TANYA BROWN WAS ENJOYING HERSELF, giving Yuki a headache at the same time.
Ms. Brown smiled at the bailiff, tossed her hair as she swore to tell the truth, and modeled her orange jumpsuit as if it were designed by Versace. She was the third of Yuki’s three jailhouse witnesses, all “in the system” for dealing drugs, prostitution, or both, and all of whom had met Junie Moon within the walls of the county jail. And while the testimony of jailhouse snitches was generally considered suspect or useless, Yuki was hoping that the virtually identical statements of these three women would together substantiate Junie Moon’s confession.
Yuki asked Tanya Brown, “Did the prosecution offer you anything in exchange for your testimony
No, ma’am.
We didn’t offer to get you transferred, or get you time off or better treatment or more privileges
No, ma’am, you said you weren’t going to give me anything.” Tanya Brown wiggled her fanny in the witness seat, poured herself a glass of water, smiled at the judge, then settled down.
All right then, Ms. Brown,” said Yuki. “Do you know the defendant
I wouldn’t say I know her, know her, but we were cellmates one night at the women’s jail.
And did Ms. Moon say why she was arrested
Yeah, everyone gets a turn at that.
And what did Ms. Moon tell you
She said she was a working girl and that she had a date with Michael Campion.
And why did that stick in your mind
Are you kiddin’? It was like, Whoa. You did the dirty with the golden boy? And like what was that like? And by and by it came out that he died when they were doing it.
Is that what Ms. Moon told you
Yeah. She said he had a bad heart, and that happened to me once, too, but my john was no golden boy. He was a smelly old man, and he died in the front seat of his Caddy, so I just opened the door - oh, ’scuse me.
Ms. Brown, did Ms. Moon say what she did when Mr. Campion had a heart attack
She got all weepy-like,” said Tanya Brown. “Said she and her boyfriend got rid of his body.
Did she say anything else
She said Michael was the sweetest boy she ever met and how bad it sucked for him to die on the happiest night of his life.
Yuki thanked the witness, made sure she didn’t roll her eyes as she turned her over to L. Diana Davis.
Davis asked Tanya Brown the same question she’d asked each of Yuki’s previous two jailhouse witnesses.
Did Ms. Moon offer you any proof that she’d been with the so-called victim? Did she describe any distinguishing marks on his body, for instance? Show you any souvenirs? A ring, or a note, a lock of his hair
Huh? No, I mean, no, ma’am, she didn’t.
I have no other questions,” said Davis dismissively, again.
