Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 97

\-Caleb-

When Jacey didn’t return, but the rude FBI agent stuck his head in and called for me, I was beyond worried. Why isn’t she here? Where did she go?

“Put some hustle in it,” he complained. “It’s your turn to testify.”

I scowled at him but stood just the same. “Officer Alexander? Could you go check and see how Jacey is doing? I have a bad feeling.”

“You know, by now, you two should be calling me Jake, right?” he replied with a grimace.

“I’ll take it under advisement,” I said.

“I’ll go check on her,” Jake assured me. “You go testify.”

I nodded and stepped out of the room, following the bailiff into the courtroom.

The Attorney General was already there. She looked frazzled but determined. I was counting on her determination.

“Please be seated, Mr. Killeen,” Judge Powell said. He glared at Chalmers. “And no more shenanigans from you.”

I wondered what ‘shenanigans’ he’d pulled on Jacey, but I didn’t have time to contemplate it long because the bailiff came back over with a Bible and swore me in.

“Mr. Killeen, how did you come to know about Mr. Masterson Sr.’s various business dealings?” the Attorney General started off, straightening her jacket as she stood.

Jacey had answered the same way I was about to, I was certain, so I simply launched into it. “Jacey’s—Jocelyn Collins, that is—her father is an asshat…”

“Please try to keep the language clean, Mr. Killeen,” Judge Powell interrupted, but not unkindly.

“Sorry. He’s… um… difficult, to say the least. He shot off his mouth about Jacey, and we got into it. I mean, it probably would have come to blows if I hadn’t taken the boat. Jacey came with me. We were in Canada on a fishing trip. Anyway, took the boat, got lost, got stranded. Found this nice cabin with food and supplies, but it turned out it belonged to this complete psychopath. We had to escape him. When we did, we ran into these loggers, and we thought they’d help us, but it turned out to be an illegal logging operation. We found out later it was one of Masterson’s businesses,” I said.

“And how did you find out later?” the Attorney General asked. “When?”

I took a deep breath and went into detail, talking about Hank discovering us and Will offering us refuge in his home. Everything from being guests to being prisoners to being unwilling accomplices.

“And can you identify the man who did all these things? Is he in court today?” the Attorney General continued.

I looked Masterson right in the eye as I stabbed a finger in his direction. “William Masterson Sr.. He’s right there.”

“Thank you, Mr. Killeen,” the Attorney General said and returned to her table.

Chalmers, the bastard, then got up and offered the courtroom a saccharine sweet smile. “Caleb—may I call you Caleb?”

“No,” I replied.

He chuckled. “Feisty. Hostile?”

“Objection. You can’t treat him as a hostile witness just because he doesn’t like you,” the Attorney General groused. “He hasn’t refused to answer any of your questions.”

“Sustained. Mr. Chalmers, if you don’t mind, could you get to your questions?” Judge Powell asked with long-suffering patience.

“Of course, Your Honor. Just testing the waters,” he smiled. He turned back to me. “What happened to the ‘complete psychopath’?”

My jaw worked. “I hit him with a rock when he was going to attack Jacey.”

“And what was the result of that?” Chalmers asked.

“He died,” I said in a clipped tone.

Chalmers raised an eyebrow at me. “He died? Does that mean you murdered him?”

“Objection. Facts not in evidence,” the Attorney General said, standing.

“Sustained. Tread carefully, Mr. Chalmers,” Judge Powell warned.

“Your Honor, the witness just admitted to murder,” Chalmers protested.

“What I heard him admit to was defense of another,” the Attorney General argued. “If not self-defense.”

“He did shoot me,” I said.

Chalmers snorted. “I guess we only have your word on that.”

I scowled at him then smoothed back some of my hair to reveal the graze mark near my temple.

That shut him up. Actually, it had his mouth hanging open like a landed fish.

“Bailiff, I would like you to take photographs of the new evidence for both parties,” the judge said, looking at my scar.

“Th-That’s right! That’s new evidence! It was not put forth in discovery,” Chalmers spluttered.

“Nobody asked,” I responded as the bailiff came over with his phone to take pictures.

“Still, I had no chance to review the evidence before trial. I’m asking for a continuance…” Chalmers said.

Judge Powell’s eyes narrowed. “Denied.”

“I’m noting my objection to that in court records,” Chalmers advised him.

“You do that,” Judge Powell replied. “My decision stands. Do you have any more questions, Mr. Chalmers?”

Chalmers puffed out his chest. “Many, Your Honor.”

“Then, by all means, continue,” the judge said.

Chalmers took a deep breath then got his swagger back. He came right up to the witness box and leaned on the ledge. “Mr. Killeen. You’ve killed more than once, haven’t you?”

“It’s been an interesting year,” I replied.

“I take it that means ‘yes’?” Chalmers asked.

“Yes,” I said tersely.

“Then I suppose you’re asking us to believe the testimony of a murderer,” Chalmers snorted. He shook his head at the judge. “I just don’t see how we can do that, Your Honor.”

