When We Were Bright and Beautiful(88)

“Did these impressions change as you got to know Diana?”

“No, sir.” Deacon shakes his head. “If anything, she became more demanding of Billy—of his time, his attention. It was painful to watch.”

“Did anything else about her give you pause?”

“My father is a career politician, and my brother and I learned early on how to identify women who don’t have our best interests at heart. Diana was indifferent to Billy’s class load and training schedule. She was also overly focused on his trust fund. I grew up with a stepmother like this. So I’ve seen women hunting for a rich husband—”

“Objection!” Anderson jumps up.

Deacon covers his mouth. “Oh, sorry. My mistake.”

I don’t know Deacon well. I can’t say if he’s always smooth or if this is a class-A performance. Not that it matters. He comes across as trustworthy and authentic.

“Did she mention wanting a future with my client?” DeFiore asks.

“I had drinks with them fairly often, three times over the summer, and two or three times in the fall. Diana never failed to bring up their future, even intimating marriage.”

“Did my client participate in these conversations?”

“At first, sure. But at first, we all want to marry our girlfriends. Check back in six months.” Deacon pauses for scattered chuckles. “Seriously, by September, Billy felt differently. He wanted to break up but was afraid of Diana’s reaction. Her possessiveness was off the charts. She called and texted nonstop, keeping tabs on Billy’s whereabouts. She even called me to check up on him.”

“Let’s switch topics. You grew up with my client. Did you know that he watched porn as an adolescent? And still watches porn frequently?”

“With all due respect, sir, what male—adolescent, teenage, young adult, old man, decrepit dinosaur—doesn’t watch porn? I mean, come on.”

This gets a couple of cheers in the audience. Annoyed, McKay calls for order. “Please answer the question, Mr. Porter.”

Chastened, Deacon nods. “Yes. I knew Billy watched porn. I can’t say if he still watches, but most guys I know don’t stop. We slow down, though, for sure.”

“As a young man, did my client seem overly preoccupied with pornography?”

“Everyone in our crew was preoccupied. But I don’t think any of us, including Billy, were overly preoccupied.”

“Did my client ever mention that he had trouble maintaining an erection?”

Deacon sighs. “Our generation never knew a time without cell phones, so for us—me, Billy, our friends—porn was always available. It’s like a public utility, lights or water. You flick the switch and there it is. I’m sure many of us have had occasional erectile trouble.” He pauses. “But to answer your question, no, Billy never mentioned a problem, not to me.”

“Did he tell you he and Diana watched porn together?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Why would he tell you this? Isn’t it private?”

“Billy is my best friend. We went to daycare together. We talk about a lot of things. In this case, he was explaining why he wanted to break up with Diana. She was too possessive. The private details were part of a larger conversation, though he did say watching porn together was Diana’s idea and it made him uncomfortable.”

It occurs to me that Deacon is lying. Why would Billy tell him about his sex life? He and Deacon barely talk. It’s all too neat, too perfectly oppositional.

DeFiore shows the jury a cell phone screenshot. Taking a cue from Anderson, he places a poster-sized copy on an easel. “After Billy and Diana broke up, did you know she sent him harassing texts?”

Deacon nods. “Yes, I saw the texts.”

Again, why would Billy show Deacon his texts? I feel like I’m watching a split screen. On one side, a polished young man demands justice for his forever friend. On the other, a long-haired bohemian drifts in and out of Billy’s life. Impulsively, I turn around and look at the crowd. Powell sees me and raises a hand in greeting; flustered, I do the same.

I try to pay attention to Deacon. But this double vision is driving me mad, one world layered on top of the other, neither of them reality.

“Did you know he was meeting Diana at the party?”

“Yes. In fact, he asked me to go. He wanted to confront her, which sounded crazy. I told him as much. I couldn’t make it, but believe me, I wish to hell I had.”

Again, how likely was it that Diana and Billy had the same exact motive for attending the party?

“Did you think Diana was hoping to win back Billy’s affections?”

“Yes, sir. I did.”

“Why did you think this, Deacon?”

“She dropped off a package in Billy’s room.”

“I’d like to introduce Exhibit V-232.” DeFiore holds up a plastic bag, which he shows to Judge McKay then passes around the jury. It’s a pair of women’s lacy underwear, along with a note: I won’t need these 2nite. “Can you explain what this is, Deacon?”

“I assume it’s Diana’s underwear. The note wasn’t signed, but who else would send it?”

“Objection!” Anderson is spitting. “The State has no record of this evidence.”