Witness03 - Privileged Witness by Rebecca Forster

Author:Rebecca Forster [Forster, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Legal
Publisher: Rebecca Forster
Published: 2011-12-12T16:50:58+00:00

CHAPTER 25

Mrs. M. Stephen Wilford was a widow. She had lived alone in her eleventh floor apartment on Ocean Boulevard in the twelve years since her husband died. Her children insisted she get rid of the family home in Brentwood because it was too big to care for and too far for them to help her out.

She missed her home and garden and her children didn't see her as often as they had promised, so Mrs. Wilford was not the happy camper she should have been. Josie imagined she had always been a practical woman, spending little of the money her husband made. Now that he was gone, she spent even less. Her clothes were unimaginative, her hair cut was sensible, her make-up was out of date. There was little joy in Mrs. Wilford's life and less sorrow. She saw the world in black and white and didn't want the good or the bad to cross her threshold. Now that it had, she was reluctantly appearing in front of the court.

If Mrs. Wilford had any butterflies they were DOA. She testified that on more than one occasion she had seen the McCreary women having heated disagreements. She was thinking of not voting for Matthew McCreary should he win the primary because she was concerned that his family life was not stable enough to. . .

Judge Belote cut off the editorial with the comment that he wanted to save something interesting for the trial judge. P.J. brought her witness back in line. In the two weeks before the death of Michelle McCreary, Mrs. Wilford had not seen Grace McCreary at all and had, indeed, been more than curious when she arrived on the night in question.

Did Mrs. Wilford know Grace was Michelle McCreary's sister-in-law?

''No,'' she answered.

So Mrs. Wilford could not speculate why Grace McCreary might have a motive to kill the other woman.

''No.''

Mrs. Wilford turned those beady, bitter eyes on the defense when P.J. bowed out. Josie approached the witness knowing she was credible. Her job would be to show that the woman was simply mistaken. Josie greeted Mrs. Wilford with a smile and then rested against the defense table so the witness would be forced to look at Grace as she condemned her.

''What were you doing the night Mrs. McCreary jumped off. . .''

''Objection, your honor,'' P.J. Vega was on her feet faster than a ball bounces.

''Rephrase, Ms. Bates,'' the judge directed.

P.J. looked Josie's way, her face pursed into an expression of displeasure. Her bracelets jangled as she sat herself down.

''What were you doing the evening Mrs. McCreary died?'' Josie asked.

''I was working on a puzzle.''

''Was it almost completed or had you just started?''

''I had just started but I had the hind of a horse finished.''

Josie heard someone laugh. The judge looked up sharply. It was enough to quiet the courtroom.

''So you were looking down and concentrating,'' Josie suggested.

''Yes and no. My puzzle table is next to the sliding glass doors. My chair faces the window. I watch the buildings and I do puzzles.

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