Counsel (Counsel #1) (13 page)

"Are you saying Ms. Bain was unaware that she’d be expected to have sex with club members?"

"That's what Joseph said."

"Objection, Your Honor, hearsay," Tom interjects again.

"Your Honor, given Ms. Bonacci’s personal knowledge of Mr. Cordi, his business, and interactions with other employees, we think it a fair assumption that she’d know whether Ms. Bain had been coerced or not."

"I'll allow, Counsel, but get to the point."

"Ms. Bonacci, when and how did Ms. Bain learn exactly what would be expected of her?

"She auditioned, and the members loved her performance. Senator Wade was, apparently, very enthusiastic. I wasn't there, but I heard people talking about it. Joseph hired her after that."

"What were her conditions of employment?"

"To dance twice a week. He told me she asked for five nights."

"Do you know why he refused to give her what she wanted?"

"Joseph likes to hold things over people. He knew she wanted or needed the money, so he controlled how much she could earn."

"So she started as a dancer; when did she discover what else was expected of her?"

"A couple of weeks later; she refused point-blank. Joseph ordered Mike to fire her."

"Let me clarify. You said Ms. Bain did
not
know she would be expected to have sex with members when first employed, is that correct?"

"That’s right."

"And Mr. Cordi ordered that she be fired
because
she refused to sleep with members."

"Yes."

"But she was working at the club when the agreement with the defendant was made?"

"Yes."

"How can that be when she’d been fired?"

"Angelique came to see Joseph months after she was fired and agreed to escort."

"Do you know why she changed her mind?"

"Objection, Your Honor, calls for conclusion," Tom’s calls out.

"Your Honor, I'm not asking the witness for an opinion, I'm asking if she knows why Ms. Bain had the change of heart. The witness has already stated that she'd overheard most of what transpired in Mr. Cordi’s office."

"Sustained."

"Ms. Bonacci, did you
hear
anything to indicate why Ms. Bain changed her mind?"

"I heard her tell Joseph that she needed the money. He asked what for, but she wouldn't say."

"Do you think Ms. Bain was coerced into accepting Mr. Cordi’s terms?"

"I don't think so. He'd normally find something to hold over someone. He didn't say anything, and he didn’t really have anything other than that she needed the money."

"Did you type up an employment contract for Ms. Bain?"

"I did."

"Was it the same as those for other escorts?"

"There were some differences."

"Like what?" I prompt.

"All her liaisons had to be made through Joseph; the other girls could go through Mike. She was paid more, and she had restrictions on the number of liaisons she could have."

"What about her salary?"

"Angelique was paid five thousand dollars a month, and she had to have a minimum of four and no more than six services a month."

"So, she was paid almost double what escorts like Ms.Sanders and Ms.Perkins were paid, yet expected to sleep with fewer men, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And were the members who sought Ms. Bain’s company expected to pay more for her services?"

"Yes. Her rate was five thousand dollars per liaison, five times more than the other girls. At first, I thought Joseph had made a mistake, but when I checked before typing it, he said it was correct. I told him no one would pay that amount. ‘They’ll be lining up,’ he said, and he was right."

"So Ms. Bain proved to be a very profitable investment for Mr. Cordi. You are, in effect, telling the court that he earned twenty thousand dollars a month from her services and paid her five. He made a
three hundred percent profit
by selling her body?"

"Objection, Your Honor. Compound question."

"Your Honor, it is, in fact, the same question. I want to ensure the witness understands exactly what I'm asking."

"Overruled, but restrict yourself to single questions, Mr. Thorne."

"Ms. Bonacci?" I prompt.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Carmen says.

Despite having known what her response would be, I still can't stop the sick feeling in my stomach. No matter how conflicted I feel about the choices she’d made, Joseph Cordi had exploited Angelique Bain, and Justin, in signing the contract, had been complicit.

"Ms. Bonnaci, you obviously discovered, after meeting him, that Mr. Cordi was involved in illegal activities. Why did you continue your relationship with him?"

