“So, you and Mr. Coleman were in a romantic relationship on the 28th of September. Is that correct?”
With a frown, I try to recall the timeline. We were, yes. It all ended a couple of days later, following the Oliver incident. “Yes,” I confirm with a nod, unsure of what she’s getting at.
Ms. Collins pauses only a moment before continuing. “Miss Walker, are you familiar with a man named Stefano Bianchi?”
Okay, now I’m confused as hell. Kate’s asshole ex? How is this relevant? How could he be connected to this? “I am,” I warily say.
“Can you tell the court how you know him?”
“He dated my best friend for a few months. Then they broke up.”
“By ‘best friend,’ you mean Katherine Knox, right?”
This is freaky. How the fuck does she know all that?
“Objection! Relevance?” Mr. Goldberg demands.
“The relevance will become clear in a moment, Your Honor.”
I look up at the judge, who dismisses Lex’s lawyer with a vague, “Overruled.”
Ms. Collins returns to me with assurance, resting her forearm on the stand. “Is Katherine Knox the friend you’re referring to?”
“Yes.”
“Was her breakup with Mr. Bianchi amicable?”
“No.”
“Did he threaten her afterward?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He recorded an intimate moment without her consent and threatened to post it online.”
Collins takes a step closer. “And when you heard about that, did you share it with Mr. Coleman?”
Lost, I seek the one person I hope can make this make sense. But Lex’s apathetic look doesn’t help. On the contrary. Something tugs at my insides, a dreadful sense of awareness my brain hasn’t caught up with yet. This isn’t good.
“I can’t recall,” I lie.
“But you were with him when she told you about it, weren’t you?”
I was. But confirming it doesn’t feel right. It feels like a trap. So I don’t answer, forcing myself to look confused and uncertain instead.
“We know from Mr. Bianchi’s deposition that he made the threat on the twenty-eighth. Miss Knox’s call records show you were the first person she called afterward. The government also obtained building security logs from the defendant’s residence that day. They show you were there when she called, and that you and Mr. Coleman left in his car about fifteen minutes later. Are you saying you didn’t tell him about the threat?”
Jesus, fuck. It’s like a noose is tightening around my neck with every word she utters. She did her job thoroughly. Although I’m still unsure why this is her line of questioning, it can’t be good for Lex’s case.
“I might have. I don’t remember how it unfolded,” I lie again. “I was angry and not thinking rationally.”
“Did you head down to visit Miss Knox in Portland that very day?”
“I did.”
“Did the defendant drive you there?”
