Page 2 of Breathless
“That man was Dr. Palmer?” Felty asked.
“That’s correct.”
“Had you ever met him before that night?” Felty continued his questioning.
“No, and I haven’t seen him since.”
The United States Assistant Attorney Bryson McAdams cleared his throat. “I think we should move on, Mr. Felty. I’m not sure what you’re trying to prove here.”
“It’s simple, Miss Daniels and Miss Killion were singled out at that auction by Dr. Palmer. Why them? Why not two of the other girls? How did Dr. Palmer know they were going to be atthe auction? Maybe they had prior communication with him,” Felty said.
Chaney shook her head, gripping Justus’s hand. “How could we? We had nothing. We were stripped of our clothing once we arrived at the house. We were given skimpy bikinis to wear and a pair of high heels. We didn’t have our cellphones. There was no way to contact anyone we knew before being taken to that horrible place. If you want to blame anyone for the auction not going the way it was supposed to, then blame your clients. They obviously did a shoddy job organizing it. Someone within their organization must have messed up. Why don’t you grill them?”
Felty sneered at her. “You have a smart mouth, Miss Daniels.”
“So, I’ve been told.”
“I think you’re done, Mr. Felty,” McAdams said. “I have only a few questions for my clients.” He smiled at Chaney. “Thank you, Miss Daniels for your cooperation today.”
“You’re welcome,” Chaney said.
“One last question, Miss Killion,” McAdams said. “Do you believe Mr. Kurtis Nuchols meant you bodily harm from the start?”
“I do,” Justus said.
“Thank you. I have no further questions. This concludes the deposition today.” McAdams closed his folder and stood.
Chaney squeezed Justus’ hand again and they looked at one another, glad to have gotten through this. It had been comforting to be by her side, but she knew once they walked out the door, she wouldn’t be seeing her again until the trial and it made her sad.
She watched as the defense attorney gathered his things and left the room. He couldn’t scurry away fast enough. Likewise, the court stenographer packed up her equipment without saying a word and left. Justus looked at her with relief.
“Ladies, thank you again for your cooperation today,” McAdams said as he quickly packed his briefcase. “I will be in touch as we go into trial prep. Sorry to rush off but, I have a plane to catch back to DC. The three of you did great. And don’t let anything Felty said today dissuade you about the upcoming trial. I know he has tried to act like you were at fault, but we know you weren’t. It’s horrible, but a common tactic to blame the victim instead of the perpetrators.”
“Do you know how long it will be before the trial date will be set?” Justus’ sister Liberty asked.
“It’s tentatively on the books for after Labor Day, but the defense has already filed a motion for a postponement due to a schedule conflict on their end. We’re waiting to hear back from the judge on his ruling. I’ll let you know when we have a confirmed start date.”
Justus frowned. “Labor Day. I was hoping to register for fall classes.”
“Me too,” Chaney said.
“How long will the trial last?” Justus asked.
McAdams shrugged. “Hard to say. With three defendants it could last anywhere from four to six weeks, maybe longer.”
“I really think trying to go back so soon would be a mistake,” Liberty said. “I think you need to talk to Dr. Saunders before you decide to register and get her opinion.”
“I don’t want to graduate late,” Justus protested.
“My parents are already threatening to pull my funding,” Chaney said. “I can’t risk the credits I have not transferring if they force me to go to a private institution back east.”
“Even if you go back this semester, you don’t have to take a full load,” Liberty pointed out.
“I’ll be happy to submit letters to your professors if necessary when we do go to trial for the days you have to miss,” McAdams said.
“Maybe we can take online courses where we don’t have to be there in person at a specific time,” Chaney suggested.
“If there are any in the fields we’re taking,” Justus agreed.
