Where Darkness Resides, page 23
“Johnny’s men no longer have him,” he added.
He heard her sigh in relief.
“But I’m afraid there is a little bad news. Not something we won’t be able to handle, but bad news nevertheless.”
“Tell me,” she anxiously demanded.
“He’s with the police. Battered and bruised but he’s alive.”
“Gracias, Señor,” she said while crossing herself.
“I can have my men look into where he’s being held. We can try to get him out, but it may require that we…that you call in a couple of favors,” Luis suggested.
“Whatever it takes. I want my boy home as soon as possible.”
“Understood. Do you still want me to arrange a meeting with Johnny?” Luis asked after remembering his initial charge from Mrs. Quintana.
“I do. I know he no longer has his bargaining chip, but I think there is something else we can discuss. He might be interested given his current position.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As Pamela and Daniel traveled back to San Juan, Puerto Rico in the rental car, Daniel was pleased he was not only rescued but the captive who had been tortured for information was finally free. A heavy weight was taken off his shoulder and the fear of impending death now seemed a distant memory only to resurface again someday once the normal routines of life returned and Daniel would wonder about his future.
He looked at Pamela who was still focused on their mission to follow the police caravan to police headquarters where the men from the safe house and the men currently being transported would be processed and interviewed. A beaming smile came across his face. He couldn’t hide it. He was happy beyond measure and Pamela noticed it but dismissed it temporarily.
Looking in the rearview mirror, Daniel saw George and Virginia conversing together in their rental car as they followed behind. He wasn’t sure if it was a heated argument or just the typical banter between coworkers. He was happy just to experience normality again.
With the windows down, the mountain breeze filled the car. Daniel breathed deeply and surrendered to it. He slowly regained his peace until his thoughts became engrossed in one thing: What will happen to him?
“I need to take him with me to Phoenix,” Daniel told Pamela.
“That’s not a small task. I’m not sure they’ll let you. He’s a mafioso’s son. Apparently, a high-ranking member himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s wanted by the Puerto Rican police for crimes committed here and other places.”
“We need to do something. It’s important.”
Pamela could tell by the expression on his face, he was serious. She hadn’t seen him so concerned since the deaths of those individuals associated with the royalty case he litigated the previous year.
Acknowledging the significance of his request even though she didn’t completely understand why, she replied, “I have a couple of connections who owe me a favor. Maybe…just maybe I can pull it off.”
“Are you talking about that Alberto guy Virginia mentioned to me? You should have seen her face when she spoke about him.”
Pamela shook her head.
“So you mean Gerry then?” Daniel asked.
“Maybe? I know he can help us but let’s just say I don’t want to reveal who it is…who they are. Not just yet. It’s not important who they are anyway so long as they get the job done.”
She grinned at Daniel as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, looked away from him, and sped down the highway.
Sufficiently pleased by her response, Daniel grabbed his cell phone and called Marissa.
46 CONTINUANCE
Phoenix, Arizona
The Same Morning
“All rise, the Honorable Jessica Furman presiding,” the bailiff announced as everyone in the courtroom rose to their feet.
The jurors, however, were not in the courtroom yet.
“Ms. Robles, because of the juror’s illness you were unable to complete your closing argument yesterday. Are you ready?” the judge asked.
“Your honor, we have a new development. If it pleases the court, we would like to request a one-day continuance,” Marissa requested.
Doug Clarkson jumped to his feet and declared, “I object your honor. Defense counsel hasn’t spoken to me about a continuance. This is the first I’ve heard of it. The jury has been empaneled for nearly two weeks now. Any further delays would prejudice my clients. My clients have been waiting for justice and are entitled to receive a verdict from the jury without any further delays. We would request that defense counsel finish their closing argument so the case can proceed.”
“Sit down, Mr. Clarkson. Defense counsel hasn’t even said what this new development is before you were quick to object. Let her speak so the court can know how to evaluate the request and rule upon it. But your objection is noted,” the judge retorted with a stern look on her face.
Doug immediately sat down but with a slight feeling of defeat.
“Thank you, your honor,” Marissa said as she turned to side-eye Doug before continuing. He ignored her glaring look. “I apologize. I’m not able to provide a lot of detail just yet as to the new development. Defendants have located a witness who I think will shed light on this whole affair and from whom the jury will want to hear testimony before closing arguments are completed. Because defendants will need to confirm the identity of the new witness who we intend to call, we are requesting a continuance.”
“Your honor…,” Doug said as he began standing up again.
The judge lifted her gavel and he stopped himself before she spoke.
“Is there a reason why defendants haven’t disclosed this witness previously? You have an obligation to fully disclose witnesses before trial. This is unorthodox and seems to be a last-minute sandbag of the plaintiffs and their counsel,” the judge inquisitively asked.
Doug nodded. He was clearly in agreement with the court’s questioning and what he expected would be her likely ruling in their favor. He knew the judge was a stickler for the rules of civil procedure and rarely granted any exceptions.
