Evidence of Darkness Read online

  Evidence of Darkness

  By Judith L. Walker

  Fiction

  Copyright © 2017 J. L. Walker

  All rights reserved.

  ASIN: B071DYYNDH

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to places or establishments are to provide a sense of authenticity. The characters in this book are fictional; except Willow, the cat. He is very real and resides with the author.

  This book, or any part of it, may not be reproduced in any manner without the written consent of the author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1: THE DARKEST HOURS

  CHAPTER 2: THE INTERROGATION

  CHAPTER 3: CAT IN THE HAT

  CHAPTER 4: CHRISTMAS COURT

  CHAPTER 5: A GHOST FROM CHRISTMAS PAST

  CHAPTER 6: THE AWAKENING

  CHAPTER 7: FULL DISCLOSURE

  CHAPTER 8: ST. LOUIS MISERY

  CHAPTER 9: THE STRATEGIST

  CHAPTER 10: PLEAS OF DISTRESS

  CHAPTER 11: PLEAS REFUSE

  CHAPTER 12: VOIR DIRE

  CHAPTER 13: PRE-TRIAL TREPIDATION

  CHAPTER 14: THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

  VS. ADELE NICOLE CASTILLO

  CHAPTER 15: ADVERSE EXHIBITION

  CHAPTER 16: TESTIMONY OF MRS. NORA DEWALD

  CHAPTER 17: TESTIMONY OF ADELE N. CASTILLO

  CHAPTER 18: TESTIMONY OF DR. PATRICIA WILSON

  CHAPTER 19: THE CLOSING ARGUMENT

  CHAPTER 20: ACTS OF RECONCILIATION

  CHAPTER 21: THE VERDICT

  CHAPTER 22: DISSOLUTION OF DARKNESS

  1

  THE DARKEST HOURS

  “Anger management counseling? My ass!” Reesa scoffed loudly as she peered out her 62nd floor office window at the dusky skyline of New York City. She loved her anger. Her anger protected her. It got her where she was today. It kept her from ever being homeless and hungry again. But most of all, it kept her from ever being a victim again. Anger was Reesa’s best friend.

  Her internal rage is what gave her the ‘say the wrong word and I’ll cuss you out’ facade that had served her well in keeping people at a distance. It fueled her desire to excel in law school, which enabled her to graduate top of her class. And, it helped her toughen up when she needed to out whit and outlast her opponents in the courtroom.

  She didn’t consider herself beautiful, nor did she want to be; thus, she wore no makeup. At five feet three inches tall, her physique was anything but intimidating, which is why she cherished her loaded Smith & Wesson .38 Special, delicately placed in the right side, middle drawer of her massive mahogany desk.

  Reesa loved December in New York City. It became dark early so she was able to watch the city light up as the sun majestically sunk behind the skyscrapers. She usually didn’t leave the office until 7 p.m., so she savored the additional hours she worked when it was pitch dark outside. Her fifteen-year-old daughter, Jade, was attending a rehearsal for the school Christmas play, so she would delight in an extra hour of bliss on this particular evening – if, she could fight off the nightmares that kept creeping their way back into her mind.

  Damn it! she thought. Why has this been happening lately? She prided herself on successfully burying the terrifying events of her past that led her to this seat, at this desk, in one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City.

  Ever since the court had assigned her to represent Adele Castillo against a first-degree murder charge, her past had begun to torture her. Not only had the painful memories resurfaced, but so had the inner turmoil she had harbored throughout the years.

  Reesa’s anger became tangibly evident when she returned home early one afternoon and caught her daughter and her eighteen-year-old boyfriend half-dressed on the couch in the living room. For a brief moment, she lost control and attacked Chad until he hastily fled their apartment.

  Maybe she did act a bit more aggressively than she should have, but there was no way she was going to let happen to her daughter what had happened to her almost seventeen years ago.

