Did you know that surprise witnesses aren’t allowed in every state? I learned that today as I hightailed my ass to the courtroom as fast as I can make it.

For the past several months, I’ve had only two things on my mind. Elodie, and this trial. And I’m fucking late to the trial.

But with a really goddamn good reason.

Mark is going to win this case. You see, Mark, he got in way too deep with Al Jefferson, who had the access and the money to make sure all the sexcapades got filmed from every angle and that he could leak them. Mark had access to Coeur de la nuit and made that first tape, but Jefferson could buy just about anything and anyone. This is why David wanted me to handle the Mark situation. Ya see, even though we all love Elodie and want to pummel the guy who was responsible for the videos and this whole mess…it really wasn’t Mark. And Mark is willing to stand up and explain everything in court today, and that’s going to be just the thing that gets this trial dismissed.

Cranston is grinding his teeth. Jefferson’s lawyer already knows what is about to happen. What Mark has to say is going to clobber the case against our practice.

Those shitty sex tapes that have been following every last drop of sex Elodie has had for the past couple months? The seedy decision to make those tapes and leak them is going to ruin Jefferson.

“Mark, you work for Al Jefferson, correct?” Trelawney asks. He lays out the playing field right here and now.

I sneak a peek at Elodie, and she’s confused. I hate for her to find out this way, but at least this will all be over soon.

“Yes, I do.” Mark clears his throat. He’s going to have to say some terrible stuff about himself today, but I hope he takes some solace in the fact that he’s clearly taking down someone much worse in taking down Jefferson.

“Then tell the court, why would you come to testify against him?”

I almost lift my hands up like I’m waiting on a touchdown or something, because this is the moment. I feel the tension of the trial evaporating off my shoulders. Now, my biggest concern is getting Elodie to see that she needs a harem. After getting to know her and falling in love with her these past few months, I’m not worried about that at all.

Mark leans forward and says, point blank, "Because Al Jefferson is selling drugs from his hospitals illegally."

There are shocked sounds coming from all over the courtroom and Al Jefferson looks a little ill right now.

That’s right, the tables have fucking turned. "How do you know?" Trelawney says, digging for exactly what we need. The evidence "Because I want Elodie's job and I was trying to prove that I could do it better. I found discrepancies. Here's the files to prove it." Mark presents several files, which get brought to the judge and both lawyers look over it.

“I also have proof that along with the ketamine the toxicology reports show already present in Al Jefferson’s system before the alleged car accident, that…” Marks eyebrows raise and he looks like he can barely get these words out. “That there was no car accident. Jefferson was shot while he was high and making bad decisions during a drug deal.”

The courtroom just about loses its shit until the gavel comes down several times.

Mark pulls a tablet from his briefcase and shows a video of the entire incident, just as described – drug deal ends in shooting because of an obviously high Al Jefferson.”

“Mark, you obtained this video because you had filmed my clients, correct?”

Wait. This part I didn’t realize until just now.

Holy shit, Jefferson was going to destroy us no matter what. Well, try to.

Mark nods. “I planned to use my access to the exclusive night club Coeur de la nuit to obtain video of David Sumter, Julian Degraves, and Stefan Maxwell that could be used as leverage, and Al Jefferson told me that if I did so, then he would give me Elodie’s job instead of her. He told me afterward when Elodie turned out to be on the tapes, that I would have to get videos of her as well. He used the equipment I obtained and had Elodie followed, and threatened to kill my grandmother – my only living relative – if I told anyone anything.”

Gasps all around shake the room. This is far crazier than I could have imagined. Al Jefferson is a sick fuck.

Mark continues. “My grandmother was very ill, and Stefan Maxwell was able to help me uncover that Al Jefferson was poisoning her with incorrect doses of her prescribed medicines. He helped me to move my grandmother to a different facility, and I came here to share all this information with the court. Al Jefferson is a sick man, and while I was no saint in this matter, I never wanted to hurt Elodie. I let my own ambition pull me to the deranged levels of Jefferson.” Mark sighs and looks down.

I look at Elodie, who’s in shock right now. Her face is flushed, and her eyes are wide. Her pursed lips form a thin line. I want to wrap my arms around her and let her know that all of this is going to be okay. The judge dismisses the case and tells Al he will be contacting the state prosecutor right away… and there’s actual cheering in the audience from some people. Everyone likes to see justice, and I’m just glad that the videos are done for, this trial is over, and the truth is out there.

Now, David, Julian, and I all rush to Elodie – but I see her barreling toward Jefferson, her hand shaking next to her.