Counsel (Counsel #1) (17 page)

A vision of the defense team leaving the courthouse fills the screen. Reporters jostle each other and shout questions as Justin guides his mother and Cynthia away. Josh Wade valiantly tries to forge a path ahead, but it’s a hopeless task. I feel sympathy for Mrs. Wade; the poor woman looks terrified. Why, I wonder idly, didn't someone arrange for her to leave earlier or later?

The picture fades, replaced by one of Jodi and me being greeted by the same mayhem. Having just witnessed Mrs. Wade’s fear, I'm even more grateful that I'd told Mom and Cait to leave ahead of us. I was asked all the standard questions; what I thought the verdict would be, what the penalty would be if Justin were found guilty, to the more salacious about what I thought about the relationship he'd had with Angelique Bain and why
she
hadn’t been charged.

Those last questions angered me, but I ignored them. I fought down my revulsion at the way those vultures were metaphorically salivating at the prospect of tearing her limb from limb. As if she’d been responsible for the public darling’s demise. Had these people not been in court? Had they not heard the evidence, I wondered. There can be no doubting that she'd sold herself, but to blame her for Justin’s predicament is simply ludicrous.

I change the channel to watch an old action movie instead but find it impossible to stop thinking about the trial. It’s annoying yet hardly unexpected, I suppose, given that it’s the eve of the last day.

I recall my rooftop conversation with Tom. The last vestiges of our friendship have been severed as I knew, then, it would be, but I feel no regret; not about the vigorous way I’ve prosecuted the case and certainly not about the end of our friendship. I’ve never harbored illusions that it meant much to either of them anyway. Tomorrow, I'll deliver my closing argument, and then I can move on to the big fish, Joseph Cordi and his brothers.

Uppermost in my mind, however, are thoughts of Angelique Bain. I realized during Justin’s cross-examination just how much she’s been taken advantage of. That she had choices can’t be argued, but neither she nor any of those other women deserved to be used in that way. Samantha Perkins has also been publicly linked with Liaison and Justin, but she has, with the exception of one mention in a newspaper article, been allowed to get on with her life. The press, on the other hand, has been relentless in their condemnation of Angelique. For the foreseeable future, at least, she’ll continue to be vilified. This knowledge upsets me and, truth be known, it’s a major cause of my current state of unease.

I’ve finally had to admit that I’m more than attracted to her. I care about her. I see the parallels between her situation and Eleanor’s, and I don't want her to end up the same way. I couldn't do anything to save Eleanor, but I may be able to help Angelique. And, finally, as I turn off the television, I think about what Cait said about being free to get to know her once Justin’s trial is over.

The courtroom is packed, the air permeated by the low, continuous buzz of muted conversation. I’m surprised when glancing around to where Mom and Cait normally sit to see Dad ensconced between them. He smiles as our eyes meet. I return it, showing my pleasure and gratitude for his support. My family doesn’t make a habit of attending court, at least not since the early days when Mom and Dad insisted on making an appearance at every one of my trials. Mom and Cait’s earlier attendances and their united presence today demonstrate their understanding of the significance this trial holds for me.

I catch the gaze of Angelique’s companion, Samuel. He’s been in court, sitting in the same place, every day. My errant mind wanders to thinking about where she might be right now, what she's feeling, what she's doing. I berate myself instantly. I have no right to worry about her, especially after the ordeal I put her through. She's probably already forgotten about my existence, and if she hasn't, I feel sure she's hoping to.
That
thought bothers me. Samuel gives me an almost imperceptible nod, and I reciprocate, gaining a modicum of satisfaction from the realization that
he
, at least, doesn't appear to hold my interrogation of her against me.

Court’s called into session and when invited, Tom rises to his feet. He thanks the court before starting his closing argument.

"Your Honor, Ladies, and Gentlemen of the Jury, my client, Justin Wade, acknowledges his visits to Liaison. He admits to later becoming a member of that establishment, but he did
not
know the true nature of Liaison’s business when he sought membership. Many may question why, after discovering the truth, he failed to take action. The fact is that he
did
. Mr. Wade approached Joseph Cordi with his concern. He was assured by and believed Mr. Cordi when he said he planned on phasing out prostitution. Why would my client not believe him? Mr. Cordi was, by all accounts, a well-respected member of Boston society; there was no reason, then, to doubt his word.

"Mr. Wade admits his shame and regret at having succumbed to temptation by indulging in sexual relations with women employed at Liaison, but I remind you that he is
not
facing charges of solicitation. His indiscretion should not be taken into account when determining the outcome of this trial.

