Chapter 18 - DREW
“What is your name?”
“Drew.”
“How old are you?”
“Seven now.”
Birthday had passed.
“Do you know the difference between truth and not truth?”
“Yes.”
“If I say your shirt is purple?”
He looked down at blue.
“That’s not truth.”
Simple.
Then family.
“Who is Lily?”
“My sister.”
“Who is Peter?”
“My uncle.”
“Who is Aaron?”
“My dad.”
“Where is your dad?”
“He died.”
His voice changed.
The prosecutor moved carefully.
“Do you remember living with your mom?”
“Yes.”
“Was there a room downstairs?”
“Yes.”
“What did you call it?”
“Punishment room.”
“Who called it that?”
“I did.”
Important.
Not Reena’s official term.
“What happened there?”
“We stay.”
“Could you leave?”
“Sometimes door open.”
“And other times?”
“Locked.”
“How know?”
“I pull. It doesn’t.”
“Did you see lock?”
“Outside, when door open.”
Then day he came to me.
“Why were you downstairs?”
“I told Mom Lily needed food.”
“What happened?”
“She said punishment not done.”
“How long were you there?”
“I don’t know.”
Good.
“Did you have food?”
He shook head.
“Water?”
“There was cup but empty.”
Could be.
“Did you get out?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Window.”
“How did Lily get through?”
“I put basket and pushed her butt.”
A few jurors smiled despite themselves.
Child language.
Then leg.
“When did it start hurting?”
“Before.”
“Tell what you remember.”
“I was going upstairs.”
“Why?”
“Lily crying.”
“What happened?”
“Mom pushed door.”
“Where were you?”
“On step.”
“What happened?”
“I fell.”
“Did you tell Mom leg hurt?”
“Yes.”
“What did she do?”
“Wrap.”
“Doctor?”
“No.”
“School?”
“No.”
Then old injuries.
Prosecutor had to be careful not to invite broad claims.
“Did anyone ever tell you what to say about how you got hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Mom.”
“What did she say?”
“Dad did old ones.”
“What did you understand that to mean?”
Drew frowned.
“He broke me before, so it keeps.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“Bad.”
Not necessary maybe.
Then:
“Was your dad alive when your wrist hurt after he died?”
Drew looked confused.
“Dad was dead.”
“Right.”
“Did your mom still say Dad?”
“Yes.”
Defense cross.
Hard.
Necessary.
“You love your mom?”
“Yes.”
Good start.
“Miss her?”
“Yes.”
“Your mom sometimes took care of you?”
“Yes.”
“Made breakfast?”
“Yes.”
“Took you school?”
“Yes.”
“Hugged you?”
“Yes.”
“Did she always lock basement?”
“No.”
“Sometimes you played there?”
“Yes.”
“Were there toys?”
“Yes.”
“TV?”
“It didn’t work.”
“Could you go downstairs by choice sometimes?”
“Yes.”
Good.
Then leg.
“You were running up stairs when your mom told you not to?”
“No. I don’t run with Lily.”
“Were you carrying Lily?”
“I think.”
“You said before you were going to get food.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you remember exactly?”
He looked anxious.
“I don’t know.”
Good.
“Could you have fallen without your mom touching you?”
“She closed door.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
The judge intervened gently:
“You can say you don’t know.”
Drew:
“I don’t know.”
Then:
“Your dad yelled sometimes?”
“Yes.”
“Scared you?”
“Sometimes.”
“Did he ever grab you?”
“Yes.”
My stomach tightened.
“When?”
“Street.”
The incident pulling him from traffic.
“Did that hurt?”
“A little.”
“Did your mom tell you your dad hurt you because he was angry?”
“Yes.”
“Could some things she said about Dad be true?”
Drew stared.
“I don’t know.”
Perfect.
Truth.
Then:
“Uncle Peter talks about Dad?”
“Yes.”
“Says Dad didn’t hurt you?”
“Sometimes he says he doesn’t know.”
That helped me.
Then:
“Did Uncle Peter tell you your mom lies?”
Drew thought.
“He said some things are not true.”
“About your mom?”
“He said Dad can’t break things after dead.”
Silence.
Even defense had nowhere to go.
Then:
“Do you want to live with Uncle Peter?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to live with Mom?”
Drew’s face crumpled.
The prosecutor objected.
Relevance.
Judge sustained.
Good.
The defense should not make custody preference a credibility test.
Then final:
“Are you mad at your mom?”
“Yes.”
“Could that make you say bad things?”
Drew shook head.
“I say bad when bad.”
Not sophisticated.
Enough.
He finished.
The screen went dark.
I was in witness waiting room; I did not see live due sequestration? I had testified already, so maybe I could sit in courtroom after release as victim guardian, but child may not want. Let's say I watched from designated room after my testimony. Fine.
When Drew came out later, I did not ask:
How did it go?
I said:
“Chicken nuggets?”
“Yes.”
We left with advocate.
He had done enough.
The prosecution still had one adult witness:
Reena’s supervised-visit monitor, limited to statements? Maybe not necessary.
Then defense case would begin.
May you like
Reena had to decide whether to testify.
She did.
