“No, I just remember that she was in a touchy mood that morning,” Courtney was saying. “I always checked out what kind of mood she was in because that would determine how my day would go.”
     “Can you explain what you mean by ‘touchy’?”
     “I just meant that it was difficult for me to read her mood, so I was careful not to turn my back.”
     “Do you mean to say that you expect Ms. Banner to sometimes stab you in the back? Metaphorically speaking, of course,” Beckner added before Hemmler could voice his objection.
     “Yes. She never made it a secret that she hated me. She was always trying to get me fired, so I had to be very careful when she was in a touchy mood.”
     Courtney was enjoying her time in this spotlight. Telling the truth, she was still able to stick it to Monica, and poor ol’ Monica couldn’t do a thing about it. After all, Courtney was being forced to answer the questions. She was under oath. It wasn’t as though she’d volunteered to do this; she’d been subpoenaed. I would have volunteered, though. If I could have put two and two together on my own, I’d have been here with bells on.
     “So,” Beckner said, “can you tell me what those phone messages were that you handed her when she came in that morning?”
     “The first one was from a florist. I remember thinking that she and her lover might have had a fight, so Monica might have had flowers sent to make up.”
     “Objection!”
     “Sustained. Witness will answer only the question being asked.”
     Courtney pouted her bottom lip and lowered her eyes demurely. She could afford to behave herself. The damage had been done.
     “And the next message?” Beckner asked.
     “An auto insurance company.”
     “The third?”
     “Hugh Kroner. He’s the president of the firm.”
     Beckner smiled. “Yes, thank you for clearing that up.”
     It took Courtney a moment to realize he was silently laughing at her. Of course he would know who Kroner was. The courtroom was full of attorneys! Who didn’t know Kroner? Here she was, trying to sound important with her damaging testimony, and he was making fun of her! She squirmed in her seat and vowed to be more careful, and not so full of herself.
     “Did you have reason to believe Ms. Banner was expecting any of those calls?”
     “I thought she was expecting the call from Mr. Kroner because of the note that was posted on the bulletin board about her sex life.” Oh, no, why did I mention that?
     “What about the insurance agent’s call?”
     “Oh, that one. I just assumed it had something to do with the hit-and-run case she was defending at the time.”
     “And did you know anything about her speaking to a service station regarding repairs to her car?”
     “Yes, it was almost immediately after I handed her the messages.”
     “The shop called her at the office?”
     “No, she called them on her private line.”
     “Did you know of any time she had to do without her car because it was in the shop for repairs?”
     “Yes, she was very upset on June first, when I told her the shop had called and said her car wasn’t finished yet. I remember that day, because that’s the day she told me I was fired.”
     “I’m sorry to hear that. Did Ms. Banner ever tell you why her car was being repaired?”
     “Well, she said it was for a tune-up.”
     “Your honor, I have a copy of an estimate and paid repairs dated June 1, and signed by Monica Banner. It’s from Precision Mechanics and I’d like to enter it as evidence. The charges were not for a tune-up.”
      As Beckner approached the bench, Courtney could not help smiling over at Monica. Boy, if looks could kill, Courtney would be six feet under and kicking up daisies. Oh, it felt so good!
     “No further questions, your Honor.”
     “Mr. Hemmler?”
     “Yes, your Honor, thank you. Ms. Miller, please describe the relationship that existed in the past, and now in the present, between you and Monica Banner.”
     “Well, she’s always resented me, and sometimes would say or do things to let me know it.”
     “What things?”
     “She would be sarcastic about the work I did, or if I came in late, or she’d act like she thought I should spend my weekends at the office as well.”
     “Could it be that your work was substandard, and that you were very frequently late for work? Could it also be that she suggested working weekends so that you could catch up on all the work you neglected to do during the week?”
     Courtney could feel her face heating up, and she slumped slightly in the witness seat. Apparently, Hemmler did not expect an answer.
     “Could it also be that you spend your time, the company’s time, playing games on the computer and chatting in Internet chatrooms when you were supposed to be filing paperwork and handling phone calls? And we’re talking about the sort of chatrooms nice young ladies should probably not enter.”
     “Your Honor, I object! The witness’ activities outside this courtroom are not being judged today.”
     “Your Honor,” returned Hemmler, “I am trying to establish that this witness might be exaggerating things because of a personal grudge against my client. I think all her testimony should be thrown out and struck from the record.”
     “Both parties, please approach the bench.”
     Courtney wished she had just kept her mouth shut. It was Hemmler’s job to discredit all the PA’s witnesses, but she had never expected it to be this humiliating. She glanced at the spectators, then lowered her eyes quickly, knowing her face must be fifty different shades of red, and it didn’t help when she spotted Jay sitting there, watching her. Was he wondering what she talked about in her Internet chatrooms? Did he think she was twisted now?
     Monica was watching her very calmly, her eyes never straying from Courtney’s own. Almost like a cobra, hypnotizing her victim before striking.
     The attorneys were going back to their tables now, and the judge allowed the horrible questioning to continue. Courtney tried to hold her head up high.
     “So, Ms. Miller,” Hemmler said, smiling, “you and your boss didn’t get along. Well, that’s not so unusual, I guess. Still, you thought she was being too hard on you, didn’t you?”
     Courtney ventured a timid, “Yes, sir, sometimes.”
     “Didn’t you feel she should treat you much better?”
     “Yes, it wouldn’t have killed her.” Courtney was beginning to relax under this change in attitude in him. Finally, someone understood what she’d had to put up with.
     “Some people never understand how painful words can be until they experience it themselves, don’t you agree?”
     “Exactly. It’s just that no one ever treated her that way because she’s always the one calling the shots.” Courtney tried to make her point, that Monica was just too cold to realize how much she’d hurt Courtney’s feelings.
     “Is that why you posted that now famous bulletin about Mrs. Banner’s alleged and personal social life? Retaliation?”
     Courtney was speechless. How had he slipped that in there? That wasn’t on trial here. Why wasn’t the PA objecting?
     “Post…social…I…uh…” Courtney could not have uttered a sensible statement to save her life.
     “Courtney Miller, did you or did you not post that bulletin?”
     Courtney looked around the courtroom in desperation. No, it was not getting any better. Mrs. Gafferty from the lobby kiosk was sitting there. She’d already testified! It was all over. Everyone now knew that it was Courtney who’d posted that notice.
     “Ms. Miller, answer the question.”
     Courtney looked down at her lap and nodded. She refused to look up.
     “Ms. Miller, please speak your answer out loud.”
     “Yes! I posted the bulletin. I figured she’d get fired and I wouldn’t have to put up with her anymore. Or at least she’d be too busy defending her privacy and denying it that she wouldn’t have time to hound me. And it was true! I heard her talking to her lover! That’s how I knew. It isn’t libel unless it isn’t true!”
     Now there was murmuring in the room, and the judge was pounding the gavel, startling Courtney, who never really thought anyone outside a television show used one.
     The next thing she knew, she was screaming and trying to pull Monica’s nails away from her face and throat. The bailiff and a few of the men were dragging the hysterical defendant away from the witness stand, and the judge was still shouting for order. Courtney looked at her hand, seeing the blood which came from her own neck. She started crying as she watched Monica being hauled through the door next to the bench.
     Courtney looked over to where she’d seen Jay. His head was bent slightly, and that’s when she noticed Becca, who was speaking quietly to him. They’d both seen this entire scene. They were now remarking about it. She could not stand the thought of seeing either of them again. Ever.
     Oh, Jay, she thought bitterly. If only you’d have chosen me over Becca. None of this would have happened!

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