CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Two weeks later

Court house

Luke and Laura’s trial has begun. Luke and Laura stand out in the hall with Elizabeth, Lucky, Nikolas and Beth.

"Where is Alexis?" Elizabeth looked around the room.

"She’ll be here Cowgirl. Don’t worry," Luke smiled encouragingly. "She’s probably meeting Earl outside as we speak."

Just then the McCoy’s walk pass with two pricey lawyers in the lead.

"Enjoy your freedom Spencer! This will be the last time you’ll see my son again!" Calvin grinned as they entered the courtroom.

"Dad don’t listen to him," Lucky layed a restrictive hand on Luke’s arm. "If you attack them, that’s giving them more ammunition."
"Lucky’s right Luke. Calm down," Nikolas nodded.

"I can rip that man in two!" Luke growled. "I will not go to jail for rescuing my son! I won’t!"

"Luke calm down," Alexis snapped, walking briskly towards the group, Earl trailing behind her. "Getting all hot and bothered is not going to help your case any."

"Alexis is right dad. Cool down," Lucky nodded.

"Alexis…who will testify first?" Elizabeth asked curiously, wringing her hands out of nervousness. It’d destroy Lucky if Luke and Laura went to prison.

"The McCoy’s. They will probably give the judge some story of how they were a loving family and how their little boy was cruelly ripped from them."

"That’s bullshit!" Lucky glared at the lawyer. "They are anything but loving parents and I wasn’t ripped from that house I was rescued!"

"And that’s what we’ll tell the jury when it’s our turn at bat," Alexis nodded. "Don’t worry. This is not a cut and dry case and the fact that it’s a jury trial is good. If we can convince the jurors that Lucky was an abused child and Luke and Laura were just taking him out of that home…Luke, Laura, and Earl are home free.

"Uh…Luke. One more thing, no stories of your time on the run. That really will paint you kidnappers," Alexis warned.

"Don’t worry Alexis. We’ll just stick with the basics," Lucky reassured his lawyer.

"Shouldn’t we be going in?" Elizabeth asked.

"After you," Lucky led her into the large room. Luke, Laura, Earl and Alexis took the table in front and the others sat behind them. Elizabeth was surprised to see Sarah and Grams entering to set next to her.

"Grams? Sarah? What are you doing here?" She questioned.

"We thought you might need some moral support dear," Audrey nodded.

"Thank you," Elizabeth squeezed both their hands.

"Where’s Nikolas and Katie?" Sarah questioned.

"They’re coming later. Katie wasn’t feeling well and Nikolas wanted her to rest a couple of hours longer."
"Look at them," Luke whispered to his wife, glaring over at the McCoy’s, Helena setting right behind them. "All smug like they have a chance of winning this thing."

"They do," Laura nervously swallowed. "Luke…what if the worse does happen? What will happen to Lucky and Lulu? Who will be grandparents to our grandchild?"

"Angel, the worse is not going to happen, and if it does, Bobbie will take Lulu and as for our grandchild, he or she will be fine with Lucky and Liz looking out for him or her. Everything is going to be ok."

"All stand for the honorable Judge Kingston!" The baliff announced.

"Here we go," Alexis got to her feet.

Judge Judith Kingston walked up on her bench and used her gavel, singling for everyone to be seated. "Ok. The file for the case here is McCoy verses Spencer. It says here that Luke and Laura Spencer, and the McCoy’s ranchhand Earl Hatfield had kidnapped the McCoy’s five year old son fourteen years ago. The Spencers claim they rescued the boy from a abusive home. But the McCoy's tell a different version. We’ll start with the plaintiff’s version. Miss. Jensen, you may start your opening argument now."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Dara stood tall and faced the group of people at the far right of the room, watching her intensely. "What we have here is a simple open and shut case. A case of kidnapping. You see fourteen years ago, on a quiet little farm in Kentucky…a horrendous crime was committed. A happy, well-loved little boy was out in the field playing hide and seek with his father when the McCoy’s hateful ranchhand Earl Hatfield came and lured the boy away from the safety of his home. From there, Earl gave the boy to his childless friends Luke and Laura Spencer. Fearing discovery, the Spencer’s took off for parts unknown and the Lucas McCoy was gone from his family for fourteen heartwrenching years for the McCoy’s. Even the birth of their daughter couldn’t fill the void that Lucas’s disappearence had caused them. We ask that Luke, Laura, and Earl have the book thrown at them and be given the maxium sentence for kidnapping. Thank you," Dara gracefully takes her seat.

