Reid sat very still at the State’s table, eyes fixed on the witness.
From where she stood, Eleanor could see the tense line of his shoulders, the white edge of his knuckles where his hand rested on the table.
She kept her eyes on the witness anyway.
She did not look at him directly.
“Objection,” Reid said, his voice controlled. “Argumentative.”
The word hit her like ice water. It was the first thing he’d said to her since the alley, and there was nothing in it but distance.
“Overruled,” Judge Harlan said. “You may answer, Ms. Martin.”
Katie’s gaze hardened.
“I remember what he said,” she replied. “Word for word. I hear it every time I try to sleep. That doesn’t change because I was mad or scared.”
Eleanor held her eyes for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“No further questions, Your Honor.”
She turned and walked back to the defense table, pulse a steady drum in her ears.
As she passed the State’s table, she felt rather than saw Reid’s head turn the slightest fraction in her direction.
In the gallery, Lila Grant was leaning forward, eyes moving between them with bright, predatory interest.
“She wasn’t watching the witness anymore. She was watching the crack.”
Neither of them spoke.
As she sat, David leaned toward her, keeping his voice low.
“You okay?” he asked, frowning. “What happened out there? You haven’t been the same since you came back in.”
Eleanor kept her eyes on her legal pad.
“I’m fine,” she said.
It was the cleanest lie she’d told all day.
Judge Harlan’s eyes flickered between the two tables, a subtle frown creasing his brow. He’d seen Calloway and Harper spar before, but the air usually crackled with competitive fire.
Today, it just felt like something had already broken.
And it wasn’t finished.
50
Jackson County Superior Court
Monday Afternoon
Judge Harlan glanced down at his notes, then back to the State’s table.
“Mr. Calloway, you may call your next witness.”
Reid rose.
