A Meeting In The Ladies' Room (19 page)

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Authors: Anita Doreen Diggs

BOOK: A Meeting In The Ladies' Room
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36
THE SHOWMAN, PART I
P
aul and Mama insisted on coming to court the next morning even though I told them that it wasn't necessary.
Ruth Champ was grinning like a Cheshire cat, and the sight made my stomach drop. What did she have up her sleeve?
And then Joe Long took the stand. He was wearing a gray suit, white shirt, and gray tie.
Champ had him state his full name and occupation.
“Mr. Long, how well do you know Jacqueline Blue?”
Joe shrugged. “We're not what I'd call friends. She is a fellow editor and we saw each other at business-related gatherings.”
“What is your opinion of Miss Blue?”
“I think she is mentally unstable.”
Keith let this testimony go unchallenged, and when I tugged frantically at his sleeve, he pushed my hand away.
“What makes you say that, Mr. Long?”
“Because she pursued my best friend relentlessly for a year. There are laws against stalking someone who doesn't want to be bothered and I told him to get the police involved, but he refused.”
“What is your friend's name?”
“Victor Bell.”
There was a rustle among the reporters. The media had been chewing over the Dora's Dad angle like a dog with a meaty bone.
“Do you like Miss Blue?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“She was never friendly to me, even though we saw each other every week at our networking group.”
Champ gave the jury a summary. “So, in your opinion, Jacqueline Blue is a cold woman who does not know how to take no for an answer.”
“Exactly.”
Champ smirked in Keith's direction. “Your witness.”
Keith stepped up to the plate and went straight for the jugular. “You love him, don't you, Mr. Long?”
Joe started coughing and the proceedings came to a halt as Keith waited for him to drink some water.
“I don't understand the question, sir.”
“Do you love Mr. Victor Bell?”
“He is my best friend. I care about him.”
Keith laughed and the sound was nasty. “Okay, have it your way.”
I remembered my confusion when Dallas said that Joe was jealous of me. Now it made sense. Joe was in love with Victor and was only playing the buddy role to stay close to a man he could not have.
“Did you ever meet Annabelle Murray?”
“No.”
“Did you ever talk to her on the phone?”
Joe hesitated.
“You are under oath, Mr. Long.”
“Once.”
“Tell us about it, please.”
“I was at Victor's apartment once and she called to speak with him. I answered the phone.”
“Do you know what she and Victor talked about?”
“No. He took the phone in the bathroom.”
“When did this happen?”
“The night before she died.”
“Did you and Victor have a conversation about Annabelle after he came out of the bathroom?”
“No. I went straight home.”
Keith looked at the jury and then back at Joe. “What if I told you that there is a witness who says you and Victor had a terrible argument that night?”
“I'd say this person is lying.”
Keith continued as though Joe had not spoken. “This witness overheard Mr. Bell arguing in his apartment with someone he called Joe on the night before Annabelle Murray died.”
“So what? I'm not the only Joe on earth. Maybe Victor had someone else over after I left.”
Keith rubbed his forehead. “Hmmmm. I guess it's possible. What time did you leave Mr. Bell's apartment?”
“About ten.”
“Did you walk out of the building alone?”
“Yes.”
“The neighborhood watch has a surveillance camera on that corner,” Keith said gently. “I'll ask you one more time. Did you walk out of that building alone?”
Joe dropped his head. “No.”
“Who was with you?”
“Victor.”
Keith paused. “Did Victor take you home?”
“No.”
“Did you ask Victor to walk out with you?”
“I don't remember.”
“Sure you do,” Keith yelled. “Isn't it true that Victor Bell said that he was going to Annabelle's house?”
“I don't remember.”
Champ shouted, “Objection! The question has been asked and answered.”
The judge sustained her objection.
Keith's voice became sympathetic. “You're a good friend, Joe. Too bad Victor doesn't appreciate you. I think you've been trying to keep Victor away from Annabelle for a long time. Am I right?”
Joe sighed. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he was in love and she wasn't. Because she used him as a plaything for her own amusement, and I didn't see how any good could come of the whole affair.”
“So, you argued with Victor when he said he was going to Annabelle's apartment on the night before she died because you were afraid for him. Correct?”
“Yes.”
Keith sighed. “One last question. If you knew that Victor and Annabelle were having a sexual relationship, why did you become so angry on this particular night?”
Joe looked up at the ceiling as he answered in a dry monotone. “Victor told me a few weeks before the murder that Annabelle had grown bored with the whole thing and wouldn't see him anymore. I believed him until one of our friends saw him coming out of Victoria's Secret on Madison Avenue with a bunch of packages. I asked him about it and he stuck to his story but I knew he was lying. That night when she called and he told me they were meeting at her apartment, I was shocked. I mean, screwing a man's wife in a hotel is one thing but it is stupid to meet in a married man's home and I told him so. Victor told me to mind my own business and things got heated.”
“Did you and Victor talk about what happened that night at Annabelle's apartment?”
