TRIALS OF THE HEART - PART FOURTEEN

PREVIOUSLY

As Officer Raul Rodriguez came on duty that night, he was surprised to learn that the prisoner was still consulting with his lawyer. Things were a bit hectic in the station that night, as many officers had been called off to deal with flash flooding caused by the storm. The previous guard had lost track of the time and Tea had been left in with Todd long after visiting hours were over. The worst of the rain had passed, and as Rodriguez unlocked the outer gate, he could hear only the occasional drop of water dripping from the eaves of the building. He entered the cell and found the couple in each other's arms, both fast asleep on the lower bunk. They looked peaceful, and the policeman fought off the sudden memory of his own overwhelming loss. With genuine regret, he reached over and gently woke them.

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Tea looked up from her work and glanced toward the man standing at the conference room window. He was obviously wound up tighter than a spring, and her face softened with concern. Although he hadn't mentioned prison or suicide since the night of the storm, she knew that his thoughts were dark ones. Joining her husband, she saw that he was staring through the metal mesh at some black plastic garbage bags in the alley outside. He seemed mesmerized by the dry leaves collecting against them in an ever-larger pile. Tea shivered as a blast of wind pelted the window with some yellow and brown examples. It was now mid-September, and the blowing leaves were a sure sign that summer was over. She started as a violent gust shook the windowpanes. Todd didn't seem to notice, remaining immobile and oblivious to everything.

"Todd, are you all right? Todd?" when there was no response, she reached out and gently touched him on the upper arm, causing him to jump. He seemed disoriented for a minute. "I'm sorry I startled you, Querido, but you really need to relax," she said stroking his back.

"Oh sure, Delgado, just relax when my whole future, Starr's future and yours all depend on what I say and do in the next few hours. Yeah, right." He looked at her and she could see the fear in his eyes.

"You'll do fine, Todd. Just remember to answer everything truthfully and…"

"I know, I know. Don't lose my temper. I got it, Delgado. But whether I can pull it off is another matter."

They were interrupted by the arrival of Officer Rodriguez. He wore the full street uniform of a Llanview policeman. "Rodriguez," said Todd with annoyance, "Where have you been the last few nights? That idiotic Tim kid has been torturing me."

"I heard you're taking the stand today," said Rodriguez. Todd nodded and looked out the window again, a deep crease between his eyes. "I'm back on my old beat," explained the cop, "but I stopped by on my lunch hour because I wanted to ask you something."

Looking at her watch, Tea put on her jacket and packed up her briefcase. "Look, it's almost time for court to resume, so I'll leave you two alone to talk." Seeing Todd's panicked look, she added, "Everything will be OK." She gave a bright smile to the policeman, asking briefly after his children, then knocked and was let out of the room by the guard. Tea was pleased that someone was there to distract Todd. She and Sam had agreed that he shouldn't be left alone right before his testimony.

"There's quite a crowd out front," said Rodriguez, breaking the silence.

"Oh yeah. Everybody loves a circus," snorted Todd.

"How is Tim bothering you?" asked the cop, noticing Todd's nervousness.

"He plays country music all night long."

Rodriguez laughed. "It isn't that bad!"

"Oh yeah? Every lyric doesn't sound like a scene from your life. So, how come you quit the night shift?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Remember that trust fund I told you about? The one the bank set up for my kids when my wife was killed?"

"Yeah. You only got about two thousand dollars in donations, right?"

"Right. Well, they called the other day. It seems there has been an anonymous donation of a large amount of money. Plenty for me to hire a full-time baby-sitter, and enough left over for an education fund for each of them." He looked at the other man closely. "Oh, and my son Paco has received a full scholarship to the best private school in Llanview. You know, the one your daughter attends?"

Todd turned to the window again. "Why are you telling all this to me?"

The policeman moved a little closer. "I thought you might know something about it," he said quietly.

"Now why would you think that?" asked Todd with a sneer. "I'm a monster, remember? A bat-wielding, head-bashing monster," he added bitterly.

They were interrupted by the guard announcing it was time to head down to the courtroom. As Todd held out his hands for the cuffs, Rodriguez could see that he was trembling slightly. "Good luck, Mr. Manning," he said as the guard led the defendant away. For a moment, their eyes met.

"Whatever." Todd threw back his shoulders and marched out the door. Officer Rodriguez looked after him with a smile.

