Authors: Cora Blu
Julia Hernandez said from the screen. “Jonathan and Kenya are married now. That's why we need your help, boys, and girls. Mr. Blakemore is being charged with murder and through your character testimony we need to prove he's not capable of cold blooded murder.”
“Ah that's whack. Big B's, no murderer.” The boy hurried questioning glances between the other kids then humped his shoulders before returning his attention to the camera. “He'll ride you until you get your grades up, but he's no killer. He'll make the guys stand in the rain until the girls are on the bus, but he's no murderer. He'll call your house if you got a bad report card, but he's no murderer.”
“Mr. Blakemore calls you at home?” Jamie asked on the screen from the police station.
Eyes wide the young man said, “Oh yeah. He'll call and talk to my moms,” he started glancing around the room at the other kids. “When, moms found out Mr. Blakemore offered to pay for my college books, she started cracking the whip on me getting my homework done.”
On the screen, Julia eased down on the corner of the table clasping her fingers together. “Seriously, does he offer this to all the kids or just select ones?”
“Just kids of divorce I think.” He looked back at the other kids, then the camera. “Divorce was rough on my mother. Money was tight and the Cops told my mother about his program. They called him, friend of the court.”
Jamie stepped up closer to Julia's side and leaned on the desk. “Why help kids of divorce?”
“I asked him once...said his parents been going through divorce for thirty years. That's crazy.” The boy looked directly into the camera and pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket. “You owe me a check for some books Big B, I got accepted to Michigan State,” waving it before the camera. “I want new books, not the used ones with the curling pages, Big B.”
The courtroom sighed. Jonathan propped his elbows on the table resting his nose on his steepled fingers, his stare focused on the screen, and Kenya watched pride straighten his shoulders.
Jamie laughed and said. “Aye, I'll make sure the spines are nae cracked. Would ye care for a new backpack too?” he teased.
“It wouldn't hurt.” The boy smiled. “Make it a black one, with the leather patches on the bottom,” the boy requested, making hand gestures as if holding a bag, smiling wide and bright.
The room laughed this time and it felt good as Kenya held Julia's hand.
The screen faded and the local kids standing before the judge relayed how Blakemore Investments paid to have new books and put computers in their schools. Kenya breathed in Jonathan's warm stare on her through the entire proceedings.
“Mr. Blakemore has a program like that here, but the kids go out with the fisherman,” a young girl with deep brown hair said stepping forward from the line of kids. “Like the kids in the States said, he's just not a killer.”
“I will take this under advisement. Both sides have presented some startling evidence as to the tense and troubled relationship between father and son. In your report you show a barn fire which obviously was arson according to the police report, but I have no evidence it was set by Mr. Brian Blakemore. It is late and I will consider all evidence over the weekend. I will have a ruling on Monday. Bailiff return Jonathan Blakemore...”
Kenya smacked the wood divider in frustration. “No!” Kenya screamed repeatedly clutching her stomach falling to her knees on the floor. “Ugh...no you can't keep him; please you can't keep my husband, he didn't kill Graham. What's wrong with you people?”
Jonathan bolted over the divider getting to Kenya in a ball on the floor. The courtroom exploded as the bailiff ran around to Jonathan.
“Somebody call an ambulance. Mrs. Blakemore's in labor.”
Then a voice stopped every person in the room from moving.
“Brian Blakemore is not Jonathan Blakemore's father,” Morgan screamed from the monitor to the left. “Calder Blakemore is Jonathan Blakemore's biological father.”
Brian bolted to the screen slapping a hand over the button. The screen went black and Brian shoved the monitor attempting to push it from the stand as bailiff's ran for him catching the monitor seconds before it hit the floor.
“Mr. Davis control your client. Bailiff get that screen back up now,” he barked. Kenya wailed in pain as Jonathan climbed over the railing getting her into the aisle.
“Order, I will have order in my court. Someone take Mrs. Blakemore from Mr. Blakemore. Mr. Blakemore return to your seat.” Steve got to his feet taking Kenya from Jonathan muttering for him to let him take her.
“I got her, son. Go handle that and get to the hospital.” Steve yelled out. “Morgan don't let your sister down now.” The doors burst open as a gurney came wheeling through the doors.
