroying enough lives."

   I looked back toward my client. Her eyes were glassy, brimming with unshed tears. I turned my attention back to the jurors, holding eye contact with as many of them as I could because carrying on, delivering the final blow.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I implore you, don't allow this man to destroy another."

It was done.

   For two days the jury was out deliberating. After several days fueled by just ten hours of sleep at most, I needed a whole day of rest. I had yet to pick up Sam. Colton didn't mind keeping him a little longer which was a relief as I desperately needed my space. On my second day of hibernation, Jarred decided to stop by for a surprise visit late in the evening. He even brought champagne.

"The jury's still out, Jar, it's too early for this," I told him when he handed me a flute full of the golden beverage.

"I believe in you," he simply said and clinked our glasses.

   The premature celebration made it seem like I didn't learn my lesson. I decided I'd have the drinks and the man. Call it some well-deserved downtime, although we weren't down 'til the morning.