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The Garden State Courthouse was almost always bustling with activity. Lots of people coming and going, with various legal cases taking place, and many daily verdicts getting issued.
One courtroom in particular though generated great interest today. Inside that particular venue, a murder trial was ongoing, the entire state of New Jersey truly fascinated with its eventual outcome.
Yet a slight surprise existed here, because the specific defendant was not who many people (one individual in particular) originally thought.
In the beginning, everything had pointed to Keith Novello. All signs were indicating that he had taken the life of another human being. But then an investigation ensued, with many interesting facts uncovered.
So now, Keith was completely off the hook, while an entirely different person faced drastic consequences for his actions.
Frank Valencio was being charged with first-degree murder for the shooting of Matthew Fitzgerald nine months ago, a shooting that had resulted in Matthew’s tragic and untimely death.
Absolutely no doubt existed that Frank had committed this heinous crime, either. Despite major initial certainty that Keith was the perpetrator (especially from someone who had witnessed the whole thing), evidence pointed in a vastly different direction, all of which proved rather convincing.
For starters, ballistics matched the bullet removed from Mathew’s body to a gun that had been in Frank’s possession when police arrived, which had also been registered under his name. Moreover, this guy was on duty at that time, working security for the Golden Terrace Ball (as it turned out, he was the mysterious fourth individual, that person who remained stationed by those front doors and looked so familiar to Matthew upon first glance), and conveniently leaving the building right after this shooting took place.
Therefore, Frank’s presence at the scene was totally undeniable, an important detail corroborated by that security company’s supervisor, official paperwork documenting his name on the schedule, not to mention dozens of witnesses who spotted him there at some point.
Of course, plenty of motive and opportunity existed as well, which became further confirmed by the man himself. Incredibly, Frank actually confessed to this act almost immediately, without so much as even a sliver of remorse or sorrow.
Once police arrived at his home, everything became quickly revealed. Frank disclosed the entire story, with a disturbing amount of pleasure, satisfaction and even pride.
That version had then been relayed to Christina, who had an extremely hard time fathoming this new reality.
Yes, Keith did in fact have a gun at that party (a gift from his uncle, who became the subject of a separate investigation; therefore, George Wellmen fled the country, and has yet to be found). But every single bullet remained in its cylinder.
So although this may have been his ultimate intention (Christina has no doubt about it, while others remain unsure), nothing illegal had been committed by him. Despite a possible strong desire to do so, Keith failed to actually pull the trigger, and thus was innocent of any wrongdoing.
Instead, that blame lay elsewhere, on another person entirely.
Yet Christina still wasn’t convinced. She flat out refused to accept that someone other than Keith had fired that deadly shot. It just wouldn’t be possible...
But then Frank filled in the blanks.
Listening to a taped police interview, Christina heard Frank provide every gory detail; how he wanted her back and refused to accept rejection, those plans being thwarted by Matthew, the ensuing fight that transpired, then watching both of them savor each other in passionate love on the dance floor not too long after.
While a legitimate member of that security firm, Frank further admitted being extra persuasive in order to land that particular gig. As a matter of fact, he even offered to work for nothing, just to access the Golden Terrace Ball.
Because, of course, his agenda went far deeper than money. And the potential reward (at least in Frank’s twisted mind) was priceless.
In the end, Frank added more than enough context. For instance, it turned out that he was the motorcycle rider who had zipped past Matthew and Christina during their make out session on the front lawn.
Actually headed to Christina’s house in hopes of asking for one more chance, Frank then sped off upon seeing this passionate display, boiling with bitter heartbreak and uncontrollable fury. This was how he found out about them. Not the best way to discover something, for sure.
Finally, he expressed absolutely zero regrets of his actions, too. In fact, Frank’s exact words were “That bastard ruined my life. He deserved to die.”
Those two sentences will never fail to make Christina shudder.
So Frank’s involvement wasn’t really up for debate in this trial. Instead, the jury needed to determine his mental state. Was this simply the actions of a cold-hearted killer who deserved to rot in jail, or disturbing behavior from a deeply troubled young man in desperate need of psychiatric counseling?
