All eyes are on her as she heads down the aisle with Elsie, who keeps a hand on her elbow until the three of them reach the table on the left side of the courtroom. On the other side is the prosecutor’s table, where a man in a well-tailored suit glances over with an expression of mild interest. Quiet conversations hum from all different directions behind them.
Elsie leans in to talk to Paris. “There’s been a new development that the prosecutor believes will cement their argument for probable cause. They won’t tell me what it is, but if there’s anything at all you haven’t told me yet, now is the time.”
There’s a lot Paris hasn’t told Elsie, but now is definitely not the time. “You already know everything.”
“Good.” Elsie squeezes her arm.
Paris and Hazel sit quietly while Elsie reads over her notes. The judge isn’t here yet, so Paris turns around for a quick scan of the courtroom. She has no idea who all these people are, but their conversations pause briefly at the sight of her face. She spots Detective Kellogg at the very back. A few rows away, she sees Henry and waves. The sight of her friend and business partner helps loosen the knot in her stomach, but it tightens again when she catches a glimpse of frizzy brown hair that could only belong to Zoe Moffatt. She and Jimmy’s assistant make eye contact briefly before the other woman averts her gaze.
“All rise.” The bailiff’s voice projects through the wall-mounted speakers.
The room falls silent, and everyone stands as the judge enters. Paris works to settle herself. She can’t let her mind disconnect today. The prosecutor is about to publicly accuse her of murdering her husband, and everyone sitting behind her is here for the show.
The judge’s robes are black and flowy, which does resemble what she’s seen on TV. Paris can’t help but think that this would make a perfect ripped-from-the-headlines episode of Law & Order: SVU. Ice-T and Mariska Hargitay are sitting in the back of the courtroom, waiting to see if the dead celebrity’s trophy wife will be officially charged with murder. Diane Keaton could guest star as Elsie. Ed Harris could play Jimmy in flashbacks. And the role of Paris Peralta could be played by …
She feels a pinch on her elbow.
“Wherever you are,” her lawyer hisses, “come back to earth. Now.”
“Be seated,” the judge says tersely, and they all sit.
The judge speaks to her bailiff, one hand covering the thin microphone in front of her. Judge Eleanor Barker is in her early fifties with bright ginger hair, and she looks stern but not unkind. A full minute passes as she skims the folder the bailiff has given her. Finally, she turns her attention to the prosecutor’s table.
“You’re up,” the judge says.
The prosecutor stands, fastening the button on his suit jacket. “Nico Salazar for the prosecution, Your Honor.” He’s younger than Paris originally thought, a trim man with perfectly styled black hair. “We believe Paris Peralta should be charged with murder in the first degree for the death of her husband, James Peralta. The cause of death is exsanguination due to a laceration to the femoral artery. We believe his murder was made to look like a suicide, but Jimmy Peralta had no reason to end his own life. He just filmed two comedy specials where he earned fifteen million dollars each, and he was in contract negotiations for a third. We believe Paris Peralta murdered her husband for his money.”
Beside her, Elsie snorts. The judge turns to her. “Counselor?”
Paris’s lawyer stands. “Elsie Dixon, Your Honor, defense counsel for Mrs. Peralta. Nothing Mr. Salazar said here is true. What happened to Jimmy Peralta is tragic, but it’s not murder. My client is not set to inherit anything but a boilerplate sum of money specified in the same prenuptial agreement that Mr. Peralta asked his last two wives to sign. While it’s a significant sum at one million dollars, it’s nowhere near enough to keep my client in the lifestyle she enjoyed during the marriage. With her husband dead, Mrs. Peralta’s financial circumstances will not be enough to keep her in her marital home indefinitely. The monthly upkeep alone exceeds her current income.”
Elsie told her not to react, but it takes a Herculean effort for Paris to hide her shock. She knew a million dollars wouldn’t be enough to allow her to continue living as she’d been living, but it never occurred to her that if Jimmy died, she’d be homeless. The condo she owns is currently rented, and the tenants have a year to go on their lease. If Paris can’t afford to continue living in the house, where is she supposed to go?