“My stepdad turned me out.”
“Do you mean that your stepfather prostituted you? That he was your pimp?”
“I guess you could call him that. He was having sex with me from the time I was about twelve. Later on, he brought his friends over and they had sex with me, too.”
“Did you ever report your stepfather for rape or child abuse, anything like that?”
“No, ma’am. He said it was how I paid my rent.”
“Is your stepfather here today?”
“No. He died three years ago.”
“And your mother? Where is she?”
“She’s doing time. For dealing.”
“I see,” Davis said. “So, Junie, you’re a bright enough girl. Did you really have to be a prostitute? Couldn’t you have gotten a job in a restaurant or a department store? Maybe worked in an office?”
Junie cleared her throat, said quietly, “Doing sex is the only thing I’ve ever known, and I don’t really mind. It’s like, for a little time every day, I feel close to someone.”
“Having sex with strangers makes you feel close?”
Junie smiled. “I know it’s not real, but it makes me feel good for a while.”
Davis paused to let the tragedy of the vulnerable young woman’s story wash over the jury. Then she said, “Junie, please tell the jury: Did you ever have sex with Michael Campion?”
“No, I did not. Absolutely never!”
“So why did you tell the police that you did?”
“I guess I wanted to please them, so I told them what they wanted to hear. I . . . that’s the kind of person I am.”
“Thank you, Junie. Your witness,” Davis said.
Chapter 84
YUKI HAD A THOUGHT. It was stark, simple, irrefutable.
When Junie took the stand in her own defense, she had come across so frail and so helpless, it would be best for Yuki to say, “I have no questions,” get the woman off the stand. Then tear her apart in summation.
Nicky Gaines passed Yuki a note from Red Dog. She read it as Judge Bendinger snapped the rubber band on his wrist impatiently, then said, “Ms. Castellano? Are you planning to cross?”
Parisi’s note was short. Three words. “Go get her.”
Yuki shook her head no, whispered across Gaines to Parisi, “We should take a pass.”
Parisi scowled, said, “Want me to do it?”
So much for irrefutable. Red Dog had spoken. Yuki stood, picked up the photocopy of the acknowledgment of rights form, and walked toward the witness stand.
“Ms. Moon,” Yuki said without preamble, “this is an acknowledgment of rights form. Do you remember it?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“And you can read and write, can’t you?”
/> “Yes, I can.”