Don't Walk Away

Chapter Thirty-Two

(Three weeks later - Salem Courthouse)

Chloe lifted her head from Brady's shoulder and looked around the lobby of the courthouse. They were in recess for a lunch break, and most everyone had not returned yet. It was only Brady, Chloe, and a few of the observers from the courtroom gallery.

"Brady... Please tell me why it is that people actually want to come and sit through these trials, just for fun."

"Curiosity. Boredom. I don't know. The same reason that people watch Court TV, the O.J. trial, those stupid reality shows like Survivor and Fear Factor. To them, it's reality entertainment."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yes, but to us it's just reality. I swear if I see one person pull out a bag of Twizzlers, I'm going to punch them. This isn't a movie or a TV show, it's real... and it sucks."

Brady nodded and rubbed her arm reassuringly. "I know... But, some people have weird ways of being entertained. They don't have lives of their own, so they have to watch ours play out in a courtroom. So, how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine, actually. I know I sound kind of bitchy today, but that could also be my hormones talking."

"Aren't you nervous about testifying?"

Chloe shrugged nonchalantly. "Not as nervous as I thought I'd be. We've gone over my testimony so many times that I feel like I'm ready. And, if Phillip's attorney springs something on me that I'm not expecting... I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

Brady nodded and smiled at her. "This is pretty much an open and shut case, if you ask me. He did it; we all know he did it... They just have to decide whether he was insane at the time, or completely coherent."

Chloe sighed softly. They had already listened to hours of testimony from all sorts of medical experts. The defense testified that Phillip was insane at the time of the incident, and that he should be allowed back on the streets after being rehabilitated. The district attorney, however, would not be so lenient. She believed that no amount of psychiatry or medication could help him, and that he belonged in jail for a very long time.

"I don't even know what to think, and I'm one of the major players in this little courtroom drama. I know that he's disturbed, that's for sure. But, I don't know if sticking him in a mental hospital and then letting him go when he 'seems' okay is a great idea. Just because he gets rehabilitated doesn't mean he's healed for all time."

"But, we don't get to decide that. It's up to the jury. Whatever happens, Chloe, don't be afraid. He will never hurt us again. I'll make sure of that."

Chloe smiled at him and squeezed his hand gently. "I know that. I'm not afraid of him. I don't even think about him anymore. I just want to make sure he gets punished for what he's done."

Brady nodded and kissed her forehead. "He will be. And, if it's not by the jury and the judge... Well, I believe in hell, don't you?"

"Sure. Not to mention, hell on earth. I definitely do not feel sorry for him because he brought this on himself. But... he's lost everything, and that's a pretty good punishment right there."

Chloe paused and looked at her watch, as more people starting filing into the courthouse lobby. Brady looked at her curiously.

"Is it almost time?"

"It's getting there."

Brady stood and Chloe followed along. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. They walked together back into the courtroom, and took their seats behind the prosecutor's table. Holding hands, they waited in silence until they saw their families come in and take their seats beside them. Both sets of parents, along with Shawn, Belle and Mimi had gone to the Brady Pub for lunch recess, and now they rejoined Brady and Chloe who had stayed behind.

Belle sat on the other side of Chloe and looked at her curiously. "So, why exactly didn't you two come to lunch?"

Chloe cringed slightly and responded. "It's the smell of food. Any food. I'm having one of those days where walking into a restaurant when they're cooking makes me just plain nauseous."

"Really? The smell of food makes you nauseous?"

"Not all the time. But it has a couple of times. The other night, Brady was cooking something with this cheese sauce, and I actually had to go upstairs and lay down before I threw up. Certain smells at certain times make me sick."

Nancy interjected from a little further down the bench. "Chloe, sweetheart, you have to eat though."

Chloe waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, mom. I'm eating plenty. Brady makes sure of that."

Mimi leaned forward from the bench behind them and rested her elbows on the back of the seat. "Are you having a lot of weird cravings? Because when my mom was pregnant with Connor... Echhhh. I don't even want to think about the weird stuff she ate. Yuck."

"Just one craving so far. Beef."

Brady laughed at her and nodded in agreement. "It's true. I was actually afraid of her the other night. I thought she was going to rip my eyeballs out to get a bite of my cheeseburger."

Mimi raised her eyebrows and looked at her in confusion. "You're craving beef? What's so weird about that?"

Chloe replied quickly, "I don't eat red meat, remember? I'm strictly a fish and poultry eater. And, I'm trying not to give in to the craving... But it's hard. My doctor said that the baby's just craving protein, so I've been making sure to get it from other places."

Mimi nodded and sat back in her seat. All heads turned when the doors open and Phillip came in with his attorney, Alan Davis, beside him. His mother and father sat on his side of the room behind the defense table. Chloe knew how hard this whole situation was on Victor, his son was on trial for the attempted murder of his grandson. There was no side for Victor to choose in this case, not when your duty as a parent forced you to support your children and your grandchildren.

