“No. Never met the guy.”
“Had you heard of his organization-Green Rage?”
“Can’t say as I had.” He bowed apologetically toward the jury. “I don’t read the papers much.”
“Well then,” Granny continued, “in the time that you’ve spent with Mr. Zakin, have you come to like him?”
“Oh, he’s all right. Kind of a chatterbox. If I’ve got to be that close to someone for that long, I usually prefer it to be someone who ain’t so fond of talking.”
Some of the jurors smiled.
Granny crossed to the jury side of the podium. “What exactly does Mr. Zakin like to talk about?”
“He’s probably gotten to ’bout everything at one time or another.”
Granny allowed herself a grin. “Can you identify some of his favorite themes?”
“Oh, you know. Trees are dyin’ all over the world and soon there won’t be any left. Magic Valley may have the world’s largest cedar. Loggers are all dimwits and scumbags. That sort of thing.”
“I see. Did he by any chance mention the murder incident that caused him to be incarcerated?”
Ben felt a cold clutching at the base of his spine. He’d prepared enough witnesses for direct to know that nothing is left to chance. You don’t ask a question unless you know the answer-and like it.
“Oh, yeah. In great detail.”
Ben could see the jurors ever so slightly inching forward. They understood now why this witness had been called. And they were anxious to hear what he had to say.
“And why would he talk to you?”
“Well, in part, ’cause he was bored, and in part, I think, ’cause he likes to brag. He’s pretty fond of talkin’ about himself, or so it seemed to me. I don’t know why. Maybe he thought if he made himself out to be the big man, I’d be less likely to hassle him.”
“For instance, what did he say?”
“Well, he bragged about how good he was with bombs, how many bombs he’s planted to blow up loggers’ equipment and stuff. Man, that boy hates loggers-just hates ’em. His face gets all twisted up and weird every time he talks about them. He’s kinda crazy on the subject.”
Ben heard a whispering in his ear. “This isn’t true,” Zak said. “This conversation never happened.”
Granny continued her examination. “Did he mention any specific crimes?”
“Well, he mentioned some logger named Gardiner.”
“Gardiner?” Granny repeated. “Dwayne Gardiner?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Man, he really had it in for that poor chump.”
“Do you know why?”
“Yeah. He told me all about it. Told me he’d been drill-er, um, you know … sleeping with the man’s wife.”
“He told you this?” Granny reiterated. “The defendant himself told you this?”
“Oh, yeah. In great detail. More than I wanted to hear. He told me about all the positions they tried and all the kinky stuff they did. I’m no prude, but even I was kinda grossed out by some of it.”
“Did he tell you anything more about this … relationship?”
“Yeah. Told me that just before the murder, the chump husband-this Gardiner sap-found out about it. Said he was pretty damn angry, too. Threatened Zak within an inch of his life.”
“And what did Zak say he did in response?”
Geppi squirmed a bit in his chair. He glanced up at Granny, then proceeded. “He said he figured he’d better go after Gardiner before Gardiner came after him.”
“The defendant said that?” Granny said in a voice the jury couldn’t possibly miss. “And you heard it?”
“Sure thing. With my own ears. Told me all about how he planted a bomb on this thing, this … um, tree cutter, that’s what it was. Set the bomb, then lured the poor chump out there, shot him, got away to a safe distance-then blew the thing sky-high.”
The reaction could not have been greater had another bomb gone off in the jury box. The jurors’ eyes widened like balloons; they looked at one another with astonishment and horror.
Oh my God, Ben thought quietly, trying not to display any visible reaction. Oh my God. What now?
Granny adopted a quieter tone. “Did Mr. Zakin tell you anything else about this … fatal incident?”
“Yeah. Told me he watched from a safe distance. Told me he watched Gardiner catch on fire and burn. And he laughed. That’s what he said. He said he laughed the whole time. And then he thought, You logging bastard. Your wife’s ass is mine.”
Zak pressed himself against Ben’s shoulder. “This is complete fiction, Ben. You’ve gotta believe me. I never said these things.” He pressed even closer. “You gotta believe me!”
Ben didn’t respond, couldn’t respond. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to believe anymore.
“Mr. Geppi,” Granny asked quietly, trying not to break the aura of horror and disgust that had enveloped the jury box, “why did you come forward with this testimony?”
“Well, I thought someone ought to know. I mean, I’ve done some bad things in my time. Things I’m ashamed of. But this dude was …
“Thank you, Mr. Geppi. No more questions.”
No more questions indeed, Ben thought. No more questions needed. The stake had been driven through Zak’s heart but good. He didn’t know how Granny had gotten this man to testify, but he knew what the effect would be if Ben didn’t destroy him on cross.
The effect would be to eliminate any doubt in the jurors’ minds whatsoever that Zak was guilty of murder- murder so premeditated and horrible that it begged for the death penalty.
Chapter 57
The man was lying, Ben told himself, as he marched up to the podium. Whatever else you may think about Zak right now, this witness is lying. Problem was, there is nothing more difficult than getting a self-aware, unrepentant liar to confess. He would have to come on strong, like he held all the cards and there was no way Geppi could possibly escape his grasp.
“What did the prosecutor promise you, Mr. Geppi?”
Geppi blinked rapidly, his face the picture of innocence. “Promise me? I don’t get you.”
“You made a deal. Your testimony for a quid pro quo. I want to know what it is.”
Geppi shook his head earnestly. “There was no deal.”
“Are you trying to tell this jury you were not offered anything in exchange for your testimony?”
“It’s true.”
“No promise of immunity? No suspended sentence?”
“Absolutely not.”
“The man’s telling the truth,” Judge Pickens said, interjecting. “Any plea bargain or request for immunity would have to go through me, and I haven’t seen it. There’s no deal.”
Ben clenched his teeth together. There had to be some arrangement. Geppi had nothing to gain by this personally; Ben couldn’t believe he would come forward with this pack of lies on his own initiative. But how could he prove it?
“If you don’t have anything yet, maybe a promise was made. A promise of some reward in the future.”
“There is no deal,” Geppi repeated.
“Maybe Granny told you that after this trial was over, the charges against you would be dropped.”
“I have already instructed my attorney to plead guilty,” Geppi answered. “I’m just waiting for sentencing.”
Damn! Ben knew there had to be something. But whatever it was, Granny had built a wall around it so tall
