With Rob out of the picture, and one of Rob’s girls in the witness stand, Deb dared to hope for the first time in a long time.
“Miss Connor, according to your statement you were acquainted with Robert Lively. Is that correct?” James Hyland asked. Tess nodded. “Please, answer with yes or no” James said.
“Yes” Tess answered firmly.
“Where did you meet him?” James asked.
“I was a patient in the clinic he worked at” Tess replied. “I had some family issues and I needed psychiatric help. Rob was my therapist”
“That means you know my client as well” James motioned at Debra, who was biting her nails nervously.
“Objection! Argumentive question!” the prosecutor called.
“Sustained” the judge called.
“Allow me to rephrase the question, your honor” James requested. The judge nodded, and James rotated his head back to Tess. “Do you know Debra Parker?”
Tess shook her head. “I’ve never seen her before” she said.
“Did you not go to the same clinic as her?” James asked. He picked up a folder and pulled out a piece of paper. “You went to the Hayes Clinic, I read here”
“I did” Tess confirmed. “It’s where I met Rob”
“What was your relation with Mr. Lively?” James asked.
“He was nice to me, he listened to me” Tess answered, her cheeks turning pink. “He made me feel good about myself…We had sex a few times”
“Were you in love?” James asked.
“I think I was” Tess replied.
“What happened next?” James asked.
“We had an affair for months” Tess answered. “Two years ago I was released and he gave me a job in his club ‘The Dahlia Dancers’. He said I only had to serve drinks, but then he forced me to have sex with the customers”
“What did you do?” James asked.
“I did what he asked me to” Tess bowed her head ashamed. “I heard what happened to the last person who had refused to have sex with the customers”
“Do you know how Eric Clint was murdered?” Without waiting for Tess to respond, James gave the answer himself: “Someone had cuffed him to a bed and driven a dildo in his mouth. There were no fingerprints on the cuffs nor the sex toy. Can you tell me if it’s possible for anyone to do that? Could you have done it?”
“If there were no fingerprints, it means the killer used gloves. Gloves, and sex toys are locked away in a pedestal cupboard, and only Rob has the key to it. One of my customers wanted to cuff me to the bed, and I had to ask Rob to open the cupboard”
“Why is the cupboard locked?” James asked.
“I never asked” Tess admitted. “Our job is to entertain men, not to question them”
“But, the cupboard was locked, and only Mr. Lively had the keys. Correct?” James checked.
“Exactly” Tess confirmed.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” James turned to the jury. “Forensics found Debra Parker’s fingerprints on the ball pen that was found inside Eric Clint’s anus. There were, however, no fingerprints found on the dildo used to suffocate Eric Clint. And, not in the least, Clint was found on the bed. Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t see how an eighteen year old girl, who’s not particularly strong, could’ve pulled a man like Eric Clint on a bed”
“She, obviously, had help” the prosecutor shouted. “From Robert Lively, most likely”
“Have you not heard anything the witness has said?” James laughed. “It is my conviction that Robert Lively systematically recruited young, damaged girls with the promise of a better life, to ultimately exploit them as prostitutes” He turned to Tess. “Miss Connor, how much money did you earn with your profession?”
“200 dollars per hour” Tess replied.
“And how much did you get to keep?” James asked.
“50” Tess answered.
James turned back to the jury. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I think it’s obvious we’ve been focusing on the wrong person. Debra Parker has been imprisoned for nearly a decade, for a crime she didn’t commit, while the real culprit has been free to give the same, horrendous treatment to other girls like her. I think it speaks volumes that Mr. Lively is now nowhere to be found. His timing to disappear is impeccable”
A break from ninety minutes followed, while the jury deliberated. Everyone, but the twelve members of the jury, had to wait outside the court room.
Ninety minutes later Deb waited tensely for the judge to get his ass up there, so they could finally hear the jury’s outcome.
When that finally happened, the judge turned to the jury. “Has the jury come to a decision”
“Yes” the president of the jury stood. “For the murder on Eric Clint, we found the defendant not guilty”
Deb gasped for air and pressed her hand against her mouth, while James grabbed her shoulders and smiled at her.
“We have one condition, though” the president continued. “We want Debra Parker to be guided by a parole officer for at least six months. Someone who can help her find a job, make sure she doesn’t get in trouble, who will help her get her life back on track”
The judge averted his head to Deb. “Do you agree with that condition?”
“Yes” Deb nodded heavily. “Yes!”
