Just Take My Heart - Mary Higgins Clark [56]
“Yes, he did, but he was never in my home.”
“Mr. Aldrich, you told us that this drawer is somewhat of a joke in your family, and that you all referred to it as 'a message from the de?parted spirits.'”
“Yes, that is true.”
“Sir, as far as you know, did Mr. Easton know any members your family?”
“As far as I know, he did not.”
“Did you have any mutual friends with Mr. Easton who might have joked about this drawer in his presence?”
“As far as I know, we have no mutual friends.”
“Mr. Aldrich, do you have any explanation whatsoever as to how Jimmy Easton could have so accurately described this piece of furniture and the sound it gave off if he has never been in your living room?”
“I have racked my brain as to how he could have known. I have no idea.” Gregg's voice was beginning to break again.
“One more thing, Mr. Aldrich. In the articles that appeared in various magazines about Natalie, was this drawer ever mentioned?”
“No, it was not,” he said, despairingly. Clutching the arms of the witness chair, he turned to the jury. “I did not kill my wife,” he shouted. “I did not kill her. Please believe me. I . . . I . . .” Unable to continue, Gregg buried his face in his hands and wept.
Ignoring the devastated figure on the witness stand, Emily said crisply, “Your Honor, I have no further questions,” then walked back toward her chair at counsel table.
Moore and his son whispered quickly and decided against posing any further questions themselves. Richard Moore stood up. “Your Honor, the defense rests.”
Judge Stevens looked at Gregg Aldrich. “Sir, you may step down.”
Wearily, Gregg arose, murmured, “Thank you, Your Honor,” and slowly, as if every step were painful, went back to his chair.
Judge Stevens then addressed Emily. “Is there any rebuttal from the prosecutor?”
“No, Your Honor,” Emily said.
The judge then turned toward the jury. “Ladies and gentlemen, the testimony in this case is completed. I will take a forty-five-minute break to allow the attorneys to gather their thoughts for their summa?tions. Under our rules of court, the defense attorney goes first, and then the prosecutor. Depending upon how long the summations take, I will give you my final legal instructions either late this after?noon or tomorrow morning. After my instructions are finished, we will randomly select the alternates and the final twelve jurors will begin their deliberations.”
Just Take My Heart
36
When court recessed on Monday afternoon, Emily had just fin?ished her powerful summation. Moore did his best, she thought, but he couldn't get around that drawer. She had left the courtroom cau?tiously optimistic that soon Gregg Aldrich would be in a prison cell. The case would be given to the jury tomorrow. How long will it take them to decide? she wondered. And hopefully there will be a decision. She shuddered at the thought of a hung jury and having to d this all over again.
On the way home she stopped in the supermarket, intending only to pick up some basics like milk, soup, and bread. But when she passed the meat counter, she stopped. The thought of a steak and baked potato for dinner, particularly after all of the take-out food the last few months, was suddenly very appealing.
Exhaustion was seeping into her bones as she took the items to the checkout counter. By the time she was pulling into her drive fifteen minutes later, she wondered if she would have the energy to grill the steak.
There was no sign of Zach's car and she remembered that he had told her that his hours at work had changed. The new flower beds had been soaked in the driving rain that had lasted most of the day. She found it unsettling to look at them.
As she unpacked the grocery bag, she let Bess run in the backyard for a few minutes, then went upstairs to her bedroom. She changed into an old pair of cotton jogging pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt and stretched out on the bed. Bess snuggled up to her and she pulled the coverlet over both of them. “Bess, I have fought the good fight. Now let's see what happens,” she said as she closed her eyes.