OLD WOMAN

She seemed like such a sweet old lady. Who would ever believe that she was the mother of the man she had killed. The most alarming thing was that she decided to show up to the trial the day that she had to testify. A well played ploy by the defense, in an attempt to rattle her cage... the defense attorney tall, cocky, and well groomed stared daggers at her... a recovering junkie like her didn't stand a chance, but she had against him... and she would not go to prison because he had wanted to kill her. 

                “How well did you know the deceased?”

                “Not very well,…I had just met him that night,”

                “Where?”

This the cocky attorney asked her and then turned and gave the jury a big smile. Colgate would love to have him represent them in toothy commercials. Benny shifted in her seat and everyone in the court room could hear it. she tried to sit still but the anxiety level kept increasing. She was not charismatic.

                “Your honor please instruct Ms. Carrazco to answer the question.

She opened her mouth and a sob escaped. She swallowed before answering and then said, “At the liquor store on the 43^rd avenue and Mcdowell.”

                “What time?”

                “I don’t know,” she said honestly. Really two years later and he was times.

                “if you had to guess,”

                “One , I guess,” she added enphsis on guess. She caught sight of her attorney and he both frowned and shook his head at her.

                “One in the morning. So is it safe to say you don’t keep a curfew,”

                “I thought there was only a curfew for kids,”

“Don’t you have work in the morning,  a girl like you. You’re young, but I think even the most well nourished, well…”

“Objection your honor, what do her eating, sleeping habits have to do…”

“it shows lack of character,”

“Sustained, counselor ask a question,”

“Do you work,”
“No,”
“how do you support you habit,”
“Your honor,”

“withdrawn, how do you support yourself.”

“Not very well,”
“How,”

“I beg…do favor… work here and there,”

“When you do work, what kind of work is it?”

“I don’t know different things. Depends on the day,”

“depends on the day, and what were you doing for the defendant that night.”

               


                

PROLOGUE

Prologue

Alfredo Montero jostled down the curving stairscase, wedding jitters and nerves ruled his body. He felt like the king of Phoenix, Arizona. Nothing, absolutely nothing could or would ruin his wedding day. He walked down to the foyer and turned in a full circle, holding back the urge to stretch out his arms in triumphant glory. She was going to love the home. He hoped she didn’t mind the fact that he’d bought it after he’d proposed and hadn’t told her about it. He felt edgy about surprising her because his fiancé was not good with surprises. She’d hated the surprise dinner with his family when he’d proposed. He remembered covering her eyes with a pair of silky purple nightshades, as he’d driven Bianca to his parents’ home. His parents and his brother, Cesar had set everything up for him.

“Where are we going, Freddie?”

“It’s a surprise.” He had said, not able to contain his smile.

“You know I don’t like surprises. Are we going out tonight? I want to go to that new club that just opened in Scottsdale.”

“After my surprise you’ll forget all about the club.”

He had parked the car in front of his parent’s modest driveway. His father being a landscaper by trade had put his expertise to work on his own yard. Or maybe as advertisement for any who drove or lived nearby. He opened the door for her and as he helped her out of the F150 truck, he caught sight of his mother peeking through the window. The air-conditioned air hit his skin like a thousand prickly cactus needles, Bianca sighed, at being relieved from the 115-degree heat. A short walk to the door true, but enough to cause heat exhaustion to even the most seasoned hiker, in Phoenix. Freddie signaled with an index finger to his lips for his family to be quiet, at which his mother clasped her hands together and brought them to her lips. They had decorated the living room with banners of congratulations and a big welcome to the family, Bianca Shivers, banner. He wished they hadn’t done that as he had yet to propose, but they all looked so happy. Even his father in his black leather hat had looked happy. Freddie motioned for them to leave the room, so that he could propose but his family had and would always be nothing if not stubborn. Upon their refusal he exhaled loudly and then his future bride to be said, “Can I take this damn thing off, Freddie?”

He chuckled at her protests but did not blame her, as he removed the blindfold. She scanned the room and when his mother broke into tears, Bianca had given him a mean scowl. He had simply laughed and fallen on bended knee, “I know we have known each other for only a few months, Bianca.”

          “Three,” she had intercepted, and the fact that her knee had been jerking back and forth on her right leg, had told him she was nervous, and a bit upset. But she looked the picture of beauty. Her huge, beautiful pale green eyes and golden hair framing her face were one of the reasons he had fallen desperately in love with her.

          “Yes, three, but I feel as if I know you, have known you all my life. I don’t want to spend another minute without you by my side.” Freddie had fumbled with his coat pocket and finally managed to get the box out. He opened the box and lifted it up towards her, and at her gasp, he smiled. And he remember praying she would hurry up and say yes, because his knee had been hurting from the carpet cutting into it. When she took the ring, she nodded and placed it on her finger. An act he wished she had allowed him to make.

          “My goodness is that a full carat diamond.” Bianca asked, as she stretched her hand up in the air to admire it.

          “Yes, nothing but the best for my future wife. Mom, dad, Cesar.” He said to them they all rushed to the both of them. His mother crying and hugging him, his father had given him a firm handshake and a huge bear hug.  The ring had squelched Bianca’s anger and she had forgiven him. 

So, he hoped she didn’t hate the house, and would love it as much as she had loved the ring. His art business had been growing and with the collapse of the housing market, the house had been a steal.

“Freddie there you are,” his brother, Cesar said as he leaned his hands on his knees. He looked relieved and out of breath. And sweaty, damn it.

          “Cesar, you’re going to stain the suit, dumb ass,” Freddie scolded, but smiled. Nothing will ruin the day. Not even his lanky clean-shaven brother, running around in an all white tuxedo.  He didn’t look bad in his white tux, and fedora hat, Alfredo surmised, as his brother stood to his full six feet height. Tall like him, but he was taller by two inches, and buffer. Alfredo smile widen at his comparison.

Cesar took of the white tuxedo jacket and folded it over his arm, then checked under his arms. Satisfied he had not stained his dress shirt he shrugged at his brother, then asked, “Freddie what the hell are you doing here? We have to be at the church in an hour and half. Mom went all kinds of crazy when she couldn’t find you and you didn’t answer your cell phone.

 Freddie, as his family and friends, called him checked his pockets for his Blackberry, then remembered he’d plugged it to the charger in his car.