The Trial of Emily Todd

"State your name and position for the record," Prosecutor Blair says.

"Detective Jeffrey Flannigan. I'm a detective for the FBI," Jeff replies, his voice steady.

"Do you recognize the defendant?"

He nods. "I do. Emily Todd."

"You were the lead detective on the Stanley case. Is that correct, Detective?"

"It is. I had help from other officers, but they answered to me."

"And who did you answer to?"

Jeff motions toward the chief. "Director Swanson is my direct superior."

Blair changes tactics. "Could you tell me what put Ms. Todd on the suspect list in the murder of Daniel Stanley?"

Jeff's eyes flick to Emily, and he smirks before responding. "Sure. You see, Ms. Todd is a pimp, and when a prostit—"

"Objection, Your Honor! There has been no proof set forth that my client has any such profession," Emily's lawyer interjects sharply.

Prosecutor Blair speaks up. "Your Honor, the evidence will show that the defendant is in fact a pimp and the victim was a prostitute who worked for her."

Judge Cheney bangs his gavel. "Overruled, but present some evidence, Counselor."

That was how the day went—constant questions and fruitless objections. Pages upon pages were entered as evidence. My time on the stand painted a picture.

"Mr Azure, can you describe the nature of Ms. Todd's operations?" Prosecutor Blair asked.

"Yes. Ms. Todd ran a network that included prostitution, drug trafficking, and extortion. I've heard multiple witness testimonies and undercover recordings that show her direct involvement in these activities. She used violence and intimidation to control her workers and eliminate threats."

"Can you provide specific instances of her violent behavior?" Blair inquired.

I nodded. "There are numerous instances. For example, from the autopsy report, she attacked Daniel Stanley several times before his murder. I have here the doctors' reports saved from those incidents. She also attacked me on several occasions. I have the medical records to prove it."

"Objection! Relevance?" Emily's lawyer cut in, clearly flustered.

"Your Honor, this speaks directly to the defendant's propensity for violence and control over her victims," Blair countered.

"Overruled," Judge Cheney said. "Continue, Mr Azure."

I continued, detailing the account by of Jessie, who I  had helped escape from Emily's control. "Many of the individuals she trapped were desperate and had no means of escape. I personally assisted this woman and her children in getting away and starting new lives."

Emily's lawyer seized on this. "Mr Azure, isn't it true that you're also the CEO of Todd Industries?"

I didn't flinch. "Yes, that is correct."

"So, you're a man of considerable power and influence. How can we be sure your involvement in this case isn't a conflict of interest or a means to further your own agenda?"

"Objection, Your Honor. Relevance?" Blair interjected quickly.

"Sustained. Move on, Counselor," Judge Cheney directed.

"Mr Azure, you stated that Ms. Todd was violent and controlling. How do you know these individuals didn't fabricate their stories to gain your favor or protection?" Emily's lawyer pressed, attempting to undermine his testimony.

I remained calm. "The testimonies of these individuals were corroborated by physical evidence and independent witnesses. Their stories were consistent and detailed, and the evidence supports their claims."

Emily's lawyer continued with an accusatory tone, "Mr Azure, isn't it true that you have a personal vendetta against Ms. Todd due to your history with her?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "My duty as a decent American is to seek justice, not personal revenge. The evidence against Ms. Todd surely speaks for itself."

The defense lawyer leaned in, his voice dripping with disdain. "You seem very confident in your claims, Mr Azure. But how can we be sure you're not just another corrupt official using his power to manipulate the system?"

My eyes narrowed. "Because, Counselor, every piece of evidence, every testimony, and every victim's account has been thoroughly investigated and verified. This isn't about power or manipulation; it's about justice for those who couldn't defend themselves against powerful people."

The defense lawyer, running out of steam, finally said, "No more questions, Your Honor."

"Be seated. Prosecutor Blair, call your next witness," Judge Cheney commanded.

Prosecutor Blair stood. "Yes, Your Honor. The prosecution calls Beatrice Dwyer to the stand."

The bailiff approached Bea, drawing my attention. He swore her in, and the prosecutor stepped in front of her.

"Good morning, Miss Dwyer."

"Good morning," Bea replied, her voice steady despite the tension in the room.

"Can you tell us how you know the defendant, please?"

"That's Emily Todd; she was my pimp," Bea stated clearly, her eyes briefly glancing at Emily before looking back at the prosecutor.

"Was work the only contact or relationship you had with Ms. Todd?"

"No. I also lived with her," Bea replied, keeping her answers short and direct as we'd rehearsed.

"Were you her lover?" Blair asked.

"No. She was somewhat possessive of me, but it wasn't in a sexual way."

"So you spent quite a lot of time with her."

"I did."

"Did you care for Ms. Todd?"

"No. I only feared her. I was actually trying to come up with a way to get away from her when everything happened."

"By 'everything,' you mean...?"

"I mean when she killed Daniel Stanley. By the time I was brought into the police, I was already packed and ready to escape."

The prosecutor lifted a brow. "Escape?"

"Um, yeah. Emily would never just let me leave, so I was planning to run."

"Have you attempted to leave before?"

Bea nodded. "I have."

"What happened then, Miss Dwyer?" he asked, his voice compassionate.

"When I first arrived, it didn't take long to realize I was somewhere I didn't want to be. Emily was nothing like Vicky."

The prosecutor interrupted. "Vicky? Your previous madam?"

Bea nodded again. "Yes, sir. She treated me like a person with free will. Emily, on the other hand, treated me like her punching bag, trying to control my every move and dollar."

"And when you attempted to leave?"