“Then you’re free to go” the judge commented.
“Miss Connor, according to your statement you were acquainted with Robert Lively. Is that correct?” James Hyland asked. Tess nodded. “Please, answer with yes or no” James said.
“Yes” Tess answered firmly.
“Where did you meet him?” James asked.
“I was a patient in the clinic he worked at” Tess replied. “I had some family issues and I needed psychiatric help. Rob was my therapist”
“That means you know my client as well” James motioned at Debra, who was biting her nails nervously.
“Objection! Argumentive question!” the prosecutor called.
“Sustained” the judge called.
“Allow me to rephrase the question, your honor” James requested. The judge nodded, and James rotated his head back to Tess. “Do you know Debra Parker?”
Tess shook her head. “I’ve never seen her before” she said.
“Did you not go to the same clinic as her?” James asked. He picked up a folder and pulled out a piece of paper. “You went to the Hayes Clinic, I read here”
“I did” Tess confirmed. “It’s where I met Rob”
“What was your relation with Mr. Lively?” James asked.
“He was nice to me, he listened to me” Tess answered, her cheeks turning pink. “He made me feel good about myself…We had sex a few times”
“Were you in love?” James asked.
“I think I was” Tess replied.
“What happened next?” James asked.
“We had an affair for months” Tess answered. “Two years ago I was released and he gave me a job in his club ‘The Dahlia Dancers’. He said I only had to serve drinks, but then he forced me to have sex with the customers”
“What did you do?” James asked.
“I did what he asked me to” Tess bowed her head ashamed. “I heard what happened to the last person who had refused to have sex with the customers”
“Do you know how Eric Clint was murdered?” Without waiting for Tess to respond, James gave the answer himself: “Someone had cuffed him to a bed and driven a dildo in his mouth. There were no fingerprints on the cuffs nor the sex toy. Can you tell me if it’s possible for anyone to do that? Could you have done it?”
“If there were no fingerprints, it means the killer used gloves. Gloves, and sex toys are locked away in a pedestal cupboard, and only Rob has the key to it. One of my customers wanted to cuff me to the bed, and I had to ask Rob to open the cupboard”
“Why is the cupboard locked?” James asked.
“I never asked” Tess admitted. “Our job is to entertain men, not to question them”
“But, the cupboard was locked, and only Mr. Lively had the keys. Correct?” James checked.
“Exactly” Tess confirmed.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” James turned to the jury. “Forensics found Debra Parker’s fingerprints on the ball pen that was found inside Eric Clint’s anus. There were, however, no fingerprints found on the dildo used to suffocate Eric Clint. And, not in the least, Clint was found on the bed. Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t see how an eighteen year old girl, who’s not particularly strong, could’ve pulled a man like Eric Clint on a bed”
“She, obviously, had help” the prosecutor shouted. “From Robert Lively, most likely”
“Have you not heard anything the witness has said?” James laughed. “It is my conviction that Robert Lively systematically recruited young, damaged girls with the promise of a better life, to ultimately exploit them as prostitutes” He turned to Tess. “Miss Connor, how much money did you earn with your profession?”
“200 dollars per hour” Tess replied.
“And how much did you get to keep?” James asked.
“50” Tess answered.
James turned back to the jury. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I think it’s obvious we’ve been focusing on the wrong person. Debra Parker has been imprisoned for nearly a decade, for a crime she didn’t commit, while the real culprit has been free to give the same, horrendous treatment to other girls like her. I think it speaks volumes that Mr. Lively is now nowhere to be found. His timing to disappear is impeccable”
A break from ninety minutes followed, while the jury deliberated. Everyone, but the twelve members of the jury, had to wait outside the court room.
Ninety minutes later Deb waited tensely for the judge to get his ass up there, so they could finally hear the jury’s outcome.
When that finally happened, the judge turned to the jury. “Has the jury come to a decision”
“Yes” the president of the jury stood. “For the murder on Eric Clint, we found the defendant not guilty”
Deb gasped for air and pressed her hand against her mouth, while James grabbed her shoulders and smiled at her.
“We have one condition, though” the president continued. “We want Debra Parker to be guided by a parole officer for at least six months. Someone who can help her find a job, make sure she doesn’t get in trouble, who will help her get her life back on track”
The judge averted his head to Deb. “Do you agree with that condition?”
“Yes” Deb nodded heavily. “Yes!”
“Then you’re free to go” the judge commented.