The district attorney, Pat Hamilton, entered next, and the judge followed. Everyone stood and waited as the bailiff quickly called the court back into session. Judge Hiller took his seat at the bench, and the rest of the courtroom returned to their seats.

The judge waited until everyone was seated and quiet, then addressed the court. "Good afternoon and welcome back. I trust you all had a good lunch recess. I'm not going to waste any more time, please, Miss Hamilton, you may call your next witness."

The D.A. stood from her seat and nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, your honor. The state calls Miss Chloe Lane to the stand."

Chloe stood and took a deep breath in for courage. Brady squeezed her hand gently before letting go of it, and Chloe received looks of encouragement from her family and friends surrounding her. She quickly made her way to the witness stand and took her seat, placing her hand on the bible that the bailiff held in front of her.

The bailiff began his usual spiel to her. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So help you God..."

Chloe nodded and replied, "I will."

Her testimony for the prosecution's side was simple and painless. The district attorney had her go over the events of the morning that Phillip confessed, explaining what she had heard, what he had said, and his physical attack on her. Chloe knew that Shawn and Belle were slated to testify later on, telling the jury what they had walked in, and proving that Phillip had physically attacked her on that morning. The district attorney thanked her for her time, and took her seat back at the prosecution table.

Alan Davis, Phillip's high powered attorney stood and adjusted his tie before coming over to the witness stand. Chloe knew that he was a great lawyer, one of the best that Kiriakis money could by, but he struck her as being a complete and utter sleaze. He laid one hand on the railing in front of her, and his tone immediately sounded condescending to her ears.

"Miss Lane..."

Chloe raised one eyebrow and matched his inflection with her reply. "Mister Davis..."

"What exactly is the nature of your relationship with the victim?"

"The victim? Mr. Davis, the 'victim' does have a name, and I think that it's safe for you to go ahead and refer to him by that name. He is after all, a human being, and that's what this whole proceeding is about, isn't it? The attempted murder of a human life. So, let's not be so clinical about it."

Chloe caught Brady's gaze out of the corner of her eye. He was trying to suppress his laughter, but not having much success when Belle elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up.

Davis looked at her in disbelief, and Chloe wasn't sure if he was more surprised at her words or the fact that the judge did not stop her. He cleared his throat and attempted to begin again.

"Fair enough, Miss Lane. What is the nature of your relationship with Mr. Brady Black?"

"Would that be currently or prior to the attempt on Mr. Black's life?"

"Currently, please."

Chloe looked at him strangely and objected before the D.A. had a chance to. "I don't really see how that's relevant, sir."

Judge Hiller interjected in agreement. "The witness is correct, Mr. Davis. Unless you can prove it to be a relevant line of questioning, this case has nothing to do with the events that transpired after the attack on Mr. Black."

Davis nodded and changed his question. "Okay. Miss Lane, what was the nature of your relationship prior to the attack?"

"We were friends, close friends."

"There was no romantic involvement?"

"No, there was not. Mr. Black and I were friends, and that's all. The defendant assumed that there was something else going on, but there never was."

Davis nodded and rubbed his hands together. "So, you're saying that my client never had a reason to be jealous of your relationship with Mr. Black..."

Chloe nodded and smiled smarmily at him. "That is correct, Mr. Davis. Your client was always very suspicious but never had an actual reason to be."

"You said that you witnessed problems that my client had with jealousy and managing his anger on many occasions. Did you ever advise him to seek help for his problems?"

"I was aware that your client had some problems, but I never knew that they ran as deeply as they do. I never could have expected him to take it this far."

Davis looked at her suspiciously, and Chloe suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at the direction he was taking his questions. "But, as his former girlfriend, you never advised him to speak to a psychiatrist? To get help for his illness?"

Chloe clenched her jaw, and restrained herself from laughing out loud. "As I said, I was aware of some of his problems, but I did not believe it to be a serious mental illness at the time. Also, it was not my responsibility to take care of your client's mental health. That's up to him, and his parents."

"So, you don't blame yourself for what happened to Mr. Black?"

"I don't. Only your client is responsible for his actions. I will not take any of the blame for what he did."

Davis nodded, and paused thoughtfully, moving on to a different subject. "Miss Lane... The morning that you found my client in the hospital room of Mr. Black. You said that he seemed 'crazed'. Do you believe his actions were caused by mental illness?"

Chloe laughed softly, not able to hold it in this time. "Mr. Davis, please... I said he acted 'crazed', I did not say he was crazy. Besides, I believe you're asking the wrong person. I am not a mental healthcare professional, therefore I am completely unqualified to render an opinion on his mental status at the time of any of these incidents."

"Fair enough. But, as a layperson, a person who presumably knew my client very well... What is your opinion as the former girlfriend of my client?"

Chloe had kept her eyes off of Phillip for the entire trial, but this time she let her gaze shift briefly over to him. His expensive suit was clean and pressed, but he looked even worse today than he did when she had visited him in jail a month ago.

