“You’re the oldest Bennet brother.So you would have…” The lawyer ruffled through some more papers, and Cal saw it for the performance it was.“Turned eleven in the year 2000?”
Cal couldn’t hide his confusion at this line of questioning.Mom had been killed nearly ten years after that.Why would the lawyer be bringing up… 2000?Either way, it was a yes or no question.“Yes.”
“Were you aware your mother was pregnant in the year 2000 when you were eleven, before your… amnesia episode?”
Cal didn’t react, though he heard a bit of a murmur around him.Pregnant.With Bo.He couldn’t let it be a surprise.They’d known the lawyer knew about Bo.
Still, he hadn’t expected this, couldn’t see a reason for bringing it up.But he was too good at lawyer tricks to fall for one.
It took him a moment to trust his voice.“No, I was not,” he replied evenly, keeping his gaze calm and on the lawyer.Hewantedto look at Dad, or his brothers, or Glenda, but he didn’t.
“So you remember all… this, but not your mother’s pregnancy?”the lawyer asked.
“Landon was born in 1992 and Nate was born in 1994.Those are the brothers I grew up with.If there was a pregnancy in 2000, I was not aware of it.”Which wasn’t a lie.He hadn’t had a clue back then.He made sure all his responses to this strange line of questioning were very carefully worded truths.
He couldn’t stop himself from looking out at the spectators and finding Glenda.Her expression was placid.Not concerned or angry or surprised.Just straight ahead.Calm.
Was she the reason the lawyer knew?Ben knew?Was she some mastermind behind whatever the hell was going on with Bo Lake?Or had she somehow told someone else?Spread the information around?
Was she really the villain in this story?After all the positive of this morning, could he flip and cast her as something else?Maybe he should.
But he couldn’t.
Vanderbilt lodged a complaint about the nature of this questioning, and the lawyers approached the bench and had a discussion with the judge.
Cal knew he shouldn’t, but he finally couldn’t resist.He looked toward Dad, sitting there in his prison chains.
Dad’s expression was smug.He knew.About Bo Lake.Just like he’d found out about him before Mom had died, he’d found out about him again.
Was Bo in on it?Glenda?
Or was Benjamin Bennet the sole puppeteer like usual?
Too many questions.Too many unknowns.Worst of all, Cal didn’t know what the defense thought they were going to do with that information.Didn’t it just prove the prosecution’s point that Dad was a monster even his own wife would want his children kept safe from?
But they were bringing this up for a reason.They wanted to use Bo for a reason.
It was worry, and a concern, but looking at Dad’s smug, self-satisfied smile, like he’dwon, only strengthened Cal.
It didn’t matter what Dad’s lawyer thought he was doing.Vanderbilt knew about Bo too.His family knew about Bo too.This was no surprise, so they could fight it.Whatever Dad and his lawyer were up to.They could fight it.
Would.Had to.
So Cal smiled at Ben, kept right on smiling likeheknew something Dad didn’t.Likehehad all the control in the world.
Until the smug melted off Ben’s face, replaced by a sneer.
The lawyer didn’t continue the questioning about Mom’s pregnancy, but Cal didn’t think it was over.They were setting something up.Maybe their own witness to bring to the stand when it was the defense’s turn.
Even knowing about Bo though, Cal couldn’t follow these hints to some logical conclusion.Whatever their strategy was, it was something bigger than anyone on his side knew.
When court was adjourned for the day, Cal got everyone together before they could go their separate ways.“We need to talk.All of us.”Cal looked to Sam.“And Bo if you can get him there.”
“He’s been kind of avoiding my calls of late,” she said, clearly not happy with that.“He said he needed some space after Saturday.”
“I get that, but it’d help if he was there tonight.Do what you can and let’s meet up at the ranch.If he doesn’t come, we’ll deal.But let’s try.”
Sam nodded.
