RED

Chapter 11

Eliza Kol had always known what would happen to her because she had always ruled her life. She didn’t believe in fate and after what had happened to her in the last years she didn’t really believe in God either. She had always known how to handle a situation and Eliza Kol had been really proud of herself because of it…

…Until she had taken a look at a ruthless criminal who had just chained up to a chair and smiled at her like he would have seen the most valuable treasure. It had been their first meeting (at least she had thought that) and Liz had realized that this man had been already obsessed with her. First she had found it scary, even a bit gross but she had never let it show because he had been a valuable asset and he hadn’t made any aggressive effort. He had been charming and caring but also infuriating and unbelievably smug.

Redmill. Concierge of Crime. Red. Red.

And then she had found herself possessive of him as well. She had still loved Tom and it hadn’t mattered what he had done but she had also felt the pull toward the Concierge of Crime and maybe it had helped her to forget her husband.

They had danced around each other for weeks when that particular afternoon in the public bathroom had changed everything.

From that time she didn’t know what would bring the following day her life and her feelings were out of control. Tomorrow seemed too far and only the today mattered. Only now was important.

For a woman like Eliza, it was hard to accept. It made her life crazy but also excited; with Red she had learned how she could live her life like it would have been a gift, how she could enjoy a moment with a cup of coffee or a heated minute with him and feel everything with all of her senses.

Of course it hadn’t happened like she had gone to bed as Eliza and woken up as Lizzie. No. It had been a long way but it worth it. She had found herself again, found joy and happiness in a twisted life. She found the mutual love at a man in a most sensitive, almost tantric way.

And now this man was sitting next to her at the court room, ready to risk what he had built for twenty years because of her. In spite of the knot in her stomach and the fact that even her dinner couldn’t stay in her she was happy and overwhelmed by the mere fact that she had him as he had her.

She didn’t know what would happen next but she knew that with Red she was ready to take everything they would get.

Lizzie loved everything in her job but if the judge found them guilty she would ready to run away with him.

She should have been afraid of the future but all she felt was the little butterflies in her stomach…and well, since Red’s aftershave had hit her nose she couldn’t stop thinking about what she would have done with him on the table…or against the wall…or on the floor until she mentally noted that the place didn’t matter.

“Are you all right, Lizzie?” Red asked in his deep rich voice which sent shivers down on her spine.

She cleared her throat and nodded.

“What are you thinking?” he asked her, worrying about she might have changed her mind and didn’t want this anymore. He couldn’t help but he still couldn’t believe that this beautiful woman had married to him voluntary, risking everything for him.

She took a deep breath and whispered to his ear “Oh, nothing particular, just inappropriate fantasies about you.” she said like she would have just talked about the weather.

His widened eyes made her smirk mischievously and before he could have react to her statement the judge came in.

“All rise!”

“Good afternoon.” the judge sat down “As the counsel and the FBI made the motion this morning I dismissed the jury in favor of a bench trial as the reason of protecting a valuable asset. Let’s make something clear; I don’t care why Redmill is the fourth most wanted criminal on the FBI’s list and I’m demand the counsels to keep themselves to this. And also we aren’t here to charge Mrs. Redmill with collusion with a criminal. Mr. Redmill is charged with first degree murder and Mrs. Redmill is charged with second degree murder. If anyone breaks the rules I’m going to send him or her to jail for a day or longer. Understood?”

“I bet she is so bossy in bed, too.” Alan murmured to Red who let out a small laugh.

“Mr. Shore, any plea?” she ached her eyebrow.

“No, your Honor I’m just wondering if you…” he wanted to repeat what he had just said but Red kicked his ankle. “Would allow me to call our first witness?”

She narrowed her eyes “Mr. Shore, I heard about you and your methods but I’m not going to let my courtroom turn into a playground. Understood?”

“Hypothetically of course, but…would you s***k me if I won’t behave?” Alan asked innocently.

“I don’t think you could handle it.” her face was unreadable but the way as she held his gaze told Alan that he had found his perfect judge. “Call your first witness.”

###

“So agent Cooper, Mr. Redmill is working for the FBI since…”

“Since the 23th September, 2013.He’s an FBI informant.” Cooper finished Alan’s sentence.

“How many cases have you solved with his help?”

“Many. Sometimes a case leads to an other. I can’t say an exact number.”

“The victim, Francesco Lottie was one of these cases, am I right?”

“Yes.”

“If I’m informed well, they had caught his associates but Mr. Lottie escaped.”

“Yes.”

“What did he do?”

“He went to find Redmill and agent Kol.”

“And he found them.”

“That’s correct.”

Alan nodded then approached their tables as he asked his next question.

“Then what happened?”

“I got a phone call from Redmill. He asked for help because Lottie stabbed his bodyguard and kidn*pped agent Kol. Then he heard a scream and he left the phone at his bodyguard. He ran away.”

“To help agent Kol?” Alan walked back in front of Cooper and tilted his head.

“He said that, yes.”

“After you arrived what did you see?”

“Redmill was already taken back to the house with agent Kol. He had an ugly wound on his head and he lay unconsciously on his bed while his wife sat next to him, still in shock.”

