Charming by Haig Moses (1st Draft)

Chapter Forty-Two

THE TRIAL

Ana refused to leave her room for three days and when the trial started I sort of felt glad that she wasn't in attendance despite how annoyed Olivia seemed. Court was less exciting than class and documentaries had made it seem. There was a heaviness in the air which ticked after each and every testimony. The people who took the stand in favor for Ana's attacker made sure to defame and slander her. They used words like calculating, and cold. One fraternity boy even had the nerve to call her a bitch who occasionally got violent with the defendant. "I'm not saying that she deserved it," Thaddeus said as the attorney paced the courtroom. "All I'm saying is maybe he got tired of being abused all the time and snapped."

    My fingers curled into my palm, nails biting into my skin. "Thank you Mr. Daniels," the judge said before looking to Olivia. "Do you have any questions Ms. Saint."

    Olivia shook her head prompting Thad to vacant his stand on the seat. "Your honor, I would like to call another witness to the stand, Ms. Ines Bernard." The judge nodded her head and beside me Inez stood to her feet, solemn as ever, said her vow to tell the truth then, took the stand. "Ms. Bernard could you please, to the best of your ability, recollect, the night of your attack for us."

    Inez's eyes fell to me and I nodded my head as she took a shaky breath. "I'd just gotten off work. I was working the closing shift, so I probably got out between two to two-thirty in the morning. I live ten minutes away from my job, so I decided to walk. I hadn't even made it two blocks before he came he pulled up in his car and offered me a ride. I'll admit I didn't know him personally, but I saw him with my sorority president Ana, so I thought he was okay. Safe enough to get a ride from, so I accepted and got in." Inez shifted in her seat and her lips narrowed. I could tell she was trying not to cry, but it would only be a matter of time before the water works left her eyes. "He didn't take me back to campus and when I asked where we were going he just told me that he was taking the scenic route. We stopped by the Charles River and he began to ask me questions."

    "What kinds of questions?"

    Inez huffed as she tried to remember. "How the relationship was between my boyfriend and I, um... How I was liking school and work? He asked me if I was a virgin and then he asked erm... he asked me if I was looking for a different way to make some money. He told me he knew a guy who was involved in some lucrative business and that I had the perfect look." I swallowed. "I told him no, that I was fine and felt uncomfortable and tried to leave, but the door was locked... That was when he tried to kiss me. When I pushed him off he hit me in my face a couple of times and tried to choke me until I passed out. I woke up to a sharp pain in my stomach and saw that he had stabbed me. When I fought back he tried to hit me again, but missed and broke his window which was how I was able to escape."

    "And what kind of car was your attacker driving?"

    Inez shifted in her seat again. "It was black... I'm sorry I'm not great with cars and models and things like that."

    "That's fine," Olivia nodded to her reassuringly. "And Ms. Bernard last question, but how  certain are you that it was Mr. Berkshire who attacked you?"

    Inez froze, her eyes shot over to Christopher as her lips thinned. "I'm a hundred percent positive."

    "Thank you," she said before turning to the judge. "That's all the questions I have."

    The defense stood and approached Inez. "Ms. Bernard, you work at The Maroon, a local sports bar, correct."

    "Yes, but we don't drink on the job, if that's what you're trying to insinuate."