The Perfect Game (27 page)

Chapter Seventy

(October 14–November 3)

But the jury did not come back quickly. Hours of waiting stretched into days, which then stretched into weeks. Speculation among the television pundits reached a feverish pitch. But for every on-air legal scholar who predicted the long deliberation meant certain victory for the Prosecution, another was equally certain that it favored the Defense.

Lauren was at a loss for what to do with her time. She asked to return to a regular shift at the hospital, but her supervision encouraged her to wait until the case concluded so she could attend future court dates including the reading of the verdict and the sentencing. So she continued to work her modified shifts. Compared to the hectic pace she had maintained while the trial had been in session, Lauren now had too much time to think. About Michael, about Jake, about Ryan, but mostly about Liz. The pain had not subsided and Lauren realized that even a guilty verdict would not diminish her sense of loss.

Lauren cleaned her apartment to spotlessness, though she had spent so little time there over the past few months that it had never had a chance to get messy in the first place. She finally took the time to respond to countless telephone messages and letters she had received from perfect strangers as well as old friends. The letters had been sorted for her by an intern at the prosecutor's office, who weeded out negative letters and turned threatening messages over to the police for investigation. It was astonishing how much “fan mail” Lauren had received, including requests for autographs and marriage proposals. Several female fans begged Lauren to introduce them to either Ryan or Kyle. She answered most of the letters with a standard form letter thanking the writers for their support, but she refused to autograph anything. She had already been appalled to learn that her “autographs” on such things as prescription slips were being sold on eBay and would sometimes fetch as much as one hundred dollars. She had asked Dennis to intervene and he filed an injunction to prohibit such sales.

The case took an unexpected twist on Saturday, October twenty-first, when the news media announced the marriage of Jake Wakefield to Madison Hart. Television coverage was provided by media helicopters, which hovered over the outdoor ceremony at the Phoenician Resort. Madison looked radiant in an extravagant designer dress with a nine-foot train. Jake smiled ostentatiously for the cameras. The newlyweds sold exclusive access to their wedding photographs to
Us Weekly
magazine, which covered all of the details of the exorbitant affair in a seven-page spread, including a separate box which discussed how Madison could not be subpoenaed to testify against Jake in any further legal proceedings given that spouses could not be compelled to testify against one another.

Several people had suggested a wrongful death suit to Lauren, but she had not given it any real consideration. She would be content to see Jake go to prison.

Halloween came and went without a verdict. The most popular selling costume was the Jake Wakefield costume. It was comprised of a baseball uniform with WAKEFIELD on the back. The team name was the Don'tcomebacks. Fake blood and brain tissue clung to the accompanying baseball bat made out of hard Styrofoam so you could pretend to beat up your friends with it. For an additional twenty dollars, you could buy a blow-up Madison bride doll carrying a Get-Out-of-Jail free card in her hand. The second most popular costume was Sugarless Candy, with a wig resembling Candace's hair, killer heels, and a button that read NO MERCY. Costumes for Lauren and Ryan were also on the market. They sold less often, but were frequently purchased together suggesting couples all over the nation were attending costume parties dressed as the pair.

Finally, on Friday, November third, shortly after noon, Lauren got the call she had been anxiously anticipating. It was Kyle. “The jury's back. Can you get to the courthouse by three?”

Lauren drove herself to court for the first time since the trial started. She left her apartment immediately, knowing court would be a madhouse. Traffic got increasingly outrageous as she got closer to the court building and ground to a halt about two miles away. She missed Ryan, who could turn on his police lights to circumvent traffic when necessary.

Frustrated with the snail's pace, Lauren parked her car at a metered space in downtown Phoenix electing to walk the remaining distance, figuring she would make better time on foot. As she fed the meter, nearby spectators spotted her and began to trail her to the courthouse. Some shouted support; others screamed obscenities. The hordes of people and reporters closed in and she was jostled about on the sidewalk as she tried to reach the courthouse on time.

She was very relieved when Ryan forced his way into the melee to come to her rescue. He used his size and his authority to clear a path as she followed right behind him. Once inside, they were given priority clearance through the metal detectors and into the relative peace of the courtroom, which was humming with excitement.

“Why didn't you call me for a ride?” Ryan whispered as they took their usual seats. “From now on, I escort you to the courthouse. Period.”

Lauren nodded in mute agreement. That scene outside had gotten pretty hairy and she suddenly wondered what some of the threatening letters that had been written to her said, the ones that had been turned over to the police instead of to her. Lauren imagined the next time Ryan would drive her to court. Victims were allowed to make statements at the time of sentencing. Lauren relished the idea of confronting Jake in a situation where he would be forced to listen.