"I loved him. I know it was wrong not to do or say anything, but I considered myself his wife…well, de facto wife, and I felt that a wife should stand by her husband. I felt like I was doing the best for my family."

"If, as you've testified, you loved Mr. Cordi and he trusted you, why did you find it necessary to listen in on his private conversations?"

"Joseph needs to control everyone and everything in his life. Love doesn't make you blind or stupid; it makes you overlook things you
choose
to. When I fell pregnant, I learned the hard way that Joseph doesn’t always keep his word. After that, I decided I needed insurance for my daughter and myself just in case he ever decided to go back on his word to support us."

"Why did you decide to give evidence, which is clearly harmful to the father of your child?"

"Joseph betrayed me. He said he couldn't leave his wife because she was necessary to his social position and his businesses. I believed him, and I believed he loved me, but I recently found out he had another mistress and two other children. I realized my loyalty was wasted. I now see our relationship in a different light."

"So testifying is a way to gain revenge?"

"No. It's doing what I should have done a long time ago. I let myself be charmed because Joseph can be charming when he wants to be. I should have had the courage to support my child on my own when he refused to publicly acknowledge her. I’ll have to explain myself to my daughter one day. When I do, I want to tell her I did wrong, but that I tried to fix my mistakes."

I thank her, and Tom gets up to cross. He struggles to put a dent in Carmen’s testimony. It really isn't his fault; the documented evidence can’t be denied, and Carmen's recollection of the meetings between Joseph and Justin has proven difficult to challenge.

"Ms. Bonacci,
did
you, at any time during their discussions, overhear Mr. Cordi tell my client that Fidelity Properties owned Liaison or any other nightclubs?" he asks.

"He could have…"

"Yes or no, Ms. Bonacci; did you, at any point, overhear Mr. Cordi disclose Fidelity's ownership of Liaison to my client?"

"No."

"Did you at any time,
specifically
, hear my client agree to purchase a share in Fidelity Properties in exchange for the Ms. Bain’s exclusive company?"

"It was clear …"

"Yes or no, Ms. Bonacci," he demands.

"No," she concedes.

"So, you did
not
hear Mr. Cordi disclose ownership of the nightclubs, and you did
not
hear my client agree to purchase a share in your lover's business in exchange for entering into an agreement for Ms. Bain?"

"Objection, you honor. Asked and answered," I interject before she can respond. Judge Bolton upholds my appeal.

"Ms. Bonacci," Tom continues, "I submit that you, as Mr. Cordi’s mistress and trusted confidante,
know
that he deliberately misled my client. Instead of having seen the error of your ways, as you claim, you are here to gain whatever you can for yourself from your erstwhile lover. You have knowingly painted your alleged conversations in a bad light for my client, you have deliberately minimized Joseph Cordi’s cunning plan to entrap him…. "

"Objection, Your Honor. Counsel is badgering the witness!" I put a stop to Tom’s last-ditch attempt.

"Sustained." Judge Bolton rules.

"Defense has no further questions for this witness, Your Honor," he announces, looking decidedly pleased with himself.

"Ms. Bonacci, do you have
anything
to gain by lying," I then ask.

"I have nothing to gain, and I have no plans to claim anything from Joseph or his family. I’m leaving the apartment after Joseph’s trial; I don't care what happens to it. I've already made arrangements to leave Boston. I’m here to do what’s right and to have something good to tell my daughter one day," she replies, effectively ending her testimony.

While Cait and Jodi chat animatedly about the morning’s session over lunch, I’m contemplative. In court, I'd managed to suppress my thoughts from straying from the task at hand, but here, with time and the mental space, I find my mind wandering to the parallels between Eleanor and Angelique Bain.

"What do you think, Adam?" Jodi asks, pulling me from my reverie. "I agree," I say, feigning interest, but Cait sees through me as she always does. She gives me one of those 'we’ll be discussing this later' looks that she's perfected over the years, and I know she'll corner me at the first given opportunity.

