THE COURTROOM WENT still at the call of his name, like a classroom suddenly going quiet upon the teacher's entry. Heads turned back to see him. He walked with the smooth confidence of someone who was accustomed to such attention. He was dressed in a beautiful black suit with a thin black tie and expensive Italian loafers.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfPnFFhukI
He was a fish out of water, walking through a criminal courtroom instead down the red carpet at the Oscars. But he was an actor, just like Mischa; he could play a part and he played this one well, maintaining the appropriate sobriety for the occasion.
On just about every level, the experience of watching Benito McLaughlin testify in court was about as surreal as it got. Even under the perilous circumstances in which Mischa found herself, she couldn't deny having a physical reaction to him. He had drawn something out of her that she'd never known existed. The memory of that time was somewhat tempered, admittedly, by being arrested hours later, dragged from the yacht, and put on trial for her life, accused of a crime she did not commit. But that was the thing; it was more than just memory. It was an indelible mark he'd carved inside of her.
And then, of course, there was Sebastian, sitting only a few dozen feet away from her right now. Who would have thought that she'd find herself in the same room with her husband and her one-night stand, and that their affair would be the least of her problems?
Benito answered the preliminary questions easily enough. He testified to being in Monte Carlo on the night in question, during a break from a movie he was filming. He freely admitted to meeting Mischa the others at the nightclub and to taking a particular interest in her.
"I enjoyed talking to Mischa very much," he said. "Did I find her attractive? Sure. I suppose you could say we flirted as well."
Yeah, you could probably say that.
"Mr. McLaughlin," asked the presiding judge. "Were you aware that the man who referred to himself as Diego was, in fact, the president of France?"
"No, I was not," Benito answered. "Though I joined the group late, and I confess to having enjoyed a few cocktails by that point in the evening. It's possible that the others knew who he was. But I did not."
No matter how Benito qualified it, this testimony was very helpful to the defense, especially after William Mascarenas said that we all knew "Diego" was President Diderot. Benito was the first person to corroborate their position.
"I recall the Grand Casino, yes, Your Honor," he said. Apparently he didn't get the memo from Mascarenas about calling the judge Mr. President. Then again, the presiding judge wasn't rushing to correct the international movie star.
"I recall arriving at the casino with Mischa and her other girlfriends at the nightclub. That much, of course, I remember. And I remember having a good time at the casino, as I always do." Benito seemed to think that this comment merited some favorable reaction, which the spectators gave him.
"As best I can remember," he said, "I didn't spend any time with Mischa, personally, at the casino. We kinda lost each other."
That was true. She'd lost Benito at the casino. And the surveillance cameras at the Grand Casino backed this up.
"Mr. McLaughlin," said the presiding judge, "when did you next see the defendant, Ms. Barton?"
"When did I next see Mischa?" Benito scratched the back of his head, then turned and looked in Mischa's direction briefly, though the two didn't make eye contact.
"Yes, Mr. McLaughlin. After you became separated at the casino, when was the next time you saw the accused, Mischa Barton?"
He opened his hand, gesturing toward her, before he gave his answer.
"Today," he said. "When I walked into the courtroom."
"You are aware that Ms. Barton has used you as an alibi. That she has claimed that the two of you had a romantic encounter on the yacht, which could account for her whereabouts during the time of the murder. You know all of this."
"I do, Your Honor, I do." He paused. His eyes rose to the ceiling, as if he were pondering the most delicate, diplomatic way to put it.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vhl5uKLTC
"She---was a very nice woman," he said. "A very aggressive woman. I think it's safe to say, from my perspective, that she was interested in sleeping with me."337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sG1ExOxGw
"But that did not happen?"337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvs4JbHHUN
"It didn't happen." Benito glanced at the judges with a look that said everything: What would a superstar like me be doing with a third-rate actress like her? 337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4poQQxWvH
Anyone who wasn't looking at the dashing and charming Benito McLaughlin was looking at Mischa. She could only stare straight ahead and try to keep her composure. What did they threaten you with, Benito? she wondered.337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR08CnjzBm2
"Your Honor," said Benito, "I'm afraid what Mischa Barton told you is either an alibi she invented, or a fantasy in her mind."337Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPz4w5CBW7P
