The Pastor's Heart by Desiree Future Read Free Book Online Page B

eleven.”  Sinclair said. Not only did she have company driving up North but she had a sexy pastor as her date.  Her day was beginning to look even better despite her court appearance.             
    “I’ll text you my addr ess and see you on Saturday.  Good luck this afternoon. Bye now.” Kingston said before hanging up and getting back to work.
    It was just what Sinclair had needed, some bright flowers to brighten her not so bright day. It also helped that she had another date with the handsome Kingston.

 
    ******************
     
    Sinclair had never been called to the witness stand twice in one day.  But there she was an hour later back on the stand for another round of questions.
    The courtroom had become more crowded sinc e the morning hearing.  Now almost every seat on the old wooden benches was completely filled with people.  Ronald was seated next to his attorney paying close attention to the proceedings.
    The prosecutor began her questions without haste. “Ms. Madison I have taken into consideration everything you had said earlier today on the record. I would like to know what the average number of clients that you help is.”
    “I see between forty and fifty people each and every week.” 
    Sinclair had the upper hand when it came to answering questions in the courtroom properly because Desmond had coached her many times before. She knew the rules about answering lawyers’ questions.  Give them what they ask for and nothing more.  That is unless they ask for more.  She was so focused on answering the questions she didn’t even notice that Kingston had slipped into the crowded courtroom. 
    “M s. Madison, how it is that you average maybe ten clients per day and yet you say you rely on donations?  Isn’t it a fact that the services you offer are nothing more than public information?  And you expect the court to see you as an expert in this field? You don’t have any formal education or a degree in social services or any degree for that matter.  So why should we consider you an expert?” The prosecutor had begun her rant as she stood with her arms folded.
    This is what Sinclair despised the most, rude attorneys.   “First off, I never said I was an expert, you did.”
    “Answer the question Ms. Madison.” The prosecutor shouted at her.
    “Objection!” The def ense attorney jumped to her feet.  “She is badgering the witness and Ms. Madison was not called to be an expert witness, but rather to be a character witness.”
    “Sustained.  For the record M s. Madison is not to be considered an expert.”  The judge said as he turned to Sinclair.  “You may continue answering the other questions now.”
    She took a deep breath before she began.  “You are absolutely right Ms. Tartron; I don’t have any formal education.  And if you must know, I only have a high school diploma.”  Sinclair heard a gasp from someone in the courtroom.
    “ I opted not to take drugs to wash away the pain I felt from my daily struggles of being homeless.  I opted not to commit crimes just so I could have a warm bed and three square meals a day; instead I slept in a cardboard box in an alley. Refusing to sell my body for food, I ate out of the trash or simply went hungry.  Determined not to let my circumstances become my future, I read anything and everything I could get my hands on to help myself.  When you checked out my background, you should have dug deeper because you would have found that I was a foster child myself and I too aged out the system.  I might not have a degree, but my experience outweighs any degree that could ever be bought.” Sinclair had reached back so far in her life that she had to fight back her own tears.
    There was not a dry eye in the courtroom , including both Ronald and his attorney.  Realizing she was defeated, the prosecutor had no further questions.   Sinclair was excused from the courtroom and went straight to see the judge in his chambers because