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“Why do all that when we canproveit wasn’t me?” I say. “Why waste your time when Klein can confirm…”
“Because I never ask a question unless I know the exact answer I’m going to get,” Maurizio interrupts. “Why gamble? What if she does take the stand and corroborates Roycroft’s testimony instead? Putting your fate in the hands of a government lawyer? Your father would have my head.”
It’s everything I can do to not grab Maurizio by the collar. I know what he’s saying makes sense. But I hate it.
“You sure as hell have to bet that Roycroft is getting something in return for his testimony,” Maurizio continues. “And you sure as hell have to bet that Klein McKenna is going to get some tempting offers as well.”
I glare at Maurizio. But I know he’s right. What if I decide to trust someone again after all these years, and it’s the wrong person? It’s not just me that will pay the price. My whole family will suffer.
Maurizio rubs the top of his forehead, “I will try to reach out to her. If I can hear her testimony,maybe,” Maurizio glares back at me, “maybe, we’ll talk about it.”
But the day before my trial starts, Maurizio shoots me down again.
“She never responded,” Maurizio explains. “She didn’t return any of my calls or emails.”
I don’t know what to think. I wish I could talk to Klein face-to-face. Was my arrest the slap in the face she needed to wake up and walk away from me? Even being accused could have been enough to shake her out of it. Is she taking this as a sign to turn away from me? Especially in a case she has such a close connection to. Even if I get off this time, our worlds will collide again and again.
“It looks like the prosecution plans to call her as a witness anyways,” Maurizio adds.
Did Nicoletti make her some offer she couldn’t refuse? Would it really be that easy for her to just nod along and send me away? It’d be easier for her than her throwing away her whole career, her whole life. I thought she was starting to question things in a way that could work for us. But then I got arrested.
Maurizio slides a copy of the witness list onto the table between us. He sees it as proof that we can’t trust her. But I see something different.
At the bottom of the list, Klein’s name is written in her own handwriting. I recognize it from the grocery list she had on her fridge door. Her office didn’t add her as a witness. She added herself. I’m not 100% sure why, but seeing the copy of Klein’s handwriting gives me a sliver of hope. She’s still out there. She didn’t abandon me.
* * *
The morning of the trial, I’m transported to the courthouse. They keep me waiting in a courthouse cell until just before my trial. Then, the bailiff walks me into the courtroom.
Fortunately, I was able to change into a suit before entering the courtroom. They let me change back into the clothes I was arrested in. Maurizio argued for it, and somehow, they agreed.
The courthouse is packed. There’s probably a reporter from every media outlet in the state. I even see a couple of families. Must be the families of police that died in the shootout. Even though I’m only being accused of shooting Blaine Roycroft, they’re leading people to assume that if I did that, I must be behind the whole attack.
I see Klein in crowd. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since I was arrested. She’s more beautiful than I remember. For a moment, I forget where I am, why I’m here. I just want to be with her.
She looks at me with a straight face, like I’m a stranger. It nearly kills me, until she gives me a very small and short nod, then looks away.
I turn around and sit at the defendant’s table next to Maurizio. I try not to let Klein’s expression get to me. I sit up straight in my chair and face the front of the courtroom.
Judge Korbel presides over my trial, too. He’s the same judge that arraigned me and the same judge who arraigned Elio, Tony, and Fior.
The District Attorney’s office begins with their opening statements. Joseph Foley is their prosecutor in this trial. He’s about my age, tall, slim and fit. Clean-cut, with an air of sincerity. He has the charisma you hate to see in a lawyer on the opposing side.
“Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” Foley starts his opening statement. “Today the people are charging Mateo Barone with violations of Pennsylvania Title 18, Chapter 9, Criminal attempt to commit murder. The attack that occurred just outside ofthiscourthouse was a grave and heinous act on our city. Two police officers were killed. Two more civilians were killed, and four more were injured.”
Foley pauses to let this sink in before he continues again.
“I will prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Mateo Barone was a part of this attack. That he took direct action to commit murder on that day. We will hear testimony from Blaine Roycroft, an unbiased government employee, who was shot during the attack. He will testify to witnessing Mateo Barone pulling a gun and shooting at him outside the courthouse, attempting to take his life. The attack that occurred outside this courthouse was an attack on our city. We will prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Mateo Barone attempted to commit murder during that attack.”
The courtroom is silent. So far, Foley has done a good job. Nobody seems to care that they aren’t trying to prove that I was one of the men conducting the attack. It’s enough if I’m associated with it in some way.
I also notice that Foley only mentioned Roycroft as a witness. He did not mention calling Klein as a witness.
Maurizio gets up from his seat and delivers his opening statement. He’s confident, but in contrast to Foley, his age and lack of charisma are evident.
“Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution would have you believe that Mateo Barone is guilty of attempted murder. But today, I shall prove otherwise. We will examine the events of the attack on the courthouse. Thefactsthat we know to be true. Mateo Barone is not accused of conducting that attack. He had no part in it. The prosecution is accusing him of conducting a separate crime, during the attack. A crime for which they have limited witnesses. A witness that provided conflicting testimony in the days after the attack. A witness who now comes forward with a different testimony weeks after the attack.”
Now Maurizio pauses before continuing.
