The Perfect Emma

Chapter Sixty-Two

Grayson Todd

"She's grasping," McFee muttered, as he and Gray made their way down the aisle. "She has no idea what she's doing. Just trying to make you look bad."

Grayson shook his head. "That's all she can do, Warrick," he replied. "You think you would do any better defending him?"

McFee tilted his head in admittance that Gray was right.

The pair of them left the courtroom to see Emma sitting out on the bench, looking shaken and upset, and Zach was standing close, but not too close, looking startled and embarrassed. His face was also a little red. Both men furrowed their brows. "What...happened?" Gray asked, gesturing between Emma and Zach.

"He gave me an attack," Emma muttered.

"She hit me," Zach said quietly, averting his gaze and rocking on his heels. "....Four times."

McFee rolled his eyes. "I leave you for ten minutes," he grumbled. Then he shook his head and added, "Fifteen minute recess. Defense attacked Todd's credibility. Westbrook's up next, she needs to redeem him. Then it's Dr. Perkins." Dr. Perkins was the forensic psychologist that had evaluated Aaron upon his capture. Her expert status would allow her opinions to be used as admissible evidence.

"This trial's going to take forever," Emma complained quietly.

While McFee and Zach continued to talk about it off to the side, Gray sat next to Emma and was about to put his arm around her, but realized here and now might not be the best time for that. Aaron's defense was grasping at straws, but Grayson would rather let her grasp at straws than hand one to her. He wouldn't be surprised if the woman had tried to discredit himself and Emma at the same time by asking Em about her trust in him.

"Well, you're all done," he told her lightly. "And I doubt you'll be recalled."

She shrugged, then looked up at him. "I...don't know how this works. How much left is there to do? I mean, I talked, and you talked...."

Gray nodded. "McFee's got a couple more cards he wants to play. Depending on how long that takes....Defense might start with their witnesses tomorrow instead of today. And then the jury's gotta convene...."

Emma sighed. "I just want it done. I want him gone. I can't...." She shook her head. "I can't go in there again, Gray. I can't take him trying to talk to me."

He decided to risk putting a hand on her back. "I know," he murmured. Then he processed what she'd actually said. "Wait, he tried to talk to you?"

Tentatively, she nodded. "I mean....Technically it was just mouthing, but...." Emma hugged herself with a slight shudder.

Grayson frowned. "Could you understand what he was trying to say to you?"

Emma made a sarcastic face and replied, "I'm no lip-reader, but I'm pretty sure it was 'I'll miss you, Emily'." She saw Gray's expression and shook her head again. "Don't, it's....Just let the trial sort it out."

"Emma, that counts as harassment," Gray said quietly, but firmly. "He can get in trouble for doing that in a courtroom."

"Do you think he cares?"

Good point. At this rate, it was obvious Aaron was just trying to make this as ridiculous as possible, for his own enjoyment. He knew he was going away for one felony or another, may as well have fun with it. Sigh. "Emma, you should really tell McFee...."

"No, I don't—"

"Tell me what?" McFee asked, frowning as he stood before them with hands on hips. "Something I should know? You didn't lie under oath, did you, Emma?"

She shook her head rapidly. "No! I just....It's nothing. It's not important."

The District Attorney crouched in front of her and gazed up at her seriously. "Emma. I will be the one who decides that. Tell me."

Emma shot Gray a glare, before muttering, "Aaron was mouthing at me during Gray's testimony."

McFee furrowed his brows. "Must've been during the heat. Explains why the judge didn't notice. I don't need to ask if he made you uncomfortable. That's harassment, I'm taking it to Judge Crawford."

"Don't."

He arched a brow at her. "Why not? All the more evidence for us. It'll help." She looked like she wanted to argue, but realized the sense in his statement. Without a response, McFee nodded and said, "That's what I thought," before re-entering the courtroom.

"....Is he always that scary?" Emma murmured, leaning towards Gray.

Gray chuckled, rubbing her back a little. "Pretty much. I've learned to live with it." McFee had questioned him plenty of times before. At this point, the intimidation had been replaced by fellowship. "Hey, so," he started up. "We're both done. We can be in the room at the same time. Do you maybe wanna try being in there for the rest of our side? I'll be between you and him."

Emma looked skeptically up at him. "I...I dunno...."

"He won't see you, Emma," Gray promised. "And you won't see him. I promise. I don't think he's taking the stand today, anyway. Not by the time our witnesses are done."

"We'll have to come back again tomorrow?" she asked with a slight sneer of disappointment.

He exhaled and nodded sympathetically. "If defense keeps floundering the way they are, wasting time? Unfortunately, yes."

She groaned and leaned back in the bench. "Ugh. This is dumb. Why couldn't he just plead guilty?"

At that, Zach finally spoke up with a snort. "Now that's a question for the courtroom."

But Grayson agreed. This was dumb. More than dumb. Utterly asinine. "Because he's playing with us," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "All of us. This whole goddamn thing is for shits and giggles. I wouldn't be surprised if after this recess he actually started giggling in court, the fucker."

"He knows he's going away for something," Zach agreed. "No matter what, he's got at least one undeniably guilty charge, and that still puts a huge chunk of his life behind bars. If I was a psychopath, I'd have fun with it too."

Gray gave Zach a look. "Don't let anyone hear you say that, please."

Emma then sighed, rubbing at her knee. "When is it over for today? When can we go home?"

The detective was feeling the same. Getting up that morning had been a challenge on its own. He'd wanted to go home before he'd even left it. "Five o'clock," he murmured.

She made a face. "That's forever."

"It is not forever," Grayson chuckled, shaking his head. Then he turned to look over his shoulder as people started to enter the courtroom again. Fifteen minutes had gone by pretty quickly. As confirmation, Sabrina appeared and tapped her wrist as she walked by.

Emma began to stare at the courtroom doors. Was she considering what Gray had said earlier? He pat her arm and said, "You wanna try?"

After a moment, she blew out her breath. "....Alright...," she replied hesitantly, training her gaze upon him again. She was visibly anxious, but there was also a bit of determination in her eyes. "But only because you're blocking me."

"Wouldn't have it another way," Gray responded, briefly touching her hair before getting to his feet. "Come on then. Our old pal Hannah's on the stand next."