“Objection! Agent Cooper is not a doctor, he can’t say medical diagnosis.” jumped the other lawyer, Frank Ginsberg.

The guy who always wanted to beat Alan but it hadn’t happened yet and Alan wouldn’t let him win either.

“Sustained.”

“She looked shocked.” Cooper corrected as he sent a murderous look toward Ginsberg.

“Well, it looks like somebody drew the FBI’s anger on himself.” Alan turned to Ginsberg and added smugly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if suddenly the Bureau of Internal Revenue would do some research at your taxes.”

“Mr. Shore!” the judge warned him as he turned around and looked at her.

“Yes, your Honor? Chamber? Discipline?” he asked innocently as he ran his hand down on his suit.

“Last warning, Mr. Shore.”

Meanwhile Liz had to resist the grand urge to hit Alan with something.

“Is he out of mind?” she hissed to Red. She knew that making the judge angry would not help for them.

“Shh. He knows what he does.” he tried to calm her down and placed his hand on hers then his thumb drew a few circles at the back of her hand.

“Yes. He’s sending us to jail.” she murmured.

###

After Ginsberg asked his own questions from Cooper as well, Ressler was the next at the witness-box. He seemed not happy about Lizzie and Red’s marriage and she knew he would confront her later but also he told the truth, he told that Red saved his life after he had tried to kill Red in Brussels which set Red down as a good-hearted person.

Of course Ginsberg reflected with Red’s obsession with agent Kol which obviously obtained from the beginnings and maybe they committed the premeditated murder which caused Lottie’s death.

Alan had it moved to strike because it was only speculation.

The judge dismissed Ressler who sent a last glare toward Liz.

It was four in the afternoon when the judge ordered a short break and Alan went to the conference room with his clients.

“Are you completely out of your mind?!” Lizzie stormed into the room and tried to ignore her increasing nausea. She had felt herself this nervous and dizzy at her first undercover mission back in New York.

“I’m always out of my mind.” Alan closed the door behind him as he took a look at his calm brother and his not-so-calm wife.

“Making the judge angry? Really?” she asked with disbelief and put her hands on her hips.

“I can’t help; she’s attracted to me.” he provoked her.

“Would you just use your brain to think about this case instead of the organ in your pants?!” she yelled at him. She had thought that nobody could make her this furious than Red. She had been wrong.

“Wow. Is she so passionate in the bedroom, too?” he asked Red as he took a predatory look on her.

Liz just stood there in shock; not just because how dared he remark such inappropriate things but because of the sudden image of three of them in the bedroom…Red, kissing her from collarbone to her bra-covered breasts while Alan standing behind her, holding her by her hips, kissing and nibbling the nape of her neck…and she mentally slapped herself. What was wrong with her?!

Meanwhile Red had quite enjoyed this small fight between Liz and Alan but he knew that her next move would be to find something sharp and kill Alan so he stepped between them.

“Okay, it’s not the best time for a fight! Alan, would you leave us alone for a moment?”

Alan smiled at her and he left. Red watched him go then turned to the still angry Lizzie. Maybe he was a bit sadistic but he just simply loved when she was angry; those murderous blue eyes, her swollen lips and her aggressive body language… if he could he would have taken her right then and there.

“Lizzie…” he approached her with hands in front of him as the sign of surrender.

“Don’t Lizzie me! You!” she poked her index finger against his chest “Why didn’t you defend me?”

“What?”

“From your brother! Or next time you would allow him to jump on me?”

“Sweetheart, it’s not like that…”

“Then like what?” she snapped.

He just stared her for a moment; how could he take her serious when she was adorable? And of course he knew it was only matter of time and her anger would turn into desire so he thought he would help her to fall into that state.

“What?” she was more angry if it was even possible because she knew him damn well to realize what he would want to do with his proximity but she wouldn’t let him win this time.

“Nothing, just…I love when you’re this angry.” he said huskily.

She took a step back but the table stopped her; she was in trap between Red, the table and her growing lust.

“Oh, no sweetheart, you won’t change the subject!” she demanded but her voice was getting weaker and weaker.

He lazily put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to his body, not caring with her fake protesting.

“You know it turns me on when you think you have the upper hand, right?” he murmured into her neck but he didn’t touch her until he felt her anticipation which her stubborn mind wanted to cover but he read his Lizzie as an open book.

He placed a single open-mouthed kiss above her pulse point and groaned when he tasted her delicious skin.

As soon as his lips touched her skin Lizzie’s mind shut down and bit her lip to hide her satisfied moan. She closed her eyes to collect herself but also she unconsciously lifted her jaw to give more space to his hungry lips.

He chuckled softly and continued peppering her neck.

“I’m supposed to be mad at you, dammit!” she murmured but her words died in an other moan as his lips found hers.

It started with a simple soothing kiss but they ended up in a less simple situation; Liz was sitting on the table, legs around Red’s waist while he grinded against her and kissed her collarbone when Alan came in again.

“Sorry, but you have to finish it later; we have to go back.” and with that he left them alone to collect themselves.

“Next time he makes a comment at me, I’m going to punch him.” she said with a matter of fact.