On our way back, the press gaggle spies us before we can make it to the side entrance. Not wanting to alert them to my alternative route, I lead us toward the main doors. Calls of ‘Mr. Thorne’ and ‘Adam’ ring out. Jodi’s accustomed to situations like this and knows what to expect; Cait isn’t, so I pull her close.

"Adam, how do you think the trial’s going?" someone calls out. I keep us moving, glancing over to ensure that Jodi’s fine and keeping pace.

"It's going well, thank you."

"Do you think you'll gain a conviction?" another asks.

"That's for the jury to decide," I say. Cait stumbles, and I tuck her more securely into the shelter of my arm.

"Is this your new girlfriend, Adam? What about Lisa Delaney?" a male reporter yells out, causing Cait to giggle. I glance down to see her looking up at me mischievously. I smile back, not bothering to correct the assumption.

As we near the steps, the pack becomes distracted. "Adam, is it true that you and Senator Wade are friends?" another reporter asks as he too spies the approaching group. I ignore the question; grateful to see half of those who’d surrounded us converge on Justin, Tom and Cynthia. Josh very wisely steers Mrs. Wade away. I glance up to measure the distance to the safety of the courthouse steps and notice a trio watching the unfolding drama.

Angelique Bain looks pained as she watches Justin and Cynthia. When she turns away, her eyes meet mine, and even from this distance, I detect her deep blush. Her female companion worriedly asks whether she's all right. She nods, her gaze slowly returning to Justin. The man’s body turns rigid as he follows her line of sight, his curious expression changing to one of unadulterated fury. "Fucking prick," I see him curse before wrapping a protective arm around her. The woman takes hold of Angelique’s hand, and the three turn to enter the courthouse.

By the time we reach our courtroom, they're seated on a bench outside where they obviously intend to wait until she's called. Her companions flank her like sentries; the female holds her hand, while the man glowers at anyone who looks their way. Right now, his scowl is directed squarely at me.

She looks nervous and unhappy, but still so beautiful. Dressed in a dark blue skirt and jacket, and black stilettos that make her lovely legs drool-worthy, her lips are a glossy, natural pink today, and her long hair, tied low at her neck. What I notice most, though, are those eyes that have haunted my dreams. They appear larger than usual in her pale face, and they look sad, and hurt, and so damned vulnerable.

I look up at the sound of footsteps to see Justin’s group approach. It’s apparent the moment he sees her. His eyes widen, and he shakes off Cynthia’s hand. She looks up in protest, eyes narrowing when she spots who’s drawn his attention. "Whore!" she clearly mouths. Angelique bows her head to stare at her hand clasped in that of her friend. It's trembling, I can tell, and my chest tightens in response to her distress. The man is about to jump up, but she shakes her head at him. He glares menacingly at Justin when he steps forward. Tom moves to block his path. "You can't talk to her," he says tersely.

Cait and Jodi appear as spellbound by the spectacle as I am before I finally gather my wits about me to move; witnessing her humiliation and distress leaves me feeling at odds and angry, for some reason. For a moment, I hate the part I’ve played in her being here. As if sensing my thoughts, Jodi speaks. "It's not too late to offer her the chance to change her mind."

She’s right; I could easily notify the clerk of a change in witness status. After a moment’s consideration, I nod. "You do it; I’ll only make matters worse. I'll see you inside." I watch as she approaches the seated trio but don't wait to see the outcome. Cupping Cait’s elbow, I lead her away.

.

.

"My name is Angelique Bain, and I'm a dance teacher," she says, her husky voice soft and nervous.

She refused our offer. Jodi expressed disappointment and, I think it would be fair to say, sadness. I, on the other hand, felt nothing but frustration when told of her decision.