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Todd grimaced as he joined his attorneys at the defense table a few minutes later. Kevin Buchanan was standing just beyond the barrier talking with his mother and sister. His smile had a sinister look as he said, "Well, Todd, this is a treat. I knew all along that you were going to swing, but I didn't expect to watch you hang yourself."

"Kevin, please!" said Viki through clinched teeth. "Todd, I know you'll do fine," she said, looking concerned. Kevin grinned slyly as he crossed the aisle and joined his fiancée Cassie Carpenter. Todd surveyed the courtroom as he was released from his bonds. It looked as though most of Llanview had jammed into the limited space. His eyes swept over Dorian Lord, who was sitting with her husband Mel Hayes, Max Holden leering behind Blair, and Nora Buchanan with her daughter Rachel. Finally, he exchanged a glance with Police Commissioner Bo Buchanan, who looked at him thoughtfully.

After the judge entered the courtroom, Tea held Todd's hand tightly as Sam stood to call him to the stand. "Good luck," she whispered. He managed a weak grin before leaving her side and heading to the front of the courtroom. Every eye was riveted on him as he swore to tell the truth in a calm, steady voice.

A half hour into the testimony, Tea was starting to relax. Todd was giving the performance of his life. He answered each question Sam proposed in a calm, assured manner. Todd had been coached carefully by his lawyers, and it looked like it was paying off nicely. They were going bit by bit through the prosecution's case, refuting each point with Todd's alternative story. Currently, they were trying to convince the jury that he had been set up by the Buchanans, and the questions covered Todd's history with the clan and their animosity towards him. Query after query, he explained his past run-ins with Bo, and then Asa. Eventually, the interrogation turned to the defendant's relationship with his nephew Kevin.

"And would you describe your relationship with Kevin Buchanan as hostile?" asked Sam.

Todd looked into the audience and found Kevin's smug gaze locked upon him. "Oh yes," he answered. "Kevin has never liked me, but ever since I caught him with his pants down, he's had this vendetta against me." A surprised murmur moved through the audience, and Todd had the satisfaction of seeing Kevin blanch.

"What?" exclaimed Sam, thrown off by the unrehearsed answer. He shook his head slightly in warning to his client. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Would you elaborate please?"

"Well, at a recent family gathering, I found Kevin in….shall we say a compromising position with…"

"Your Honor!" shouted Kevin, jumping to his feet. "You can't allow this travesty to go on!" Pandemonium broke out as the judge banged her gavel and the crowd let loose with surprised exclamations.

"Mr. Buchanan," said the judge in stern tones. "Sit down and keep your mouth shut or I will have you ejected from this courtroom and have your press pass pulled." Kevin sat down slowly, his eyes filled with loathing for the man in the witness box. "Continue, please, Mr. Manning," she instructed.

"If you say so, Your Honor. You see, Kevin was boinking Barbara Graham in the wine cellar, and he didn't want his fiancée to find out." The testimony was interrupted again by Cassie Carpenter jumping to her feet and running out of the courtroom with a little cry. The judge banged the gavel again as Kevin got to his feet and followed her out, his face a mask of misery. Todd smirked in satisfaction, ignoring Viki's disappointed glare and Sam's annoyed gestures. He caught Tea's eye and noticed that she had her mouth covered, trying to hide her amused grin. As he watched she gave him a quick thumb's up sign.

By the time Todd's testimony ended, with the help of his attorney he had painted a picture of himself as a repentant ex-con who had been cruelly set up to take the fall for the murder by the evil Buchanans. The seven female jurors in particular had seemed quite affected by his description of proposing to Tea on bended knee and reconciling with her after a near divorce, only to have future happiness snatched away by unfortunate circumstances. At the very least, Todd had succeeded in planting a seed of doubt in the minds of the jury.

The judge called a ten-minute recess and Todd joined Tea at the defense table again. While things had gone pretty well, no one was in the mood for celebrating just yet. Todd still had to endure the cross-examination by Hank Gannon, and that was not something to be taken lightly.

The District Attorney was currently head to head with his daughter Rachel. "Thanks, Rikki," he told her. "I've got to get Manning to blow his top and this just might do the trick."

"I hate doing this to Tea, Daddy," she said glancing at the defense table.

