Black Tie Event

Chapter Thirty Eight

"Detective Hayden, your testimony today was very compelling, but failed to mention your original reasoning for being in Green Falls."

Carrie had warned me that this question would be one of the first, and furthermore that I had to tread carefully. If I answered the wrong way, it would make me come off as though I'd been out for blood from the get-go. And that just wasn't true.

"Prior allegations had been made against Collin Shaw on counts of embezzlement and sexual misconduct. I was assigned to Green Falls to make sure that these allegations were untrue, but unfortunately, I couldn't do that."

"Sent here to investigate embezzlement," the defense attorney repeated, just pulling out the words he liked. "And, Detective, what did you find?"

"That financially, his affairs were in order, but in other areas, Collin Shaw is a--"

"Affairs were in order," he cut me off. "So the allegations were false, then."

"Other allegations proved to be quite accurate," I corrected on the contrary. "It was that allegation that was false."

"Detective, in your sworn affidavit, you testified that sexual misconduct was only one of numerous allegations you were sent undercover to investigate. The defense's one, Your Honor," he labeled, handing me my own affidavit. "Can you read the highlighted passage, please?"

I swallowed as I began to flatly recite my own words. "Allegations were made against Collin Shaw on numerous grounds, such as sexual misconduct, including both harassment and assault; assault of a nonsexual nature; embezzlement; fraud; tax evasion; bribery; forgery; and insider trading."

"Thank you, Detective. And tell me, did you find any evidence to corroborate the suspicion that my client had embezzled at all?"

"Objection," Carrie argued. "Asked and answered."

"I'm just clarifying, Your Honor."

"I'll allow it," the judge agreed.

"No," I admitted, knowing that it meant I had to answer yet again. 

"What about fraud? Tax evasion? Bribery, forgery, insider trading? Any of these?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"So if all of these charges were false leads given to the PD, how are we supposed to believe that the others were true? How are we, the people, to differentiate between an empty lead and a valid one? Furthermore, Detective, how are we to know where these leads even came from?"

"Objection," Carrie spouted again.

"Grounds?"

"It's compound. That was three different questions."

The judge nodded. "Sustained. Break it up, Counselor."

"Detective, how are we to know which leads given to the PD are false and which ones are valid?"

"The ones that were corroborated by my own investigation were certainly valid," I retorted. "I saw the results of your client's handiwork, and it's corroborated by witness statements, physical trauma, and DNA. Is that enough for you to tell what's valid, Counselor?"

"I'm not the one on the stand," he reminded me. "So tell me, Detective, during your investigation, you were living in Collin Shaw's home. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And in that time, did you witness any activity to back up the claims you were sent to investigate?"