Chapter 19 - REENA TAKES THE STAND
Reena looked smaller than I remembered.
Not physically.
Her certainty.
She wore a plain navy dress.
No jury theatrics.
Her lawyer started with Aaron.
Marriage difficult.
His anger.
Cabinet.
Drinking.
Separation.
Reena afraid children would be hurt.
Real.
Then parenting after death.
Two small children.
Mortgage.
No family nearby.
Grief.
She became overwhelmed.
“Did you love your children?”
“Yes.”
“Did you intentionally break Drew’s leg?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
“He was on basement stairs. I was closing door. He tried to push past. He fell.”
“Did you push him?”
“No.”
“Did you know leg was broken?”
“No.”
“Why not take doctor?”
“I thought sprain. He could sometimes stand.”
“Was that a mistake?”
“Yes.”
Then basement.
“Did you lock door?”
“Yes.”
Why?
“Drew would leave timeout and pull Lily with him. There were tools upstairs? Wait tools maybe basement more dangerous. Better: she wanted separation while working/overwhelmed.”
She said:
“I needed them contained while I calmed down.”
Contained.
Her lawyer probably hated word.
“Was basement dangerous?”
“No. Sofa, toys, blanket.”
“Did you intend to terrorize them?”
“No.”
“How long?”
“Usually ten or fifteen minutes.”
Day of escape?
“Longer.”
“How long?”
“Maybe an hour.”
Texts suggest at least two hours, disputed.
Then food.
“I said no dinner in anger. I planned to feed them.”
“Had they eaten lunch?”
“Yes.”
Could prosecution prove not?
No.
Then Aaron blame.
“Did you tell children Aaron physically caused injuries after his death?”
“No.”
“What did you say?”
“That Aaron’s anger affected them. That Drew’s wrist had been hurt when he was with Aaron before.”
Then post-funeral wrist?
“I said his wrist was weak.”
“Was that medically accurate?”
“No. I didn’t know.”
Then:
“Why did Drew think Dad caused it?”
“I said things carelessly.”
Her lawyer moved.
Then prosecution.
“Mrs. Reena, did Aaron object to basement lock?”
“Yes.”
“Did he tell you not to lock children downstairs?”
“Yes.”
“Did you continue after his death?”
“Yes.”
“Why replace padlock?”
“Old broke.”
“Did you text babysitter, ‘If Drew acts up, basement. Key is on hook’?”
“Yes.”
“She refused?”
“Yes.”
“Did that make you reconsider?”
“No.”
Then food message.
“No dinner until apology. Lily too.”
“You wrote?”
“Yes.”
“Your friend told you feed three-year-old.”
“Yes.”
“Did you reply?”
“No.”
“Did you return home before children escaped?”
“No.”
“Were you planning to feed them later?”
“Yes.”
No proof otherwise.
Then leg.
“You wrote, ‘Still limping but I’m not rewarding drama with ER attention.’”
“Yes.”
“Is seeking care for a six-year-old who cannot walk a reward?”
Reena cried.
“No.”
Then:
“You kept him out of school.”
“Yes.”
“Did not take doctor.”
“Yes.”
“Restricted Peter visits after injury.”
“I did not want him interfering.”
There.
Then Aaron.
“You wrote to Aaron: ‘If Drew keeps telling people about basement I will tell them what you did to his wrist.’”
“Yes.”
“Did Aaron break Drew’s wrist intentionally?”
“I don’t know.”
“Your son fell at playground?”
“That was Aaron’s story.”
“Independent witness saw fall.”
“I didn’t know then.”
Then after Aaron died:
“Did you tell Drew Dad made his bones weak?”
“I may have.”
“Was that true?”
“No.”
“Did you tell him Dad couldn’t get in trouble because he was dead?”
Reena froze.
“No.”
Drew says yes.
No recording.
Credibility.
Then:
“Did you tell supervised evaluator you blamed Aaron because you wanted children to see you as safe parent?”
Defense objected privileged/settlement. Depending source, court limits. Prosecutor moved on.
Then day of fracture.
“Did you close basement door while Drew was on stairs?”
“Yes.”
“Did he fall immediately?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know your action contributed?”
She paused.
“I knew it happened when I closed the door.”
“Thank you.”
Not admission intentional assault.
Enough.
Then:
“Why not call doctor?”
“Because I was scared.”
“Of what?”
“Questions.”
The courtroom went silent.
There.
Not because she thought no injury.
Questions.
“What questions?”
“About basement.”
Then prosecutor:
“You were more afraid of questions than of his leg being broken?”
Reena sobbed.
“I wasn’t thinking like that.”
Maybe true.
Then final:
“Did you consider yourself the safe parent?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell your children that?”
“Yes.”
“Were they safe locked in a basement with an untreated fracture?”
Silence.
“No.”
May you like
That was the first full courtroom answer.
No.
