“Yes,” Arianna tried to sound confident, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and said it again, this time a little too assertively.
“And you know why you’re here, correct?” Selena continued as she returned her attention back to her legal pad.
“Yes,” Arianna agreed again.
“In thirty minutes we’re going to be upstairs in the courtroom, you know that right?” Ari nodded. Selena looked back to Arianna, and her eyes were pure ice. There was no warmth, no light behind them. She looked wicked. Ari had faced down murders; she refused to be intimidated by a lawyer. “I want you to know, I will use all of my intelligence, all of my influence, and all of the resources of the federal government to convict you of murder. You understand that, correct?”
“You are more than welcome to try,” Arianna stated flatly.
“You could make my life, and your life easier, and agree to testify against Margo Tremblay,” Selena said as she again wrote on her notepad. “You won’t be prosecuted if you testify, and we can protect you from any harm that might come to you in retaliation for your testimony.”
“That’s a very kind offer,” Arianna stated. “But I will have to pass. By the way, who are you accusing me of murdering?”
Selena paused then. She knew as well as Arianna she didn’t have any names of any of the victims. The only way Arianna was connected at all was her name was mentioned as the replacement for Alexandra Copeland in the Marianne Dumont file. They had no evidence, no witnesses, and no bodies. They had nothing, except the case against Margo Tremblay. They couldn’t even verify that Arianna was one of the Secretary’s soldiers, except for the fact that she now had a target on her head and the Secretary had placed it there.
“This will be a Rico case. Are you familiar with the Rico law?”
Arianna shook her head. “Please enlighten me.”
“Rico states that anyone involved in an enterprise that has committed certain crimes, including murder or murder for hire, can be charged with racketeering.” Selena said it so smoothly Arianna would have believed she was talking about the new shoes she’d just bought, designer of course. “So if you’re not found guilty of murder, I will make sure you are found guilty of racketeering.
“That’s fascinating. Thank you for the information. But Arianna Becker has never been employed by Margo Tremblay.” Arianna faced off with Selena. She was not backing down.
Selena could see why Vince liked her. Besides the fact that she was young and naturally beautiful in a way very few women were, she had balls and guts. She wasn’t stupid either, despite the fact that she dropped out of college. Her body was athletic and curved at the same time, and her blue eyes seemed to pop out at you from all that tan, succulent skin. Selena was getting turned on just thinking about Arianna between Vince and the genius. God she wished she had demanded to go with the team to pick her up.
Just as Selena was in the middle of a vivid sexual fantasy where Selena joined the trio, someone knocked on the door. Arianna raised an eyebrow to Selena, thinking that she’d won and her bosses were recalling her. But the door opened and arguably the most beautiful man she’d ever seen walked in the door.
“I’m Sam Clark,” he said. “Jordan Stewart hired me as your lawyer. I’ll be defending you. I would suggest you say nothing else until we’ve had a chance to talk.”
Selena placed her pad in her expensive bag, and nodded her head. “I’ll leave you two alone. It was a pleasure to meet you, Arianna,” she said as she held out her hand. Arianna took it daintily and shook it. Selena looked toward the other lawyer and said, “Sam.”
“Selena,” he said with a nod, and they watched her walk out the door. “You didn’t say anything did you? She’s extremely intelligent and no matter what you say she will skew it to suit her.”
“No,” Arianna said as she stared at her lawyer. Arianna was beginning to doubt that she was really arrested. She thought perhaps she was in the middle of some elaborate hoax put on by the Secretary to see if she would break under pressure.
Selena Davies was too beautiful by far. But this man, he was even more perfect. Vince was rough, all man. Jordan was handsome in an unusual, lovable sort of way. But this man…
His hair was jet black and his eyes were sky blue. His skin had a sunny glow; not pale like Jordan and not tan like herself or Vince. Perfectly arched and groomed black eyebrows framed his eyes and drew attention to them. His nose would make plastic surgeons drool. His bottom lip was full and dark dusky pink. Two laugh lines formed perfect parenthesis around his mouth, and caused his high cheekbones to form little blush apples beside his nose. He had to be an actor or a model, and if he wasn’t he was wasting his looks. And then he smiled at her, and it nearly took her breath.