Lauren looked at Jake. He was dressed in a midnight blue suit that set off his striking features. On the bench behind him, Lauren could see Madison Hart Wakefield had joined Jake's parents. She was wearing an expensive floral dress that did nothing for her dumpy figure. She was smiling brightly, completely inappropriate to the situation.

The crowd simmered down when the clerk called the court to order. Judge Robles took the bench and addressed the jury foreperson. “Have you reached a verdict?”

Lauren held her breath. A lot of the media pundits on the radio had been predicting a hung jury.

“We have, Your Honor.”

Judge Robles addressed the room. “The jury has arrived at a verdict. I caution everyone here that there is to be no excessive reaction to the verdict when it is read. Any person violating this order will be removed from my courtroom immediately.”

This threat was a fate worse than death. Most seats were reserved for family members of the defendant, of the victim, and for media members. The few remaining seats had been distributed each day on a lottery basis. This trial had been the hottest ticket in town.

Judge Robles continued, “Madam Foreperson, please pass the verdict form to the clerk who will pass it to me.”

Time seemed to move in slow motion as the form passed from one to the next. The judge reviewed the verdict silently before speaking in a solemn voice. “Will the defendant please rise to hear the verdict.”

Jake stood.

Judge Robles read, “We, the jury, upon our oaths unanimously for the count of murder in the first degree of Elizabeth Rose Wakefield, find the defendant, Jacob Charles Wakefield the Second, not guilty.”

Despite the judge's earlier admonitions, the courtroom exploded. Celebration from the crowd surrounding the Defense table, expressions of shock and disbelief from the rest of the room.

Robles banged his gavel, demanding the room return to order. Two of Jake's baseball buddies continued to celebrate and were swiftly escorted out of the courtroom by sheriff's deputies. Judge Robles thanked the jurors for their service. Finally, he turned to the Defense table and spoke to Jake, telling him he was free to go. Jake hugged both of his parents, first his mother and then his father. He gave Madison an awkward squeeze before whooping in jubilation.

Lauren was overwhelmed by sadness for the Prosecution team, who had given their all for this case, and had gotten nothing but grief in return. She glanced around at them, all with expressions of grim defeat.

How could this have happened? She turned to look at the jurors. None of them would meet her gaze, but several were smiling at Jake as if he had just pitched another perfect game. Hadn't those people heard the evidence?

Candace hugged Lauren and murmured in her ear, “I am so, so sorry. I let you down.”

Lauren whispered back, “You did your very best for me and Liz. You didn't let me down. Jake did, and then the jury.”

After Candace let her go, Ryan bent over to look Lauren in the eye. “Do you want to talk to the press?”

“No, I just want to get out of here.” Lauren fought an uncontrollable urge to run. She desperately wanted to escape before she burst into tears. She forced her way through the throngs of people, paying little attention to what she was doing, knowing only that she needed to get out of that room before she suffocated. As she pushed her way through, she came face to face with Jake, who narrowed his eyes before breaking into an enormous smile. Lauren did not stop, continuing to push and shove until she broke through the crowds near the back entrance to the courtroom, where she shoved her way through the heavy doors, out into the courthouse foyer, and finally into the warmth of the rays of daylight outside on the courthouse steps. Ryan was right behind her, steering her down the steps in the direction of his car. People were yelling her name, seeking her attention, but she paid them no mind. She sought sweet escape.

Which she finally found in the dark recesses of Ryan's car. No sooner had she settled into the passenger seat than the tears exploded down her cheeks. The trial was over, but the dreadful reality never would be. Liz was still dead and Jake was free to go about his new life with his new wife. He would even continue to play professional baseball.

Lauren decided to retrieve her car later since Ryan agreed to drive Lauren to Desert Pointe, where she would once again shoulder the burden of delivering bad news to Rose-ma.

Chapter Seventy-one

(Tuesday, February 4, three years later)

It was a cool morning in February. Lauren had already been out for her morning run and was reading the newspaper over a cup of warm chai tea when her cell phone rang. She glanced at her phone display and smiled at the caller identification, which read Darling Husband.

“Good morning, Honey,” she answered.

“Hey, I have big news. Are you sitting down?”

She smiled at this expression and assured him she was.

“Madison Wakefield was found dead at her home this morning and Jake has just been arrested for her murder.”

“What?”

