The Year She Left Us by Kathryn Ma

Author:Kathryn Ma
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2014-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

PART TWO

False Outer Point

CHAPTER 17

LES

All eyes were on the woman in the jury box—young, pretty, nervous. She looks like Ari, Les thought, except for the nervous part.

“Do you feel you could keep an open mind, listening to all the evidence in the case before deciding?” Les asked, and eighty pairs of eyes in the courtroom clocked from the box to the bench. Les, in her black robe, raised above the rest, looked down at the woman and waited.

The young woman nodded.

“You have to speak up,” Les said, “so the court reporter can get it.”

“Yes,” the young woman said, looking surprised at the sound of her own strong voice.

“’Atta girl,” Les said, with a warm smile. Everyone in the courtroom laughed. Those who weren’t in the jury box itched to turn on their cell phones. I had jury duty today, they’d go home and tell their spouses. A Judge Kong. She was terrific.

“Mr. Gordon?” Les asked.

“No questions, Your Honor.”

“Ms. Cruz?”

“No questions, Your Honor. The defense is very happy with our jury.” Les shot her a warning glance as the D.A. bristled. Ms. Cruz laughed to herself. She knew it was a cheap shot, but hey, why not take it? Judge Kong didn’t get hung up on a little gamesmanship in her courtroom. She was a stickler for procedure, though—you better know your rules of evidence—and she protected the jury. Their time is as valuable as anyone else’s in this case, she often chided the lawyers. Have your witnesses ready to go, or I’ll let the jury know why we’re sitting around, waiting. On the law, she was brilliant. Ms. Cruz straightened her shoulders. She wondered if the judge knew her name outside the courtroom.

“Then, ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a jury,” Les said. The clerk of court swore them in. She thanked the rest of the group and excused them. They shuffled out, half sorry to go because the case sounded scary—home invasion—and the defendant, a white guy, was a former Saint Ignatius football player (some of the men remembered), and it was going to be fun, watching the judge keep those lawyers in line. It was almost as good as TV.

Les conferred with counsel, then excused the jury, telling them to be back at nine a.m., sharp. “Today and every day that we’re together, I’ll remind you not to discuss the case with anyone.” She surveyed them briefly, making sure their eyes met hers. Except for juror number six, they all nodded. Sometimes there was a man who didn’t come around right away. She’d keep alert to him, try for some connection. It was critical for the defendant that juror number six listen to the court, and, more important, to the defense attorney, Ms. Cruz. The D.A. started out at such an advantage that Les worked hard to even the playing field. She’d been an assistant D.A. herself for a short year, but she was known not to play favorites. Ms. Cruz leaned down to speak to her client and put a hand on his shoulder before the jury looked away.

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