Read Online Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Higgins Clark
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placed her hand on the Bible, swore to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and sat down in the witness chair.
The prosecutor, Emily Wallace, is really attractive, Suzie thought, and she looked so young to be trying an important case like this. She had a nice way about her, too, and after the first few questions, Suzie began to relax. She had talked about what happened so much to her friends that it was easy to answer everything without hesitation.
In response to Emily's questions, Suzie explained that she had gone into the garage, seen Natalie Raines's pocketbook and suitcase in her car, then knocked on the door. Realizing it was unlocked, she then opened it and went into the kitchen. Suzie was about to explain that it wasn't her habit to walk into people's homes uninvited but this time, because of what she had seen, it was different. But she stopped herself. Just answer the questions, she thought.
Then Emily Wallace asked her to describe in her own words what she found in the kitchen.
"I saw her right away. If I'd taken two more steps, I'd have tripped over her."
"Who did you see, Ms. Walsh?"
"I saw Natalie Raines."
"Was she alive?"
"Yes. She was moaning like a hurt kitten."
Suzie heard someone begin to sob. Her eyes flew to the third row, where a woman, whom she recognized from newspaper pictures as Natalie Raines's aunt, grabbed a handkerchief from her purse and pressed it against her lips. As Suzie watched, the expression on the elderly woman's face became agonized, but she did not utter another sound.
Suzie described calling 911 and then kneeling beside Natalie. "There was blood all over her sweater. I didn't know if she could hear me but I know sometimes people who seem to be unconscious really aren't and are aware if someone talks to them, so I told her she'd be all right and that an ambulance was coming. And then she just stopped breathing."
"Did you touch her?"
"I put my hand on her forehead and stroked it. I wanted her to feel that she wasn't alone. She must have been so frightened, I mean lying there, hurting so much, and knowing she was probably dying. I tell you, I'd be scared."
"Objection." Richard Moore jumped from his seat.
"Sustained," the judge ordered. "Ms. Walsh, please just answer the question without additional comment. Prosecutor, repeat the question."
"Did you touch her?" Emily asked again.
"I put my hand on her forehead and stroked it," Suzie said carefully now, frightened by the defense attorney. But then when it was Moore's turn, he only asked her a few more questions and acted very friendly. It was a little embarrassing to admit to him that she almost always drove by Natalie Raines's house in the afternoon when she left work even though it meant going all around the block to get to the parkway. But then she noticed that some people in the courtroom smiled when she said she was such a fan of Natalie's that she loved to catch any possible glimpse of her.
"When was the last time you saw Natalie Raines before you entered her house?" Moore asked.
"Like I said. I saw her getting out of the car that morning."
"No more questions," Moore said crisply.
It was almost disappointing to be finished. As she left the stand Suzie made it her business to get a good look at Gregg Aldrich. He's a fine-looking man, she thought. I can understand why even someone as beautiful as Natalie Raines could fall in love with him. His eyes have such a sad expression. What a phony he is. It's enough to make a person sick.
She hoped he caught the contemptuous glance she shot at him as she exited the courtroom.
15
Because of his long friendship with Gregg, and because Katie's comments had stung him, Michael Gordon had expected to be drawn emotionally into the trial of the State of New Jersey versus Gregg Aldrich. However, he had not expected to feel an almost fatalistic sense that Gregg was not only guilty, but that he was going to be convicted of Natalie's murder.
As he had expected, the trial
The prosecutor, Emily Wallace, is really attractive, Suzie thought, and she looked so young to be trying an important case like this. She had a nice way about her, too, and after the first few questions, Suzie began to relax. She had talked about what happened so much to her friends that it was easy to answer everything without hesitation.
In response to Emily's questions, Suzie explained that she had gone into the garage, seen Natalie Raines's pocketbook and suitcase in her car, then knocked on the door. Realizing it was unlocked, she then opened it and went into the kitchen. Suzie was about to explain that it wasn't her habit to walk into people's homes uninvited but this time, because of what she had seen, it was different. But she stopped herself. Just answer the questions, she thought.
Then Emily Wallace asked her to describe in her own words what she found in the kitchen.
"I saw her right away. If I'd taken two more steps, I'd have tripped over her."
"Who did you see, Ms. Walsh?"
"I saw Natalie Raines."
"Was she alive?"
"Yes. She was moaning like a hurt kitten."
Suzie heard someone begin to sob. Her eyes flew to the third row, where a woman, whom she recognized from newspaper pictures as Natalie Raines's aunt, grabbed a handkerchief from her purse and pressed it against her lips. As Suzie watched, the expression on the elderly woman's face became agonized, but she did not utter another sound.
Suzie described calling 911 and then kneeling beside Natalie. "There was blood all over her sweater. I didn't know if she could hear me but I know sometimes people who seem to be unconscious really aren't and are aware if someone talks to them, so I told her she'd be all right and that an ambulance was coming. And then she just stopped breathing."
"Did you touch her?"
"I put my hand on her forehead and stroked it. I wanted her to feel that she wasn't alone. She must have been so frightened, I mean lying there, hurting so much, and knowing she was probably dying. I tell you, I'd be scared."
"Objection." Richard Moore jumped from his seat.
"Sustained," the judge ordered. "Ms. Walsh, please just answer the question without additional comment. Prosecutor, repeat the question."
"Did you touch her?" Emily asked again.
"I put my hand on her forehead and stroked it," Suzie said carefully now, frightened by the defense attorney. But then when it was Moore's turn, he only asked her a few more questions and acted very friendly. It was a little embarrassing to admit to him that she almost always drove by Natalie Raines's house in the afternoon when she left work even though it meant going all around the block to get to the parkway. But then she noticed that some people in the courtroom smiled when she said she was such a fan of Natalie's that she loved to catch any possible glimpse of her.
"When was the last time you saw Natalie Raines before you entered her house?" Moore asked.
"Like I said. I saw her getting out of the car that morning."
"No more questions," Moore said crisply.
It was almost disappointing to be finished. As she left the stand Suzie made it her business to get a good look at Gregg Aldrich. He's a fine-looking man, she thought. I can understand why even someone as beautiful as Natalie Raines could fall in love with him. His eyes have such a sad expression. What a phony he is. It's enough to make a person sick.
She hoped he caught the contemptuous glance she shot at him as she exited the courtroom.
15
Because of his long friendship with Gregg, and because Katie's comments had stung him, Michael Gordon had expected to be drawn emotionally into the trial of the State of New Jersey versus Gregg Aldrich. However, he had not expected to feel an almost fatalistic sense that Gregg was not only guilty, but that he was going to be convicted of Natalie's murder.
As he had expected, the trial
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