Joshua won’t tattle on his friend, I know him too well, so I cut in. “Um Vincenzo, if I may.”
His eyes snap to me. “Call me Vin,” he replies.
I nod thankfully. “Ok, Vin. It was Joshua’s friend Carson Milane,” I reply.
Vin’s eyes flick back to Joshua. “With friends like him who needs enemies.” He raises his eyebrows as he flicks the page of the notepad.
Joshua drops his eyes to the floor.
“I will be calling him to the stand,” Vin replies without further thought.
Joshua frowns. “I would prefer him to be left out of it.”
Vin’s cold eyes snap to Joshua. “Are you aware of the seriousness of your plight, Joshua?”
Joshua’s eyes hold his. “Yes,” he murmurs.
“Are you aware that I am the only person who can get you off this charge, and what I say goes?”
“I didn’t do it,” Joshua snaps.
“I don’t give a flying fuck if you did?” Vin sneers in reply. “I don’t lose cases and I don’t play nice. I will degrade everyone in your circle if it makes you an innocent man and if you have a problem with that I will go now.”
Joshua glares at Vincenzo and I feel my uncomfortable gauge hit ten. Oh shit, this guy is full on.
“Fine,” Joshua snaps, annoyed.
He starts to flick through his pad and notes he has made. “I read on a statement from Natasha’s mother that Natasha kept a diary.” His eyes rise up to Joshua. “But there has been no mention of them. Where are those diaries now?” he asks.
I frown. Oh shit, I forgot Tash kept a diary. My eyes flick to Joshua in question.
Joshua runs his tongue over his top teeth in contempt. “I don’t know anything about diaries,” he replies.
I frown. What?
Vin’s eyes hold Joshua’s. “You need to work on your lying skills-you’re atrocious. You lie very poorly,” he says dryly.
Joshua sits back in his seat annoyed. “Listen if you are going to be a cock…” he replies.
Vin cuts him off. “That’s exactly what I’m paid to do. I am paid to be an in-your-face cock and I do it very well for a very high price. Send someone to get the diaries,” he sneers.
“I don’t know where they are,” Joshua snaps. “I think they were taken by the perpetrator to cover the evidence. I’m not sure.”
Vin’s eyes meet his. “What did you tell the police about their whereabouts?” he asks.
“They didn’t ask me,” Joshua replies.
Vin shakes his head. “Fucking useless,” he mutters under his breath. His eyes meet Joshua’s across the table. “Ok, so here is the story. The prosecutor they are using used to work for me and he’s brilliant. He is going to rattle you like you have never known. Keep your mouth shut. Do not elaborate on anything. Do not give him ammunition to twist your words.”
Joshua nods and swallows.
His eyes hold Joshua’s across the table and I can hear his brain ticking. “I’m going to request a closed hearing. I understand how much you hate the press.”
Joshua’s gaze holds his. “Thank you,” he mutters.
“Can you give us a minute alone please?” Vin asks me and his assistants who are sitting behind him silently.
We nod, stand and leave the room as my heart starts to beat hard in my chest.
“All rise,” the administrator calls as the judge enters the room, and everyone stands silently. The gallery is full of reporters with notepads. Joshua, dressed in a navy suit, stands in front next to Vincenzo and two of his assistants. Then in the front row are Victoria, Bridget, Abbie, me, Cameron and his parents, and Ben and Nicholas. I feel like I am going to have a heart attack.
The judge walks in silently, sits down and flicks through the notes in front of him.
Vin is the first to speak. “Your honour, I request that this hearing be held in a private court room,” he calls.
The judge looks up from his papers, seemingly surprised. “Denied, this is a matter of public interest.”
Joshua’s head drops, oh god. Everything is going to be dragged through the press-this is Joshua’s worst nightmare.
The prosecution lawyer stands. He is about forty, nerdy looking and grey. He also appears very confident which only escalates my trepidation.
“We are here today to bring to justice the man who has taken his innocent fiancee’s life. To bring the truth out in the open. Natasha Marx did not die in vain and her case will prevail.
“I call to the stand Joshua Stanton,” he calls across the room.
My heart sinks and Cameron drops his head. “Fuck,” he whispers.
The room sits in silence as Joshua swears on the bible and goes through the motions.
“Is your name Joshua Stanton?” the lawyer asks.
Joshua nods. “Yes,” he replies.
“I’m going to go back to the beginning, shall I?” He pauses and looks around at the room for effect. Oh get off it, this jerk should have been an actor. “Natasha Marx is your first cousin is she not?” he purrs.
Joshua swallows the lump in his throat. “Yes,” he replies. The reporters gasp and start to scribble on their pads fervently.
“And when she was just a seventeen-year-old child you snuck into her tent one night on a camping trip with the sole purpose to seduce her.”
Joshua hesitates as he thinks about his answer. “No, we had started a relationship that was consensual,” he replies.
“But you did have sex with her when she was just seventeen in a tent,” he replies.
“Yes,” Joshua replies.
“And did Natasha’s parents know about this?”
“No,” Joshua replies
“You didn’t tell them because you knew that they would not approve, is that right?” he asks innocently.
“Yes,” Joshua murmurs.
“You left her then and moved to America and made your fortune in app development and became a household name,” he asks.
“Yes,” Joshua replies.