“Interesting, because Nicolette Haslet received a ‘donation’ too, for the sum of $500,000 that same day. She was not a nurse who looked after your son, but she was a nurse who tended to Miss Wells. I checked.”
“I don’t remember which of the nursing staff looked after my son that night. It was all a blur.”
“I’m sure it was. Still, it’s interesting to note that the second report mentions blood type AB negative. Interesting because Miss Wells is A positive. Your son, however, was AB negative, wasn’t he?”
“Well, fuck,” Arlo curses behind me, I couldn’t have put it better myself..
My father was called after the break. Though his answers mostly matched my mother’s, it became clear that there was a disconnect between what he was saying and what he was thinking. After some prodding, he cracked and admitted that he wasn’t home that often and was largely repeating my mom’s observations of events.
When he left the stand, he looked defeated, but I knew he wouldn’t back down or change his answers. He had a reputation to uphold, and that meant everything to him. It had already taken a hit when the prosecutor alluded to affairs my father had over the years. He also implied that the nurse who took the bribe might have been one of his mistresses.
I felt fucking dirty just being in the same room with them. The biggest shock was still to come, though, when Katy was called to take the stand.
“What’s going on?”
“I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t want you to talk me out of it.”
“You’re seventeen. You shouldn’t have to do this.”
“I’m doing it because I’m seventeen. I’m a reminder of how old Sorrow was when they screwed her over. I want the jury to see that when they make their decision.”
“I hate this, but I’m so fucking proud of you.”
She squeezes my hand and walks over to take the stand. I look down at Sorrow, who frowns. “Did you know she was going to do this?”
She shakes her head. “I’m not surprised, though. She’s far stronger than I was at her age.”
“You went through horrific trauma. You should have been healing. Instead, you were criminalized for someone else’s actions.”
“I know.” She blows out a shaky breath as Katy places her hand on the Bible and says her part.
“Miss Bannerman, can I call you Katy?” Mr. Knowles starts the questioning.
“Please do.”
“Alright, thank you. When did you first meet Miss Wells?”
“Wow, I’m not sure how old I was. Eight maybe. I actually met her before the rest of my family did.”
“Really?”
She nods as Sorrows smiles at her.
“I was at the park. Sorrow was there, too. I think she was babysitting. She saw that I was alone and crying, and she came to ask me if I was okay. She was like that. Kind to everyone.”
“And were you okay?”
She shrugs. “I was running away.”
“That’s a pretty serious thing for an eight-year-old to do.”
“I know.”
“Did you tell Miss Wells you were running away?”
“No. I was embarrassed. She didn’t want to leave me alone while I was upset, though, so when she took the kid she was babysitting back, she walked me home.”
“And after that, she became a bigger part of your lives?”
