“See you,” Justus called. “Love you.”
Rafferty missed a hobble when she said that and almost fell. Asher caught him, and helped him up.
“Are you alright, buddy?” Asher asked.
“Yeah, I haven’t got the hang of these things yet,” he said.
“I get ya.” Asher patted him on the back as they headed out the door.
EPILOGUE
Two weeks later…
Justus waited patiently outsideof the courtroom’s double doors to be called as a witness. Due to the nature of the trial, the judge had allowed her and Chaney not to have to be in the courtroom until they were actually called as witnesses. Rawlins waited outside the courtroom with them, but because Rafferty was still on crutches, he was inside with Liberty.
A bailiff came out and requested she enter the courtroom. Standing, she felt ill, but took several calming breaths before she walked to the double doors and entered. She looked straight ahead, afraid to make eye contact with anyone as she went for fear she’d lose her gumption. She kept reminding herself she’d done nothing wrong. She was there to give testimony against the men who had harmed her and Chaney and the other girls who had been held captive. Even longer than she had.
Taking the stand, she raised her right hand when asked and repeated after the bailiff before taking her seat in the witness box.
“Miss Killion,” Mr. McAdams began. “Can you state for the record what happened to you early this year at the end of the spring semester.”
“I was asked by Kurtis Nuchols to go hiking, who I thought was my boyfriend, but after a few hours into our outing learned he wasn’t,” she said. “He only pretended to be to lure me and my roommate Chaney Daniels away with him. When we stopped for lunch and went to the restroom, something was slipped into our drinks and we were drugged, knocking us out. When we woke, we were not at our hiking destination, but at an unknown house in the mountains outside of Fool’s Gold where we were held captive and later auctioned off.”
“And is Kurtis Nuchols present in the courtroom today?” McAdams asked.
Justus pointed at him sitting at the defendant’s table. “He’s there with Poe Polaski the security guy, and Bo Bidle, the guy in charge of the girls who forced us to wear bikinis and high heels every day we were captive. They are all being prosecuted today.”
“Objection, your honor.” Felty stood.
“Overruled, Mr. Felty,” the judge said. “You may continue, Mr. McAdams.”
“Thank you, your honor,” Mr. McAdams said, using a clicker to flash a photo of Justus in her bikini and high heels up on the large monitor for all in the courtroom to see. He clicked again and it was a photo of Chaney in her bikini. He clicked again and there was another girl in her swimsuit. Another click and another girl. “I could go on ladies and gentlemen of the jury, but we’d be here all day, so I’ll move on.” He clicked off the photos and turned back to the witness stand. “Miss Killion, did these men act alone?”
“No. They all worked for Leland Warshafsky.”
“Why isn’t he on trial today with these three?” McAdams asked.
“Because he got away the night of the auction when the house was raided,” she said. “But I’ve since learned he has been arrested.”
“Objection, your honor.” Felt once again stood. “Hearsay.”
“Sidebar, your honor,” McAdams asked.
The judge motioned for the two attorneys to come forward. “What is it Mr. McAdams?”
“Your honor, Mr. Felty can’t claim hearsay that Warshafsky was arrested, who is his client and a conflict of interest here, if my witness brings it up. It is the truth, plain and simple.”
The judge looked at Felty. “Is this true, Mr. Felty? Is this Leland Warshafsky your client as well as all three of these men you are representing here today?”
“Yes, your honor,” Felty said.
The judge sat back. “I agree with Mr. McAdams it is a conflict of interest and you will have to give up one of these cases if it goes to trial. You can’t represent them all. Overruled, Mr. Felty.”
“Miss Killion, let’s not introduce Mr. Warshafsky into your testimony,” the judge said. “You can do it only if the attorneys ask you about him.”
“Yes, your honor,” she said.
McAdams nodded and smiled at her. “Miss Killion, all three of these men work for Warshafsky, and he owned the house where you were captive. Have you had contact with him since?”
