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As Je
There were fifteen rows of spectators’ benches on each side of the rear area. Facing the judge’s bench were two long tables, the one on the left marked Plaintiff and the one on the right marked Defendant. The jury box contained two rows of eight chairs each. It’s an ordinary courtroom, Je
If the American courts were ever stripped of their power, Je
From the far end of the hall there was a distant hum that got louder and louder, and became pandemonium. Alarm bells began to ring. Je
My God! He’s going to have a heart attack, Je
She pushed her way through the crowd and moved toward him, thinking that perhaps she could be of some use. As she approached, one of the deputies who had been guarding Camillo Stela looked up and saw Je
There were four people in Judge Lawrence Waldman’s chambers: Judge Waldman, District Attorney Robert Di Silva, Thomas Colfax, and Je
“You have the right to have an attorney present before you make any statement,” Judge Waldman informed Je
“I don’t need an attorney, Your Honor! I can explain what happened.”
Robert Di Silva was leaning so close to her that Je
“Paid me? Nobody paid me!” Je
Di Silva picked up a familiar looking manila envelope from Judge Waldman’s desk. “No one paid you? You just walked up to my witness and delivered this?” He shook the envelope and the body of a yellow canary fluttered onto the desk. Its neck had been broken.
Je
“Which one of my men?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“But you know he was one of my men.” His voice rang with disbelief.
“Yes. I saw him talking to you and then he walked over to me and handed me the envelope and said you wanted me to give it to Mr. Stela. He—he even knew my name.”
“I’ll bet he did. How much did they pay you?”
It’s all a nightmare, Je
“How much?” The anger in him was so violent that it forced Je
“Are you accusing me of—?”
“Accusing you!” Robert Di Silva clenched his fists. “Lady, I haven’t even started on you. By the time you get out of prison you’ll be too old to spend that money.”
“There is no money.” Je
Thomas Colfax had been sitting back, quietly listening to the conversation. He interrupted now to say, “Excuse me, Your Honor, but I’m afraid this isn’t getting us anywhere.”
“I agree,” Judge Waldman replied. He turned to the District Attorney. “Where do you stand, Bobby? Is Stela still willing to be cross-examined?”
“Cross-examined? He’s a basket case! Scared out of his wits. He won’t take the stand again.”
Thomas Colfax said smoothly, “If I can’t cross-examine the prosecution’s chief witness, Your Honor, I’m going to have to move for a mistrial.”
Everyone in the room knew what that would mean: Michael Moretti would walk out of the courtroom a free man.
Judge Waldman looked over at the District Attorney. “Did you tell your witness he can be held in contempt?”
“Yes. Stela’s more scared of them than he is of us.” He turned to direct a venomous look at Je
Judge Waldman said slowly, “Then I’m afraid this court has no alternative but to grant the defense’s request and declare a mistrial.”
Robert Di Silva stood there, listening to his case being wiped out. Without Stela, he had no case. Michael Moretti was beyond his reach now, but Je
Judge Waldman was saying, “I’ll give instructions for the defendant to be freed and the jury dismissed.”
Thomas Colfax said, “Thank you, Your Honor.” There was no sign of triumph in his face.
“If there’s nothing else…” Judge Waldman began.
“There is something else!” Robert Di Silva turned to Je
In her anger, Je
Judge Waldman looked at Je
Je
“That is all for now, Miss Parker.”
Je
The yellow canary on the desk had said it all.
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Je
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