“So my friend Vince Argento is quite taken with you. He insisted you have the best lawyer he knew, and thankfully that was me.” His voice was melodious, and he smelled like a beautiful fall day as the sun was setting and everything turned pink; slightly smoky and woodsy.
She honestly didn’t know what to say to that. She was thinking of how good looking this man was, and he was talking of how much Vince cared about her. Get it together, Arianna, she reminded herself. She didn’t think even she and her guys could handle a foursome… Or maybe they could.
“Jordan Stewart has agreed to put up your bail, no matter the amount. I’m going to try to get it as low as possible because frankly they have no case against you.” Ari nodded. She was speechless. “You have about ten minutes to change. Vince brought you a suit.”
Arianna had nothing appropriate for a court hearing at her apartment. She nodded again. “So let me escort you to a bathroom, and we’ll get you changed, shall we?” He led her outside, and she couldn’t help but notice his suit. She wore a grey jumpsuit they’d given her. He wore a black suit with a crisp white shirt and a black and white tie.
“Thank you,” Arianna said as he knocked on the door.
“No, thank you dear,” Sam said, and then closed the door again when an officer opened it. “I had a girlfriend in high school. She was gang raped by a group of boys waiting for a ride home after a football game. She was a cheerleader, and her mom was late picking her up. It was Friday night and I had to work at my parent’s restaurant. She killed herself two months later. No one knew it had happened until she wrote about it in her suicide note. It hurts me more than anything to know that she couldn’t trust me enough to tell me. If it were up to me you’d be hailed as a hero.”
He knocked again, and the same officer opened the door. “Let’s get you dressed,” he said as he led her out of the room.
She was led into the courtroom by the same female officer. Vince and Jordan had picked out and bought her a suit. It fit, although it was a little snug. And it was navy blue. She would never choose navy blue for herself. Sam Clark sat at a table, and Selena Davies sat at another with a younger man and woman. Vince and Jordan sat behind Mr. Clark, and she smiled weakly at them when she sat down.
The judge entered the room then, and lowered his gavel. Then he pointed at the bailiff. “This is case number 3174, The United States versus Arianna Becker on the following counts: murder in the first degree, murder for hire, and racketeering.”
“Ms. Davies, can you tell me why this is a federal case,” the judge wondered as he read over the file.
“Your honor, we believe the defendant has committed multiple murders in several different jurisdictions in conjunction with Margo Tremblay.” She finished and waited for the judge.
“Margo Tremblay?” The judge frowned. “I’ve read about the case. Are you going to join the two cases?”
“We are considering that possibility,” Ms. Davies answered. And then she turned her icy green eyes to Arianna again.
“And what do you have to say to the charges, Mr. Clark,” the judge asked as he turned and gazed at Arianna.
“These are trumped up charges against my client. They have no victim, no evidence, and no connection between my client and Ms. Tremblay. These charges are simply preposterous,” Mr. Clark insisted passionately.
“Ms. Davies?” The judge said as he turned to Selena.
“Your honor, when Florian Desjardins applied for a visa into the US the Canadian government fingerprinted her. Then she came to work for Margo Tremblay as her nanny. We have contacted the correct authorities, but they need time to locate the paperwork. We assert, your honor, with complete good faith, that Arianna Becker is in fact Florian Desjardins.”
“Your honor, there is no…” Mr. Clark began.
“Wait your turn,” the judge said gently.
“And Ms. Becker has ample resources to leave the country at any time,” Ms. Davies continued. “We believe she has multiple identities, provided to her by Margo Tremblay.”
“Your honor, because Ms. Davies believes it does not make it true,” Mr. Clark rebutted.
“I tend to agree,” the judge stated. “In four days we will return here to discuss bail. If the Canadians have not responded to your request in that time, I’m letting Ms. Becker out on bond. I may expect you to drop the charges if you can’t tie Arianna Becker to Florian Desjardin.”
Arianna looked solemn as she turned toward Vince and Jordan. And then she winked. “I wasn’t fingerprinted,” Arianna whispered to Mr. Clark. He nodded, but showed no emotion.
