Page 75 of Devil's Work: Dark

That brings us to now. I’ve been briefed by the district attorney and his people. I’mthewitness. The one they’ve basically built the whole case around. Kaileigh’s mother got up to testify about her daughter’s kidnapping and what it’s been like since she’s been home. All I can say is that little girl is lucky to have a mom like her. Poor Kaileigh suffered from night terrors for a while afterward, but her mom had gotten them both into therapy practically as soon as she got her home. They go together and separate. They’ve joined support groups to put them in contact with other families who have been through similar ordeals. Kaileigh even has an emotional support dog that goes with her everywhere.

Since she’s so young, and under the supervision of a therapist, they taped testimony from Kaileigh—and oh, my god! My heart broke for her again. That poor little girl. I think of Ty and Lacy and don’t know how her mother hasn’t tried to mete out justice on her own. Of course, I don’t think Kaileigh’s mom is dating an outlaw biker to rub off on her as a bad influence.

As bad as it was for her, I’d gotten to her before the really bad things had transpired. She was a “new acquisition.” That’s what one of the prosecution’s witnesses, Robert’s driver who turned on him to avoid prosecution because he’d delivered the little girl to the mansion that night, called her.

There are a couple other trafficked girls to get up and give their stories. Both of them told how Robert had taken their virginities, one at twelve and one at thirteen, respectively. They talked about where they were kept, the conditions they were required to comply with, a whole slew of things.

Robert even had these young girls sign nondisclosure agreements, as if it were legal to have a twelve-year-old kidnapped victim sign such a document. It was all for manipulation. He made these girls think that by signing these agreements, that they had no recourse without getting into loads of legal trouble. They were young, scared, and vulnerable.

I hated Robert. I wanted him to die. But prison would have to do.

Now, it’s my turn.

“Your Honor, the state wishes to call Rae Conrad to the stand.”

This part is different from all those movies and TV shows. The judge doesn’t address me, asking me to take the stand. I stand and walk up to the witness booth. I also don’t have to place my hand on a Bible before they begin asking me questions because the whole room does that collectively when the judge takes the bench before the proceedings begin.

The district attorney jumps right into his questioning. I tell them my story from start to finish, not leaving anything out.

Predictably, the defense tries to dig at my character because I was at the party basically to prostitute myself. I never let them break me. Never.

“You were at that party to sell sex?” the defense asks.

“I didn’t know that. I thought I was there for catering. My sister never told me.”

“But you didn’t leave as soon as you found out?”

“No. I didn’t know what to do. It all happened rather fast.”

“But you didn’t leave…”

“No.”

The questioning goes on and on… I feel as if they’re trying to trip me up, but I remember every detail of that night as if it happened just yesterday.

Finally, I’m dismissed from the witness booth, but I’m told that I have to stay in Nashville in case they need to call me back up to the stand. I’m told that happens, that pieces of testimony need to be gone over again. As a “star” witness in a high-profile case, I’m not allowed to leave until both teams rest.

Now if they can only find The Bible Belt Killer my world would be set a little righter. We’re getting justice for Kaileigh and those other girls. Dela needs her justice, too.Ineed my justice. But so far, he’s managed to outwit the brothers, Sarge’s old Raiders team and the FBI.

No women are safe while that maniac is still roaming the streets.

Time to put those thoughts to rest for the night. If for nothing else than my own sanity. I need to decompress.

We’re back in the hotel room that night. Dark ordered us room service for supper. I felt so fancy. He made love to me, too. It’s Dark—of course, he did. But now we’re lying in bed. He has an arm around my shoulders, even though both our heads rest on the pillows. He’s using a finger to draw shapes on my skin. It tickles.

“What do you think about me going to school?” I ask him.

“Like college?”

“Yeah. I think I want to be an attorney. I liked being able to help those girls today.”

“Fuck… No one would ever believe it.”

“Believe what?”

“That I not only could land a high-class piece like you, but an attorney to boot.”

“So you’re okay with that?”

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