"Why,
why
would she want to protect a man who so obviously used her?" Jodi whispered agitatedly on returning from her failed mission. "The guy, Samuel, and her friend Mandi both tried to reason with her, and I think Samuel felt like shaking her." Samuel… I remember her saying his name at that lunch. Well, I empathize with his feelings.

She's on the stand now, having been declared a hostile witness, sworn in and clearly apprehensive.

"You say you
teach
dance, Ms. Bain?" I ask, banishing all residual feelings of sympathy or regret. She had a choice, I remind myself.

"That's right," she replies.

"I thought you worked as a
dancer
at Liaison, Ms. Bain?" Her cheeks turn pink at my immediate attack.

"I once danced for a living, but I've been teaching ballet for some years."

"Ballet? I thought your job entailed dancing of a more sexual nature?"

"Yes, I teach
ballet
, and I have
never
performed an overtly sexual dance," she snaps, showing a glimpse of the feistiness of our early encounters.

"So you deny being employed to dance at a club where, by all accounts, the dancers performed sexual routines for the pleasure of its male clientele?"

"I don't deny having danced at Liaison, what I said …"

"Yes or no, Ms. Bain. Do you deny that you were employed to dance at Liaison?"

"No." Her eyes flash with annoyance.

"How often did you perform at the club?"

"I haven't danced there in over a year."

"So you haven't been an employee of Liaison for over a year?"

She flushes deeply. "I was employed by Liaison until some months ago."

"You mean until it was forcibly closed down for operating as a brothel?"

"You know why it closed down."

"The witness will answer the question." Judge Bolton intervenes.

"Yes, I was employed by the club until it closed down," she concedes, looking and sounding chastened.

"You said you haven’t danced there in over a year. What
were
you employed to do in that time?"

She looks around nervously. I expected her to be looking at Justin, but she's found her friends. The woman nods encouragingly. The man, Samuel, glares at me before he too gives her a tiny nod.

"Do you need me to repeat the question, Ms. Bain?" I press.

"No," she says. "I was employed as a companion to Senator Wade."

"A
companion
? What kind of companion? Did you accompany him to social events, on visits to his constituents, perhaps?"

"Objection, Your Honor! Badgering," Tom interjects.

"Your Honor, I've asked a legitimate question which, given the witness' adverse status, is allowed."

"Overruled."

"Ms. Bain, what kind of companionship were you paid to provide the defendant?" I repeat.

She bites her bottom lip nervously. I’m about to press for a response when she finally speaks. "I was paid to sleep with him, but …"

"You were paid to have
sex
with the defendant?"

"Yes," she whispers.

"Ms. Bain, you need to speak loud enough to be heard," Judge Bolton directs before I’m forced to ask her to repeat herself.

She takes a shaky breath. "Yes," she says more audibly, her voice trembling.

"You had a contract stipulating the conditions of your employment, is that correct?" I ask.

"I did," she says.

"Would you tell the court what those conditions were, please?"

"Um… " She clears her throat nervously. "I was to be available to Senator Wade whenever he desired. I was not to call or try to see him, but wait for him to contact me."

"Did you adhere to those conditions?"

"Pretty much, yes."

"Pretty much? What exactly does that mean, Ms. Bain?"

"Well, Justin… I mean Senator Wade, didn't mind if I contacted him on occasion; if I needed to."

"Did you call him at his home, his office, on his cell phone? Were you allowed to email him? Did he set any limits on where and when you could contact him?"

"Objection, compound question," Tom interjects. He and I both know that if I deem them important enough, I’ll simply ask them in turn. His aim is to have me abandon my line of questioning, or failing that, interrupt my flow to allow her time to compose herself. Judge Bolton rules in his favor.

"Did you ever call the defendant’s office?"

"I only ever called him on a cell phone he provided for the purpose."

"How much were you paid for services rendered to the defendant?" I ask, causing her to blush deeply.

"Five thousand dollars a month," she answers, looking down at her hands.

"You were paid five thousand dollars to be at the defendant's sexual beck and call?"

