Author’s Note: Another installment of the angsty Naomi x Marin x Flynn love triangle mess, following Numb and then Just for the Day. Sh*t’s about to hit the fan, people. 🤷🏼
~~~~~~~~~~
The ride back to Naomi’s house had been quiet, both women deep in their own thoughts as they trotted back to the real world. Marin kept sneaking glances over to Naomi, the soft satisfied grin on her full lips instilling both joy and guilt in her at the same time. Luckily Naomi didn’t seem to notice Marin’s inner turmoil, continuing to ride along in blissful ignorance through the peaceful meadow at dusk. And when the car arrived to take her back into town, when Naomi held her so tight and kissed her so gently farewell, Marin knew she had missed her opportunity to divulge the truth of her mistakes.
That night lying alone in her bed at the B&B, Marin’s exhausted body finally gave in to sleep. But instead of the much-needed peaceful slumber she sought, she was restless, tossing and turning in the sweat-soaked sheets. Plagued with visions of Kate’s fragile figure covered in dirt in the basement of that abandoned shack, of Tanner’s limp body slumped over lifeless in the armchair on his boat, of Flynn lying asleep under the stars as she slipped away into the night …and last, of Naomi’s lips curved in a slight grin as she leaned forward to kiss her in the hay, silencing Marin’s confession yet again.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, a groggy Marin dragged herself out of bed as the alarm sounded on her phone at 7:00am. It was hard to understand how she could be so groggy when she really hadn’t slept anyway. She fumbled with the one-cup coffee-maker on the desk in her room, groaning as she found the water reservoir was empty. “I just need coffeeeeeeee …” she groaned and stumbled into the bathroom to fill it.
About 15 minutes, a warm shower and half a cup of coffee later, Marin was beginning to feel halfway human as she started dressing for the day. She slipped into her most conservative and least wrinkled outfit, a pair of slacks with a blouse and a sweater vest, before tousling her damp hair and quickly weaving it into a loose side braid down her shoulder. She studied her appearance in the mirror, obviously fatigued but at least pulled together, and said a quick prayer that it would be enough to impress the jury at Kate’s trial today.
~~~~~~~~~~
“And so, in conclusion, I think that Kate’s mannerisms and reputation speak to her overall character. She has a big heart and she is kind to a fault. There is no doubt in my mind that Kate couldn’t be capable of killing Tanner.” Marin ended her response to Grant’s inquiry, flashing a reassuring smile to her redheaded friend before settling back against the chair on the witness stand.
So far she felt the trial was going well today, Grant shooting holes through the DA’s arguments and having several witnesses (including Marin herself) painting a vivid picture of the sweet and caring Kate. And the jury seemed to be eating it all up, with soft understanding expressions and nods as Marin outlined her relationship with Kate. So far, so good.
“Thank you, Marin.” Grant tipped his head towards her, an appreciative smirk on his lips. “No further questions, Your Honor.”
“Thank you Mr. Emerson …” the judge spoke dryly, no hint of any emotion on her face. “Mr. Hornby, would you like to address the witness?”
“Yes, Your Honor, thank you.” DA Mac Hornby glided out from behind the table where he had been perched and walked slowly toward Marin on the stand. A chill ran down Marin’s spine as he approached … for while anyone else in the courtroom could only see the fake smile plastered across his face, looking at him straight on and up close she could detect something cold and devious underneath his show face.
“Good morning, Marin. Thank you so much for your cooperation this morning. I know we all want to get to the bottom of this and ensure justice has been rendered.” His eyed crinkled at the sides in his smug grin, delivering the pleasantries he’d no doubt perfected after years and years of practice. Shit, he’s good, Marin noted.
Hornby’s questioning started out simple enough, asking Marin about her childhood, her parents, her career … everything illustrating her wholesome lifestyle. Marin explained how she got into journalism, growing up playing reporter on the playground at school during recess. The jury seemed content with her responses, and occasionally one or two would even chuckle at her colorful descriptions. Everything seemed to be working in Marin’s, and therefore in Kate’s, favor. What is he getting at? Why is he going so easy on me?
“So Marin, it seems to me like you’re just the typical All-American girl. Good citizen, hard worker, loyal friend … just like your best friend Kate here.” Marin’s inner journalist squirmed with unease. “But things, and people, aren’t always what they seem on the surface, now are they?” Shit, Marin gulped. Here comes the bomb. “Despite her good-natured demeanour, Kate O’Malley has some skeletons in her closet. A rough childhood, a father that abandoned them … and even her brother Flynn, who she’s very close to, was just released from prison. Is that correct?” He arched his brow at his last question, a devilish gleam in his eyes.
“That’s not exactly true-“ Marin started.
“Yes or no? It’s a simple question.” Hornby cut in.
Marin’s eyes flitted to Flynn sitting in the row behind Grant and Kate, his eyes narrowed and cheeks flushed with anger. Despite his obvious frustration, he simply nodded his head in assent. Her voice was shaky as she replied. “Yes, that’s correct.” She lowered her eyes to her lap, anxiously fiddling with the hem of her skirt.
“Thank you, Marin.” Hornby replied curtly. He paced in front of the witness stand for a moment, rubbing his hand along his jaw in silence. The silence, the anticipation, was deafening as Marin waited patiently for the DA’s next question. He cleared his throat but continued to pace aimlessly in front of her when he fired his next attack. “And this same brother, Flynn, the ex-convinct … is it not true that you two have been involved, both romantically and physically, since you arrived in Birchport?”
Marin heard a shocked gasp from the jury as she raised her gaze to Hornby’s face, her jaw open slightly in surprise. “I, uh …” She glanced to Flynn, who was silently fuming on the bench, his head in his hands … and then to Kate, a confused look on her face she glanced between Marin and her brother behind her. In the corner of her vision Marin saw a familiar figure towards the back of the room, the dark-haired bronze beauty shifting uneasily against the back wall. Marin met Naomi’s stare, a fretful look behind her glossy eyes as she bit her lip nervously. Marin hadn’t even seen her come in … her stomach churned, all the guilt and emotions from the past few days bubbling to the surface.
“Answer the question, please.” Marin glanced back to Hornby’s sneering face. “Did you or did you not have a relations with Kate O’Malley’s ex-convict brother?”
Marin sat up tall, chin jutted forward as she fiercely stared down the legal bully in front of her. But strong and proud couldn’t get her out of this one. Her gaze softened and her eyes shone with remorseful tears as she turned back to Naomi. “Yes. Yes, I did.” She felt a stabbing pain in her chest as she watched Naomi simply close her eyes, inhaling a deep breath before looking down to the floor at her feet.
Marin tuned out the murmurs in the courtroom, avoiding the judging stares and focused on the one person standing in the back that wasn’t looking at her. Look up! She pleaded internally, Just look at me! But her thoughts were swiftly interrupted as DA Hornby continued to press on in his interrogation.
“Thank you for your honesty, Marin.” There was that smug grin again. It took every ounce of self control Marin had left to not stand up and slap that smug grin off his rancid old face as he turned to the jury. “So it would seem that the witness here has a very complicated and close relationship to the O’Malley family. Relationships that she would be willing to protect at any cost, I would reason.” He turned back to look at Marin with a cold stare. “Based on this I have a hard time believing any character assessments from the witness at all.” He nodded towards the judge- “I rest my case, Your Honor.”- before sitting back down in his seat.
Marin sat, stunned and silent as she watched Hornby’s closing statement unfold in front of her. Once he was sitting back down she slowly blinked, awakening from her trance before averting her eyes again to the back of the room. Only this time instead of finding her target, she found herself staring at an empty spot along the back wall where Naomi had been.
To be continued …