“You don’t.” he cupped her cheeks “Because next time I won’t let him talk about my beautiful wife the way he did.” he smiled and kissed her one more time.

She didn’t know why but as the word wife rolled down on his tongue she grinned from ear to ear; she loved the pride in his voice as he called her as his wife.

###

After the judge called Dembe as a witness the last one was Henry Thompson, the coroner who examined the body and the crime scene as well. Also Red and Liz’s future depended on his testimony.

“Mr. Thompson, would you tell us what did you see when you arrived to the crime scene?” Ginsberg approached him as he asked his first question.

“Yes. It was after midnight; two men and a woman were found in the middle of the woods; the men on the floor, both of them were lying on the ground and the woman kneeled next to the unconscious man.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Redmill?” he pointed toward them.

“Yes.” sounded the short answer.

“And Mr. Lottie?”

“He was dead.”

“What caused his death?”

“A struck on the left side on his neck. The weapon was his knife.”

“Did he die immediately?”

“No, the knife went expertly through the neck but it missed ever artery so it took a few minutes while he bleed to death.”

“Did Mr. Lottie fight back?”

“No, because the struck paralyzed him but it doesn’t mean he didn’t feel any pain.”

“Did Mr. Lottie suffer?”

“Probably.”

“So the murder let him suffer?”

“Objection, it’s only speculation. A lame one.” Alan stood up.

“Sustained.” the judge said without looking at Alan.

“Let’s talk about agent Kol. Could she kill him?”

“Her fingerprints were on the knife, so maybe, yes.”

“Where was she while Mr. Redmill and Mr. Lottie were fighting?”

“Probably she was tied up to a tree. We found her blood on the rope and there were bruises around her ankles and wrists.”

“So while they were fighting, agent Kol freed herself with the knife and stabbed Mr. Lottie and after he collapsed Mr. Redmill fell down on him?”

“It’s possible.”

“Nothing further.” Ginsberg got what he wanted; he had never felt as close to catch Alan as now.

Alan stood up, buttoned up his suit jacket and stepped in front of the witness.

“Mr. Thompson, the wound on Mr. Lottie’s neck was nice? I mean, it was a precise struck?”

“Not exactly because it didn’t go straight; the murder lowered the knife.”

“Why?”

“I can’t know.”

Alan nodded and remained silent before he asked his next question.

“Did you find other wound on Mr. Lottie’s body that he got at that night?”

“Yes, there was a small bruise at his upper arm.”

“What caused it?”

“Mr. Redmill’s elbow.”

“Objection!” Ginsberg jumped from his seat.

“Your Honor, here’s the report which tell that the bruise fitted to the button of Mr. Redmill’s shirt.”

“Objection denied. Continue.” she turned to the witness again.

“How could the button caused this bruise?”

“Mr. Redmill rolled up his shirtsleeves to his elbows.”

Alan nodded then walked back to his seat. He almost sat down when suddenly stood up again.

“Just one more question; is it possible that Mr. Redmill accidently stabbed Mr. Lottie as he fainted then agent Kol grabbed the knife from Lottie’s neck and cut her own rope?”

Mr. Thompson lowered his head as he thought through the possibilities then he touched the rim of his glasses.

“That would explain the non-precise cut. The body was from an arm’s length from the tree where we found the rope and we found the cut on the rope which immobilized agent Kol’s ankles. Yes, it is possible.”

“Thank you. Nothing further.”

###

It was time for the closings; both lawyer’s speech was really good and they confirmed their own rights.

The judge felt in silent for a few minutes, she read her notes again then she took off her reading glasses.

“One of them killed Mr. Lottie, it’s obvious and the fact that they refuse the testimony, it simply makes impossible to see what happened at that night. Both suspect’s fingerprints are on the knife and playing out the ‘spousal privilege’ card makes me think that one of them plays out with the other. Maybe they tortured Mr. Lottie, maybe not. Maybe it was a premediated murder or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.” a pregnant moment felt on the court room; Red held Liz’s hand gently as they waited for the judge’s last sentence. “In a lack of evidence I dismiss the case.” she stood up and left the room, taking one more look on Alan who didn’t miss her gaze.

Liz released the breath that she had held and hugged Red tightly.

“We won” he whispered and kissed her temple.

“Yes.” she sobbed a bit then she turned to Alan and touched his upper arm. “Thank you, Alan.”

“You’re welcome.” he smiled at her then he hugged Red who thanked his helping as well.

“Would you like to drink something with us?” Liz asked while she put on her coat.

“No. Thank you, I think I’m going to visit our judge in her chamber.” he smirked.

“Then please, have a dinner with us.” she insisted.

“I’d like to, thank you.”

“I’ll send you the address.” Red patted his shoulder and when Liz wasn’t within earshot he murmured to Alan. “Remember what I used to say about seducing a woman?” Red smiled knowingly as the fond memory crossed his mind; how he had taught his little brother to the art of seduction.

“Do to her what spring does with the cherry trees.” Alan smiled back. Good old times, he thought and watched as his brother left the courtroom.

“Tonight will be fun” Alan chuckled and approached the judge’s chambers.