  Reesa didn’t regret assaulting him. The titillating sting of her palms after they had slapped the back of Chad’s head and arms repeatedly felt oddly therapeutic. However, she was also all too familiar with the law and felt extremely fortunate anger management counseling was the only consequence for her savage reaction to the scene.

  After only one grueling session with the psychologist, the agonizing flashbacks had only intensified. It was as if a scabbing wound had been ripped open, exposing the decay still festering beneath.

  Dr. Wilson had told her she needed to deal with her past in order to have a rewarding future. Oh, wait, she thought – successfully deal with my past. Bullshit! Besides, I will have a rewarding future. I have a rewarding present! At least if earning a seven-figure income and living in a luxurious apartment in Midtown Manhattan qualifies as rewarding.

  She tried to refocus on the magnificent view outside her office window, but the past continued to torment her thoughts. When she closed her eyes for a brief moment, her mind instantly began spiraling backwards to the wee hours of that horrific morning.

  Connersville, Indiana – 1999

  After she stayed up later than usual cramming for a senior high midterm calculus exam, Reesa struggled to get some rest. It was close to 3 a.m., and ever since her mother’s boyfriend, Bryan, had moved in two months ago, she barely got any sleep. She couldn’t stand the way he looked at her. It gave her the creeps. He gave her the creeps.

  She couldn’t wait until she graduated in a few months so she could split. She had been accepted to Indiana University in Bloomington and was anxious to start summer courses to get a head start on the business curriculum. It was a two-hour drive to IU from the small town of Connersville where they lived, so it was far enough away to keep her mother, Barbara, at bay.

  Her Aunt Wanda, who lived on the outskirts of Bloomington, had agreed to let Reesa stay with her immediately following graduation.

  As Reesa tried to fall asleep, she was hoping and praying for a more peaceful existence at her aunt’s house when suddenly, she heard the frightening sound of a floorboard squeak in the hallway. She hoped it wasn’t Bryan leaving her mother’s bedroom as he did most nights. Sometimes he would open her door a crack and peek in at her. She would feel his capricious stare and pretend to be asleep to discourage him from engaging in any type of conversation with her.

  She lay motionless and listened closely, hoping he wasn’t in the hall. Moments later, she heard another board creak just outside her bedroom door. She pulled the covers up to her eyes and watched her cat’s silhouette in the moonlight as he lie snuggled up beside her on the bed. Milo perked up and started meowing ferociously, his gaze fixed on the door. She turned her attention to the doorknob, watching it intently and praying it wouldn’t move.

  The moonlight reflected off the metal handle as it slowly turned, then the door opened farther than usual. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Bryan slither into her room and close the door behind him. Milo swiftly scampered underneath the bed.

  Everything she had feared over the past few months culminated in that one moment as he stood by the side of the bed, watching her. She thought, PLEASE LEAVE. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH ME!

  A split-second later, she felt his calloused hand cover her mouth. Her eyes opened abruptly and she grabbed his hand, but she couldn’t remove it from her mouth – he was too strong. She tried to scream, but all that could be heard was a high-pitched muffled noise emanating from her throat. He snickered at her for even trying.

  She could smell the pungent odor of cigarettes and alcohol. He reeked of it and she felt like she might vomit from his stench.

  Her feeble attempt at hitting and biting him o
nly resulted in Bryan tightening his grip over her trembling lips. “Why are you fighting me, Reesy? You know you want it,” he said sadistically.

  Reesa kicked her legs and tried to roll onto her side in an effort to kick him in the groin. Her exertion failed, and he climbed onto her bed, straddling her so she couldn’t move.

  His voice scorned contempt. “Shh, I’m going to remove my hand, and you’re going to keep quiet. Do you understand me? If you utter a peep, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”

  Present, New York City

  As Reesa sat in her office gazing at the silhouette of the jagged skyline, she felt the same way she did on that agonizing morning, helpless, afraid, and consumed with terror, when a sudden light squeeze on her shoulder thrust her back to reality. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she instantly swung around in her chair. Her eyes radiated fury and her right hand instinctively reached for the handle of her middle desk drawer.