“Your honor, suffice it to say that the defense counsel were totally surprised about the existence of this witness and were unaware of his whereabouts. Had we known, we certainly would have disclosed the witness earlier in the litigation and complied with this court’s scheduling order. And frankly, had we learned of this sooner, it would have completely eliminated the need for this entire trial and saved the parties the time and expense as well as this court’s invaluable judicial resources. At least in my opinion,” Marissa said. “As an officer of the court, I avow on behalf of my clients, we are the ones who are in fact being sandbagged and it will become clear to this court once we can confirm the identity of the witness.”
The judge was intrigued by Marissa’s argument and contemplated her response.
“In light of this new potential evidence, I am inclined to grant a continuance, but I must say, Mr. Clarkson, is right. The trial has been going on for almost two weeks, which is longer than the average civil trial. The jurors have exhibited great patience with the process and have shown up every day to exercise their duty on behalf of the community. I’m surprised we have only lost one juror. That is highly unusual and illustrates the commitment and sacrifice of our jurors. I’m concerned that if I grant a continuance we may lose more jurors and it will result in a mistrial.”
“I totally understand your honor’s concern. We are only asking for a twenty-four-hour continuance, your honor. We assure you. We aren’t asking for a substantial amount of time,” Marissa explained.
“Mr. Clarkson, given this new evidence, I’m inclined to grant a short one-day continuance. I don’t believe it will have a substantial impact on the jury. At least, I hope it doesn’t. Do you object to that?’
Sensing the judge had made up her mind and not wanting to upset the judge even further, he replied, “Plaintiffs have no issue with a one-day continuance, your honor if that’s what counsel avows she’s representing to the court.”
Selinda turned to her attorney and whispered in Danica’s ear. She was obviously concerned about what was going on and why her attorneys weren’t aware of it. Wanting answers, Danica had none for her client.
“Good, I will so rule and grant the one-day continuance,” the judge said. “But there is one additional matter I need to bring to counsels’ attention.”
Counsel seated at both tables perked up and listened.
“Juror number six is in fact seriously ill and will not be returning to the jury. It means we are down one juror. We can sit an alternate juror as part of the jury panel now or the parties can agree to reduce the total number of jurors on the panel by one, so the number of alternates stays the same in case there are further delays.”
The judge obviously conveyed she would be perturbed and would unlikely tolerate any future delays.
Mr. Clarkson stood to address the judge.
“Your honor, we appreciate the juror’s service and also express our gratitude and concern. Hopefully, she will recover soon. I think we should keep the number of jurors the same. If for some reason there are any other new issues that arise, plaintiffs don’t intend on bringing any new issues to the court’s attention, but if there are new issues, we can then address the court’s concern at that time and discuss reducing the size of the jury. I think that’s fair to my clients which like I’ve said before having been waiting to receive their justice.’
He sat down knowing his argument was convincing and his response pleased his clients.
“Ms. Robles?” the judge said.
“Your honor, I have no issue with delaying this discussion to a later date if needed. But, as I’ve explained before, hopefully, it won’t come to that.”
The judge stood up to exit the courtroom.
“All rise,” the bailiff announced.
47 COURTROOM
Phoenix, Arizona
The Next Day
Daniel stood on the tarmac at Terminal One of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. He smiled as the warmer, desert air swept around his body. It was a vast contrast to the cooler air in the mountainous regions of Puerto Rico. Normally, the cooler weather was a welcome reprieve from the dry heat in Arizona, but with his recent abduction and torture, Daniel felt differently.
It’s good to be home, he reassured himself as he looked around the airport grounds to convince himself of the reality of the situation.
The darkness was gone both inwardly and outwardly. The only thing left was the strong light shining over every nook and cranny and everywhere he could see for miles on end. It pleased him in ways he would not fully understand until years later when he reflected on his experience.
Turning around towards the private jet owned by the Regal Wisteria corporation, Daniel watched as Pamela walked down the portable stairs. She was pleasantly attractive in the way she took charge of rescuing him. He hadn’t realized how seriously her military experience formed a big part of her life. To him, she was just a private investigator who did mundane jobs for his firm. Now she was something more. More than just a friend. More than just her sarcastic remarks and innocent flirtations, which made him uncomfortable at times but sometimes brought a smile to his face. She was now a force to be reckoned with which, in all honesty, brought a certain amount of concern or even fear he’d never associated with her.
Virginia and George followed her, both awkwardly holding carry-on bags. When they were on the tarmac, Cameron walked down the stairs. From afar, the siblings looked more like identical twins despite their age difference. His bright smile and dirty blonde hair contrasted with the aviator glasses to give him a sleek professional demeanor Daniel was surprised to learn he possessed after all those years of hearing about Cameron’s antics from Pamela. Two members of the security detail were behind him carrying weapons.
Cameron walked over to his sister and said, “Dad’s expecting me to come by the house now. I hope that is alright with you, sis.”
He seemed in a rush which was unexpected.
Pleased they had been cordial with each other because of the harrowing circumstances the siblings experienced together but not yet having fully reconciled, Pamela gleefully replied, “Sure. I have some things to do before I head over. I’ll see you there.”