Presiding over this very attention-grabbing and controversial trial was Judge Nancy Forbes, the perfect candidate to handle a case that has garnered this much attention. While somewhat young by the profession’s standards, Judge Forbes was tremendously intelligent, which more than made up for her relative lack of experience.
Additionally, she had a strict, business-like approach to every assignment. Judge Forbes did not tolerate shenanigans from any of her trials, making sure that everyone involved played by all rules and stayed focused on the task at hand.
In short, this judge would not be swayed by the intense media coverage, nor influenced by outside opinions.
On that note, Judge Forbes was very restrictive with who she allowed into the courtroom. As a result, it was only half full, a very misconceiving indication of this trial’s overall notoriety. Only those individuals who were directly impacted by the case itself were granted access. This included both legal teams, the twelve-person jury, multiple court officials, those various subpoenaed witnesses and any loved one with a close connection to either the deceased victim or actual defendant.
The latter included Frank’s parents, as well as his two brothers (one younger, one older), all of whom Christina sought to avoid at all costs. Tyrone Smith was also in the courtroom, seated right next to his previously accused friend (both of whom would be called to testify at some point).
On the complete opposite side—up against a very far wall—sat Christina, joined by Melissa Howard, who fulfilled that title of best friend by being positioned right alongside her throughout.
Melissa had no official connection to this case whatsoever (other than a brief fling with Tyrone, which was more of an indirect relation to what had occurred; also, the two of them had split up almost instantaneously after this fatal shooting), but was strictly here as Christina’s emotional support. Graciously, Judge Forbes allowed that to take place.
Obviously, there was nothing that Melissa could do or say to ease her friend’s grief, but she made every conceivable effort; constantly stroking Christina’s hand, gently rubbing her back and setting the world record for the most times asking “Are you okay?” in any one hour period.
A few members of Matthew’s family were also in attendance; parents (both beyond numb with despair), a grandmother (ditto) and Aunt Millie (who, in a random display of grief, put that family vacation home up for sale immediately upon hearing of Matthew’s passing).
Christina still hadn’t spoken to any of them yet. This included at Matthew’s funeral, when they had all seen one another—and were very aware of each other’s presence—yet still spent the entire time separated and distant.
Now Christina wondered if the family even knew about her. And if so, how exactly did they feel? Maybe she would introduce herself later. Then again, maybe not.
Another present individual was Harold Longo, the National soccer coach who had just recruited Matthew to that team and now felt a strong need to pay his respects. Christina recognized Harold from photos (plus an appearance by him at the funeral), but a formal greeting has never actually taken place.
That likely wouldn’t happen either, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. This coach absolutely did not have to show up for any of these events. The fact that he did probably spoke volumes about Harold’s overall character.
To Christina, this whole trial was totally pointless. In her eyes, it was very obvious what had happened, with no need for the stupid dog and pony show. Frank Valencio did not like Matthew. Their initial meeting had been rather unpleasant, and it left a bad taste in the mouths of both individuals.
Yet while one of them was able to let it go and move on, the other became thoroughly obsessed. And that person didn’t stop until death, all due to both guys being interested in the same girl. Frank wanted Christina for himself, as did Matthew. Well, the latter got her, and the former just could not handle this bitter defeat.
That, plus all of those other incidents between the two of them (some experienced by both, while others had been completely one-sided; for instance, Matthew had no idea that Frank was on that motorcycle, and never will), culminated in flat-out homicide.
Plain and simple, case closed.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t really that simple. Apparently, some uncertainty lingered about Frank’s level of responsibility. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be here, and Christina could continue her long—probably never-ending—healing process. Instead, she had to relive that whole tragic day over again.
Just occupying the same room as Frank was bad enough. His very presence made Christina’s skin crawl (Keith being around certainly didn’t help, either). But there was more to it than that. She wasn’t here just as a “loved one” of the deceased. There was another role for her to play.
Christina was the prosecution’s main witness.
