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“For a few hours. Then I woke up and checked out.”
“And then you got in your car, exited onto route 6, and slammed into the vehicle driven by Rosalin Larkin.”
“I don’t remember anything after leaving the motel. I’m sorry.”
“But you do admit to getting in your car while intoxicated?”
“Yes.”
“No further questions, your honor.”
Saks’ defense lawyer stood up.
“What was your mental state leading up to this event?”
“The worst it’s ever been. I was seeing a therapist for depression and suicidal thoughts. I swear, I didn’t intentionally kill Mrs. Larkin. It was a terrible, horrible accident. One I wish more than anything that I could go back and change. But mentally, I was in a really bad place. So depressed that I wanted to take my own life.”
Instead, he took someone else’s. The sad irony wasn’t lost on me.
“Are you stating that what happened that morning, was in fact, a suicide attempt gone horribly wrong?”
Saks nodded.
“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone else. In my fucked-up brain, I got the idea to get in the car and drive to the abandoned salt quarry at the edge of town. There’s a high cliff there. I thought it would be the perfect place for me to end my life. But I guess I was still so high that I lost control of the vehicle before I could even make it to the other side of town.”
I glanced at the jury, but their expressions were unreadable. If I was an outsider, I could empathize with Saks’ struggle with mental illness, but given my situation, emotionally, I was unforgiving when it came to his actions. His sickness didn’t absolve the fact that he got in that car and weaponized it.
“No further questions for my client, your honor.”
Saks was excused and he walked back to sit beside his attorney.
The judge called a brief recess, and it was then that I noticed Saks leaning over to talk to his lawyer.
A few minutes later, the head of the defense team walked over to the lead prosecutor, Jed Maller.
We were too far away to hear what was being said.
Until Jed headed in our direction.
“A deal’s been suggested, and I feel in it’s in our best interest to take it. Saks pleads guilty to a lesser charge, second-degree. It means a one-to-four-year prison sentence. But he’s eligible for parole after six months.”
That’s it? All this so Saks could get six months in jail for taking my mom’s life?
“That’s a shit deal, Jed,” I spat out. “What kind of justice is that?”
“I know, Reed, and I’m sorry. We can take our chance with the jury, but the state of his mental health at the time might persuade them to look at the lesser charge.”
“Take the deal,” my father stated.
“Dad?” I turned to him, shocked.
“It’s fine, Jed. Take the deal,” he repeated, then turned to me. “No amount of jail time is bringing your mother back. I just want this over with so we can heal as best we can.”
Rissa grabbed hold of my arm. “Dad’s right. It’s not fair, but we knew this going in.”
I tamped down my anger and nodded in resignation.
“I’ll get it done,” Jed replied.