"I know, Sweetheart, but she's married to a murderer. You're helping her by getting him out of her life." Hank looked determined, but Rachel seemed frightened.

"Now remember, Boomer, Hank is going to be out to rattle you any way he can. Answer truthfully, but whatever happens, just make sure you keep hold of your temper. If the jury sees you go off in front of their eyes, it will make it that much easier to believe that you could lose it and bash Georgie." Sam was trying to get the point across without making Todd even more nervous than he already was.

Todd nodded, taking small sips of water and eyeing the prosecution table where Hank seemed relaxed and almost greedy for the confrontation. "I have a bad feeling about this," he said to both his attorneys.

Despite his nervousness, Todd managed to appear calm when he sat down in the witness box a few minutes later. He watched the District Attorney approach, trying without much success to look unconcerned. Sam hadn't exaggerated when he had warned that Hank would be out to weaken his composure, and for more than an hour, Todd endured a grilling cross-examination on practically every point of his prior testimony. Sam objected frequently as Hank's growing frustration at the defendant's unshakable story was becoming more and more evident and his own temper was wearing thin.

Gannon turned on his heel and returned to his briefcase for a moment, giving Todd an opportunity to glance at Tea. She gave him an encouraging smile while he sipped some water. "Mr. Manning," said Hank referring to a paper in his hand, "You have a young daughter, correct?"

Todd looked wary as Sam questioned the relevance of bringing up the child during testimony. Hank convinced the judge that he was going somewhere pertinent with the questioning and Todd was directed to answer.

"Is your little girl afraid of you?" asked Hank to surprised murmurs from the audience.

"No!" answered Todd, his brow furrowing into a frown.

"Has she ever been afraid of you?" continued the DA.

"What are you implying?" asked Todd, beginning to look ticked off.

"Isn't it true that at a play date at the Community Center last winter, you attacked another parent causing your daughter to shrink away from you in terror?" Excited chatter broke out in the crowd and Sam voiced another objection to the questioning. During a sidebar, Hank explained to the judge that he was trying to show a pattern of uncontrolled violence and intimidation. She looked skeptical, but agreed to allow the questioning to go on for the time being. Todd had to respond again.

"Yes, but…"

"Have you ever physically abused your wife, Tea Delgado Manning?"

"No! I've never hurt Delgado!" Todd was clearly unhappy at the direction of the questioning. Sam fumed, but a shake of Judge Fitzwater's head let him know that objecting was futile. Tea fought a rising sense of panic.

"Do you deny throwing your wife out of your home naked during last winter's record blizzard?" Tea looked down at the table as a wave of titillated gasps rolled through the spectators.

"I never touched her!"

"Just answer the question!" spat Hank.

Todd glared at him a long moment, then answered, "My wife and I had a disagreement, and I asked her to leave, yes."

"During the worst snowstorm of the year and without clothes?" Sam patted Tea's arm sympathetically as she closed her eyes in humiliation.

Todd's expression could have killed as he snarled, "Yes!" Hank turned back to the prosecution table, a triumphant smirk on his lips. The judge pounded her gavel trying to control the crowd as they mumbled excitedly to each other.

"Let's talk about the night of the murder, shall we?" said Hank in faux friendliness as he turned back toward the witness. He carried a single sheet of paper in his hands as he glanced back over his shoulder to make eye contact with his daughter Rachel. "I'm sure the jury was quite moved by your heart-warming story of reconciling with your wife at the Palace Hotel. So tell us, Mr. Manning, what happened when you returned home?"

Todd feigned confusion to buy a bit of time. "I don't understand."

"It's simple enough. Did you continue the celebration privately such as one would expect after an emotional reunion?"

"Um, yes. We had some wine."

"Wine, that's it?"

"Your honor, I fail to see the significance of this questioning," said Sam yet again.

"Mr. Gannon, I'm beginning to agree with Mr. Rappaport. Get to the point," said Judge Fitzwater.

"Yes, Your Honor," said Hank. He glanced at the paper in his hand and raised his head with a satisfied grin. "Mr. Manning, how many times have you had sexual relations with your wife?" Pandemonium ruled the courtroom, as the judge banged her gavel, the spectators buzzed noisily, and both Sam and Tea jumped to their feet to raise an objection. Todd stared at the District Attorney with overt hatred plain on his face, but Tea felt a chill as he glanced her way in accusation. She looked back at her so-called friend Rachel, having no doubt about the source of the private information. "Goes to the mental state of the defendant at the time of the murder, Your Honor," said Hank. After a brief hesitation, the judge allowed the questioning to go on.