Luke glared over at the McCoy’s who smugly smile back, sure that they had the jury’s sympathy.

"They’re going to believe them aren’t they?" Lucky leaned over and whispered to Luke.

"Don’t you worry about that none Cowboy. Let’s wait until they hear the real story," Luke patted his son’s hand reassuringly.

"I call my first witness! Paula McCoy!"

Laura glared at the woman that had given birth to her son. Paula’s normally loose and wild blond hair was neatly brushed and pulled back into a tight bun. She dabbed at her face with a handkerchief as if she’s been crying. Stepping up onto the stand she takes a shaking deep breath and places her hand on the bible.

"Mrs. McCoy. Tell us about the day you gave birth to your son," The lawyer gently replied.

Paula again dabbed at her eyes and smiled. "I remember that day as if it was yesterday. It was a bright sunny day. The sun just lit up everything and the birds were singing, as if they knew that a blessed event was about to take place. I was in the kitchen, making chicken soup for my husband who had a slight case of the sniffles from being out in the rain all the day before. I was reaching for my ladle when my water broke. Oh I had never been so scared in my life," Paula laughed lightly. "I called for Calvin and he rushed me to the hospital."

"What happened next," Dara stood back as if listening intently.

"Well…what else. After twelve hours of intense pain…my beautiful baby boy was born."

"Don’t make me gag," Lucky mummbled to Elizabeth who giggled.

"Oh really? I’m finding it quite interesting."

"I looked into his eyes…and there was this light…all his own."

"Oh my god," Laura whispered to Luke. "That was what I told Lucky one time when he told me he was afraid of becoming like you."

"Objection your honor!" Luke suddenly stood from his chair. "That sentence was taken from my wife out of a conversation she was having with our son!"

The courtroom was now in a uproar and the judge angrily slammed the gavel for silence.

"Order in the court! Order in the court," he shouted until the room was silent once again. "Mr. Spencer, one more outburst like that and I’ll have you removed. Miss. Davis, I trust that you know how to make objections yourself?"
"Yes your honor," Alexis nodded.

"Do you have any objections to what Mrs. McCoy had just described?"

Alexis looked at Luke and immediately knew the answer. "Yes your honor. I have reason to believe that Mrs. McCoy is being prompted what to say."

"Objection noted and overruled," the judge used her gavel once more before turning to Paula. "Please continue."

"We loved Lucas from the very moment he was born. We had his room all ready for him," Paula nodded. "Those five years were the best of our lives. We’d take him to the zoo. Cal would take him to see the Cincinnati Reds. We’d have picnics and take him to amusement parks and fairs."

"Mrs. McCoy…tell us about Earl Hatfield. How did you know him?"

"Why he was an employee. A trusted employee I might add. We’d even allowed him to come over and babyset our son while we went out. It was obvious that Lucas loved Earl and we had thought Earl felt the same about our son. We thought he’d never harm him."

"Tell us about May 19, 1988. Tell us what happened that day."

"Well…that was the day we learned that Lucas’s preschool was charging by the week. So we had gone to Earl and explained to him that we were going to have to cut his pay so we could pay for Lucas’s schooling. To say he was furious is a understatement."

"What happened after that?"

"He would have these glares he threw in Lucas’s direction. Plus he stopped talking to Lucas all together. Just glared at him." Paula began crying again. "I remember Lucas coming to me and asking why Earl didn’t like him anymore. I told him that Earl didn’t hate him. He was just facing some financial difficulties. Earl was in the born leering at us. I had felt a chill when Lucas went up to Earl and gave him a hug saying that everything will be better and to please like him again."

Looking over at the jury, Lucky felt dread seeing the sympathy in their eyes. They couldn’t see that Paula was lying through her teeth. All that stuff never happened.

"Tell us about June 2. The day your son disappeared," Dara symphetically requested.

"It was a sunny and beautiful day. A day no child should be kept in doors. I was washing dishes and Lucas was outside playing with his toy trucks. He was right outside in plain view. I looked away for a moment and when I looked back, Lucas was gone."

