Status: Completed, after eleven months and four days. XD

Baby Just Say Yes

Chapter Fifty-Five

"Matthew Sanders, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, in the presence of all these witnesses, and in the presence of God?"

"Yes," Matt answered the bailiff confidently, his hand on the leather Bible that had been placed in front of him. Cabot walked up to the stand and gave him a smile.

"You've been friends with Rayleigh for a long time now Mr. Sanders, correct?"

Matt nodded. "Yep. Since third or fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary."

"And you've been a source of protection for her, as well?"

"Yeah. I've protected her a few times over the years," Matt smiled and nodded, thinking of a few times when he’d kept her safe when she needed it.

"You even went so far...as to take a bullet for her, correct?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right,” Matt told her, nodding his head.

"Can you tell us when Rayleigh began fearing her father?"

"I think it started when he forbade her from having friends that weren't from well-to-do families, but I’m not sure if she was afraid of him before that or if it was just anger she had for him before,” Matt told Cabot.

"Oh. How so?" Cabot asked, looking over at the jury for one long moment before turning her attention back to Matt.

Matt chuckled as the memories of their childhood came back. "She was always really strong-minded and stubborn, and she was a rebel. If he told her to do one thing, she'd do the complete opposite."

"Such as hanging around you and your friends?"

"Yeah, that would be the one I can think of,” Matt said, crossing his arms on his lap and meeting Cabot’s friendly gaze. He knew she was on their side, and had no problem with her.

"And do you have any guesses as to why her father disliked having her around you?"

"He wanted to enslave her. Just like her mother."

"Objection, your honor!" Coslov's new lawyer, Theo Pratcher, called out. "Mr. Sanders did not live under the roof of my client; therefore, he cannot possibly know his motives for keeping his daughter away from them!"

The judge looked at Matt. "Choose your words wisely, Mr. Sanders."

"Mr. Sanders, what happened the night Mr. Coslov allegedly tried to kill Rayleigh and Mr. Haner?"

"They were at Brian's parents' place, and they were getting pretty hot and heavy in his room. All of a sudden there was a big bang on the front door, and I assume they figured it was her Dad."

"You assume?"

"I wasn't there yet." Matt further explained. Cabot nodded before continuing her line of questioning.

"Continue, please."

"When I got there, the door was knocked in, and they were gone. His window was broke, and I figured Ripper had gotten to them. I heard a gunshot in the woods behind the house, and I took off towards it."

"What happened next?" Cabot questioned.

"Ripper and I struggled. He had them trapped in a small little cave. He shot at my arm and subdued me. Then he gave Ray an ultimatum, and she came out of the cave."

"Ultimatum?"

"He told her he'd kill me, and she fell for it. She manipulated him and then he was gonna kill her. He shot, but it hit Brian. She got a couple of broken bones, and the police arrested him."

"Do you know for sure he was hired by Mr. Coslov?"

"Yes. He mentioned it, and previously Mr. Coslov had tried to hire me under the guise that I was Ripper.”

"I see. And I think the rest of us do, too. The prosecution has no more questions for this witness, your Honor."

It was then that Pratcher stood. "Mr. Sanders, you are the frontman for a band containing yourself, Mr. Haner, and some other friends, is that right?"

"Relevance, your Honor!" Cabot called out.

"Get to your point, Mr. Pratcher." The judge told him. He nodded.

"What genre of music do you play, Mr. Sanders?"

"We don't really categorize ourselves," Matt said pointedly, shrugging off the question.

"Alright, that's understandable, I suppose. What kind of lyrics do you write?"

"It varies," Matt shrugged.

"Do you have a song called 'A Little Piece of Heaven'?"

"Yes."

"And are the lyrics, 'Must have stabbed him fifty f-ing times, I can't believe it. Ripped his heart out right before his eyes, eyes over easy, eat it' a part of the song?"

"Yes, they are."

"And what was the intention of those lyrics?"

"You'd have to ask Mr. James Sullivan; he wrote the song." Matt said stiffly.

"In your opinion, do they represent a hatred, even a wanting to kill my client?"

Matt laughed. "It's a sick love song, Mr. Pratcher. Not a hate song. The band recorded it because it’s a parody of sorts. It’s not a letter stating that we want to kill anyone.”

"Are there any more questions for Mr. Sanders?" The judge asked.

"I'm finished." Pratcher said with a smug smile, taking his seat.

"The prosecution will call upon Mr. Adam Coslov." Cabot said.
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Edited for Grammatical Errors.