The judge nods. “I’ll allow it. Answer the question, Mr. Pitts.”
“I was… in shock,” he says.
“And even after those two girls reached the shore, you didn’t try to help them or even check on them?”
The prosecutor stands up. “Objection, Your Honor.”
“Sustained,” the judge says. She turns to Gina. “Do remember what you’re trying to prove here, counsel.”
Gina nods. “I only have one last question. Why, Mr. Pitts, didn’t you come forward before? Why only now, eleven years later?”
I lift my head to look at the witness. I’ve been wondering the same thing.
Mr. Pitts bows his head. “I… kept quiet because, well, because what happened was tragic and I was thinking that even if I spoke up, it wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t bring that girl back to life. I know the other girl didn’t mean it and she was so young. I didn’t want her to have a hard life.”
“But you changed your mind?” Gina asks him.
“I’m not saying it never bothered me. It did, but I just… held back. But I’m getting old. And I have grandchildren. And I was thinking I’d want to know if someone tried to hurt them. I thought the girl’s family would want to know.”
He glances at Jackson. I do the same but look away as soon as our gazes meet. I knew he was asked to be here but I was surprised to see him just the same.
“So you just wanted to come clean?” Gina asks Mr. Pitts. “Unburden your conscience?”
“Yes.”
Gina nods and turns to the judge. “That will be all, Your Honor.”
Judge Vaughn looks at Mr. Pitts. “Thank you, Mr. Pitts. You may leave the stand now.”
A police officer helps him down.
“Next witness?” the judge asks the prosecutor.
He glances behind him. “I’d like to call Jackson Holloway, the victim’s brother, to the stand.”
I draw a breath.
Jackson walks up to the podium in his crisp suit. I try not to stare at him as he states his name and swears to tell the truth.
How am I supposed to face him now?
The prosecutor stands in front of the podium. “For the record, I’d like to say that Mr. Holloway is also Ms. Cathy Jeffries’ fiance, but – ”
“Not anymore,” Jackson interrupts.
My breath catches. I hear my mother gasp behind me as I try to regain my composure.
Right. I broke up with Jackson. Our engagement is over. Then again, we were never really engaged. I’m not even sure what we were.
So why does my chest hurt?
“Okay.” The prosecutor seems baffled. “Let that be on the record, then.”
He clears his throat. “Mr. Holloway, Trisha was your younger sister. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“Was she a good swimmer?”
“Yes,” Jackson answers. “But not as good as – ”
“She and your… former fiancee were friends, right?” the prosecutor cuts him off.
Jackson nods. “The best.”
“They never fought?”
“Objection, Your Honor.” Gina stands up. “I don’t see how this is relevant. The charge is manslaughter, which means there is no need to establish motive.”
“I’m simply trying to establish that the accused can be violent,” the prosecutor argues.
Me, violent?
“Very well,” the judge answers. “I’ll allow it.”
Gina sits down with a sigh but gives me a smile. “It will be okay.”
“Answer the question, Mr. Holloway,” the prosecutor says.
“Not as far as I know, no. I mean, they’d have arguments, but – ”
“So you’re saying Ms. Jeffries never hit your sister with a tin can because she got frustrated over the ending of a book she read?”
My eyes grow wide. How on earth did the prosecutor know that?
Jackson looks surprised as well. He falls silent.
The prosecutor moves closer to him. “Mr. Holloway?”
“If you didn’t know it happened, you can say so,” the judge says.
I tug Gina’s sleeve. “I…”
“I know it happened,” Jackson starts to speak. “I was there.”
He was?
“Cathy had just finished reading her book. Trisha was waiting for her to finish it. They started talking about the book. Cathy was upset because of who the main character ended up with. Trisha didn’t think it was so bad. They started talking about guys, teasing each other. Then Trisha grabbed a cookie from the can and threw it at Cathy. She threw it back. They just started throwing cookies at each other…”
I grin at the memory.
“Then when the cookies ran out, Cathy reached for the can. She threw it at Trisha but Trisha dodged and the can landed on the shelf. The problem was later on when they were laughing about what happened. Trisha hit the shelf and the can fell on her head.”
I clasp a hand over my mouth as I snicker. I can’t help it. That was just so funny.
The prosecutor doesn’t seem to think so, though. His expression looks even more serious than before. Again, he clears his throat.
“Mr. Holloway, maybe make your answers shorter next time?” he suggests.
“Sorry,” Jackson quickly apologizes.
“Well then. Did – ?”