"What did you do then?"

"I looked outside and saw my son walking up to Earl who held some kind of animal in his hand. I guess it was a puppy because Lucas loved puppies. I was thinking how sweet that they were friends again," Paula paused again, a sob escaping her. "That was the last time I saw my little boy again. The next time I would see him, he was all grown up with a totally different life."

Dara pulled a dry handkerchief from her pocket and held it out to Paula.

"Thank you," She sniffed.

"I have no more questions for this witness," Dara returned to her seat.

"Mrs. Davis, do you have any questions for Mrs. McCoy?" The judge asked, tearfully looking at the sobbing Paula McCoy. Alexis knew that the woman had the courts sympathy at this moment, but she was ready to blow it all out of the water.

"Mrs. McCoy…Paula…may I call you Paula?" Alexis approached the stand.

Paula simply nodded.

"Lucky…was a good boy wasn’t he when he was five years old?"

"Oh yes…Lucas was a very good boy," Paula nodded with a smile.

"Then tell me why did your husband take his fist and sent the very same five year old into the wall, slamming him harshly and giving him a black eye? All the while calling him a little bastard while you just stood by and smoked on a cigarette?"

"What? That never happened," Paula furrowed her brow.

"And all the names that both you and your husband called the boy?"

"What? Our pet names? Every parent has pet names for their children don’t they?"
Alexis shook her head. "Not little shit and horse slime, names heard coming from both yours and your husbands mouths by not only Mr. Hatfield, but by neighbors as well."

"No! We never called Lucas any of that!"

"Yes Earl Hatfield was a special friend to your son because he time and again nursed the boy back to health after you and your husband beat him terribly!"

"No! Earl took our boy from us because he was jealous and angry! Angry that he was getting a pay cut!"

"Mrs. McCoy, I called that preschool that Lucas went to and not once have they ever charged a fee, they even sent me an itinerary for the time period Lucas would have attended. Your honor I’d like to enter this as evidence that the Spencers and Mr. Hatfield are innocent of any wrong doing."

The judge nodded, accepting the evidence.

"Tell me Paula…how did you feel when Lucas was calling for his mommy while your husband beated him with that horsewhip?" Alexis crossed her arms.

"Objection your honor!" The McCoy’s lawyer got to his feet. "Mrs. Davis is leading the witness!"

"Sustained. Mrs. Davis please control yourself," The judge used her gavel. "Continue."

"No more questions for this witness your honor," Alexis returned to her seat.

"Good going Alexis. You had her running for the hills," Luke grinned.

"We’re not all of the woods yet. They still have the jury’s sympathy. We’re going to have to find a way to reveal their true colors."

"Easy. Let me testify," Lucky whispered to Alexis. "I know first hand what those people did to me…and I was a first hand witness to what they did to Laura. In fact, I still have that picture."

"At this time Lucky no. Your parents and I have discussed this and think it’s best that you are spared going through all that again," Alexis answered.

"But…" Lucky began.

"The answer is no Cowboy. Now drop it," Luke sternly replied. He didn’t care if he went to jail, just as long as his son was spared anymore pain.

"The plantiff calls it’s next witness! Calvin McCoy!" The Lawyer announced.

After being sworn in, Calvin takes a seat and sets his eyes on Lucky, causing Luke to want to rip the eyes out of Calvin’s sockets. But, for Lucky and Laura he wouldn’t.

"Mr. McCoy. Tell us about your relationship with your son before the kidnapping."

Calvin laughed. "We were as close as a father and son could get. I was Lucas’s hero. He wanted to be just like his dear old dad."

"What were some of the things you two did together…just as father and son?"

"I took him to the park, to the races. We went the football games. We ate hot dogs and on superbowl Sunday we watched it together. Lucas setting in my lap and me happy to get that quality time with my son."

"When was the last time you saw your son?"

Calvin took a deep breath. "In the Wilson’s shed. The Wilson’s dog had just given birth to puppies and Lucas wanted one so badly. But I said no. You see, my wife is allergic or I would have gotten it for him. Earl was near by when I said no. Just laying in wait for the perfect moment to snatch my son."

"What happened after you said no?"