A thin, handsome black man named Malcolm Yuma took on the burden of being Frank’s lawyer. He was polite, courteous and respectful, with an excellent professional reputation.
Despite being on the opposition, Christina couldn’t help but immediately like this guy. Additionally, she also understood why the Valencio family (who were very financially stable, she recalled) chose him to represent Frank in this truly life-altering trial.
On the other side was the state prosecutor, a man named John Umberton who qualified as the complete antithesis of Malcolm Yuma. Tall and chubby, an oval face with no hair on top, and thick, meat-like hands that could probably crush Frank into a fine powder (that wouldn’t actually happen, but Christina certainly enjoyed the visual).
Another stark difference between these two attorneys also existed with their overall demeanor. Not nearly as polished or poised as his legal adversary, John Umberton definitely qualified as rougher around the edges. Speaking with a strong Brooklyn accent, the state prosecutor clearly had a much more aggressive style.
All in all, he was way more willing to bend the rules (or sometimes break them entirely). On several occasions, Judge Forbes felt forced to scold him in a way normally reserved for parents disciplining their unruly children.
This was going to be an interesting case, to say the least.
The trial commenced in its usual way, which was not too exciting (contrary to popular opinion, this whole process is not nearly as glamorous as what gets portrayed on television). Both sides presented arguments, which were naturally countered on every occasion. Moreover, witnesses came and went, many of whom offered conflicting accounts, with only very few providing anything useful.
Meanwhile, Judge Forbes was constantly advising the jury on what they were allowed to consider, and should disregard entirely (as if that ever happened; do people really just forget something just because a judge told them to?). Through it all, Frank Valencio simply sat and watched, barely flinching and not uttering a single word.
Throughout the proceedings, Christina had both eyes in one place. Not on Judge Forbes, nor the lawyers and testifying witnesses, nor even those few individuals watching from the viewing area. No, her line of sight was very precise.
Christina’s vision stayed totally fixated on Frank. While still able to hear everything that was transpiring, she kept that orbital focus solely on the defendant, who flat out stole another person’s life.
A person who absolutely did not deserve to die.
Someone who Christina loved.
However, she couldn’t look at him anymore. Not due to some feeling of necessity to turn away, but stemming from hearing her name being called. Evidently, every other witness had already contributed, leaving only one more.
The individual who saw it all, up close and personal.
It was time for Christina to take the stand.
A long twenty minutes or so followed. While sitting in the witness chair, Christina basically felt that time stood still. Her interaction with John Umberton was smooth and uneventful. Questions were asked and answered, with very little pushback or conflict.
However, she did not have that same experience with Malcolm Yuma. Of course, considering his role as the defense attorney, this was to be expected, and Christina came fully prepared for the onslaught.
Despite Yuma’s repeated attempts to destroy the Christina’s credibility, question this particular version of events, or even catch her in a lie, she never wavered from the story. This grieving lover stuck with her original interpretation, and never even offered a hint that she may have been mistaken.
Christina understood that Yuma had a job to do, and did appreciate his overall respect throughout the cross-examination process. Yet she still took a great deal of pleasure in swatting away every ruthless attempt by him to gaslight her, or at least create reasonable doubt in the jury’s eyes.
Throughout that time in the box next to where Judge Forbes was perched, Christina had a clear and unobstructed view of Frank Valencio. Unless she was talking to one of those lawyers—or the honorable judge herself—both of her eyes remained where they had been the whole time prior.
Still locked onto Frank, that evil and callous human being who had murdered the love of her life.
Unlike before though, there was reciprocity on the other end. This time, Frank fully returned that stare. His eyes were cold, dead and soulless. Christina wondered if he had always possessed that morose look and she simply hadn’t noticed until recently, or a major metamorphosis occurred, turning him into a cruel and vicious psychopath.
She couldn’t answer that for certain, but Christina was sure of one thing. This was not an act by any means. Frank absolutely knew what he was doing, and clearly understood the consequences. Yet the guy went through with it anyway, without any regards for Matthew’s life, or the ripple effect that his death would ultimately have on others.
