Peggy Holloway - Judith McCain 01 - Blood on White Wicker (26 page)

“He wrote that it was a one-time deal and she had received the amount of money they had agreed upon. When he noticed the date of the letter, he brought it to us. We had always suspected that Mark’s mother was involved, and was in the process of questioning her when she skipped town.”

“Your honor, we’d like to enter this letter into evidence…”

Both Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Crocker jumped up at once, “I object…”

“I didn’t write that letter.”

The judge hit his little wooden hammer on his desk, “I’ll have order in my court. Mr. Crocker, if you can’t control your client, I’ll have him sent back to his cell. Both counselors approach the bench.”

When both lawyers got to where the judge was, the judge put his hand over the microphone while both lawyers appeared to be in a heated argument. After this went on for some time, both lawyers nodded and went back to their tables.

“The letter may or may not be introduced when Mr. Rogers takes the stand, but for now disregard it. Mr. Graham, you may continue, but no more about the letter.”

“What happened next, Ms. Carr?”

“We were contacted again in February by Mark Rogers. He had met Judith McCain, Julia’s twin sister. He suspected she was one of the twins because he said she looked just like her mother.”

“Objection! Hearsay.”

“Sustained. Mr. Graham, perhaps you should limit your questions to Ms. Carr’s own experience, while living in the Reynolds household and let Mr. Rogers talk about what he experienced firsthand. You know this. This is basic law 101.”

“Ms. Carr, would you tell the court what you witnessed while you were in the Reynolds household?”

 
“I witnessed several nightmares in the middle of the night when Julia would wake up screaming. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds wouldn’t let her talk about the dreams.

“Later, when Judith, the twin sister came for a visit, I saw Mr. Reynolds first try to buy her off and then threaten her if she didn’t stay away from Julia. Also, the Reynolds’ told Julia she wasn’t adopted even though it was obvious that Mrs. Reynolds was too old to have had her.”

“Objection, your honor, is this witness a doctor besides being an FBI agent?”

“Objection is sustained. Move on counselor.”

“A few months ago, were you with Mrs. Reynolds when she was dying?”

“Yes.”

“And did Mrs. Reynolds make a confession which you taped?”

“Yes.”

“If it pleases the court, I’d like to play this tape now, Your Honor.”

Again Mr. Crocker tried to object saying this was hearsay, but the judge told him he had already ruled on this. A tape recorder was brought in and set up. While they were doing that, Mr. Graham walked over to his table and took a sip of water.

While the tape was being played, Mr. Reynolds sat with his head down, shaking it from side to side. At one point he leaned over and said something to Mr. Crocker, then glanced at Julia and me.

When the tape was finished, Mr. Graham said, “I have no further questions for this witness. The tape speaks for itself.”

“Your witness Mr. Crocker,” said the judge.

“I have only one question of this witness. Ms. Carr, do you know if Mrs. Reynolds was sedated or given any pain medication before you taped this so called confession?”

“No, I don’t.”

The little shit smiled at her and said, “No more questions.”

“You may step down Ms. Carr. Call your next witness, Mr. Graham.”

“I would like to call Mr. Mark Rogers to the stand.”

On his way up to the witness box, Mark stopped and squeezed mine and Julia’s shoulders. Then we took each other’s hand and squeezed.

“Mr. Rogers, when did you first meet Judith McCain?”

“Objection, relevance?”

 
“Mr. Graham, is this line of questioning going to be relevant to what we’re doing here today?”

 
“Yes it is, if the court will have a little patience with me.”

“Objection is overruled for now. The witness will answer the question.”

“I first met Judith at the home of Mr. Dave Beaudreau.”

“And when was this and what were you doing at that home?”

“This was last February and I was attending a Mardi Gras party.”

“Would you describe this first meeting?”

“Judith was supposed to be my date. When I met her, the first thing I noticed was that she looked exactly like Jennifer McCain, whom I used to date before she married Phillip McCain Jr. The next thing I noticed was the necklace she was wearing. It was the necklace Phillip was fastening on Jennifer’s neck when they were both murdered.”

“How did you know it was the same necklace?”

“It was unique. It had a unicorn on a chain with a curved horn instead of straight like most unicorns.”

“When was the last time you had seen this necklace?”

“I hate to say it but my mother had picked it up off the floor, the night of the murder and kidnapping. When I got home from my date that night there was a lot of confusion. They had already removed the bodies and the paramedics were tending to my mother who had been hit in the head. Mr. McCain, who had had a heart attack, had been taken off in the ambulance. When the paramedic who was tending my mother turned his back to get more bandages, I saw her reach down and pick it up off the floor and put it in her pocket.”

“Did the police question both you and your mother?”

“Yes they did but I had been with my girlfriend and she verified that. They decided to finish questioning my mom the next day because she told them she was in a lot of pain. But she disappeared during the night.”

