Page 86 of Fifty-Fifty

Pulling down the hem of her skirt over her knees, Kate read the notes for her opening speech to the jury. She had been preparing it for almost a week – practicing in front of the mirror. She had cut it down from an hour and ten, to just ten minutes. The speech touched on all the main points of evidence, highlighted the presumption of innocence, and laid the groundwork for the case

against Sofia.

An old, scratched-up table sat between Alexandra and Kate. Alexandra’s fingers drummed on the tabletop. In the past weeks, Alexandra had become increasingly nervous, her anxiety building with each passing day. It seemed natural. As long as Kate could keep her own worries and anxieties from the client, things wouldn’t get too much for Alexandra.

Sliding her notes to one side, Kate turned her attention to her client.

‘You’re really scared, and that’s completely natural. It’s okay to be scared. I’d be worried if you were calm. You just have to get through the next few days.

That’s all. Remember what I told you?’

Alexandra nodded, said, ‘Okay, I’ll try it.’

Her fingers quieted and became still. She took in a long breath, and instantly an air of something approaching calm settled over her.

Kate had told Alexandra to wiggle her toes if she was nervous. No one would see her do it. It was an anti-anxiety trick Kate learned in law school. Witnesses, defendants, even lawyers, can’t help getting nervous. There was no way to stop

it, but there were ways of dealing with it. Consciously wiggling your toes gives anxiety an outlet. No one can see you do it, so you have a calm and confident exterior.

‘I’ll take two of my meds – that’ll help ease it,’ said Alexandra. She popped two pills into her hand from a blister pack and swallowed them with water. They were low-level anti-anxiety meds. Alexandra took one every day. Doubling the

dose on the first day of a murder trial didn’t seem like a bad idea to Kate.

There was a knock on the door behind Kate. Moving off the wall, Bloch unfolded her arms. Opening the door an inch or two, she peered out. Somehow,

between Kate and Bloch they had managed to avoid the journalists and hacks that surrounded cases of this type like scavenger birds feasting on a corpse.

‘It’s Dreyer,’ said Bloch.

Kate stood and followed her into the corridor.

‘God, what is it? Is it bad?’ asked Alexandra. Any pretense of calm evaporated. Her shoulders tensed, her hands came up as if she were about to fend off a blow.

‘I’m sure it’s fine. Wait here. I’ll be back,’ said Kate.

In the corridor Dreyer stood with three assistant DAs behind him. All were thin, youthful men who looked at least five years younger than the prosecutor.

Little Dreyers in waiting, thought Kate.

In his hands he held a bound document with a laminated cover marked, ‘Further Disclosure.’

‘What’s this?’ said Kate. ‘Don’t tell me this is something I should have been given months ago or I will file notice with the judge – you’re giving me great points on appeal before we’ve even begun.’

‘Can we talk alone?’ said Dreyer.

Kate eyed the young men behind Dreyer and said, ‘Bloch stays.’

‘As you wish,’ said Dreyer. He stepped forward and the entourage scattered.

He held out the document like it was toxic. Having been served with a lawsuit

not long ago, she was wary of accepting papers without first knowing what they

contained.

‘What is it?’ said Kate.

‘We had a request from Flynn for a toxicology screening on Frank Avellino.