He deserved to be held fully responsible.
After stepping down from the witness stand, Christina walked back to her seat, never letting that gaze leave the defendant. Even after sitting down again, those eyes stayed attached to Frank. However, the look on her face had slightly changed now.
Instead of pure sadness and heartache, Christina now put forth an expression of immense satisfaction. She realized that a wonderful testimony had just been provided, the kind that ultimately would secure a final nail in Frank’s coffin.
A few moments later, that became official. The jury deliberated, and quickly came back with a verdict in favor of the prosecution.
Frank Valencio was deemed mentally in control of his actions, and thus completely culpable for Matthew’s death. To further demonstrate her reputable no-nonsense approach, Judge Forbes announced the maximum sentence.
Life in prison, without the possibility of parole.
The court officials came over to escort away this newest member of New Jersey’s state prison system. While leaving, Frank did not look at any of the crying families, nor even towards his lawyer or even the sentencing judge. Instead, he focused all attention on one individual.
Frank looked directly at Christina, an act which was totally mutual. Even as the distance between them increased, he could make out an unmistakable glint in Christina’s eyes, and a slight twitch of her lips.
Apparently, she was more than content with this punishment. In fact, Christina truly loved everything about it. Of course, nothing could ever make things right. Matthew was gone, with no way to bring him back. But at least Frank would be in the only place warranted, wasting away the rest of his useless years in state lockup. So in a sense, that guy’s life has also ended.
Christina had a lot to do with that. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind about this, which provided some comfort and solace, however small. At day’s end, she came through for Matthew, ensuring that his killer was brought to justice.
I did it Matthew, and I’m still here for you, Christina thought upon filing out of the courtroom.
And I always will be.
Christina exited the courtroom, but lingered off to the side, leaning up against a wall, taking deep breaths and trying to get under control. In an attempt to collect her bearings, she looked down at the floor, absently focusing on the cracks and faded coloring in its tile.
Eventually glancing back up, both of her eyes immediately widened in surprise. A woman was approaching, one who had been with Christina inside that very courtroom. This qualified as a highly unexpected encounter though, for which she was absolutely not prepared.
But it was happening regardless. Here we go.
“Hello, Christina.”
Not knowing exactly how to respond to Matthew’s mother in this situation, Christina only managed to muster a simple “Hi” and rather feeble head shake, the kind seen from newborns that still cannot support the weight of their own cranium.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Matthew’s mother said. “I just wish it were under much different circumstances.”
“You can say that again.”
Christina was actually taken aback by this woman’s demeanor, as Matthew’s mother appeared to be much less mortified and grief-stricken than originally anticipated. This could all be an act too though, nothing but a brave face put on for the leering public .The true reality of that still remained to be seen.
During the brief time that they knew each other, Matthew didn’t speak of his parents often. Other than a quick mention that they owned the vacation home in which passionate lovemaking took place, they were hardly brought up at all.
Therefore, Christina truly had no idea about the truth behind Matthew’s relationship with them. In addition, she had no way of knowing that the mother’s current reaction stemmed from a place more intense than grief.
All in all, the woman felt guilty; about the friction with her now deceased son, and the fact that interactions became highly infrequent. Slowly but surely, Matthew had been distancing himself from both parents. And now, he was further away than previously thought possible.
There was no more time to make amends, either. That opportunity for retribution and redemption had ended, something that the entire family would have to live with for eternity. Especially the parents, who had put their own self-interests above that of Matthew, thereby tarnishing the relationship for good.
That was the current turmoil transpiring inside Matthew’s mother. But when you are not privy to this specific information, it can look like straight up sorrow, pure devastation at the loss of a child.
Going forward, that’s the way it would stay, too.
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Fitzgerald.” A brief pause, then Christina inquired, “How are you holding up?”
Tears now started to form in Mrs. Fitzgerald’s eyes. “I’m a wreck. We all are.”
She looked away momentarily, then went on, “I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.”
