Private Vegas (Private 9)

“At the arranged date and time, five thirty the next evening, Mr. Del Rio went to Ms. Carmody’s house—and there is no dispute regarding that fact. A UPS deliveryman, Mr. Brad Sutter, is a witness and he will testify that he saw Mr. Del Rio ring Ms. Carmody’s doorbell.

“Mr. Sutter knows Ms. Carmody because he does pickups and deliveries from her in-home business. He knows Mr. Del Rio from times he has seen him with Ms. Carmody. Mr. Sutter knows him by name.

“On this particular evening, Mr. Sutter plainly saw Ms. Carmody answer the door and welcome Mr. Del Rio into her house.

“After the defendant went inside and closed the door, Mr. Del Rio slugged Ms. Carmody in the face. He broke her nose, right here at the bridge.”

Lewis indicated the site of the break for the jurors, turning so that they all got a good view of it. But he wasn’t finished talking.

“Mr. Del Rio then proceeded to crush her right eye socket and knock out three of her front teeth. He also put bruises on her body and kicked her in the kidney, lacerating it.

“As she raised her arm to protect herself, the defendant seized a table lamp, ripping its cord out of the wall, and used it to break Ms. Carmody’s right arm in two places.”

Rick jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair, which fell, clattering loudly behind him.

“This is bullshit,” he shouted. “That did not happen.”

Chapter 14

JUDGE JOHNSON SLAMMED her gavel down a few times, the crack of wood against wood sounding a lot like gunfire, causing Rick to violently hunch his shoulders, a startle reflex left over from the war.

The judge said, “Mr. Caine, this is your one and only warning. If your client ever speaks in this courtroom again without having been sworn in, he will be excluded from this trial and you will be fined. Heavily. Get me?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Caine leaned over to Del Rio, whispered, “Apologize, Rick. Do it now.”

Rick sat, feeling the scalding rush of blood through his veins and the fury pushing against the inside of his skull; hearing Bambino’s harsh growl, the jangle of his paws against the fence, his teeth gnashing; seeing the drool flying off his chops.

“Your Honor, I’m sorry for my outburst. I won’t do it again.”

Rick, feeling Dexter Lewis’s eyes on him, turned his head and gave the guy across the aisle a look that could peel paint off the Last Supper. It had no visible effect on the little shit.

Caine murmured at his side, “Take it easy.”

Rick felt shame wash over him. He’d made a mistake, and now Dexter Lewis was a very happy little shit, because the jurors had seen him lose his temper. It would be easier than

before for someone to prove to them that he’d beaten Vicky, that sad little bitch.

Lewis was speaking now.

“Your Honor, if I may show this to the jury.”

“Go ahead, Mr. Lewis.”

The ADA lifted a poster-size photograph of Victoria Carmody in the Cedars-Sinai ICU, looking like roadkill that had been lying in the sun for about a week. Lewis took the photo enlargement over to the jury box and held it up as he walked from one end of the box to the other, talking the whole time.

“Ms. Carmody has had fifteen surgeries. Her face is disfigured, and one of her kidneys has been removed, as well as one of her eyes. And if she comes out of her coma, she will only have sixty percent use of her right arm. The extent of her brain damage cannot yet be assessed.

“Ms. Carmody never stood a chance against the defendant, this ruthless man whom she had trusted.”

Lewis said, “That’s what this trial is about, ladies and gentlemen. The People will prove to you beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Del Rio, a former first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, well-versed in the art of hand-to-hand combat, currently an investigator for Private, a lawless private investigation firm, did viciously assault Victoria Carmody without provocation, and without mercy.

“It is by the grace of God that she survived, and with your help, we will put Mr. Del Rio where he can’t hurt anyone else for a long time.”

Chapter 15

RICK GLIMPSED THE faces of the jurors as Lewis took his seat. They were horrified. Dexter Lewis, that bastard, had done a good job burying him.

Judge Johnson said, “Mr. Caine? Are you ready to give your opening statement?”