Todd sat in total silence, even after the question was repeated, glaring at everyone in his sight. Even a threat by the judge to hold him in contempt had no effect. Finally, realizing that his stubbornness was hardly impressing the jury, he took a deep breath and answered. "None," he said in a loud, defiant voice. Again, the judge tried futilely to silence the observers. During the delay, Tea looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Rachel. She mouthed the word "traitor" with fire in her eyes.

"So, even after this romantic scene in the Palace Hotel where you got down on your knees to ask your wife to take you back, you were still incapable of making love to her?" asked Hank with a sneer. Todd almost leapt to his feet, and before Sam could raise another objection Hank rephrased the question to ask simply if the Mannings made love the night of their reconciliation. Again, after a long delay, Todd was forced to answer in the negative.

Hank referred to some past testimony by other witnesses placing Todd in the Palace Bar drinking with his brother-in-law, FBI Special Agent Delgado, within an hour of leaving with his wife. The defendant confirmed it was true. Then the District Attorney asked about Todd's version of events at the lodge the night of the murder. After several pointed questions the DA turned to the jury and said, "So, to summarize, Mr. Manning, you proposed a remarriage to your wife, took her home, but failed to follow through on any promises of romance, left her alone while you were drinking in an upscale bar, then decided to take one of your outrageously priced sports cars for a little drive. You admit to looking for information to use against the Commissioner of Police in your single-minded quest to get back at him for the perceived wrongs done to you. But you want us to believe that you simply happened on the already dead victim and did not kill her. Is that so?"

Todd looked like he would like to refute some of the more insulting phrases, but in the end answered simply, "Yes."

Hank moved in for the kill. "Well, I submit that you are lying, Mr. Manning!" he shouted directly in the witness's face. "Isn't the real truth that you were physically incapable of making love to this beautiful young woman that night or any other night? In frustration, you turned to alcohol to assuage your feelings of inadequacy, then decided to take out your rage on the man you blame for everything wrong in your life!"

Trembling with suppressed fury, Todd answered, "No!" through clenched teeth.

Hank continued, leaning over the witness box to look the defendant in the eye. "When you got to the Buchanan Lodge, the commissioner was no where in sight, but Georgie Phillips was! Filled with wrath over your sexual failures, you decided to take revenge on Bo Buchanan! You decided to rape the defenseless woman you thought was his mistress!" The courtroom was in chaos as the defense attorneys shouted objections and the crowd refused to be silenced. Scenting blood, Hank ignored it all and continued his shouted accusations. "You tried to rape Georgie Phillips, and when she defended herself, you struck her down brutally with a baseball bat!"

"Mr. Gannon, stop this immediately!" shouted the judge. "I have sustained the objection!" But Hank was too close to his goal to let up at this point.

"C'mon, Todd, admit it!" he shouted. "You're impotent unless the woman is cowering in fear! When you failed with a woman you say you love, you reverted to the only way you can feel sexual satisfaction! You tried to rape Georgie Phillips and you killed her when she resisted! You are a sexual predator who frightens even his wife and daughter with his uncontrolled anger…"

"Mr. Gannon!" roared the judge, hitting a loud blow with her gavel. But it was too late.

With an almost feral growl, Todd shot to his feet and wrapped his hands around the District Attorney's throat. "You sick bastard!" he snarled. "I will kill you!" He launched himself up and over the witness box, falling to the floor and taking the DA with him. The courtroom was in an uproar as cops came running to intervene, the judge called for order, cameras whirred and clicked and spectators buzzed.

Hank was helped to his feet as Todd was yanked up with his arms pinned behind him. His chest was heaving and his long hair was partially covering his face. While the defendant continued to struggle with his captors, Gannon straightened his tie and smoothed his jacket. "No further questions, Your Honor," he said with a satisfied smirk. The judge quickly called a recess and Todd was hustled away.

"I will see all of you in chambers immediately," said the judge with barely controlled fury to the attorneys. As Fitzwater left the courtroom, Tea sank into her seat in disbelief. All her hopes and dreams had just gone down in flames.

TO BE CONTINUED