Christina had no reply to that, but felt the exact same way. And her throat closed up while thinking about life now, one without Matthew.
“By the way,” Matthew’s mother broke in, “you did very well up there.”
“Thank you.” Christina let the woman know, “I just told the truth.” Feeling suddenly emboldened, she offered, “That bastard deserves to rot in prison.”
“Well, he will now. And I think your testimony had something to do with that.”
“I hope so.”
Looking across the courthouse lobby, Christina spotted the rest of Matthew’s family sitting on a bench. The father was holding his sobbing sister (Matthew’s aunt), rocking her back and forth as if she were a toddler. Although hard to tell for sure, she thought that he was crying too, and certainly couldn’t blame him for that.
The lump in her throat got bigger.
Matthew’s mother halted the girl’s sad reverie. “You know, I have heard a lot about you.” Stifling an emotional breakdown, she told Christina blandly, “My son talked about you quite often.”
That wasn’t completely true. While Matthew did possess strong feelings for Christina, much of it had not been expressed to Mom and Dad. The only point of reference this woman had was a short conversation between the two of them earlier that morning.
Matthew’s last morning alive.
Calling to announce his acceptance on the National team, Matthew threw in a quick mention of Christina. Harsh words were exchanged, leading to the very moment about to be revealed.
With tears just about on the verge of arriving in unstoppable waves, Christina pushed out a one word response. “Really?”
“Yes, one thing in particular stood out.” Matthew’s mother looked right at Christina, then shared, “When your name first came up, I asked who the heck you were.”
“Matthew indicated, quite directly, that you were the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with.”
That did it. This dam had burst now, and the waterworks began. Yet to Christina’s complete shock, Matthew’s mother actually moved closer, eventually reaching out to brush hair away from the girl’s face and wipe a running tear from her cheek.
“I felt the same way,” Christina confessed. In a sniffled voice, she added, “We were destined to be together.”
“And you still are.” Cupping Christina’s face in both hands, Matthew’s mother pointed out, “We both have wounds that will never truly heal, dear.” Then she declared, “So I think we need each other now more than ever.”
“I agree,” Christina blubbered back. In truth, this reaction from Matthew’s mother was quite astonishing. A part of her thought that she would be blamed for what happened, cast by that entire family with the burden of full responsibility. Yet this didn’t appear to be the case, which created immense relief.
She informed Matthew’s mother, “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“Thanks.”
There was another pause, as the devastated (plus guilt-ridden) mother and her son’s heartbroken soulmate sought to comfort one another through a time of unspeakable and incomparable pain.
“I lost my son,” the mother continued, which Christina believed was the first time that those words had been said out loud (it also had a double meaning to it; again, which she did not realize). This unquestionably could not have been easy for her to verbalize.
“But hopefully,” she resumed, “I have gained a daughter in the process.”
Christina said nothing; not because she didn’t want to, but due to the streams of salty tears now flowing down her face. Eventually the grieving girl nodded, as if to say Yes, I would like that very much.
Then they both did something that had been building ever since this exchange had begun. Something that was undoubtedly a long time coming.
The two women hugged. Matthew’s mother and Christina gripped each other tightly, not letting go for a long time. These two ladies cried, both offering support (physical and otherwise), and savoring their mutual embrace. It was very much needed, to say the least.
For each one of them, their lives have been forever altered. Tragically, a significant piece will always be missing. But now they had each other, two individuals who still shared a common, unbreakable love: that young man who was a wonderful son, tremendous soccer player, and the person who would have allowed Christina to live happily ever after.
He was gone now though, taken from this earth way too soon. All thanks to a sinister and wretched human being who was about to spend the rest of his mortal life behind bars.
Yet even that didn’t seem right. None of it did.
For a while longer, the crying continued. Nine months later, that healing process had officially started, although it was probably never going to end. .
* * * * * * * * * * *
ALL SNUGGLED AND COZY in a white satin robe, Christina walked into her bedroom, having just finished a warm and relaxing bubble bath, one that was much less enjoyable than at other times. She had hoped that it would ease some pain (at least for a little while), thus allowing her to take an important first step in that slow, laborious and likely endless process of recovery.
