“Miss Kohler helped Mr. Rice escape from the hospital because she was certain that General Wingate would have him killed to keep his secret.”
The noise in the courtroom increased in volume. The judge rapped his gavel again.
“Please approach the bench,” he said.
The judge leaned down and lowered his voice as soon as Ami and Brendan Kirkpatrick were standing at the side of the dais.
“I’m warning you, Mrs. Vergano. I will not permit my courtroom to be turned into a platform for political character assassination. Your charges are going to be carried by every television station and newspaper in this country and could affect the outcome of the primary election. I will report you to the bar association and place you in contempt if these charges prove to be unfounded or unconnected with the purpose of this hearing.”
“I understand, Your Honor,” Ami answered meekly. She felt sick to her stomach and light-headed with fear.
“And you, Mr. Kirkpatrick-I haven’t heard a single objection.”
“I don’t see how I can object, Judge. Mrs. Vergano claims to have witnesses who will testify to what she has alleged. Personally, I don’t think they have any credibility, but you’re the only person in this court who can decide the credibility of a witness.”
“And I will, Mrs. Vergano, I will. And if I decide that you or your client has misused the judicial process there will be consequences.”
Even in ill-fitting orange jail clothes with his legs and hands shackled Carl Rice commanded respect. He walked with dignity and-like a caged panther-he radiated a sense of danger that made you want to keep your distance.
“May Mr. Rice have his shackles removed during his testimony?” Ami asked the judge.
“Sergeant Perkins?” the judge said, addressing the ranking jail guard.
“We would prefer that the irons stay on, Your Honor. Mr. Rice is considered a high-risk prisoner. We’ve been informed that he’s trained in martial arts and is ex-Special Forces. The sheriff knew this might come up, and he thinks the handcuffs and leg irons should stay on.”
“I’m going to follow the sheriff’s recommendation, Mrs. Vergano. I might rule differently if this were a trial, but I know he’s a prisoner and that will not prejudice my decision on bail.”
Carl shrugged to show that it made no difference to him. Judge Velasco ordered his bailiff to administer the oath, and the guards helped Rice into the witness box.
“Mrs. Vergano,” Judge Velasco said, “before you examine Mr. Rice I want to inquire of him.”
Ami nodded. She had expected this.
The judge turned toward the witness. “Mr. Rice, Mrs. Vergano was your attorney…”
“She still is, Your Honor,” Rice answered calmly.
“That troubles me. Normally, one lawyer does not represent two defendants who are charged in the same case.”
“Mrs. Vergano explained all the problems that could arise from her representation of Miss Kohler and me. I have waived any conflicts because Miss Kohler and I believe that it is in our best interests to have Mrs. Vergano representing both of us.”
“This decision of yours makes me very nervous, but I will accede to your choice. However, I must discuss another matter with you. Are you aware that you are testifying under oath and that everything you say will be recorded by the court reporter and can be used against you in every court proceeding that occurs in your cases here, in California, and in federal court?”
“Yes, sir, I have discussed this thoroughly with Mrs. Vergano.”
“You could be convicting yourself of murder, assault, escape, what have you, out of your own mouth.”
“I appreciate your concern, Your Honor, but I’m willing to risk my life to let the American people know the truth about Morris Wingate.”
Judge Velasco was visibly agitated. For a moment it looked as if he might say more. Instead, he turned toward Ami.
“Go ahead, Mrs. Vergano.”
“Thank you, Your Honor. Mr. Rice, did you serve in the United States Army?”
“Yes.”
“Was that during the Vietnam War?”
“And after.”
“When did your service end?”
“Officially, I don’t think it ever did, but I left on my own accord in 1985.”
“What were the circumstances that caused you to leave the service?”
“General Morris Wingate sent me and the other members of an illegal unit that he was running out of the AIDC to North Vietnam. We were supposed to be rescuing American MIAs, but the whole thing was a setup. The North Vietnamese knew we were coming. There was an ambush. Everyone in the Unit was killed except me. I was captured, but I escaped. After a year, I made it back to the states and went underground. I figured no one would look for me, because the General would assume that I was dead.”
“You testified that you were set up. By whom?”
“By General Wingate. He wanted to eliminate everyone who was in the Unit, and he nearly succeeded.”
Ami asked Rice to tell the judge how he was recruited into the Unit and to recount some of his missions. The noise from the gallery ceased as Rice hypnotized the spectators with testimony about ambushing mule trains in the Shan Hills, cutting the throats of village chiefs in Southeast Asia in the middle of the night, and assassinating spies in Europe and America. Ami heard the scratch of pencils on steno pads behind her in the press section, which was packed with reporters from every major newspaper in the country and several members of the foreign press.
“Mr. Rice, you testified that you were recruited into General Wingate’s Unit after your first combat mission.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Were you wounded during that first mission?”
“I was grazed by a bullet. It wasn’t anything serious.”
“Were you hospitalized as a result of your wound?”
“Well, I was sent to a hospital to have the wound checked, but they kept me less than a day.”
“Were you hospitalized for combat-related stress?”
“No, Ma’am.”
“Did you receive a more serious wound during the mission to rescue the MIAs?”
“Yes. A shell exploded near me and I was hit by shrapnel.”
“Let’s move to another subject. From what high school did you graduate?”
“St. Martin’s Prep in California.”
“Was Miss Kohler a student at the school?”
“We were in the same class.”
“Who is Vanessa Kohler’s father?”
“General Morris Wingate.”
“Did you meet General Wingate while you were dating his daughter?”
“Yes, on many occasions.”
“Did Miss Kohler break up with you while you were in high school?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I was drafted. She wanted me to resist the draft. I’d been accepted to college and could have gotten a deferment. She was upset when I didn’t try to get one and chose to serve.”
“Did Miss Kohler believe that her father was responsible for your draft notice?”
“Yes. She thought he had engineered my draft to interfere with our relationship.”
“After high school, when was the next time you saw Miss Kohler?”
“In 1985.”
“Where did you meet?”
“In Washington, D.C. I was teaching at the army language school at Fort Meyer, and she was attending law school and working for Congressman Eric Glass of California.”
“At some point after you met Miss Kohler in Washington, did you tell her about your involvement with her father and your missions?”
“Yes.”
“Did you find out sometime later what she did as a result of your confession?”
“Yes. She stole the files of the ten members of the Unit from her father’s safe and gave them to Congressman Glass, who had a summer home on Lost Lake, California.”