"Mr. Wade also admits to contracting the services of Angelique Bain; it was a genuine, if misguided, attempt to help her. He agreed to the second contract
only
because Joseph Cordi made it a condition of the first, and also because he believed it to be a good investment. He would not have done so if he had not
genuinely
believed Fidelity Properties to be a legitimate business. He had no knowledge of the company’s subsidiary, Sigma, and its ownership of Liaison and other clubs when entering into the agreement. Why would he have suspected that Fidelity owned a subsidiary company? Joseph Cordi, a man my client believed to be a respected businessman, assured him of full disclosure during negotiations. No mention of Sigma was ever made.

"The Commonwealth asserts that my client had prior knowledge of Liaison’s ownership status, that he instructed his accountants not to conduct thorough investigations into the company's business matters. And Prosecuting Counsel has presented a view that ignorance should be discounted in the dispensing of justice; but how can it be when the livelihood and reputation of a good man are at stake?

"The facts are that Mr. Wade did
not
know of Fidelity’s indirect ownership of Liaison or any other club. He found out only when police informed him of the fact. He did
not
instruct Mr. Jones to ignore the need for a thorough investigation into Fidelity. The misconception came about through a simple misunderstanding. Misunderstandings are hardly uncommon occurrences.

"My client has also testified that he only cursorily evaluated Fidelity’s financial results. He did what he had always done with business related matters; he reviewed top-line results before forwarding them to his accountants. The Commonwealth has failed to conclusively prove otherwise.

"Through his desire to help a young woman, Mr. Wade was deliberately misled and
unknowingly
became part owner of an illegal business. The Commonwealth expects you to believe the testimony of a scorned mistress. Ms. Bonnaci's motives remain highly questionable. There is no way of knowing whether her assertions were based on fact or a desire for revenge; they should, therefore, be discounted.

"My client has led an exemplary life, a great part of it spent in service to his community. He wants to continue his life’s work and should not be stopped from doing so. Mr. Wade made a common human error, that of trusting someone. He should
not
be punished for having been misled or for trying to help a young woman from falling further into prostitution, however questionable you may view his methods to have been.

"This case comes down to standards of criminal liability. However foolish you may feel my client had been to trust Joseph Cordi or misguided you may view his attempts to help Angelique Bain had been;
should
he pay with his freedom?
That
, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the question I would leave you with, and which I ask you to consider when deliberating. I feel confident that in the end you will do what, in your hearts, you know to be right and just and acquit my client, Justin Wade, of the charges brought against him."

Tom’s summation was eloquent, but his attempts to represent Justin’s actions as the result of misplaced trust and misguided altruism bordered on being ludicrous. His entire argument was based on the premise that Justin had no alternative but to accept Joseph’s offer; as if he himself were a man of little means or influence.

"Is the Commonwealth ready?" Judge Bolton asks.

"We are, Your Honor," I respond, rising to my feet.

"Your Honor, Counsels, Ladies, and Gentlemen of the Jury, before I make my argument, I would like, on behalf of the Commonwealth, to thank you for your time and attention throughout these proceedings," I say before turning my attention to the jury.

"When we leave court today, this case will be handed over to you to consider your verdict, and you will, no doubt, exercise your solemn duty with meticulous care. All we ask is that you take into account the facts.

"Because, despite Defense Counsel’s heartfelt argument, the irrefutable facts cannot be denied. The facts are that, despite learning that the club operated as a brothel, the defendant
chose
to retain his membership of Liaison. He continued to frequent the establishment. Instead of reporting the prostitution, as one would expect someone in his position to do, the defendant gave his tacit approval. He availed himself of the sexual services on offer. Then, not satisfied with paying one woman for sex, he succumbed to temptation, as he called it, again. He claimed for himself the dubious honor of being the first man Angelique Bain prostituted herself with.

"Faced with the prospect of having to share her favors, he
chose
to enter into a business partnership with a man he knew, then, to be a criminal; a man who, in his own testimony, the defendant admitted to being untrustworthy. The defendant has testified that he signed the Fidelity Properties agreement because Joseph Cordi made it a condition of the contract for Ms. Bain's exclusive services. He expects you to believe that he complied for
her
benefit. He expects you to believe that he, a wealthy and influential man, had no means of helping other than to enter into a nefarious contract to purchase a woman’s body.

"A senator's role is to bridge the gap between the people and its government; his or her senatorial responsibilities include proposing and vetoing laws, laws by which we are
all
governed. Justin Wade has broken the very laws he was elected to honor, uphold and live by. He wasn’t coerced into doing so; he
consciously
made the choice to break the law, Ladies and Gentlemen.

The defendant’s actions were not those of a misled or misguided man or one motivated by the desire to help an unfortunate woman. Justin Wade
wanted
to indulge in the prostitution on offer at Liaison, so he did; he
wanted
to be the first man at the club to have Angelique Bain, so he did. He
wanted
to keep her for his exclusive gratification, so he did; and in doing so, knowingly entered into a business partnership with a criminal.