“One more question, Mr. Rogers. Where do you live now?”

“I’m still living in the servant’s quarters at the McCain estate.”

“So you still get along with Mrs. McCain?”

“She’s like a second mother to me.” When he said this Mimi nodded her head and smiled at him.

When Mr. Crocker stood up to question Mark he had a smirk on his face. “Isn’t it true, Mr. Rogers, that Dave Beaudreau’s house was in fact a whore house, and isn’t it true that Judith McCain, who’s alias at that time was Victoria Masters, was a prostitute?”

I could feel my face turn red like it was on fire. I didn’t look at Julia or Mimi but could feel them looking at me.

“Dave is a friend of mine. I went there to a party. I didn’t sleep with anyone there.”

“But you had in the past, slept with one of Dave’s whores, isn’t that right?”

 
“Objection Your Honor, he’s badgering the witness and it’s not relevant why Mr. Rogers was there.”

“Objection sustained. Move on Mr. Crocker.”

Mr. Crocker went to his table and started shuffling some papers. “Are you done with this witness counselor?” the judge asked.

“No I’m not your honor. Mr. Rogers, isn’t it true that you’re Phillip McCain’s son?”

This time the judge had to hammer a long time before he got order.

“One more outburst and I will clear the courtroom. Do you want an answer to your question Mr. Crocker or were you just trying to stir things up, because I fail to see the relevance of that question.”

“Never mind your honor.”

“I’d like to redirect your honor. I just want to let the defense counselor get all the bull out of his system before I moved on.”

Everyone laughed and the judge looked like he had a hard time trying not to laugh.

“Mr. Rogers, would you tell us about the letter you found in January.”

“Objection your honor, this is supposed to be a redirect. He’s bringing up new stuff (I’m not kidding. He really did say stuff). Will I get to cross on this new information?”

“Yes you will. Mr. Graham, you need to, in the future, follow the procedures of the law.”

“I apologize, your honor. Mr. Rogers, tell us about the letter.”

“I had reached the point where I was ready to admit to myself that my mother wasn’t coming back. I had decided to do some major clearing out to make room for my own things. Most of what she had left was junk. But then I opened one box that was full of papers.

“Most of this was junk too until I came to a letter from Mr. Reynolds. I remembered Mr. Reynolds and was curious as to why he would be writing to my mother. So, I read it.”

“Is this the letter you found?”

When Mark said that it was Mr. Graham continued, “I would like you to read this letter.”

“Objection, objection, objection.”

“You only have to say it once Mr. Crocker,” the judge said. “Counselors, approach the bench.”

Again, they went up and argued for awhile. Then Mr. Crocker stomped back to his table like a little boy.

 
“The witness may read the letter.”

“Hannah, we have agreed on a price and that’s what you’re getting. You’d better do your part when the time comes. And yes, it is going to be necessary for you to be hit on the head.

“Don’t you dare try to blackmail me in the future and don’t threaten me again about going to the police. If you do, I promise you that you won’t be around long enough to regret it.”

“The letter is signed, Mr. Charles Reynolds.”

“Your honor, I’d like to take a recess before my cross.”

Judge Truman looked at his watch. “Why don’t we adjourn for the day and take this up at nine a.m. tomorrow.”

We all stood while the jury filed out. Two guards took Mr. Reynolds away and then the judge let us go. It had been a long day. I saw Mr. Crocker tell Mr. Graham that he needed to speak to him.

As we walked down the block where the car was parked, I kept looking at Mimi and I noticed that Julia was looking at her too. Mimi looked so tired.

I told her that I had a driver’s license if she wanted me to drive but she laughed and said, “That’s just what I need, to be stopped and have them examine your driver’s license and see that it is a fake. No thank you, Judith. You always were the sneaky one. It’s the quiet ones you have to watch.”

As soon as she laughed, I quit worrying about her.

CHAPTER 26

We were all so keyed up when we got back to the bungalow that we couldn’t relax. After we walked over to the cafeteria and had dinner, Mimi suggested we all have a glass of brandy. Of course, I had had brandy before but Julia hadn’t and she coughed when she took her first sip. She said she liked it after she got used to it.

The next morning I felt like I was sleep walking when we got to court, but was soon wide awake when Tracy came in.

She sat behind us and leaned over and said, “We found Hannah. She has been running scared for years. When she had to go to New Orleans to take care of her mother, she changed her name.

“When she had to put her mother in the nursing home she changed her mother’s name and, as you know, gave the nursing home a bogus address and phone number. If it hadn’t been for the necklace she might have been able to stay hidden.

“When the antique dealer offered her a price for everything in the house, she took it. She had forgotten that she had given her mother the necklace for mother’s day right after the kidnapping. Anyway, she’s willing to testify against Mr. Reynolds. She knows she’s going to prison and she said she’s almost relieved. She’s terrified of Mr. Reynolds.”