Adverse Possession (The Anna Albertini Files #3) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,63
aisle to take the witness box, where the bearded bailiff swore him in. Then he sat.
I wrote his name on the notepad. For court, he’d worn a gray suit with a darker gray tie, and with his blondish surf-boy good looks, he appeared earnest and also hard edged. Yeah, he was a good cop.
“He’s hot,” Kelsey whispered.
I leaned toward her. “You’ve caught your limit for now.”
She grinned. At least she was smiling again.
Orrin ran Pierce through preliminary questions to establish his expertise in the field before turning to the day Danny had been killed. He walked Pierce through the evidence of the case and Krissy’s later confession and conviction. “Detective Pierce, what evidence have you acquired that the defendant here today, Kelsey Walker, assisted her sister in the murder of Danny Pucci?” Orrin asked.
I finished the notes with my black pen and reached for the red and blue ones. Red for facts that hurt us and blue for facts that helped us. I’d learned that method during my time with the prosecuting attorney’s office.
Pierce’s green gaze remained focused on Orrin. “We found Kelsey Walker’s DNA on the deceased’s body. There were scratches along his back and the side of his neck that have proved to be the defendant’s.”
I made a note to ask a question.
“What else?” Orrin asked.
Pierce looked believable and authoritative in the witness box. He’d do a good job in front of a jury. “Witnesses attending the park concert that day confirm that both Krissy and Kelsey disappeared for a generous amount of time. Enough time to murder Mr. Pucci and return to the park.”
We needed to find our own witnesses to rebut that. So far, I wasn’t feeling too badly about this case. I’d ask Kelsey about the marks on Danny’s body later. They’d had a turbulent relationship, so that’d be easy enough to explain to a jury if necessary. I might be able to get this tossed out after the prelim, maybe.
I cross-examined Pierce to gain more information about the evidence, how it was collected, and how long he’d suspected Kelsey of working with her sister. “How did you get my client’s DNA, detective?”
His eyebrows rose. “Your client voluntarily gave up DNA during the investigation into the death of Danny Pucci. This happened before the arrest of her sister.”
Kelsey winced. “I forgot to tell you that,” she whispered.
What else had she forgotten to tell me?
I questioned Pierce for another thirty minutes just to make sure I wrung all information out of him that I could. Since this was just an evidentiary hearing, I let myself go into uncharted territory with Pierce. “Detective Pierce, do you think Kelsey Walker assisted in the murder of Danny Pucci?”
“Objection,” Orrin said. “The detective’s personal views are irrelevant.”
I stood. “The prosecution spent a lot of time establishing the experience of the detective, so his opinion is relevant here, your honor.”
“Overruled,” Judge William said.
I smiled at Pierce. “Please answer the question.”
The full force of his green gaze held power. “I don’t know if your client helped in the murder. What I do know is that the evidence can be construed with enough probable cause against her.”
Interesting. When Pierce was on the case, he was a bulldog with a hambone. Uncertainty from him showed a weak case. By the smile on Orrin’s face, he didn’t realize that fact.
“Thank you,” I said, retaking my seat.
Orrin then called three witnesses from the park to say they lost sight of both Krissy and Kelsey. None of them knew where the sisters had gone, and none had any direct or even circumstantial evidence against Kelsey.
I questioned them so I could lock them in later with their testimony before whispering to Kelsey. “So far, this isn’t bad. I’m not sure Orrin will make it past this stage.”
Orrin then called his next witness, and Krissy Walker was escorted in from a door to the right of the bench.
Kelsey gasped and partially stood.
I pressed her arm and she sat back down. Crap. There was only one reason Orrin would want Krissy on the stand.
A few weeks in prison hadn’t made Krissy Walker lose any of her luster. Her thick black hair wound around her shoulders, and her eyes were clear. Somehow, she looked good in the orange jumpsuit. She was sworn in and then sat patiently, looking only at Orrin.
Orrin stood. “Ms. Walker, let’s make this easy. Did your sister assist you in the murder of Danny Pucci?”