Chapter 38 #2
"She kept yelling for maybe thirty seconds. Just—" I shook my head. "She was really angry. And then she just turned around and walked away. Left her cart sitting there. I stood there another minute trying to process what had just happened, then went to customer service and reported it."
"How did this encounter make you feel?"
"Scared. Embarrassed. Confused." My voice dropped. "There were people everywhere, all staring at me. I didn't understand why she was so angry. I haven't done anything to her."
Victor nodded slowly. "Other than the grocery store incident, have you had any other direct encounters with Ms. Walsh?"
"Yes. Once. She came to my coffee shop."
"Objection. Relevance, Your Honor," Mitchell said, standing. "What happened at Ms. Doyle's place of business has no bearing on the custody matter before this court."
"Your Honor, this goes directly to Ms. Walsh's claim that Ms. Doyle has been stalking her. The witness is entitled to provide context for their encounters."
Judge Weston nodded. "Overruled. The witness may answer. Continue, Mr. Caldwell."
"When was this?"
"I'm not sure of the exact date. It was during a slow period in the morning. I'd texted Gavin after, so I can check the date if you need it."
"That's alright for now. Can you describe what happened?"
"She came in while I was at the counter and Marcus was at the espresso machine. She ordered coffee, then positioned herself at the pickup counter near where I was working." I paused. "She kept calling me the wrong name. Deliberately. Ally instead of Andi, even after I corrected her."
"What did she say to you?"
"She said things between her and Gavin were shifting. Getting closer again. That he wasn't ready to tell me yet because he didn't want to hurt me." My hands tightened in my lap. "That some things were inevitable."
"How did you respond?"
"I didn't really get the chance. She left before I could say much of anything. Just walked out."
"Was anyone else present?"
"Marcus. He saw the whole thing."
Victor walked back to his table and picked up another document. "Your Honor, I'd like to enter into evidence a sworn statement from Marcus Alvarez, Ms. Doyle's assistant manager, corroborating this encounter."
"Objection," Mitchell said. "Hearsay."
"Your Honor, this is a sworn statement offered to corroborate the witness's testimony about what occurred."
"I'll allow it," Judge Weston said. "The statement is admitted."
Victor handed me a copy. "Ms. Doyle, is this Marcus Alvarez's statement describing what he witnessed at The Grind that day?"
I scanned it quickly. "Yes, this matches what happened."
"How did Ms. Walsh's visit make you feel?"
"Objection. Relevance."
"Your Honor, the witness's state of mind is relevant to understanding the nature of these encounters."
"Overruled. The witness may answer."
I took a breath. "Unsettled. She came into my place of business, said things designed to make me doubt my relationship, and left before I could respond to any of it. These things were intentionally directed toward me and my relationship."
"Did you approach her or invite her to your shop?"
"No. She walked in on her own."
"Ms. Doyle, were you present at any other encounters with Ms. Walsh?"
"Yes. Gavin had asked me to join him for lunch. This was before her coming to my café and before Stop & Shop. He and Rebecca were meeting to discuss summer arrangements following her divorce from David. Gavin wanted to introduce me to Rebecca. We’d become serious, and he planned for me to meet Charisse.
I arrived late, though, and they'd already been there for a little while. "
"Can you describe what you walked into?"
"Rebecca had her hands on Gavin's face. She was trying to kiss him." I kept my voice even. "He pulled back before I even got to the table."
"What did you do?"
"I introduced myself. I held out my hand and told her I was Gavin's girlfriend."
"How did Ms. Walsh respond?"
"She tried to reframe what had just happened. Said she didn't know who I was, that they were having a private conversation about their daughter." I paused. "Gavin told her to stop. He made it very clear that nothing was going to happen between them. Then she stormed out."
"So in that encounter, who initiated the physical contact?"
"Rebecca did. Completely."
"Thank you. Ms. Doyle, how many direct encounters have you had with Ms. Walsh?"
"Three. The lunch, the coffee shop, and the grocery store."
"Thank you, Ms. Doyle. No further questions."
My shoulders dropped slightly. That's it? We're done?
Judge Weston looked at Mitchell. "Cross-examination?"
Damnit. I’d actually forgotten about cross. Blowing out a breath, I steeled my spine and got ready for whatever Rebecca's attorney would throw at me.
Mitchell stood slowly. He looked like a man who knew he was about to walk off a cliff but couldn't figure out how to stop.
"Ms. Doyle," he began, "you testified that you and Mr. Byrne waited six months before introducing you to Charisse. Correct?"
"Yes."
"Do you think six months is long enough to know if a relationship is serious?"
I met his eyes. "I think it depends on the relationship. For us, yeah. We spent a lot of time together. We talked about what we wanted, our values, and where we saw things going. It felt right."
"But you'd only known each other for six months."
"Yeah." I didn't look away. "But I've known myself my whole life. And I knew what I felt for Gavin was real. I wasn't going to meet his daughter unless I was sure this had a future."
Mitchell paused, and I could see him recalculating. "You mentioned your family's Sunday dinners. How often does Charisse attend?"
"I couldn't say exactly, but she's been to a number of them. Not every week."
"Those are large gatherings?"
"Yeah. Mostly. My parents host. Usually, ten to fifteen people. My brothers and their families, sometimes aunts and uncles and cousins."
"That's a lot of new people for a ten-year-old."
"It is," I agreed. "There are other children there who she plays with. She's not standing awkwardly in the middle of a bunch of adults. Sunday dinners are almost like going to a barbecue. They are casual and fun. Friends come, family comes."
"Did you ask Ms. Walsh's permission before introducing Charisse to your family?"
"Objection. Relevance," Victor said. "Ms. Walsh doesn't have decision-making authority during Mr. Byrne's parenting time."
"Your Honor, this goes to whether Ms. Doyle is respectful of Ms. Walsh's role as Charisse's mother."
"I'll allow it. Overruled. The witness may answer."
"No. But that's between Gavin and Rebecca. He has primary. He makes decisions about what Charisse does during his time. Same as Rebecca makes decisions during her time."
Mitchell's jaw tightened. "You testified that you care about Charisse. But you haven't known her very long. Don't you feel that's unusual?"
"Objection. Argumentative."
"Sustained. Rephrase, Mr. Brennan."
Mitchell paused. "How long have you known Charisse?"
"All told, almost a year now."
"And in that time, you've decided you care about her deeply enough to become involved in major family activities?"
"Objection. Argumentative and misstates the witness's testimony."
"Sustained. Move on, Mr. Brennan."
Mitchell returned to his table and stared at his notes for a long moment. I could practically see him realizing he had nothing. The footage had destroyed his case. Anything else he tried would just make it worse.
He loudly exhaled. "No further questions."
Judge Weston looked at Victor. "Redirect?"
"No, Your Honor."
"Ms. Doyle, you may step down."
I stood. My legs were shaky with the adrenaline starting to wear off as I walked back through the gate. My mom grabbed my hand immediately when I moved to sit down. My dad's arm came around my shoulders. Danny leaned forward. "You killed it."
Judge Weston was making notes. Finally, she looked up. "Mr. Caldwell, your next witness?"