"I don't think I can do that. I found out that I didn't know him as well as I thought I did. The two years that we spent together were a lie. I don't believe that question is relevant considering the circumstances."

Davis looked up at the judge, who interjected, once again agreeing with Chloe. "The witness is correct, Mr. Davis. This line of questioning is getting ridiculous. Miss Lane has stated what she knows and what she has witnessed. She does not have any medical experience or knowledge to render an opinion on your client's mental health."

Davis nodded and looked back towards Chloe. "Alright then. I have no further questions for this witness. Thank you, Miss Lane."

Judge Hiller turned to Pat Hamilton and inquired. "Miss Hamilton, do you wish to redirect?"

"No, sir. The state is finished with this witness."

"Miss Lane, you may step down."

Chloe smiled in appreciate at the judge and quickly returned to her seat in between Brady and Belle. Her mother squeezed her hand as she walked by congratulating her on a job well done. Brady grabbed her hand and grinned at her.

"Look at you. When did you turn into such a brilliant witness?"

Chloe shrugged and smiled bashfully. "I have no idea. I don't even watch enough TV to steal off of courtroom dramas."

Brady kissed her on the cheek and smiled proudly. "You did a great job, diva."

"Thanks, Brady." Chloe sighed softly and rested her head on Brady's shoulder. Her time on the stand had gone much smoother than she expected it to, and very soon this would all be over with.

***

(Three days later)

Chloe paced around the loft nervously while Brady laid comfortably on the couch relaxing. He looked at her with amusement and shook his head.

"Chloe... Are you SURE you want to be here? We can go down to the courthouse right now. Maybe we'll make it by the time they read the verdict."

Chloe stopped pacing and frowned at him. "No, Brady. I made a conscious decision that once we were finished with our testimonies, I would not go back to that courtroom. I don't know why I'm so nervous. No matter how this turns out, it's over. It's all over with."

Brady sat up and motioned for her to join him on the couch. Chloe walked around and sat next to him, sighing softly as he wrapped his arm around her. "You're right, there is no reason to be nervous. The outcome will not change anything for you and me."


"It was just a really short trial, barely a week, and now the jury's coming back already? Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know, Chloe. I really don't."

Chloe pouted childishly at him. "But, you're supposed to know these things. You're supposed to know everything."

Brady laughed and held her closely. "While normally, I would agree with you... I have to be uncharacteristically modest and say that I don't know everything."

The phone on the table in front of them rang loudly, and Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. Brady looked at her, surprise on his face. It rang again and Chloe nudged him into action.

"Answer it, Brady... Come on."

He nodded and swooped the cordless phone up into his hand quickly. "Hello... Yeah, dad... Uh-huh"

There was a very long pause as Brady stared at Chloe with his warm, comforting blue eyes. "Okay. Yeah. Thanks, dad, we'll see you later."

Brady hung up the phone and Chloe stared at him anxiously, gripping her hands on to his arm while she waited for an answer. "Well? Brady, come on... don't leave me in suspense."

Brady nodded and took a deep breath in. "Guilty. Attempted Murder. Guilty. The sentencing is in a month."

Chloe's expression dropped and she slumped against the back of the couch. "Guilty? Oh my God... I can't believe it."

"I... I guess there wasn't enough proof that he was medically insane at the time. It was one shrinks word against another, basically."

Chloe shook her head in disbelief. "He's going to prison."

Brady nodded and clasped her hand. "It's exactly where he should be."

"I know, Brady. I'm just surprised. I thought they would go the other way... the insanity defense."

"So did I, really. But, I don't disagree with this verdict. Phillip may have a mental illness, but I think he probably knew what he was doing."

Chloe nodded and hugged him tightly, breathing a loud sigh of relief. "It's over. It's finally over."

Brady hugged her back and gave her a brief kiss in celebration. "That may be over, but everything else for us is just beginning."

Chloe smiled happily. "I feel... pretty good. No, I feel really good."

"Me too, diva. So, my dad is taking us all out to Tuscany tonight, are you up for it?"

"I'm definitely up for it. And, I need to get ready to go... But, I think I just want to stay in your arms for five more minutes."

Brady nodded as she snuggled close to him. "How about ten more?"

Chloe chuckled and nodded. "If you think we can make it on time."

They held on to each other tightly, both of them feeling exactly what the other was feeling. Contentment and peace at last. Phillip Kiriakis was out of their lives for good, to be eventually shipped off to prison where he would be spending a great deal of time. Chloe almost wanted to laugh, but suppressed it, knowing that a rich, pretty-boy like Phillip would not have an easy time around a prison full of hardened life-long criminals. The one that had caused so much pain in their lives would finally be getting a taste of his own medicine.

***

(What happens next? Woooooooo... It's a mystery. Stay tuned to find out!

By the way, no offense to people who enjoy reality TV, court TV or who watched the O.J. trial. Remember, I didn't insult you... Broe did, and I must obey what my characters tell me to write.

And don't we all agree that a whiny little bitch like Phil would get beat up every single day in prison? I shouldn't laugh at that... but I will.)

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