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“Objection, Your Honor,” Kyle said. “This is hearsay, or speculation.”
“Overruled.”
Kyle was indeed pissed, because this only made Dante look good, but put all kinds of pressure on him, in reference to Diamond. Fuming, he leaned back in his chair.
“Go on, Mr. Dupree,” Prosecutor Swartz egged him on, eager to hear what he had to say.
Preacher proceeded to reveal all that Dante had told him about that day in the doctor’s office. Preacher never said who did the killing; he merely stated that the doctor was “desecrated” that day due to the argument. Preacher went into specific details, as Dante had told him, revealing the welfare claims and insurance fraud claims.
“Mr. Dupree, so you’re saying that the defendant Dante Reed stated he had nothing to do with the crimes committed?”
“What I am saying, miss, is that the young brother was a product of a form of black slavery. His mind was enslaved by his nurturer. As she nurtured him, she calculated and dictated the life he would live by her hands.”
“Objection, Your Honor.” Kyle stood. “This is garbage. This witness is merely stating an opinion, not fact!”
“Sustained.”
“Did the defendant reveal who actually killed Dr. Ricci?”
Preacher looked over at the defense table and into the eyes of Dante, as if waiting for approval.
Dante was sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to serve time for crimes he didn’t commit, but it was as if he would be the one to put his mother in jail because of what he’d told Preacher. He lowered his head.
Kyle was fuming and looked back and forth between Dante and Preacher, trying to read any body language between the two.
“Yes,” Preacher said.
Mumbles and whispers filled the courtroom, but not loud enough that the judge interfered. He simply looked on, awaiting Prosecutor Swartz’s next question.
“Who was it that killed Dr. Ricci?”
“The question is: How many killed the doctor? Because no one will really know which blow actually killed him.”
Kyle threw his hands up in the air. Kendall simply looked on in confusion.
Dante kept his head lowered.“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, miss, I believe that we as black people are a product of this hostile environment in which the devil roams freely. The judicial system makes it hard for an innocent man to speak freely and be recognized for his ability to contribute to this world.”
“Huh?” Kyle said louder than he thought he did. “Objection, Your Honor. This witness is clearly confused and cannot answer the question because he does not know the answer. I make a motion that he be removed from the stand and his testimony be stricken from the record.”
“Overruled,” Judge Fritz told him, and added, “I will make the motions as I see fit, counselor. Answer the question, Mr. Dupree.”
“I can tell you who didn’t kill Dr. Ricci, and that was Dante Reed.”
“Who did kill the doctor?” Prosecutor Swartz persisted.
“Objection, Your Honor. This man was not on the scene of the crime, so how could he know?”
“Overruled.”
“Do you know who killed Dr. Ricci?”
“I will tell you that there were other people present, including Diamond Reed, but Dante Reed wasn’t present when the doctor was killed.”
A shocked Kendall looked over at Dante because he knew Dante was present the day of the killing. Dante was in awe and looking at Preacher.
Prosecutor Swartz was quite surprised at the testimony of Preacher and asked him several more questions pertaining to the murder, and Preacher was adamant with his answers. Kyle objected so many times during her questioning, it let her know that he was losing his cool and would blow the case himself with his behavior. The noose was already around Diamond’s neck, so Prosecutor Swartz decided to let Kyle push the chair out from under her feet, hanging her himself.
