Page 112 of The First Gentleman

CHAPTER

102

Judge Dow calls a five-minute recess. He asks Felicia if she wants to step down, but she says all she needs is water. A bailiff brings her a bottle.

At one point, she looks in my direction. I give her a little smile and a nod.

She doesn’t nod back. I think she’s afraid to. I can sense how alone she feels.

I wish I could run up and hug her.

Tess Hardy whispers to Cole Wright during the whole recess. When Dow raps his gavel again, she gets up from her chair and walks slowly over to the lectern. I can see that she’s keeping a respectful distance from Felicia. Giving her some space.

“Good morning, Mrs. Bonanno. First, I’d like to echo what Mr. Bastinelli said. I’m very sorry that you have to be here.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

I’m hoping Bastinelli warned Felicia that while Tess Hardy might project warmth and sympathy, her job is cutting prosecution witnesses to shreds.

“Mrs. Bonanno, can you confirm that Cole Wright gave your daughter this tennis bracelet?”

Felicia nods her head. “I assume he did.”

“You assume? So you weren’t there when she received the bracelet?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Did you see a gift box or a note from Mr. Wright?”

“No. I just saw the bracelet on Suzanne’s wrist. And she told me it was a gift.”

“Did she tell you it was a gift from Mr. Wright?”

“No, but Cole Wright was her boyfriend—”

“Sorry, Mrs. Bonanno. This is important. If you didn’t see Cole Wright give Suzanne the bracelet, and she didn’t tell you it was from him, how can you be sure he gave it to her?”

She’s got Felicia rattled now. It’s painful to watch.

“Mrs. Bonanno?”

“I don’t know.”

“Meaning you’re not sure? Isn’t it possible that somebody else gave her the bracelet?”

“Objection!” Bastinelli rises from his chair. “Counsel is trying to confuse the witness!”

Hardy waves her hand over the lectern as if she’s a magician making something disappear. “I’ll withdraw the question, Your Honor.” She pulls out a sheet of paper and walks toward Felicia.

“Mrs. Bonanno, are you familiar with any of these names?” She glances down at the paper and reads, “‘Darrel Masterson, Gus Blair, Manuel Jennings, Tony Romero.’”

“I… yes, I’ve heard of them…”

“You’ve heard of them because these are all men your daughterdated,isn’t that right?” Hardy’s inflection makesdatedsound like a filthy word.

I can see Felicia trying to correct the impression. “My daughter was very popular with boys. But she—”

“I can see that,” says Hardy, interrupting her. “Verypopular. And any of those boys, as you call them, could have given Suzanne that bracelet at any time.”

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