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And Tate and I would have to get used to time apart. Our careers meant weeks, often months in different locations. Long-distance would become our norm.
But the thought of being separated from him for any length of time made me restless.
Still, nothing was going to stop me from attending this trial. My mother deserved justice, and I needed the man who took her life to see—and hear—exactly what he’d done to our family.
The only time I’d ever been in a courtroom was for my job, back when Tate and I played opposing attorneys.
This trial, unfortunately, was far too real.
Jeremy Saks, the man who killed my mother, stood up beside his lawyer, facing the judge.
He didn’t once turn around to face us.
I’d done my research on him. He was a married, thirty-five-year-old father of three with a corporate finance job, and a house in the suburbs. On the outside, he appeared to be an upstanding member of the community.
Except for the fact that he got into his car when he was dead drunk at six AM one Tuesday morning.
The court clerk stood up and read out the charges. “People of the State of New York vs Jeremy Saks. The charges are as follows: vehicular manslaughter in the first degree.”
“How does the defendant plead?” the judge asked.
Saks leaned into his lawyer then cleared his throat. “Not guilty, your honor.”
Not guilty?
What a fucking load of shit. I wanted to stalk up to Saks and punch him in the goddamn face. Bad enough my mother was dead, but he was denying all responsibility?
Reigning in my impulse to get up and get in Saks’ face, I gripped my sister’s hand and I glanced at my dad. He was staring at a picture of my mother that he held in his hands, unable to look up.
I placed my other arm around his shoulder and held on tight. I didn’t know if it would be of any comfort, but it was all I could do.
Then the first witnesses were called.
The emergency responders, the police officers on scene, the pathologist, the forensic techs…
My brain was about to explode.
And my heart ached with a pain that was as sharp as the day I found out my mom was dead.
Listening to the details of her death, her injuries, it was heartbreaking.
After three hours of testimony, the judge called a recess. Court would resume tomorrow.
Saks finally turned around and startled when he spotted us.
My stomach heaved, bile filling my mouth, but I held on. And my eyes didn’t waver. He might be trying to fool the jury, but he sure as shit wasn’t fooling me.
He looked gaunt, sickly and exhausted, but I didn’t want to feel any sympathy for him.
Then, just as quick as he’d turned around, he was gone.
I’d noticed several reporters at the back of the gallery, but they were filing out of the room.
“Let’s get out of here,” Rissa sighed. “Darren’s got dinner ready.”
“Right.”
Not that I felt like eating. Or talking.