However, she was sadly disappointed. Christina still felt just as lousy as before, only cleaner now and smelling like those coconut-scented bath salts. This presented no consolation.
Almost immediately upon entering the bedroom, Christina’s phone started to ring. The timing of it was quite surreal. She couldn’t help but wonder if this served as a sign that the phone call was super important, and one that absolutely should be taken.
Of course, Christina also pondered whether this was totally irrelevant, and nothing but a major coincidence. Nevertheless, she begrudgingly decided on the former, answering that ringing phone with a reluctant grunt.
A friendly voice spoke. “Is this Christina Mallet?”
“Yes,” replied Christina, rather sharply for such a basic and simple question. “Who’s this?” she inquired back with blatant impatience.
After a somewhat lengthy pause, a response finally came. “Harriet Zapuski, from Diamond Glory Studios.” To narrow down that description, Christina was informed, “You auditioned for me a few months ago.”
“Oh, right.” Truth be told, it had been way more than a few months, actually closing in on an entire year since that audition. A lot has transpired since that time, most of it beyond awful.
Regardless, Christina decided to be much more gentle and cordial going forward. However, she still didn’t have much desire for this conversation, whatever it was.
“What can I do for you?”
“I have a proposition that you may find interesting.” After no reply on the other end, Harriet Zapuski explained, “See, we’re making a movie here at the studio. It’s very low budget, and a finished product probably won’t even make it to the big screen.”
She went on, “But it’s very good exposure and an excellent starting point for a young, aspiring actress such as yourself.”
Honestly, Christina’s interest was now slightly peaked. But not too much. “Okay.”
Having just hinted at all of the cards in her possession, it was now time for Harriet Zapuski to display that full hand. “And I want you for the leading role.”
The young, aspiring actress couldn’t believe it. Christina had just heard the words about which she (and all young, aspiring actresses) has been dreaming since deciding to pursue this career path in the first place.
After nothing but ruthless rejection, constant letdown and relentless failure, Christina had just received her big break. Amazingly, this only occurred after she stopped obsessing over it, too.
All of it seemed too good to be true; which meant....
“Really?” Christina asked with evident surprise. “Just like that?”
“Yep.” Harriet further sweetened the pot by adding, “No audition necessary.”
Christina was truly at a loss for words, but massive doubts still lingered. “Is this legit?”
“Absolutely. I said you had a bright future, didn’t I?”
While certainly recalling that comment, Christina had brushed it off as nothing more than an attempt by Harriet to cushion the blow from inevitable dismissal. But apparently, she had meant every word of it.
There was no response from Christina, so Harriet prompted, “Well? What do you say?”
With everything that has been going on in her life, Christina finally received some good news. This may be the very thing that could help her move on in a positive way.
The decision here was very obvious. As a result, she answered Harriet’s question quickly and firmly.
“Nah, I’m going to pass. Thanks anyway, though.”
A stunned silence on the other end. Christina wasn’t sure if Harriet had simply ended the call, or perhaps suffered a stroke. Then came a stammered response.
“Umm, are you turning this down?”
“I am.” There was no uncertainty at all in Christina’s answer. To continue with some attempted cordiality though, she added, “But I appreciate the offer.”
The confusion from Harriet continued. “Sorry dear, perhaps you didn’t understand what I said.”
“No, I did.” Despite her growing irritability and hostility (simply par for the course as of late), Christina was determined to remain polite and courteous. “I understand completely.”
She further stressed to Harriet, “I’m just not interested.”
“Do you realize what a great opportunity this is, dear?” It was very apparent now that Harriet had started to drift away from that previous diplomatic approach. Not only did this response shock the stage director, but it had also made her a little annoyed.
“Yes, I do.” Christina repeated once more, “But I’m going to turn it down anyway.”
“Why?” Harriet inquired. “I thought this was important to you.”
“It used to be, but not anymore. I’m sorry.”
Christina hung up the phone.