Part 21
| In the conference room Mary tries to have a heart-to-heart talk Christy, but she is in no mood for it. |
|
|
Mary asks if she can ever forget what happened.
"No," Christy replies.
Mary says that for some reason she had no doubt that Christy will respond in the way. And asked if Christy trust to her. Christy shrugs. Mary knows she hasn't been around very much except the last few weeks. Christy says that she had her life and it is normal. Mary says that they have followed with separate ways but came to the same place. Now she just walked away from life that she's known for several years and has Christy and mom only. Well, Steve also, but they not really close. Mary notices Christy's reacting to name of Steve and concludes that Christy is angry at him. Mary says that she and Christy are runaways. Christy surprised. Mary recalls that Christy is always used to call her like that but she denied it. But now she thinks that Christy was right. |
|
|
| She had been critical to people quoting the Bible and Christy always was so cynical with her "who cares" about everything. May be it was a way of self-assertion for them both, and it seemed the best way to escape. Mary says that now she wants to find another way. And if she can't tell to Christy she can not connect someone. |
|
|
| Mary feels the hurting in Christy's way, but cannot understand it. But she wants to understand. Christy says that here something that you can't talk about. Mary says that a few things only if you can trust someone. She swears that lest Christy say it will remain just between them. |
|
|
| Christy almost decided to tell everything but at this moment the door opens and Jade comes in. She says she was told that witnesses must waiting in this room. Christy abruptly turns away, looks away. Mary puts her hand on sister's shoulder and promises that they will talk later. |
|
|
| In the courtroom Mason have his opening statement. Ted sees the hidden audio recorder is working in Mason's briefcase and become nervous. |
|
|
| Jade is on the witness stand. DA Patterson asks what Jade saw when she came back in the snack bar in that night. Jade says that she saw Ted and Christy and they argued. She didn't think it was right for her to go in and left out. DA asks about the aggressiveness of Ted. Had she ever seen him that angry before? Jade does not remember this. DA asks what the accused said. Jade says that Ted said Christy that she must get to keep the promise that she made him. And if she didn't he would make her. And Christy replied that if he'll touch her she mark him up. Satisfied DA leaves, Mason takes his place and begins the cross-examination. |
|
|
| He says that Mr. Patterson would have them believe that Jade left the beach snack bar leaving Christy in imminent danger. Was it her impression? Jade absolutely denies this. Christy and Ted were friends. Mason says that they have been left with the impression that the argument she overheard was about sex. Now up to Jade's judgment could be the defendant has been demanding something else? An object... may be like a piece of jewelry? The prosecutor objected that the witness already testified she did not know what was being discussed. The judge accepts the objection. Mason says that he has no more questions, and Jade let go. Judge calls Mary Duvall to the witness stand. |
|
|
| Mary enters the courtroom and takes her place on the witness stand. |
|
|
| After taking the oath and general questions about her name and occupation DA asks her to tell how she and Jade Perkins found her sister on the morning of July 18th. |
|
|
| Mary says that she went to the beach snack bar to find Christy. She's heard that Christy left her job at the Capwells' and thought Jade might know where she was. She saw her sister first. She was lying behind the bar, a juke-box. And there were boxes and chairs hiding her. She was unconscious and badly beaten. Mary barely holding back tears during her story. DA asks what Christy said when she came up in the hospital. Was she present at the hospital when her sister regained consciousness? Yes, she was. Christy called Ted's name. And even before she woke up. And when Inspector Castillo asked her who'd done this to her, she said it was Ted. DA leaves, Mason begins the cross-examination. |
|
|
| He says that until recently she was a nun in the Catholic Church in the Order of Saint. Could she describe why she left the order? The prosecutor objects, but the judge allowed continuing, albeit with reservations. Mary says that she decided that she had been impulsive. That her reasons for going into the convent were not entirely religious. Mason asks if certain factors relating to this case influence her in that decision. |
|
|
| Mary replies that in a way. She found that she was feeling an intense resentment toward the defendant. And it wasn't compatible with her religious teachings. Intense enough to be called hatred? Mary admits it. Mason asks whether her decision was this also an impulsive feeling. Mary did not understand and he makes it clear - may be wasn't it not only incompatible with her religion but incompatible with the evidence at hand as well? Mary denies it and says that she believed her sister. Mason asks if your sister ever lied to her or withheld information that might adversely affect her opinion of Christy? |
|
|
Mary upset looks up him, but eventually admits it. Yes, Christy did.
"How often? More than once or twice?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps isn't it possible Christy may have lied to her about who raped her?"
The prosecutor objects and the judge accept it. Mason asks if she could be impulsive on another occasion. In the hospital she overheard Christy repeating the defendant's name over and over. Then a short time later when she regained consciousness she named Ted Capwell. Can she recall what was said in between? Mary says she does. Inspector Castillo asked her who had done it.
"And did she answer him?" Mason asks.
"Yes," Mary says. "But not right away."
Mason asks her to answer as accurately as possible. May be in fact after Christie regained consciousness wasn't it she who named Ted Capwell? Mary denies and says that she just asked her a question.
Then Mason says but she didn't ask her "who"? Were not her exact words "Was it Ted Capwell?" |
|
|
Mary stunned freezes and then accepts that yes, that's what she said.
"And didn't Inspector Castillo admonish you at the time for that?" Mason asks. |
|
|
| Mary nods again. He said she was putting words in her mouth. Mason has no more questions. DA prosecutor wants to call Christy for questioning, but the judge said it was too late and the court day's finishing. |
|
|
|
Mary with Theda and Christy goes in the conference room. Theda soothingly says Christy that Mary had just kind a nervous.
After a while Mary receives the audiotape from Mason. The attached note said that he illegally recorded for her because she weren't there to hear it live. He hopes it will help her forgive him for budging her on the stand.
|
|
|
|
|
| Mary turns on the tape but there's a knock on the door and she's forced to stop it. |
|
|
| It's Steve. Mary says that after today in court she didn't think he'd want to see her. She wondered whether she damaged the case. Steve says that not beyond repair. They still have Christie taking the stand tomorrow. He's glad she wasn't in court to hear Mary say that she doubted her word. Mary replies that she didn't say that! Just Mason asked such questions. Then she says that there are certain aspects of this case that she doesn't understand. For instance, the police have personality profiles on rapists. She knows they are not infallible, but Ted Capwell just doesn't seem to fit. |
|
|
| Steve grins and says that those profiles can be very deceiving. Most people live double lives. Inner... and outer lives. Those profiles are about a person inside. She only knows Ted Capwell from the outside. For example, did she know that Ted had an affair with one of his high-school teachers? On one occasion she and Ted were even arrested and brought in with a group of prostitutes. Mary would hear it in court tomorrow. |
|
|
| Mary had no idea. She shocked. Steve promises to confirm their word with documents and leaves. |
|
|
| Mary sits down again and turns on the audio tape's playing. At Mason's words that Ted Capwell is not only innocent of this crime, but innocent entirely of any malice or guile whatsoever, she abruptly turns off the tape recorder and screams "Liar!" |
