The Diamond Syndicate

Karen looked over at Dante, who wasn’t giving her any contact. “I don’t know him personally, but I know that he is Diamond’s son,” she said, looking back to Prosecutor Swartz.

“OK. So tell me what you do know about him.”

“Well, I know he came to the office a few times, and that’s about it.”

“Do you know if he was involved with insurance fraud as well?”

“Well, yeah, I knew he was doing that.”

“How did you know this?”

“Because I heard her tell him one time on a telephone conversation she was having that he had better find more people to set up for the fake accidents.”

“Objection!” Kendall said. “Hearsay, Your Honor.”

“Overruled!”

“So you say that the defendant Dante Reed actually went out and found people to create the false accidents?”

“Yes.”

“No further questions, Your Honor.” Prosecutor Swartz smiled a winning smile at Kyle and Kendall before she sat down.

“Counselors, your witness,” Judge Fritz told the brothers.

Kyle stood and buttoned his suit jacket. He took another look at his notes and then walked toward the witness stand. “Ms. Odums, you and the defendant weren’t friends, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Are you trying to tell the court that you worked with someone for three years and you didn’t become acquaintances with her?”

“I didn’t work with her for three years. I said I worked for Dr. Ricci for three years. Diamond came during my last year working at the doctor’s office.”

“So you worked with her for a year, let’s say.”

Karen nodded. “Yes, it was a little over a year.”

“So you worked with the defendant for a year, and the two of you managed to stay out of each other’s way?”

“Yes, pretty much.”

Kyle walked over to the jury box and faced the jury. “How is it that you know so much about insurance fraud?” he asked, never turning to look at Karen.

“Because I-I ran across some of the cases, like I told the prosecutor.” Karen began to break down under Kyle’s badgering.

Karen had been sleeping with one of Diamond’s boy toys, and that was how she knew so much about the insurance scam, but she didn’t want to admit that in court.

“But that does not make my client the mastermind.” Kyle turned around to face Karen. “You knew didn’t you?

“I didn’t . . . I—”

“You knew illegal activity was taking place in a professional establishment, and you didn’t go to the police with it right away? There had to be a reason you kept your mouth shut. What was it?!”

“But . . . ” The tears began to form as Karen tried to give an accurate answer and not incriminate herself. She didn’t think that testifying was going to go this way. Prosecutor Swartz had asked her if she was telling her everything when she had her interview, and had tested her on the type of questioning that was going to take place in court to see if she could endure it, but it seemed totally different coming from Kyle.

Karen looked over at Prosecutor Swartz through her water-filled eyes for some help or guidance. Prosecutor Swartz felt at that moment that Karen hadn’t been totally honest with her and was damaging the case she had against Diamond.

At that moment Karen wished she’d just kept her mouth shut, but like most, she wanted Diamond nailed to the wall, and now it seemed as if it was backfiring against her.