The Last Trial by Scott Turow

Author:Scott Turow [Turow, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Mystery, Thriller
ISBN: 9781538748138
Google: GtpEyQEACAAJ
Amazon: B07XDNF8JH
Goodreads: 52894960
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2020-05-12T05:00:00+00:00

23. A Woman Unknown

Once the jury is gone, Marta gives her father a quick hug. “What a fucking triumph,” she whispers.

Kiril, as always, is gracious with his compliments, but he heads immediately for the little adjacent cloakroom where his coat hangs, moving off so quickly that Stern hurries after him and takes hold of Pafko’s sleeve to slow him down.

“A word, Kiril?”

Pafko immediately checks his watch. Stern assures him he needs just a moment across the corridor in the attorney-witness room, where he immediately steers his client. Kiril looks unusually good today. He has been worn down as the proceedings have gone on, but he appears to have had a good night’s sleep, relieved perhaps that the courtroom confrontation with his son is over. His mood seems brighter, judging from a new yellow pocket square he sports in his blazer.

“Is Donatella well?” Stern asks. She was not in court today. Nor did she return to court yesterday afternoon, following Lep’s testimony. These have been the first sessions she has missed since the trial began.

“Oh, yes,” says Kiril. “In the pink. Just busy with her things. You know Donatella.” Kiril offers the bland, humoring smile that so often helps him politely evade further questions.

“I hope she will be joining us tomorrow,” Stern says.

“I would imagine,” says Kiril.

Stern, in spite of himself, finds that he is shaking his head.

“Kiril, I am certain she has had to neglect many responsibilities to be here, but by now the jury is accustomed to her presence. I would not want them getting the wrong idea and thinking there was something in Lep’s testimony that made her support for you waver.”

“Yes, of course,” says Pafko. He nods, but shoots another furtive glance at his watch.

“Also, as long as I have you, Kiril, I wanted to remind you that we are quite likely to see Innis on the stand tomorrow.”

“Ah,” says Kiril, but no more. The back of his manicured hand drifts through space, signaling again that Innis is of little account to him these days.

Stern explains that he has sent Pinky back to PT for a few more documents regarding Innis’s severance package.

“Since the jury will be told that Innis left after a disagreement with you, it might do well to show that you treated Innis generously nonetheless, unless you are aware of some reason not to do that.”

“No, no,” Kiril says. But it is clear to Stern that he does not really have Pafko’s attention, and after another moment Stern lets his client go.

Despite Kiril’s nonchalance about seeing Innis across the courtroom, Stern takes an instant to assess his own mood. Over half a century, he’s cross-examined several persons who were friends, at least until he stood up in court, but given his brief time as a single man, he doubts that list includes a woman in whom he had even the faintest interest. Perhaps tomorrow there will be some little game of I-dare-you between Stern and Innis, as each tries to steer away from confrontation. In the quiet room, he finds himself smiling.

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