Bea started fidgeting, glancing at Emily. Her face was set in stone, her eyes shooting fire. Bea turned back to the prosecutor. "She caught me. She told me I was never leaving, and if I tried, she'd hunt me down and make sure I paid. I've been on the streets for a long time and didn't have much money or anywhere to go, so I stayed."

The prosecutor nodded and changed his line of questioning. "Did you know Mr. Stanley?"

"Not very well. I know he worked for Emily and wanted more money."

"Do you know how he died?"

"I do."

He stepped closer to the jury box and took a dramatic pause before turning back to Bea. "How?"

"Emily strangled him using a piece of string."

"How do you know this, Miss Dwyer?"

"I saw the whole thing."

"How did you see it happen?"

Bea took a deep breath and glanced over at Emily. She was glaring at her, and for a moment, Bea looked faint. "Miss Dwyer, how did you see Daniel being killed?"

I saw Bea's eyes dart around nervously before she caught my gaze. I gave her an encouraging thumbs up, and she seemed to find her voice again.

"I lived with Emily, as I mentioned earlier. Daniel was there to talk with her. They were arguing. I could hear them from my room. I came out to see what was happening. I quietly crept over to peek around the corner to see what was going on. I saw Emily strike Daniel. I grabbed my phone to record it. I thought I could get her on camera abusing him and we could take the evidence to the police and get her arrested. I didn't expect that she would grab this rope from her pocket and strangle him. I wanted to help him, but I was so scared."

"The prosecution would like to present exhibits J and K to the court. J is the string that contained epithelials of both Daniel Stanley and Emily Todd, and K is the recording from Beatrice Dwyer's phone showing Emily Todd strangling Daniel Stanley."

Bea's voice trembled slightly as she continued. "I snuck back to my room and prayed she didn't know I was there. After a while, I heard her car leave. I went into his room and saw the rope she used. I'm still not even sure why, but I picked it up and put it in a Ziploc bag and hid it."

The prosecutor nodded approvingly. "Miss Dwyer, what happened after you witnessed Ms. Todd murder Mr. Stanley?"

"I snuck back to my room and prayed she didn't know I was there. After a while, I heard her car leave. I went into his room and saw the rope she used. I'm still not even sure why, but I picked it up and put it in a Ziploc bag and hid it."

The prosecutor continued asking Bea questions. She answered everything just as we'd gone over, her voice steady despite the weight of her words.

When the prosecutor asked her about the events leading up to her shooting Officer Tandy, something even I didn't know about, she explained, "Yes. Officer Tandy showed up. Almost immediately, he attacked me. He slapped me and tried to take advantage of me. So I shot him with the gun Emily gave me. It all happened so fast I can't be sure of the specifics."

"Thank you, Miss Dwyer. No further questions at this time," the prosecutor said, stepping back.

The prosecution rested, and it was the defense's turn. I felt a knot of tension as Bea prepared for what was to come.

"Miss Dwyer, you say you worked for Ms. Todd?" the defense attorney began.

"I did work for Ms. Todd, yes," Bea replied, her voice steady.

He looked toward Emily, and they shared a quick look. "And how did you come to know Ms. Todd?"

"I met her through Vicky."

"The madam you were working for."

"Yes."

"And isn't it true that you asked Ms. Todd to take you with her to the city? She didn't ask you to accompany her."

"No, that isn't exactly true. Vicky knew I was interested in going to the city. She set everything up."

"But Ms. Todd never actually asked you to move with her?"

"No."

"When you arrived in the city with Ms. Todd, isn't it true that you seduced her?"

"No. I didn't seduce her. Vicky explained that I would be living with her in my own room. For some reason, which I didn't understand at the time, she didn't want me working as much as the other girls, but she still sent me out when needed. I never had a sexual relationship with her."

"You expect us to believe that you were the only girl working for her that she allowed to live with her, she didn't have you working as often, and yet you weren't sleeping with her?"

"I can only tell you things from my point of view. I did speak to—"

"Yes or no please, Miss Dwyer."

"No."

The defense attorney began his cross-examination. "Miss Dwyer, isn't it true that you felt threatened by Daniel Stanley and wanted to be rid of him?"

Bea shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"And did you have any intentions of taking over Ms. Todd's business?"

Bea's composure remained steady. "No, that's not true. It's impossible."

The attorney persisted. "I believe you have the ability to make things happen. Have you ever manipulated situations to your advantage?"

Bea's response was firm. "I typically keep conversations with men I meet strictly professional and I didn't do much talking."

The attorney shifted to Officer Tandy. "What can you tell us about Officer Tandy?"

"He was a corrupt officer who tried to rape me," Bea replied.

The attorney challenged her. "So, you didn't seduce Officer Tandy, and he wasn't your accomplice?"

Bea felt a surge of panic but regained her focus. "No, that's not true. I've never had any relation with Officer Tandy. I first met him when he attacked me."

"Isn't it true that you orchestrated Mr. Stanley's murder with Officer Tandy's help?"

Bea was taken aback. "No, that's completely false."

The attorney pressed on. "You didn't plan Officer Tandy's shooting to further your agenda?"

Bea felt overwhelmed. Tears welled up as she denied the accusation. "No, I was attacked by Officer Tandy. I never planned any of this."

The judge intervened. "That's enough questioning for now, Mr. Volley."

Bea glanced at Alex, finding strength in his supportive gaze. She wiped away a stream of tears.

As she was dismissed from the stand, I saw Emily glaring at her with malice, but Bea's gaze remained steady. She glanced at me, and I offered her a supportive nod. She smiled back, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, before she was escorted out of the courtroom.

I couldn't imagine the fear and uncertainty Bea must have faced during her ordeal, but seeing her stand up for herself with such courage was truly inspiring.