  Mike threw his hands in the air. “Hey, it’s just me! I didn’t mean to startle you, but you didn’t answer when I knocked on the door. You didn’t even seem to hear me when I walked into your office and called your name.” A look of concern washed over his face when he saw her panic-stricken expression. “Are you okay, Reesa?”

  She tried desperately to regain her composure. Swiftly wiping tears from the corners of her hazel-colored eyes, she replied quietly, “Yes…yes, I’m fine. I guess I must have dozed off for a second. I thought I was the only one still here.” Her normally confident disposition had suddenly disappeared, and she looked at him with a child-like expression on her face.

  Mike looked perplexed as he pointed to the stack of documents he had just placed on her desk. “I finally received the prosecution’s discovery for the Castillo case. I think they may have uncovered something that could finally give our defense some leverage if it pans out. It seems Victor DeWald had a prior sexual assault charge. Someone named LeeAnn Wilde filed the charges. She dropped them a few months later, so it never went to court. It was almost ten years ago, so locating her may prove to be a bit difficult. We’ll need to investigate it further to see if there’s anything we can use, but I think it’s the break we’ve been hoping for. I’d be happy to go through all of this with you if you’d like. Or, we can do it tomorrow if you prefer.”

  Reesa sat up straight and reached for the documents. “No, now is fine. Thanks, Mike.”

  She had always admired Mike. He was an attractive man with a genuine demeanor. He was hard working and dependable. When one of the senior partners at the firm requested that he transfer to her department a few years ago, she had been furious. She liked to hire her own staff, but after looking through his file, she reluctantly agreed. He had graduated top of his class from Northwestern University Law School, had many years of litigation experience, had a decent win-to-loss ratio, and most of all, he had kept his nose clean.

  As time passed, Reesa came to admire him and he turned out to be one of the few people she could trust in the cutthroat atmosphere of the firm. Even when his wife passed away two years ago, Mike continued to do his job to her impeccable standards.

  He had light-blue eyes, and thick, dark-blond hair that was beginning to show wisps of gray at his temples. If she was interested in dating, he may have been a candidate. However, she refused to get involved with anyone – especially someone she worked with. She decided more than a decade ago never to let anyone have that kind of control over her emotions, her energy, or her financial wellbeing.

  Mike hesitantly sat down in the seat opposite her desk. After he put on his reading glasses, he leaned over and used his engraved Cross pen as a pointer to identify some of the pertinent comments recorded during the depositions.

  Although Reesa was paying attention to his comments, she couldn’t help but fixate on him as he spoke. His soft voice had a soothing effect on her. His crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at the top and his tie hung loosely around his neck. He had a shadow of stubble on his jaw line, so she assumed he had been at the office since very early that morning.

  Afraid he might notice her staring at him, she scolded herself and once again looked down at the documents in front of her. She tucked a stray strand of her long brown hair behind her ear and refocused. “Very nice summary, Mike. I’m sure you’ll do the necessary discovery on this case to uncover all you can about Victor DeWald’s prior sexual assault charge. In light of this new revelation, do you think we should bring in another co-counsel to do some additional research? We really need to win this one for Adele’s sake. Cases involving rape are emotionally draining anyway, but she’s facing a first-degree murder charge which makes it even more important that we prove he was attempting to rape her that night.”

  Mike removed his reading glasses and tucked them in the breast pocket of his shirt. “I’m keeping a close eye on all the fine details of the case. If I even remotely think we need to bring in additional counsel or more expert witnesses, I’ll have them lined up, but I think we’re good for now.”

  She leaned back in her chair. Her voice became angry as she commented, “It exasperates me that women seem to have no right to protect themselves against men like him without having to endure an extensive legal battle. I know in my heart it was self-defense, Mike.”

  “After what we’ve discovered today, I’m definitely convinced it could have been,” he replied, nodding his head.

