Chapter 14
Something Amiss
Gale Fears
“As you can see, your honor,” I said, pacing around the court. “It was not possible for my client to have been there that night. I have evidence here that states he could not have been at the scene of the crime.”
“Please present your evidence file to the judge,” the bailiff said. And I walked over to my desk and collected a neat stack of papers.
I handed the file over and said, “We also have a witness available who will testify to my client’s innocence.”
“Call the witness to the stand,” the judge said.
“I call Mr. Wrath to the stand,” I said, and a tall, young man walked over. A smug smile was spread on his face as he passed me and I suppressed a wave of revulsion. I’d never liked him, but he was imperative to my case. He was the one person the case rested on. Without him, we had no defense.
“You are Mr. Wrath of Elm Street?” I asked.
“Yes,” he confirmed.
“You were there at the Three Pig Pub on the night of fourteenth around 10pm?” I asked.
“I was,” he said. “I am a bartender there.”
“Then is it true that you saw my client, Mr. Hive, at that bar that night? And that he stayed there till 2am?” I asked.
The man gave a smug smile, and my instincts told me that something was wrong.
“No, sir,” he said, smirking.
“I am sorry?” I asked. “Are you saying you did not see Mr. Hive in the bar that night?”
“No, sir,” he said. “I have never seen that man in my life.”
The jury started to mutter, and I could hear my team whispering behind me in confusion,
“Mr. Wrath,” I said, trying to remain calm. “You previously testified that you saw this man in the pub that night.”
“I was wrong,” he said. “I made a mistake. I have no idea who that man is.”
I glared at the man on the witness stand, my body shuddering with anger.
“No more questions, your honor,” I said softly.
As I walked back to my desk, everyone knew that the case had been lost. An innocent man will suffer for a crime he didn’t commit because of one witness.
“I don’t understand,” Seth whispered. “What happened?”
I glowered at the witness as he walked down from the stand and said through clenched teeth, “Someone brought him off.”
∞∞∞
I marched through my office, filled with anger and fury. I had Seth working day and night on the case, but I knew there was little hope. Without an alibi, the evidence against us was too strong. I walked into my office and slammed my hand on the wall. Someone had bought the witness off, but who? No one, in this case, was wealthy enough to do it. No one had any motive to do it. Everyone wanted my client acquitted. The evidence against him was circumstantial. Then who was it? Who would tamper with my case? Who would do it? I didn’t understand.
“Hillary,” I shouted into the intercom. “I need all the files on the Albany case.”
I paced the room, feeling exhausted. I didn’t have time to think about this right now. I had the Albany case to deal with it. It was one of the most high-profile cases that I had, and it was imperative that I win this. I had high hopes that I would have this case in the bag, but Ihad to be through. I couldn’t afford any mess-ups in this case.
“Hillary!” I shouted again. “I asked you for the files!”