She handed him her house key and turned away.
Before she could take a few steps toward the terminal, Cameron joked, “Come on. You’re not going to give me a hug goodbye after all I’ve done to save you? I’ve earned it.”
Stopping in her tracks, Pamela contemplated her brother’s request. She started walking away when, from behind her, Cameron gave her a bear hug. Her body relaxed as she allowed herself to enjoy it. She placed her right arm across her left shoulder and patted his shoulder. Her reaction pleased him.
Under her breath, she muttered, “I’ve missed you.”
‘I’ve missed you too.”
She was surprised he heard her.
He squeezed her tightly one more time before letting her go.
“Let’s go guys,” he said after whistling to the security detail who then followed him into a limousine awaiting their arrival.
The vehicle drove away as if it would never return.
George and Virginia watched the whole spectacle. They were excited for their boss and what could lay ahead for her with a reconciliation with Cameron and the rest of the family. They knew it was what Pamela secretly longed for despite her past protestations to the contrary. When she was alone, they both approached.
Looking around and not seeing any limousine to whisk them away from the airport, George declared, “I’m exhausted. This whole ordeal wore me out.”
He stretched his limbs to alleviate the soreness from the long flight and to rejuvenate his body.
“Me too. Both physically and emotionally,” Virginia added.
“Take the next few days off,” Pamela insisted. “We don’t have anything planned anyway. If something comes up…never mind.”
Pamela laughed. So did the others.
George and Virginia walked to the terminal leaving Daniel and Pamela alone.
Before long, another private jet taxied toward Terminal One. The ground crew rushed the portable stairs to the passenger door. It quickly opened. Walking down the portable stairs was a man wearing an orange jumpsuit, shackles, and a waist chain.
“Counsel, before we bring in the jury, I would like to discuss where we left off the last time the parties were in court,” Judge Furman said as she gazed across the judge’s bench inquisitively.
Both sets of attorneys were standing alongside their clients as the judge spoke. Selinda Hernandez and her children were eager to learn how the outcome of the continuance would affect them and who the mystery witness was. She tightly held each of their hands as they stood on either side of her.
Selinda held on to what her attorney, Doug Clarkson, told her two days ago when it was first brought up in court: “I think this is just a stall tactic to find something to help their case. They know they’re in a bad position with the jury and hope the extra day will distract the jury somehow. I doubt it will work.”
Although his words comforted her, his demeanor was more telling. Doug looked worried himself more so than her, perhaps due to the uncertainty of the situation. It was certainly out of character for him as a seasoned attorney to display doubt, especially in front of his client. Selinda could tell that her other attorney, Danica, was putting on a brave face as well while Doug discussed his take on the defense counsel’s last-minute request.
While Selinda smiled in response to her attorney’s conciliatory words, once home and away from the courtroom, her anxiety reawakened. Waiting an extra day for the revelation made her scour her thoughts of individuals at the scene who might have witnessed something, former disgruntled employees who could undermine her case, or even a medical provider who might have damning information about her husband’s pre-accident medical condition. Her imagination was endless. Worrying only made her restless and lose sleep on each of the previous two nights. Now that she was in the courtroom again, her worrying only got the best of her.
“If I may your honor,” Marissa said as she looked toward the back of the courtroom at the gallery for her expected visitor. When she realized he still was not in the courtroom, she continued, “I’m still waiting to confirm the witness’s identity.”
“Ms. Robles, I’ve given you more than ample time to do so. I can wait a few more minutes if need be, but my patience is wearing thin and the trial needs to proceed. We’ve taken enough of the jury’s time and I don’t want to delay things even further. Have I made myself clear?”
“Yes, your honor.”
“Your honor, this is getting ridiculous,” Doug interjected with his overly flamboyant display of disgust for opposing counsel he was known for while in court. “We’ve waited long enough….”
The main courtroom door creaked open making a louder noise than normal. The entire courtroom gazed toward the rear while Daniel Mendoza slowly entered. He looked worse for wear.
As he straggled in, wearing casual clothes rather than the typical double-breasted suit he wore while in court, Daniel spoke with a hoarse voice, “I apologize, your honor, for being late and missing most of the trial.”
When the judge gave him an ornery look, Daniel added as he touched his clothes in acknowledgment of what the judge was going to say, “Yes, I understand and apologize for my attire as well. I just arrived on an overnight flight from the Caribbean and came straight here.”
The judge’s eyebrows furled.
“I hope you enjoyed yourself, Mr. Mendoza, but court decorum still requires you to dress appropriately notwithstanding your recent return from a vacation.”
As Daniel limped toward the defense counsel’s table, Judge Furman could recognize knots, bruises, and numerous lacerations on Daniel’s face, neck, and the exposed parts of his arms. She gasped. So did Danica and Doug. Even John and Marissa were surprised at the obvious beating he had taken. Marissa placed her arm on Daniel’s shoulder which only made him flinch. She quickly pulled it back worried she had needlessly caused her boss pain. He tried to dispel her concerns.
