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“The evidence today will show that Mr. Callahan wanted to return to his previous life. He wanted the parties, the girls, the fun, and he would do anything to get it. He couldn’t live the immoral life he wanted to with the devoutly religious and beloved Melody. When she became pregnant with their first child, Liam panicked and tried to get rid of it because he felt trapped. Melody was hospitalized with a stab wound to the stomach, and she’d claimed that she fell down the stairs with a knife.”
FUCK YOU. How dare you? I screamed in my thoughts.
The pain of losing our first child still stung. We’d lost our child…
From the corner of my eye I noticed that Olivia stood up, took Ethan out of Coraline’s arms and walked over to the exit.
“Sadly for Mr. Callahan, Melody didn’t die. The baby was gone, but she did not die. However, that wasn’t the last time Melody was hospitalized. In fact, she had taken a gunshot wound to shoulder. She had been in car accident. There was no explanation. How does a car accident equate to a gunshot wound? Coincidentally, Melody was pregnant again. This time, Mr. Callahan knew what to do. The way to get his freedom back, was to get rid of her. Only moments after giving birth, Melody disappeared. The only people who could have been there were her doctors and Mr. Callahan himself.”
You are going to pay. I was going to make sure you spent your entire life regretting this one long ass fucking opening statement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, her blood was found on his clothing and his boots. Witnesses will testify to his anger, hospital logs will show Melody’s suffering. Do not let that man in the fancy suit fool you. Liam Callahan murdered his wife. We don’t have body; we wish we did so that her son could at least have that. But money can buy you a lot of twisted things in this world. Liam Callahan wanted to wipe Melody off the face of the earth, and he thought he could get away with it. Don’t let him walk away from this. Melody Nicci Giovanni-Callahan needs justice. Baby Ethan Callahan needs justice.” He turned and walked to his seat next to his proud peers.
He’s using my fucking son?
The blood in my veins felt as though it would boil over at any moment. What made it worse was the fact that the jury actually looked as though they were believing his bullshit. They all looked towards the screen, staring at her picture sadly. He let it hang there for a few seconds before he finally clicked it off.
DiMarco stood, walking forward, his bald head shining as he wiped the corners of his mouth and shook his head. “That opening statement you’ve just heard is the very essence of this case; no facts, all assumptions, made against my client, Liam Callahan, because of two things: he’s rich, and he has a past. That is why the state of Illinois wants to lock him away for life, for something he did not do. Mr. Callahan has never shied away from his past. In fact, he and his wife joked about it openly to the press. The difference with Mel was the fact that he loves her.
“Mr. Callahan told me not to call her Melody because she hates that. The prosecution doesn’t know her. If they did, they’d know that Mel was a proud owner of a gun and often went hunting. She enjoyed opera though she couldn’t sing to save her life, but did anyway just because Liam Callahan told her he loved her voice. Every last person who is close to Mel stands by my client; they believe he is innocent. All the evidence the prosecution will attempt to present is nothing but circumstantial at best.
“There is no smoking gun. There is no crime scene. This is just another case of the Chicago Police Department failing to protect its citizens and searching for a scapegoat. I ask all of you; do you really trust the police in this city? After everything they’ve failed to do?” Turning back to the screen he clicked and again a photo of Mel appeared.
“This photo is upsetting, I cannot imagine what my client must be feeling knowing that his wife is still out there, but he cannot search for her. He can’t help to find his wife because the Chicago Police Department gave up their search and pointed a finger at him. This isn’t justice. This is a witch hunt, and I will not let an innocent man be burned at the stake for the prosecution and the state department to give themselves a pat on the back. Tell them to do their jobs. Tell them to find Mel, because Liam Callahan did not kill his wife. Liam Callahan is an innocent man. He and his family need justice.”
He confidently walked back to our area before taking a seat beside me.
Staring at her photo, the lump in my throat wouldn’t disappear. Turning away, I looked at the door. People came in and some left. But none were her.
Where the fuck are you, Mel?
*****
“Please state your name for the record,” the prosecutor told the blonde haired woman on the stand.
“Dr. Amy Lewis,” she leaned into the microphone.
“Dr. Lewis, you were Melody Callahan’s doctor, correct?”
“Yes. I was there during her first pregnancy.”
“Can you take us through the incident that happened the very first time you met Mr. Callahan two years ago?”
She looked at me and then glanced over at the jury. “That night, his wife came in with the stab wound to the stomach. She was in surgery, and Mr. Callahan was angry. He took me by the neck and slammed me into a wall.”
Fuck me.
DiMarco sat up a little straighter in his chair, and flipped through his papers.
“Did Mr. Callahan say anything to you?”
“Objection!” DiMarco stood. “Relevance?”
“Your Honor, Dr. Lewis is here to testify to Mr. Callahan’s character, I do believe that is relevant.” He glared back.
“I agree,” the judge said looking to DiMarco. “Overruled.”
“I’m sorry, Dr. Lewis, as you were saying, what did Mr. Callahan say to you?”
Nodding, her hands reached for her throat. “He said something along the lines of ‘I will rip your head from your shoulders, you classless, low life, idiotic bitch.’ That he owned the hospital and owned this city.”
Oh that bitch.
The jury turned to me with shock and distaste coloring their eyes.
The prosecutor looked to the jury. “So he threatened you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe he meant what he said?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, Dr. Lewis. Your witness,” the prosecutor said to DiMarco.
Rising from the chair, he fixed his jacket. “That must have been scary. Did you call the police, Dr. Lewis?”
Leaning back, all I could do was glare into her eyes. She looked trapped as she tried her best to look away from me.
“No, I didn’t.”
“But you just told these people that he threatened you, that you truly believed what he said, why didn’t you call the police?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Why don’t you know you? It seems simple; a man threatens your life, you call the police.”
“Objection! Badgering the witness!” The prosecutor all but jumped out of his seat.
“Sustained. Mr. DiMarco please allow the witness to answer your questions,” the judge said, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. If this was “badgering the witness,” Dr. Lewis should find religion and fast, because after this was over, I had no doubt we would be meeting again.
“Of course, Your Honor,” DiMarco said. “Dr. Lewis, while Mrs. Callahan was losing her baby, fighting for her life, were you or were you not trying to flirt with Mr. Callahan?”