“Morgan help me!” Kenya screamed as they wheeled her out the door. Jonathan struggling to go with her grabbing her hands telling her it'll be okay.
“I love you, Kenya.”
She grabbed for his arm waving frantically. “Jonathan, no I can't do this without you. I'm sick of being strong. Please somebody help us, please don't let my son come into this world without his father. I need my husband...please.” The courtroom was alive with people moving through the isle. Katherine and Marcus following behind, Steve moving toward the courtroom door left the mayhem and got Kenya into a waiting ambulance. Kenya screamed at the doors closing behind her as the ambulance pulled away from the courthouse. “Morgan save my husband!”
~~~
It took the judge a solid minute to quiet the courtroom.
“Order,” the judge pounded the gavel louder this time. “Mrs. Morgan Blakemore, I need evidence and I need it now or I'll hold you in contempt of court.”
“I have evidence your honor,” a voice from behind Morgan filled the room as a tall young man stepped into view. Jonathan sat eyes darting around at the face he knew well. His jaw dropped slack. What in the hell was he doing there?
Hines spoke to Jonathan. “Is that...?” Jonathan nodded.
“Young man, we have little time for theatrics. State your name and show the proof.”
“My name is Carl Flannery Blakemore. Me father is Brian Blakemore.” The courtroom burst out again and Brian squirmed beside his attorney mumbling something anxiously hands waving through the air.
Jonathan shot a cold look onto Brian then to the judge. “Me wife is in labor, your honor...”
The judge called over the hum of complaints, “Evidence now young man, or Mrs. Blakemore.”
“Brian Blakemore didn’t father Jonathan Blakemore. These papers will show that Calder Blakemore is Jonathan Blakemore's father. Brian has no claim on the estate, because he is married to another woman and has been while married to Sophie.”
The courtroom swelled with suspicion.
“Do you have proof of your accusations, Mrs.?” the judge said holding his gavel in the air as if brandishing a weapon pointing it at the screen.
“I do your honor. Brian’s son helped to keep me safe while I was with Brian.” Every face turned to Jonathan then Brian then back to Morgan. “Without him I’d probably be dead by now,” Morgan accused.
“I helped protect Mrs. Morgan Blakemore until she had her baby your honor,” Carl said. Cries rang out through the space. “I also know who killed Graham Brennar and it wasn’t Jonathan Blakemore. He was killed in a bar brawl in Dublin while his family waited in Nigeria.” Carl looked through the screen pointing to Brian. “You told me not to mention I was your son until your divorce went through or there would be resentment. You said never trust Jonathan or anyone in the estate. But he trusted me with the person he loved the most, Kenya and keeping her safe from you and your men. You lied to me father.”
Jonathan flexed his fingers thinking Carl's been in the estate with Kenya from the start and could have given her to Brian at any time. Why didn't he see that?
“Young man, show me proof,” the judge said agitated.
Jonathan was on fire needing to get to the hospital to hear what the hell was happening.
Carl continued reeling off facts from the screen, “I switched the hospital tape for Brian Blakemore, your honor, before the police got there. If you reverse the tape, and flip her direction, Kenya is walking into the hospital that's why she's not struggling and she was walking alongside her friend, Mrs. Hernandez. I just cropped in the other man, knowing he planned to take her in the parking lot.”
“You will answer for your part young man,” the judge urged his gavel pointed at Carl.
Jonathan could barely keep up with everything.
Morgan spoke up, “Your honor, Brian let it slip that Carl was his son. Carl was spying for Brian and had been in the cabin with me. No one suspected him at the pub. After Carl confided in me that Brian promised him the castle and how he sent those men to go after, Kenya…I knew it would just be a matter of time before he turned on me and my child.”
The crowd turned as a woman stood in the back row slowly pulling a brown wig from her hair. “I have the proof your honor.” Jonathan swiveled around to hear Sophie's gasp and seeing the fire in her eyes, what had he missed?
“Come forward. And you are?”
“Moreen Flannery Blakemore your honor. Carl's mother and Brian Blakemore's wife. Sophie asked for my help, but I was too afraid to come forward. I stayed disguised so no one would know who I was and I could be close to my son.”