The Attorney General gave a long sigh. “Your Honor,” she said. “Do you want me to go through every single one of Mr. Killeen’s crimes to have him tell you, every time, he was under duress, or can we just ask him once and move on?”

Judge Powell pursed his lips. “I’m afraid we’ll have to go through them one at a time. Otherwise, Mr. Killeen may be discredited, and I will have to disregard his testimony.”

With a soft groan, the Attorney General looked at her colleague to her right. He opened his briefcase and pulled out a large accordion file bursting at the gills with papers.

I decided that had to be the ‘Caleb Killeen Misdeeds’ file.

This could take weeks!

***

We broke for lunch, but I still wasn’t able to go see Jacey. I wolfed down a turkey wrap then waited impatiently to be called again. Jake was nowhere to be seen. They were probably keeping him from me as well, now that he knew what they’d blindsided Jacey with. I had a strong feeling she was chased right off the stand. Her testimony hadn’t lasted nearly long enough.

I got up and paced the room as the rude FBI agent watched me dispassionately. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what happened with Jacey?”

“Not a chance,” he responded. “But sit tight. They’ll be calling you back in there soon.”

“I hope so. I want to get this day over with.” I grumbled. I was exhausted, and we’d only covered half the folder the other attorney had pulled out of his briefcase.

“You’re probably not going to finish today, but we’ll put you up in a nice hotel,” the agent said with a smirk. “Not a whole lot your cop friend is going to be able to do about it, either.”

“You’d better get a couple of cots, then, because we’re not leaving this building,” I told him. “Not with the danger out there. It’s going to be bad enough leaving just the once when the trial is over.”

He shrugged. “Your call, I guess. Makes my life easier.”

“No, it makes you alive, period. The Trinary is after us for the ransom on our heads,” I said. “So… you’re welcome.”

He seemed to be thinking the same thing I was—that Bea and Hansen had been killed by those bastards—and they were excellent agents. Probably a lot more skilled than he was. “I suppose I should thank you,” he murmured.

The bailiff knocked on the door. “We’re ready for you, Mr. Killeen.”

I stopped pacing and strode out of the room, almost racing him to the door of the courtroom.

“I will remind you that you’re still under oath,” Judge Powell said after I sat down. “And I’m afraid, Mr. Killeen, that we’re not going to be able to get through even just your full testimony today.”

“That’s all right, Your Honor. I’ve already requested cots from the FBI,” I replied, sighing inwardly. At least the man was honest, but this was getting grueling, and I imagined it was only going to get more grueling the next day.

The Attorney General shuffled some papers in front of her. “Your Honor, we’ve reached an agreement.”

Judge Powell blinked. “You did this over lunch?”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Masterson has agreed to plead guilty to all charges against him in return for a twenty-five-year sentence and retaining custody of his grandson. He said he will arrange proper care for William III,” the Attorney General said.

I frowned. “Your Honor, respectfully, that’s not gonna happen. Jacey and I will be raising Will as our son.”

“You’re not the father,” Chalmers sniffed.

“I will be,” I said. “Jacey’s his mother, and that’s all that matters to me.”

“Oh, good. Then you should have no objection,” Chalmers grinned.

Judge Powell rubbed his temples. “Not this again. Are you just doing this for fun, Mr. Chalmers?”

“No. But it is fun.” Chalmers smirked at me. “Do you know why Ms. Collins went running out of here?”

“Enlighten me,” I grunted.

“She just found out that Will isn’t her son. She was just the surrogate,” Chalmers said. “Mr. Masterson Sr. used donor eggs for the invitro fertilization.”

I frowned at him. “That can’t possibly be true. That bastard told us the whole time that Jacey is Will’s mother.”

“I have a DNA test that proves it,” Chalmers said.

Rage boiled under my skin. “You said this to Jacey while she was on the stand?”

“I did, indeed,” Chalmers confirmed.

There were many, many unpleasant things I wanted to do to Chalmers right then. But I wanted to see Jacey more. “I don’t care. She doesn’t care. We’re raising Will. Period. We owe it to his father, if nothing else.”

“You’re not raising my grandson,” Masterson piped up. “He’ll grow up as weak as both of you.”

“I wouldn’t call them weak, Mr. Masterson,” the Attorney General said. “Quite the opposite, actually. And this agreement, if you sanction it, Your Honor, will come with the caveat that Will III be given a genetic test administered by a lab the Federal Government approves of.”

“Bring me the signed plea documents with the maternity and paternity results, and I will render my decision next week.” Judge Powell sighed heavily. “You are free to leave with Ms. Collins, Mr. Killeen. If you are needed, you will be recalled.”

I shook my head vehemently. “Your Honor, please. You can’t let Will be raised by that… that monster!”

“It’s out of your hands now, Mr. Killeen. You have no say in the matter,” Judge Powell said. “Now, go.”

I wanted to argue more, but the bailiff came up beside me, and I could tell he was prepared to remove me by force, if necessary.

Glowering at everyone in the room, but especially Masterson, I stood and left with the bailiff.