The Perfect Alibi (Robin Lockwood #2)(14)
“Why?”
“He had a bad reputation in school. He did things to girls.”
“Objection!” Doug Armstrong said.
“Sustained. Jurors, you will ignore that last comment.”
“What happened next?”
“The defendant and Randi went into a room at the end of the hall, and I waited outside. It was quiet for a short time. Then Randi screamed, ‘Get off me.’”
“What did you do when you heard the scream?”
“I opened the door.”
“What did you see?”
“Randi was on the bed. Her panties were on the floor.…”
“Did you get a chance to see the panties up close?”
“Yes, when I picked them up.”
“What was their condition?”
“They’d been torn like someone had ripped them off her.”
“Go on.”
“So, Randi was on the bed. She was crying and pushing against the defendant, who was on top of her.”
“Was there anything unusual about the defendant?”
Roche blushed and looked down. “His … his penis was exposed.”
“It was out of his pants?”
“Yes.”
“What did you do?”
“I yelled at the defendant to get off Randi. He threatened me and told me to get out. I said I would scream if he didn’t leave Randi alone.”
“What happened then?”
“The defendant started toward me. I backed into the hall and told him again that I would scream. He stopped. Then he pushed past me and ran away.”
“What did you do after the defendant ran away?”
“I took Randi to the hospital.”
“No further questions.”
“Mr. Armstrong?” the judge said.
“Miss Roche, was Blaine at the football game?”
“Yes.”
“Did you and Miss Stark see him there?”
“Yes. He plays for Oregon.”
“Did Miss Stark talk to Blaine at the game?”
“No.”
“Was he talking to the same boys who told you about the party?”
“Yes.”
“You learned that Blaine was going to be at the party, didn’t you?”
“No.”
“So, you didn’t know he would be at the party until you saw him there?”
“Yes.”
“Randi wanted to go to the party, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Randi talked to Blaine and danced with him at the party, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“So, they were friendly?”
“I guess.”
“And she went into the bedroom with Blaine willingly, didn’t she?”
“I guess.”
“You testified under oath that you saw them go in, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Did she scream in the hall?”
“No.”
“Did Blaine drag her inside?”
“No.”
“After they were inside, the door closed, didn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“So, you couldn’t see what happened in the bedroom, could you?”
“No.”
“For all you know, Randi Stark was a willing partner?”
“She screamed.”
“You can’t tell this jury from what you know personally whether she screamed after having consensual sex, can you?”
“I … No.”
“No further questions.”
Robin didn’t think that Doug had scored many points on cross. She wasn’t surprised. She’d met Doug a few times and thought he was a nice guy, but he had a reputation as an unspectacular litigator. Nothing she’d seen during the trial changed Robin’s opinion.
* * *
Randi was scheduled to testify in the morning. She was not allowed to be in court while the witnesses were testifying. When court adjourned, Robin returned to her office and called her to give her moral support for her upcoming ordeal.
“Annie was great,” Robin said. “Hastings’s attorney tried to trip her up, but he didn’t do a thing.”
“Is he any good? Is he, you know, gonna make me look bad?”
“Not if you tell the truth. I’ll be in court and so will your mom, and the DA will object if Armstrong tries anything that’s improper. Stay strong.”
“I’ll try, but I’m scared.”
“It would be weird if you weren’t scared, but Hastings will be in prison where he belongs if you just tell the jurors what he did to you, and you won’t have to worry about him anymore.”
They talked for a while longer. As soon as Robin hung up, her receptionist told her that Portland detective Carrie Anders was calling.
“What’s up?” Robin asked.
“Nothing you’re going to like.”
“Oh?”
“I drove down to Eugene and tried to talk to Marlon Guest.”
“And?”
“I’m not going to arrest him,” the detective said.