"Why, you might rightly ask, would he have done those things? We contend that it had been for the simple reason of indulging himself; he did it because he wanted to and because he
could
.

"You have heard the defendant’s mea culpa, his glibly stated regret, and his flimsy rationale. It speaks volumes that he voiced contrition only
after
being placed on trial. One has to wonder, had his crimes remained undiscovered, whether the defendant would have shown remorse.

"Defense Counsel has acknowledged the evidence against his client but denies his guilt. He has made the point that his client is not charged with soliciting, and he's absolutely correct in his assertion in that regard. What he failed to admit, however, is that his client
chose
to retain his membership of a brothel,
chose
to indulge in prostitution, and then
chose
to enter into a business partnership with a man he knew to be a criminal.

"Every item of documented evidence presented, each testimony you have heard, including that of the defendant himself, has irrefutably proven that he ignored and then broke the law, that he gained part ownership of and financially profited from the proceeds of an illegal business, one that centered on prostitution. Justin Wade
should
be held to account for the choices he made, and he
should
be convicted of the charges brought against him," I conclude.

.

.

The scene outside is chaotic as the defense contingent fights their way through the gathered media. Someone has at least learned from yesterday's debacle because two security guards escort them; one is, thankfully, taking good care of Mrs. Wade. They eventually escape in two waiting cars.

"Let's get this over with," I mutter, guiding Jodi forward. Ignoring the shouted questions, I decide to take control of the situation.

"This trial is over; the decision now lies in the capable hands of the jury. I’ll take only three questions," I address the media group.

"Charlie?" I call on a respected, veteran reporter.

"How do you think the prosecution fared, Counselor?" he asks.

"We hope, as we always do, that we’ve done our job well."

"Do you think Senator Wade deserves to be found guilty?" he follows up.

"The evidence in this case is clear, and the defendant no different from any other citizen; he is subject to the same laws. I ask that the media evaluate the issues in the same way you would for an ordinary citizen; that is what our judicial system requires, that is what the Commonwealth has sought to live up to, and that is what the jury will do in their deliberations."

"So you don't care that your friendship with Senator Wade or Thomas Martin has suffered?" the reporter who tried to push this storyline before calls out.

"I've just answered your question."

"Mr. Thorne, do you think Angelique Bain should be charged?" a female I recognize asks. Irritated, I stop, despite my three-question stipulation.

"Why should Ms. Bain be singled out? The Commonwealth’s laws dictate that a person has to be caught soliciting to be charged with prostitution; as a journalist, you should know that, Jill," I reply tersely. This woman has dogged my steps at almost every social event in an attempt to pry into my private life, and now here she is, at my place of work, asking yet another vapid question.

"The defendant has not been charged with soliciting, none of the sex workers at Liaison or any of the other clubs have been charged. What, in your mind, makes Ms. Bain’s situation different from those of Justin Wade, the other members of Liaison, or the other club workers? Her name has already been bandied about in the most damning way simply because she’d unwittingly found herself the bargaining chip between two men.

"Let me address any who are considering running with this storyline. The law is clear; we have no grounds on which to charge anyone involved in this case with soliciting. Ms. Bain will
not
be charged. She has done what the law required of her and testified in court; she should now be allowed to live her life in the same way other witnesses have been able to."

I glance down at Jodi to let her know we should leave. She stares back at me with shocked eyes but quickly recovers and moves alongside me as I make my way to our waiting car. I ignore the questions still being yelled.

I'm fuming as we wend our way through Boston’s afternoon traffic. I sense Jodi watching me, but I keep my face averted. What the fuck was I thinking? I've broken one of my cardinal rules when dealing with the press. 'Never say more than you have to,' has always been my mantra. Well, I've well and truly blown that rule, haven't I?

"It wasn't that bad," Jodi says softly.

"What?" I snap, turning to look at her troubled face.

"What you said; it wasn't that bad. You were asked a question, and you answered it factually. Okay, probably more passionately than you normally would, but I don't think anyone else will pick up on it."

"Pick up on
what
?" I ask testily, despite the slight relief I feel at her observation.

"Your attraction to Angelique Bain," she whispers, casting a glance at our driver.

I’m about to protest, but she cuts me off. "I noticed it the first time you two were in a room together. I was fascinated that two people who’d only just met could have such an impact on each other. I don't think she's completely immune to you either, by the way."

I exhale loudly, contemplating what I should say. I hadn’t wanted to talk about this to anyone other than what I confessed to Cait, and I only told her the bare minimum, but I trust Jodi. I lean forward to raise the privacy panel between the driver and us.