"Ms. Bain?" I prompt when she hesitates. She looks up, visibly upset.

"Ms. Bain?" I repeat.

"Yes! Are you happy now?" she snaps, then instantly turns to Judge Bolton. "I apologize, Your Honor," she says.

"I realize this is painful for you, but you have to answer," he says more kindly than I’d ever heard him speak.

"Were you aware of the contract the defendant entered into to secure your services?" I ask, signaling for the court officer to hand her a copy of the document.

Head bowed, she stares at it for long moments. "Ms. Bain, were you aware of the existence of the contract you’re holding?"

When she looks up, her eyes glisten with tears. "No," she replies hoarsely.

"You were an escort before being appointed to exclusively service the defendant, were you not?" She looks up at her friends nervously, and I wonder if she's told them the whole truth.

"Do you need me to repeat the question?"

"Yes, I escorted before," she says, a note of defeat in her voice.

"Did you and the defendant engage in sex
before
you were appointed to service him exclusively."

"Yes," she says softly, her face suffused with color. Then, without prompting and with an apologetic glance at Judge Bolton, she repeats it loud enough for the court to hear.

"Before or after you escorted anyone else?"

"Does it really matter?" she pleads with Judge Bolton.

"Answer the question, Ms. Bain," he tells her firmly.

"J… Senator Wade was the first person I escorted," she confesses.

"How did he react when you escorted other men?"

"He…he didn't like it."

"Did he say that?"

"His demeanor let me know."

"Did the defendant ever discuss approaching Mr. Cordi to gain your exclusive services with you?"

"No," she says, her voice unsteady once more.

"Were you aware of the defendant’s ownership of Liaison and other nightclubs?"

"No, I wasn’t," she says more confidently.

"What if I told you the defendant entered into a business partnership with Joseph Cordi in exchange for your sexual exclusivity? What if I said his reward was not only the exclusive rights to your body but that he, in fact, also profited financially from your sexual exploitation and that of every woman employed in Joseph Cordi’s prostitution network?"

"Objection, Your Honor. Compound question, narrative, to name but a few of counsel’s transgressions," Tom calls out indignantly.

"Sustained. Mr. Thorne is there a question in there somewhere?" Judge Bolton asks testily. I change tack, satisfied that I’ve achieved my goal.

"Did you and the defendant ever discuss his private or work life?"

"Sometimes."

"So, your relationship was such that you touched on personal matters."

"I came to regard the senator as a friend."

"Your friends pay you for sex?"

"Of
course
not," she protests.

"So you deny being a prostitute? You deny that the defendant paid you for sex?"

"I…I… tried not to think of myself as a prostitute…"

"Ms. Bain," I cut across her stammering. "Do you deny that the defendant paid you for sex, do you deny that he knew exactly what to expect of you as an escort at Liaison?"

"Senator Wade has never paid me."

"You must have known, especially given your employment contract, that any man you spent private time with at Liaison would have to pay for your company, your
sexual
company; is that not correct?"

"Yes," she concedes, looking shamefaced.

"And do you acknowledge that Senator Wade knew of the prostitution business conducted at Liaison
before
to entering into the agreement for your exclusivity?"

"I do."

"Do you also acknowledge that you had ongoing sexual trysts with the defendant in exchange for money? Do you admit that even
before
entering into the agreement with Joseph Cordi, the defendant paid to have sex with you? Do you, in fact, acknowledge that he was the very first person you had sex with for money?"

She swipes at her tears, no doubt feeling humiliated in the presence of her friends and now the public. I have to admire her courage, though, as she lifts her chin.

"I do," she says.

"The Commonwealth rests, Your Honor." I see no point in prolonging her ordeal. I have the unequivocal confirmation I wanted that Justin had known about the prostitution at Liaison before signing the contract to acquire equity in Fidelity, and that his reason for doing so had been to secure her exclusive sexual services.

"Does Defense wish to cross-examine?" Judge Bolton asks.