  “Okay. I’m anxious to see how this progresses. My heart really goes out to Adele. She’s in a tough situation. I’d really like to see her come out of this unscathed. ”

  “Me too, trust me. I’m just relieved that something finally turned up that could potentially tip the scale in our favor.” He stood up to leave, then paused. “Are you planning on heading out soon? I’d be happy to walk you to your car.”

  Reesa glanced at the clock on the wall. “No, I’ll probably stick around a few more minutes. Jade’s at school tonight. They’re practicing for the Christmas play. She should be finished around nine. I’m picking her up and we’re going to get a bite to eat.” Her eyes brightened up and she got a huge smile on her face. “Did I mention she has the lead in the school play? Her drama teacher thinks she may be good enough to get accepted to Julliard.”

  Mike grinned. “Wow, that’s impressive! I’m sure you’re very proud of her."

  “Yes, I am. Sorry to ramble. Have a nice evening, Mike.”

  She watched him leave her office, then began studying the documents in front of her. She thought perhaps this case might be hitting a little too close to home and after several minutes, her mind once again began replaying the events of that violent night almost seventeen years ago. She found herself feeling ill as she remembered lying in bed after she had been raped.

  Connersville, Indiana – 1999

  Bryan acted proud of himself as he got out of bed and zipped up his jeans – like he had accomplished something noble. “See, Reesy, that wasn’t so bad now, was it? I don’t know why you put up such a fight.” He turned to leave, then abruptly swung around and viciously grabbed a handful of her hair. He yanked her head up to his face while encasing his other hand tightly around her neck. “Oh, and if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll make sure your precious little pussy cat dies a slow and painful death. Understand, bitch?”

  She slowly nodded her head, trembling as tears ran down her face. He slammed her head down on her pillow and exited the room.

  When she was sure he had left her bedroom, she scooped up Milo from underneath the bed and held him close, then curled up into a ball and cried for hours while holding her bedspread to her face to muffle the deafening sounds of her sobs.

  When the first trace of daylight began to show through the slats of the blinds that covered her bedroom window, she quietly got out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. She locked the door, then slid the laundry hamper in front of it as an added precaution.

  She retrieved a pair of trimming shears from the medicine chest, fully prepared to use them if Bryan managed to enter
the room, then turned the faucet to the warmest setting and entered the shower. After scrubbing herself until her skin felt raw, she finally stepped out of the shower. Her hands trembled as she reached for a towel on the rack affixed to the wall.

  She was anxious to get dressed and leave the house. Her best friend, Madeline, would be waiting for her at the bus stop promptly at 7:45 a.m. She looked at the dusty old clock on the bathroom wall – 6:45 a.m. She quickly contemplated what she would do for the next hour, but knew she had to leave the house before Bryan woke up to get ready for work.

  Her mother would probably still be in bed sleeping off her drinking binge from the night before. She could at least count on that. Lord knows she hadn’t been able to count on anything else from her.

  Reesa dressed quickly, grabbed her toothbrush and comb, then quietly returned to her bedroom. She knew without a doubt she couldn’t return home, so she grabbed a large backpack from her closet shelf and stuffed it with clothes and as many personal necessities as she could possibly fit into it.

  Her fear and misery from the events of earlier that morning had now turned into anger. She was angry at Bryan for what he’d done to her, and even angrier at her mother. She thought, That bitch! That weak pathetic bitch! If she had even the slight resemblance of a spine, she would have kicked him out on his ass. But, she knew all too well her mother’s strong dependence on men – and booze.

  Reesa’s father had left when she was only six years old. Her parents had fought constantly. Once he was gone, she recalled being happy for a while. But shortly thereafter, her mother had started drinking. Then came the men. A few of them had been nice to her, but they never stayed long.

  As Reesa grew up, she vowed never to be like her mother. She would be strong, independent, and never, ever drink. It disgusted her. Men disgusted her. She would be in control of her life. She would never be dependent on anyone. She just had to graduate from high school – if she could survive that long.