The 17th Suspect (Women's Murder Club 17)

Briana: That knot isn’t tight enough, damn it. Fix that, Marc, you stupid little bitch.

Marc: I’m doing it. I’m doing it. Put the gun down, okay? Please, Briana. That thing could go off

.

Yuki knew that Marc tightened the knot and then rolled flat onto his back.

Briana: Grip the other bedpost with your right hand. Do what I tell you, Marc, or I will shoot you and walk the hell out of here.

Yuki saw alarm on the jurors’ faces. Mrs. Moloney, for instance, a mother of three and a bank executive, was frowning. At the other end of the row Mr. Koenig, a twentysomething high school math teacher, had drawn back in his seat and was covering his mouth with both hands.

On-screen, even in the darkened room, Marc could be seen nude and spread-eagle on the sheets. Briana Hill, fully dressed, was standing at the foot of the bed, holding a gun with both hands, the muzzle aimed at Marc.

Yuki knew that it was at this point that Briana put the gun down on a chair and cinched a necktie around Marc’s wrist, lashing it to the headboard.

Briana: There. There we go. Got you now.

On the tape Marc was breathing loudly. Could be from panic.

Marc: You’re going too far, Briana. I’m not into this. I don’t even know you right now.

Briana checked each of the ties, then slowly undressed, folding her jacket, sweater, slacks, stacking them on the chair. She peeled off her panties and passed them over Marc’s face, then hung her bra over the footboard.

Marc strained at the ties and could be heard saying, “This is crazy. This is wrong. This isn’t going to work, Briana.”

“We’ll see about that,” she said.

When she was naked, she got onto the bed and, kneeling between Marc’s spread legs, manipulated his genitals with her hands and her mouth before she mounted him.

Two women jurors partially covered their eyes, but there was no way to shut out the sounds of both parties breathing hard, moaning, Briana saying, “Say it, Marc. You like this. This is what you want.”

Briana’s rising, falling, grinding motions would continue for another five minutes and some seconds.

Yuki had an impulse to grab the remote and hit Fast Forward. Arthur shot her a questioning look, and she shook her head no. Eventually the sounds stopped.

Yuki knew that Briana had rolled off Marc’s body, pulled up the blankets around her shoulders, and fallen asleep without untying him or speaking again.

Yuki said, “Your Honor. Both parties slept until the camera’s memory card was full and had stopped recording.”

The judge muttered, “Thank God.”

Art shut down the laptop, crossed to the front of the room, and brought up the lights.

Yuki felt blasted as the dim light gave way to brightness in the courtroom. She looked at the jurors. She had never seen a jury look so shattered.

Even the judge looked disturbed. He grabbed at the tissue box and blew his nose.

Yuki said, “The People enter this recording into evidence, Your Honor.”

“Done. And this would be a good time to take a half-hour recess. Back here at eleven sharp.”

He brought down the gavel and left the courtroom.

CHAPTER 74

DURING THE HALF-HOUR recess Art helped Marc to the men’s room, sat with him in the corridor, and told him that he had done a great job on the stand. He said casually, “I must have missed the part where Briana said she wanted the best bonk of her life.”

Marc answered, “I’d forgotten. It just came back to me.”