“No. Even after she got killed, we never talked about her again.”
“Thanks. I have no further questions.”
My mind was reeling. What did all this mean, and why was Keith preening and smirking at me like the case was over?
The next morning, I gasped when Ruth Champ stood up and said, “The state calls Victor Bell.” The story of my obsession was about to unfold.
My hands started to shake and I had to lean on Keith's shoulder to keep from fainting. After Victor was sworn in, Champ began her questioning.
“Mr. Bell, what do you do for a living?”
“I'm a sales representative for Bingham & Stone Publishers.”
“Will you please tell the court what your duties are?”
“Basically, I'm one of a team of people who travel to bookstores across the country and try to get the stores to order as many of Bingham's titles as possible.”
“Do you know Jacqueline Blue?”
“Of course.”
“Are you friends?”
He didn't hesitate. “Yes, I consider Jackie a friend.”
Champ shouted, “You're a very kind man, Mr. Bell. It takes a man with a very good heart to tolerate what you've had to put up with over the past year and still call the woman a friend.”
Keith leapt to his feet so fast, my head almost dropped to the bench. “Objection, your honor!”
The judge frowned. “Objection sustained. The jury will disregard Ms. Champ's last remarks.”
Champ apologized.
“Do you have a line of questioning for this witness or not, Ms. Champ?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Then ask your questions.”
Champ turned back to Victor.
“Were you ever romantically involved with Miss Blue?”
“No.”
Tell me this, were you ever interested in dating Miss Blue?”
“No.”
“Did she ever express an interest in dating you?”
“Yes.”
“Would it be fair to say that Miss Blue has pursued you relentlessly via e-mail in an effort to become your girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
“At some point, did you ask her to stop contacting you?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“We work in the same industry. I didn't want to hurt her feelings.”
“Did Miss Blue send you a suggestive e-mail shortly before the murder?”
“Yes.”
“Tell us about it.”
“It wasn't like the others, where she just talked on and on about her life. This one was bold. She indicated that she wanted me to make love to her.”
Oh, the humiliation! I put my head down on my arms and wept right there at the defense table until Keith's insistent whispering that I pull myself together made me sit up straight.
“Did you accept her invitation, Mr. Bell?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I figured that if I had sex with her, she would bug me even more, but her invitation really irked me so my reply to her e-mail was kind of mean. I'm sorry about it now. Jackie is really a nice person.”
Champ walked purposefully over to the prosecution table and picked up three pieces of paper which the judge allowed her to admit into evidence. She then addressed the jury. “Allow me to read Exhibit #1, an e-mail from Jacqueline Blue to Victor Bell:
Hi, Handsome,
Sorry you missed the Black Pack meeting last night. I was looking forward to seeing you. Suppose we both skip next Friday's gathering and get together alone at my place. I'll wear something sheer and pour Dom Perignon into real crystal glasses while we . . . er . . . talk.”
There was a flurry of activity in the courtroom and a few giggles. I stared at my hands.
She continued. “And now, Exhibit #2, Victor Bell's reply:
Dear Jackie:
I have my hands full with my new girlfriend and career. Thank you for the offer but I'm not looking for THAT.
If you have any business-related requests, I will help you if I can.”
There was a gasp from somewhere in the back of the room. Was it my mother?
Champ held another paper high above her head for a moment so that everyone could see it. “This is Jacqueline Blue's answer to Mr. Bell's refusal:
Victor:
I have never been kicked in the stomach by a steel-toed boot, but it can't possibly hurt more than your last message.
She handed all three papers over to the clerk and turned back to Victor.
“Mr. Bell, do you have a steady girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Would it be fair for me to say that you lied to Miss Blue about having one to avoid having sex with her?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever tell her that stalking someone who is clearly not interested in that attention is against the law?”
Keith objected and the judge sustained, so Victor couldn't answer that question.
“How did you feel when Miss Blue compared your refusal to being kicked by a steel-toed boot?”
Victor shrugged. “I figured she'd be mad at me for a couple of months and then e-mail me again.”
“In other words, she was obsessive and relentless. Correct?”
Victor sighed. “Yes.”
“Thank you—no further questions.”
I begged Keith not to cross-examine Victor but he just shrugged me off and sauntered up to the witness stand.
“Good morning, Mr. Bell.”
“Good morning, Mr. Williams.”
“Can we drop the formality just a little? I'd like you to call me Keith and I'll call you Victor. Would that be all right with you?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, Victor. Did I hear you say a moment ago that you do not have a steady girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
“In other words, after Annabelle Murray was murdered, you were too grief-stricken to take on another lover?”

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