I watched Samantha carefully throughout Greyson telling her story. At times she looked a bit scared. She was embarrassed when he discussed the times she'd run away and why, and anger crossed her face when he talked about the kidnapping and the disruption this has caused.
Mark's lawyer got up to make her statement. Samantha stuck her head into her math work. I knew it was keeping her calm.
"My client did not know his sister had been killed. No one contacted him and he had been estranged from her following her marriage to the late Stanley Deitz.
Further to that, my client therefore did not know that his sister had a child, that he had a niece. It wasn't until last December when he returned to this country for business that his colleagues informed him of his sister's death and his niece's existence.
Mr. Solman forges a relationship with his niece, with the blessing of her adoptive parents, who allowed her to visit for a month this past summer, and asked the Solman's to keep her for an extra week so they could go out of town."
"That's a lie!" Samantha shouted.
"Sam! Shh!" Tyler said. Greyson leaned over to Samantha and whispered to her.
"But she's lying!" Sam whispered back, loudly.
"We'll have time to address that throughout the case."
"Miss Joseph, I'm going to let that slide for now. Your lawyer, I expect, has explained to you how the proceedings go. One more outburst like that however, and you will have to leave this courtroom."
Samantha crossed her arms and sat back, anger clear on her face. If looks could kill, this would be a very different trial.
I touched her shoulder and tried to soothe her.
"As I was saying, my client offered Samantha the opportunity to remain in England, with her biological family and attend a rather prestigious school where she would be offered opportunities she wouldn't be able to have here in the US."
Samantha's mouth opened and I squeezed her shoulder. Tyler grabbed her hand. Her mouth slammed shut, but she grabbed a piece of notebook paper and started writing furiously and gave it to Greyson. He read it and nodded at Samantha, putting his hand up as if to say 'I got this, don't worry'.
The lawyer continued on about the friends Samantha made in England, how supposedly devastated his kids are that Sam came home, how his family felt complete and he felt like he'd reconnected with his sister through his niece.
I wanted to vomit. Samantha looked like she wanted to tear Mark new orifaces. Tyler looked like he wanted to commit - something violent. Brendon leaned forward and touched my shoulder.
"Maybe I should take Sam home at the break? This can't be good for her," he whispered. I nodded. We'd discuss it.
We listened as the lawyer went on and on about how traumatic it was to have lost his sister and how Samantha meant so much to him now that he knew she existed and how her visit had solidified their relationship.
I watched Samantha grow angrier and angrier. She was writing pages of notes and throwing them, almost literally, at Tyler and Greyson.
I sighed. I had to get her out of here. I almost wanted her to have another outburst so I'd have an excuse to get her out of here.
Finally, the lawyer stopped talking and the judge said we'd take a twenty minute recess for those of us who might need some time to compose themselves. She was looking at Sam, who was looking particularly apoplectic.
"She's lying!" Sam said as soon as we went into the hallway.
"Sam, get your bag. Uncle Brendon and I are going to take you home. This isn't good for you."
"But he's lying!" She said.
"I know, baby," I said. "And Mr. Greyson is going to handle that. But you being here and seeing how mad you're getting, it's not good for you. So let's take you home, okay?"
Sam looked like she wanted to argue. She was weighing the options.
"Fine," she said, and went to get her school bag. It was taking her longer than I thought it should, so I went inside and found Mark at our table and Samantha crying.
"Get away from my daughter!" I said, going up to Samantha, grabbing her bag and taking her hand. "You know you're not supposed to talk to her. You've done enough!"
I pulled Samantha out of the courtroom and as soon as we walked out the door, I told Greyson exactly what had just happened.
"Is he trying to lose this case?" He asked.
"I'm going to take Samantha home. This isn't good for her. She'll come back when she needs to testify."
"Okay," Greyson said. "Sam, I'm sorry this turned out this way."
Samantha nodded. She was holding in tears, I could tell.
Brendon, John, Sam and I went to the car and John drove us home. Brendon held Samantha as she cried.
"Why is he lying? Isn't that illegal in court?" She asked.
"It's called perjury," John said. "And yes, he's made a mistake. So long as Greyson can prove it."
"I hate him so much," Samantha said, burrowing into Brendon, who held her close and rubbed her back.