“Follow me, Ms. Becker, and I’ll take you back to dress and they’ll process you at the jail.” Sam put his hand on her shoulder and tried to lead her away. But she stood and turned toward Jordan. He looked like he was about to lose his mind.
She walked toward him and hugged him. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “They have nothing.”
“Please be safe,” he whispered.
Then she hugged Vince. “We love you,” he whispered. She nodded to both of them, and when she reached the door she turned to wave. They both stood and stared, watching her leave.
The other women in the cells applauded and yelled out to her as she walked past. Apparently her reputation as the Sex Offender Killer had preceded her. She tried to show no emotion, but by the time she was in her cell she was overcome. She sat down on her small cot and cried. Not because she was stuck in there. She was sure she would be out in four days anyway. But because they were yelling things like they loved her, and they were proud of her. She wondered how many of these women had been sexually assaulted.
She thought about what Sam Clark said to her in the interrogation room. How many women had been injured that way? She had never thought of the victims of her victims. She had only thought about Jasmine, and how she had been tortured and killed. But each one of the monsters that she put to death had victims, and they had families and loved ones. By the time they opened her door and told her it was time for lunch, she was a blubbering mess.
She followed the other women in a single file line into the huge cafeteria, and when she entered once again she was cheered by the other inmates. The guards yelled out for everyone to be quiet or they wouldn’t get lunch, and she felt bad again. She didn’t want her presence to cause a disruption in their daily lives. She wouldn’t be there that long, and she didn’t want them to get punished for something that was her fault.
But as she sat at a table alone, slowly the other women approached her. “I was molested by my step-dad,” one of them said. And another stated it was her grandfather, and another said her mother’s boyfriend had raped her when she was a child. Arianna was near tears again when lunch was over. She hadn’t eaten anything at all.
She returned to her cell quietly, and began to cry again. Not for herself, but for these other women.
Vince wanted to stay with Jordan, but he claimed he had class that afternoon. “What time should I expect you back,” Vince wondered.
“About 3:30,” Jordan said, but he was evasive. He refused to meet Vince’s eyes. Vince knew he was planning something, he just wasn’t sure what.
So Vince sat on Jordan’s comfortable couch and watched the news. Several hundred women had gathered outside the jail where Arianna was housed. They carried signs that said things like “Free Arianna,” and “Death Penalty for Repeat Offenders.” He changed the channel again, and he saw video of Arianna’s hearing. Thankfully there were no shots of Vince and Jordan, except for when she hugged them, and he could see them from behind.
He knew it was time. He picked up his phone and dialed the number. “Hello, Ms. Becker. I’m Arianna’s friend, Vince. How can I help you get here?” She cried on the other end, and was inconsolable. But he offered to wire her money, whatever she needed to get here to be with her daughter.
“Just tell me where she is,” Ari’s mother said.
“I’ll pick you up at the airport,” he offered.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know you. You could be a reporter,” she countered.
Vince grinned. It was obvious where Arianna got her spunk. “I’ll give you the address of her apartment. When you get there call this number. I’ll let you in.”
“Thank you,” she said when she hung up the phone.
Then Vince paced the floor as he thought of Ari. He saw ultra-handsome Sam Clark on the television, discussing Ari’s undoubted innocence. “This nonsense that Arianna Becker is the S
ex Offender Killer
or
the Executioner
as some are calling her is just ludicrous. Please don’t call her things like that. To name her is to assume her guilt. She’s innocent,” he claimed. And then with his next breath he added, “But if she is guilty, she deserves a medal.”
Vince was going crazy. He was injured so he couldn’t exercise his frustrations away. He couldn’t actually get out in the field and help her. He was just so useless with his arm in the sling. He wanted to punch the wall. No, what he wanted was Arianna and Jordan in his bed for hours, and to fuck them both until none of them could move. He leaned his head back, put his hands down his pants, and thought about how good it was finally going to feel when he could fuck them both whenever he wanted. When Jordan finally realized that he wanted Vince, he was going to fuck him senseless. He imagined Arianna sucking Jordan while he took his tight ass from behind, and he creamed all over himself.