The court exploded in murmurs and whispers. Calder looked at Sophie, pulling her against his chest. Jonathan pushed down the fire of anger burning up in his heart. Brian's used him all his life and the one man he's looked up to had been his father all this time.
Sophie got to her feet pointing to Brian. “I told you never to cross me, Brian. Now yer’ll get yours.”
Jonathan caught a familiar glance shared between the two women. How did the owner of the store Kenya bought the sweaters from get involved?
Moreen said, “I was one of the women that frequented Brian Blakemore's home during his marriage to Sophie Blakemore. He told me he was divorced or I would not have married him your honor. The woman held up a folder. “Here’s my proof, plus the original papers for Mrs. Morgan Blakemore’s claims.” The room heated in accusations and voices as Brian’s lies choked the fresh air out of the room. The judge motioned for the bailiff to retrieve the folder from Carl’s mother.
Sophie spat out her next words, “Brian yer a bigamist.” The judge pounded his gavel, but Sophie continued. “Ye married this woman telling her we were divorced and she would become the woman of Blakemore estates, and Carl would inherit the Blakemore castle, when ye were counting the days until I forfeited the marriage contract then ye marry that poor child and have a baby with her.” The room exploded with voices as a tall dark skinned man filled the screen.
“Sorry, but nobody's taking my son,” the tall, husky man filling the screen warned cradling a baby in his arms.
“Who are you sir?” the judge asked holding a hand out quieting the room.
“Rick, your honor. I'm Morgan's husband and this is our son, Julian. She was waiting for us to show up to speak up or her captor would have never allowed her to speak up and take our son. Jonathan, we've never met, but I’m sorry it took so long to speak up. We were coming from the airport. I'm sorry man.”
Jonathan couldn't believe this was happening.
A third man stepped from the shadows. “And I'm Michael Claiborne, Morgan and Kenya's brother.” The camera lens was angled to the floor. Cracking his knuckles, Michael added, “And that punk tied up on the floor is the man that held my sister hostage for Brian Blakemore. We're at the shore on Brian Blakemore's yacht if you wanna send someone to pick up this scum bag.”
Carl’s mother hurried to the front along with Sophie. They reeled off more information than anyone could take in.
“How do you women know one another?”
“Once I met Carl, I knew I’d seen him somewhere before and that's when I remembered Moreen from seeing her visit Brian on occasion, only I knew her as Hyacinth at the time. It's been a few years since I'd seen her. At one time I kept a video tape in the master suite to use to be free of Brian, but I never returned to retrieve it. I was able to view it on this trip and that's when I saw the resemblance between Carl and Moreen. He's had a number of women in the estate through the years and none would come forward.”
“Mr. Davis, Mr. Hines, approach the bench.” The judge wore a tight grimace as he read the information in the folder. Both men stood before the stand. The files were turned in their direction. “Either of you know about this?”
Both men agreed they had no knowledge of this woman or the boy being related to Brian.
The judge waved a hand and everyone returned to their seats. “These will have to be verified through a second blood test,” the Judge said. “Although I’m familiar with this register’s and technician’s signature, on the marriage license and blood test, I want them verified.”
“Your honor,” Carl’s mother said nodding to the papers before him. “Those are copies of my marriage license and Carl’s birth certificate,” Moreen stated folding her arms standing alongside Sophie.
Brian raged on the other side of the room cursing Morgan on the screen.
“Hey...watch how you talk to my wife, you sick dog. I should come down there and whoop your ass for hitting Morgan,” Rick barked out through the screen, touching a finger to Morgan's lip. Every eye settled on Brian squirming in his seat.
“Mr. Hines...Mr. Hines. I will allow Mr. Jonathan Blakemore to attend the birth of his child if you take responsibility for his house arrest until these claims can be verified through a blood test at the hospital. I want a blood test started at the hospital now. Bailiff take Brian Blakemore into custody for bigamy and lying under oath just to get started.”
“Sophie, ye Bitch!” Brian screamed and in a blur Brian hit the table with Calder pounding a fist into his face. Sophie exploded across the room and the bailiffs followed, not before she got her fist to contact with Brian's jaw.
“Bailiff, clear the courtroom,” the Judge ordered as Jonathan ran for the parking lot with his attorney. He couldn't let Kenya down...or his son.
Chapter Eighteen