"Lucas pouted and moped. So I took him back home. I had to get back to work. So I told Paula that we were back and left Lucas on the doorstep waving good-bye. Little did I know that it’d be good-bye for good."

"No further questions your honor,"

"Miss. Davis?" Judge Kingston looked toward the defense table.

"Mr. McCoy. You say you had a good relationship with little Lucas. Well then why tell me did your neighbors hear you screaming at the boy practically every night and his horrified cries?"

"What are you talking about?" Calvin asked. "I never screamed at that kid. Maybe Spencer did, but not me."

"Oh really? Then are there doctor reports saying that Lucas was constantly brought in for broken bones and black eyes?"

"The kid was clumsy. So what?"

"Tell me about the evening of June 1, 1988. What happened that night?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come now Mr. McCoy, you must remember. In fact, you arrived in town totting this bloodcoated horsewhip," Alexis held up a plastic bag that contained the whip that Luke had snuck in and stole out of the McCoy’s apartment. "You must remember this. This was your favorite weapon to use against your defenseless son. I want to enter this into evidence your honor of the McCoy’s constant abuse and why it was vital that Earl Hatfield and the Spencer’s took the boy out of that environment."

The judge again nodded and accepted the evidence.

"Isn’t it true Mr. McCoy that your little boy walked in on you and your wife making love and you dragged the boy down to the barn! Made him strip off all his clothes than whipped him again and again with that very whip ignoring his cries of mercy! You whipped him until he was almost dead and it was Mr. Hatfield that saved him!"
"No!"

"Earl Hatfield didn’t kidnap your son! He rescued him! After you had ruthlessly beaten the boy and left him there to die! It was Earl Hatfield that picked the beaten boy up and took him back to his cabin! It was Earl Hatfield that nursed poor Lucas back to health! It was Earl Hatfield that got Lucas to safety! And it was Luke and Laura Spencer who made sure that the boy remained safe and grew up loved and cared for! They made sure he never had to worry about another one of your beatings again! Unlike his poor sister!"

"You know nothing about his sister!" Calvin snarled.

"Oh really," Alexis smugly smiled. She held up the very picture the McCoy’s had blackmailed Lucky with. "Evidence exhibit C. A picture of a badly beaten Laura McCoy," Alexis handed the picture to the judge who accepted it. "No more questions for this witness."

"Ha ha she’s got them," Luke happily whispered to Earl who nodded in agreement.

"Are there anymore witnesses from the Prosecution?" Judge Kingston asked. The DA just shook her head no and leaned back in her chair.

"Well then I call a recess until eight tomorrow morning!" She banged her gavel than got up and left.

The McCoys got up and approached the defense table.

"You have yourself a good lawyer here Spencer. But she won’t be able to get the charges dropped. And Lucas, don’t worry about them not being there for the birth of our grandchild because we sure will be," Calvin grinned before escorting his wife out.

"Like hell he will be," Luke growled.

"Can we just go home. Elizabeth is tired," Lucky noticed Elizabeth yawn tiredly. "Plus it’s been a really long day."

"Sure Cowboy. Let’s get out of here," Luke led his family out of the courthouse.

*

Elizabeth and Lucky laid in each other’s arms, their minds on the trial that day.

"They’re going to win Elizabeth. I just know it. They have the jury eating out of the palm of their hands," Lucky sighed in frustration. "I wish that Alexis and dad would let me testify."

"They’re just trying to protect you Lucky."

"Well they’re not protecting me by sacrificing their freedom. I need mom and dad free Elizabeth. I need them to be here for us and our children. For Nikolas and his children too. For Lulu. She’s just a little girl. She deserved to know how great it is growing up as a Spencer."

"She will. Because we’re going to win. The McCoy’s may have the jury’s sympathy right now, but tomorrow it’s our side’s turn and when they hear the truth, they’re going to demand that Paula and Calvin McCoy be the ones jailed."

"And if push comes to shove, I’ll testify anyway. No matter what dad says, I want those people to see that Luke and Laura taking me from that place was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"It brought you to me," Elizabeth smiled. "If nothing else, that’s what I’m grateful for."

Lucky just smiled and pulled Elizabeth into a warm embrace. They remained that way for the rest of the night, forgetting about all their problems in the outside world.

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