Just Take My Heart - Mary Higgins Clark [14]
The intensity of the preparation had also been a turning point in her adjustment to Mark's death. Though she still very much missed him, she no longer tortured herself a dozen times a day with the phrase that had been consuming so much of her energy, “If only he had lived, if only he had lived . . .”
Instead, as she met with the prospective witnesses, the face of Gregg Aldrich permeated her consciousness now. It was especially present when Natalie's friends related how distressed Natalie would become when, after a lunch or dinner, she would check her cell phone messages and invariably find at least one call or text from Gregg beseeching her to give their marriage another chance.
“I saw her burst into tears on a number of occasions,” Lisa Kent, a longtime close friend, said angrily. “She cared very much for him, more than that, I'm sure she loved him. It was the marriage that just didn't work. She had hoped that she could keep him as her agent, but she realized pretty quickly that he was much too emotional about her for them to see each other and be in touch all the time, even if it was only on a business basis.”
Emily knew that Kent would make a good witness.
Late Friday afternoon, three days before the trial was to start, Ted Wesley called her to his office. From the moment she saw him, she could tell that he was elated.
“Close the door,” he said. “I have something to tell you.”
“Let me guess,” Emily said, “you've heard from Washington!”
“About fifteen minutes ago. You're the first one in the office that I'm telling. The president is going to announce tomorrow that he is nominating me to be the new attorney general.”
“Ted, that's wonderful. What an honor! And no one deserves it more than you do.” She felt genuinely happy for him.
“I'm not going anywhere too fast. The Senate confirmation hearings will be scheduled in the next few weeks. I'm kind of glad it's working out that way. I want to be around for the Aldrich trial. I want to see this guy go down.”
“So do I. It's a stroke of luck that Easton can remember so many details from Gregg Aldrich's living room. Even with Easton's background, I don't see how Moore can explain that away.”
“And you have that call from Aldrich's cell phone to Easton's cell phone. I don't know how Moore is going to get around that, either.” Wesley leaned back in his chair. “Emily, you must know there was some unhappiness in this office when I gave you this case. I did it because I think you're ready for it and I know you can pull this case together for the jury.”
Emily's smile was rueful. “If you can only tell me how I can transform Jimmy Easton from looking like the creep that he is to a credi?ble witness, I'd be eternally gratified. We bought a dark blue suit for him to wear when he testifies, but we both know he's going to look like a fish out of water in it. I told you that when I spoke to Jimmy at the jail, I realized that, mercifully, the shoe polish color in his hair was fading, but it didn't improve his appearance one bit.”
Wesley was frowning thoughtfully. “Emily, I don't care what Easton looks like. You have Aldrich's cell phone call to him, and you have his description of the living room. Even if he comes across lousy, they can't change those two facts.”
“Then why is Moore taking this to trial? They have never wanted to negotiate any kind of plea, even after Easton came into the pic?ture. I just don't know where they're going with this, and whether or not Easton can stand up to Moore's cross-examination.”
“We'll soon find out,” Wesley said, his tone now mild.
Emily perceived the difference in his voice and felt that she could read his mind. He's getting nervous that Aldrich will be acquitted, she thought. That won't be just a failure for me. It will be considered a failure in judgment on his part that he gave me this case. That won't be the greatest way to start off his Senate confirmation hearings.
After once again congratulating Wesley on his nomination, Emily went home. But early in the morning she