“An anonymous caller called 911 in the middle of the night to report screaming from the Wakefield residence. When the responding officers arrived, it took Jake forever to answer the door. When he finally did, the police saw a body lying on the floor behind him with blood spatter on the walls. They took Jake into the station to interview him and they are booking him now as I speak.”

“They're already arresting him? It took months last time.”

“Yep. I'm sure his past arrest record isn't helping his credibility any. I haven't heard all the details, but he's saying he was at home all night and has no idea what happened to Madison.”

“That's going to be a hard story to sell to a jury.”

“That's his story and he's sticking to it. Look, I better get back to work. I just wanted to give you a heads-up. The media's already crawling all over this one. Things are going to heat up for Jake again. I don't know if you and I will get dragged into the coverage or not.”

“Nah, we're old news now. I imagine they'll start hounding Madison's family this time. Not us.”

“It wouldn't surprise me if they try to contact you to get your reaction, so be prepared.”

“I'm an old pro at handling the media, remember?”

She could practically hear him smiling on the other end, “Yes, I remember well. I better run. I'll call you if I hear anything else. I love you. Enjoy your day off.”

“I love you, too. See you tonight.”

After she hung up the phone, she glanced at the television, playing quietly across the room. Sure enough, the story about Jake Wakefield's arrest, having been charged with the murder of his wife for the second time, was breaking now on the local station. Lauren watched, with significant levels of satisfaction, the news footage of Jake being escorted out of his own home in handcuffs and being pushed into the back seat of a police cruiser.

Hoping that, this time, his arrest would result in a conviction.

Chapter Seventy-two

(Tuesday, February 4–Wednesday, February 12)

The wheels of justice turn slowly. No longer privy to insider updates, Lauren and Ryan watched the case unfold along with the rest of the world. Ryan was careful not to press the Scottsdale detectives assigned to the case for information for fear his interest would give the Defense something to complain about when the case finally went to trial.

Jake had hired both Pratt and Fisher again. Clearly, he did not want to mess with the dream team that had secured his acquittal before. At his arraignment, he pled not guilty and was released on bail, which his parents promptly posted. Through a publicist, he proclaimed his absolute innocence, claiming, in a familiar refrain, that he was being framed for a crime he did not commit. He even agreed to do a television interview on a national news show. Lauren and Ryan watched with interest as he claimed to have no idea how Madison had been battered to her death in their living room while he lay sleeping in a nearby bedroom.

Lauren quipped, “Maybe he'll try to blame it on me again. It worked so well for him last time.”

“Or maybe some random nineteen-year-old will step forward to provide an alibi so he will marry her. She can become his next dead wife,” Ryan said.

Many of Madison's friends seemed eager to talk to television reporters, expressing their opinions that the marriage between Jake and Madison had been a sham. Jake pursued baseball and other women unabashedly while Madison tolerated it all for the privilege of calling Jake her husband. She lived a life of luxury in the home Jake had once shared with Liz and had all of the things money could buy. Still, friends described her as lonely and unhappy. Many reported she had turned to alcohol as a way to manage her emotional pain and isolation. Madison's fairy tale marriage had turned out to be a Grimm version with evil lurking underneath and an unhappy ending.

In startling similarities to the previous crime, Madison had been killed by blunt force trauma to the head. One of Jake's championship baseball bats was found nearby covered in blood. Chillingly, Jake had scratches on his arms and tissue had been found under Madison's too-long fake fingernails.

About a week after the arrest, Lauren was on her way to work when her cell phone rang. “Hey, Sugarless,” Lauren teased when she picked up the phone, knowing Candace secretly loved the nickname she had been given for being tough rather than sweet.

Candace cut to the chase. “I've got news that some colleagues leaked to me, but you have to keep this top secret. Nobody's listening in on your conversation, are they?”

“Nope. I'm alone in my car. What's up?”

“Preliminary blood tests came back on the baseball bat in the Wakefield case.”

Lauren's pulse quickened. “And?”

“The baseball bat was covered with Madison's blood.”

“That's good, right? It helps the Prosecution make their case.”

“But that's not the big news. They also discovered trace results for a second blood type on the bat.”

Lauren's heart began to hammer in her chest. “Do they know who it belongs to?”

“The immediate assumption was that it might belong to Jake. Maybe he had been injured in the attack, but the DNA came back negative as a match for Jake.”

What was Candace trying to tell her? “So they don't know who the second blood belongs to?”

“On a hunch, they decided to compare it to Liz's DNA.”

“And?”

“It was a match.”