A Snowy Night
Parts 30-31
By Kellie
The courtroom was silent as everyone watched Matt push Vanessa's wheelchair to the front of the courtroom and help her take a seat in the witness box. Vanessa sat ramrod straight in her seat and looked Carmen directly in the eye as she was sworn in. Ross walked up to her and began with his first question, "Mrs. Reardon, do you have some new information to share with this court regarding the murder of Ben Warren?"
"Yes, I know that Michelle Santos did not shoot Ben Warren," Vanessa calmly replied.
"How do you know this, Mrs. Reardon?"
"I was at Ben Warren's apartment the night of his death. I went there because Pilar Santos had told me that she had planned to try and seduce Ben. She wanted her mother, Carmen Santos, to find her with Ben. It was her hope that Carmen would end her relationship with Ben as a result. I knew that Pilar was in over her head and I decided to go and try to stop her. When I arrived, I knocked on the door and there was no answer. The door was not locked and I let myself in. I found Ben Warren on the floor. He had been shot once. He was conscious and asked me to help him," Vanessa stopped and reached for a glass of water.
"Mrs. Reardon, do you need a minute before continuing?" Ross asked.
"I'm okay," Vanessa answered.
"Can you please tell the court what happened next?" Ross requested.
"I asked Ben what had happened. He told me that Pilar had set him up to make it look like he was trying to rape her. He told me that Carmen had come in, pulled a gun from her purse and shot him."
Danny shot an angry stare over at Carmen. She had the look of a caged animal as many people in the courtroom turned to gage her reaction to Vanessa's testimony. Carmen stood and began slowly walking towards the door to exit the courtroom. When she looked up from the floor as she neared the door, Carmen found Ray standing between her and the door. He leaned in and whispered in her ear in order to avoid disrupting the courtroom, "Aunt Carmen, I don't think you should be leaving so soon. Please come sit with me." Ray took Carmen by the arm and escorted her back to her seat. He sat down beside her and held her wrist.
At the front of the courtroom, Ross continued to question Vanessa. "Will you tell the court how Ben ended up with two gunshot wounds that night?"
"Yes. I was still very angry with Ben because my son, Bill, had been convicted of breaking into the Spaulding Enterprises computers. Ben actually did it and then set Bill up to take the fall. I saw the gun lying on the floor and I picked it up and pointed it at Ben. I wanted him to confess that he had set Bill up. Ben pulled himself up off the floor and lunged at me. We struggled over the gun and it went off. Ben fell onto the floor. I went over to him and I couldn't find a pulse. I was in shock. I rushed out the door and got into my car to go back to Cedars. On the way there, I blacked out and had a wreck. I remember briefly waking up in the hospital and speaking to my husband. I tried to tell him what had happened, but I blacked out again. After that, I fell into a coma that I only came out of recently."
Ross walked over to the defense table and picked up a copy of Vanessa's medical records, "Your honor, I want to submit Mrs. Reardon's medical records as evidence that she has been unable to come forward with her story until today."
Ross handed the records to the bailiff who in turn handed them to the judge for review. Finally, the judge spoke, "Mr. Marler, do you have any further questions for this witness?"
"Not at this time, your honor," Ross replied.
"Ms. Wolfe, your witness."
The district attorney rose and faced the judge, "Your honor, considering Mrs. Reardon's testimony, the prosecution has no objections to any motions the defense might like to make with regard to overturning Michelle Santos' conviction in this matter."
Ross rose and faced the judge, "Your honor, the defense moves that the conviction of Michelle Bauer Santos for the murder of Ben Warren be overturned in light of the testimony heard today."
"Motion granted. Michelle Bauer Santos, you are free to go. This court is adjourned."
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Carmen sat in silence as the judge spoke. "Does the jury have a verdict?"
"We do your honor," the foreman replied.
Carmen heard her attorney tell her to rise and face the judge. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Was this what it was like when Michelle stood here? Carmen thought to herself. How come I'm the only one facing charges in Ben's death? That Vanessa Reardon got off scot-free. They called her actions accidental. Accidental my foot - she hated Ben and wanted him dead. I know it,. Her thoughts were interrupted as the foreman read the verdict.
"We find the defendant, Carmen Santos guilty of murder in the second degree. We also find Carmen Santos guilty of the attempted murder of Vanessa Reardon, interfering with a police investigation, bribery, witness tampering, and falsifying evidence."
Carmen sank into her chair. She couldn't believe that she was on her way to prison for her part in Ben's death and for setting Michelle up. Carmen muttered to herself, "I'm going to make Michelle and Vanessa pay for this. They will suffer, I will find a way."
Carmen turned and looked for Dietz as the bailiff came over to take her to jail. She saw Danny and Michelle standing hand in hand at the back of the courtroom. Vanessa was with them. Carmen's calm controlled faŤade snapped as she looked at them and she began to shout across the courtroom, "Michelle, you will pay for this. I will find a way to make you pay. You should be the one in prison after what you did to Mick. Vanessa, I'll get you, too. That devoted husband of yours will find himself all alone, and soon."
The bailiff drug Carmen out of the courtroom. Michelle grasped Danny's hand tightly as he whispered, "She can't hurt us anymore."
"I hope you're right," Michelle replied.
Vanessa looked at Michelle, "Sweetie, she can't hurt any of us anymore than she already has."
Michelle placed her hand on her expanding waistline. "I know - it's just with the baby coming, I can't help worrying."
"Michelle, if Carmen tries to do anything from prison, she'll have to use contacts from within one of the families. I did some checking around. She tried to use those contacts while she was in jail awaiting trial. No one wants to be associated with her - she's powerless. Carmen's made enemies with just about everyone she's done business with. There's no way she can hurt us ever again - I promise," Danny said.
"Call me about setting the date for the baby shower," Vanessa said as she hugged Michelle. "I talk with you soon."
"I'll call you next week," Michelle replied.
"Babe, you can't call Vanessa next week," Danny whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her out of the courtroom. Their conversation was interrupted by flashbulbs and a throng of reporters in the hallway wanting to hear their reaction to Carmen's guilty verdict. Michelle heard Danny quickly reply, "Our attorney, Ross Marler, will be issuing a statement on our behalf later today. Please excuse us, my wife and I have an appointment."
As they stepped into the elevator, "And what appointment might that be, Danny?" Michelle asked.
"I seem to recall being promised a rematch to a certain snowball fight."
"Danny, have you lost your mind. It's eighty degrees outside. I don't think we can have a snowball fight in this weather."
"Trust me, we can. It'll all make sense shortly," Danny answered as they exited the courthouse and walked to their car.
As Danny opened her door, Michelle spotted their luggage in the backseat. "Danny, how did that get there? It wasn't in the car when we got here."
"Good, I see that Rick got here with our things."
"Danny, where are we going? I have an appointment with Dr. Sedwick tomorrow. We can't go anywhere."
Danny silenced her with a long passionate kiss. When they broke apart, "Babe, I called and spoke to Dr. Sedwick to see if this little trip I had planned was okay for you and the baby. After she gave her OK, I postponed your appointment. I wrote the new date and time in your calendar. Now, we are on our way to the airport. No more questions, or we'll stay home and deal with the reporters calling every five minutes trying to get our reaction to what just happened in there."
"Okay - I just have one question," Michelle remarked.
"I have a feeling, I know what that question is and no, I'm not telling you where we're going, yet." Danny replied firmly before shutting the car door.