“Doctor, can you walk us through the injuries that led to Anna’s death.”
Niyah inhaled a heavy breath. The dread of rehashing one of the worst autopsies she’d ever performed was almost suffocating.
“Dr. Reed,” the prosecutor prompted.
Niyah exhaled and raised her chin. “Before Anna Crawford was strangled, she was beaten, burned with cigarettes, and…”
Niyah’s head fell. The thought of everything that little girl had endured before her light was snuffed out by the monster sitting less than ten feet away was nearly crippling. Before she could help it, her cheeks warmed, and an unprofessional tear escaped her eye.
“Dr. Reed?”
Niyah swiped the tear from her cheek and closed her lids tight to prevent more from falling. “I-I need a minute.”
“Counselor, do you need a recess?” the judge asked.
“Umm… Dr. Reed?” the prosecutor questioned.
Niyah shook her head and inwardly scolded herself for getting emotional. “No,” she whispered. “I’m okay.”
“Are you sure that you’re able to continue?” the judge asked.
“Sorry, Judge. Yes, I’m okay.”
The prosecuting attorney stepped closer. “Dr. Reed, you stated that before Anna Crawford was murdered, she was beaten, burned, and…what?”
“S-she... Anna underwent a very brutal sexual assault, which included forced oral acts as well as vaginal and anal penetration.” She nearly choked on the words. “There was significant trauma.”
Niyah inhaled and exhaled a cleansing breath and remembered why she was there. It was her job to speak for the dead. So, she stiffened her spine and did just that. She answered question after question until she was satisfied that she had represented Anna Crawford as best she could.
CHAPTER 26
VICTOR
Victor smiled and gripped the makeup artist’s wrist, stopping her from applying more powder to his face. “You want me to look better than Sarah?”
The young woman giggled bashfully and shook her head. “No, sir. I guess that’s enough.”
She pulled the protective cloth from his collar and backed away.
When she left the greenroom, Carlotta, Victor’s chief media strategist, laughed from the sofa. “That young lady was downright smitten.”
“Nah,” Victor doubted as he joined her on the sofa. “I’m old enough to be that girl’s daddy.”
Carlotta laughed. “You meanzaddy?”
Victor laughed it off and grabbed a notebook from a cocktail table. “What am I in for?”
“Okay, you already know she’s gonna inquire about your running mate. Since your opponent has been dropping little hints about a possible connection between you and the Savellis, she’ll certainly question you about your relationship with them.”
Victor frowned. The incomparable Sarah Bayler was his first stop since resuming his campaign. History guaranteed that her very liberal points of view were the recipe for a very difficult interview for any republican candidate.
“Of course, she’ll come at you with the usual questions,” Carlotta continued. “She’ll ask about your stance on pro-choice as a republican. She’ll hit liberal talking points like preserving Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Then she’ll, without a doubt, dropkick you with shit like racism in America and immigration issues.”
Victor nodded. Those topics were to be expected. It was the unexpected ones that made him anxious.
***
Victor re-entered the green room, surprised to find six key members of his campaign waiting. “What is this? Is there a campaign meeting that I didn’t have on my schedule?”
