Chapter twenty nine


Trust is an interesting emotion.

This was just one of her thoughts at that moment. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever really known Penny at all. To say the trial was illuminating, would be a small understatement, she felt. Thinking about this had led her onto her train of thought about trust. She thought it was so powerful the way she’d rightful trusted Diego to get her off the hook and she hated how some people could have so little of it.


“Court is now in session.” The gavel pounded and the judge spoke slowly. He probably did want this trial over-and-done with. Little did he know how long it would really take? “Was the recess helpful to the defense?” he asked.

The truthful answer would have been “No, I just needed to reassure Mia that it’d all be okay in the end.” Obviously, Diego said no such thing, he nodded and said: “Yes, your honor, very.”
“Good, so what’s the verdict?”

He coughed self-consciously, “Instead to cross-examining the defendant I’d like to present the reason I truly believe that Penny Robert’s was killed.”

There was silence in the court-room. Mia could see Penny’s parents exchange startled looks before turning and listening once again, there back ridged in anticipation.

Finally the Judge spoke, “Mr. Armando, you mean to tell us you know why Ms. Robert’s was killed the whole time but let us carry on like idiots!?”

“N-no, your honor, It just wouldn’t have made any sense if I’d presented it straight away. I needed to explain other things first.”

“Right then, explain ahead, Mr. Armando.”

“Well, firstly I’d like to call another witness to the stand, Lana Skye again please?”

“Armando,” Payne began to sneer, “A moment ago you promised us all some amazing evidence explaining why Ms. Robert’s was killed and now you call a new witness? Someone’s all mouth and no trousers, methinks.”

“Shut up, Payne.” Was all Diego mustered as a come-back, “And let me do my job.” He added as an after-thought.

“Very well, go ahead…I call Ms. Lana Skye to the witness stand.” Payne muttered wearily.

Lana walked confidently up to the stand and waited expectantly.

“Lana- I mean, Ms. Skye, I’d like you to testify about the state of the crime scene, please.”

“Well, if you’re sure.”

- Cross-examination –

“As you all know, the crime scene was a complete mess when the police found it.

Papers, books and all sorts of other things scattered all over the place.

This led us to believe that some one was looking for something.

What exactly they were looking for is a mystery to us since the money was left in its hiding place.”


“Thank you Ms. Skye, now Mr. Armando, the cross examination, if you will?”

“Very well- So I’m assuming the police believes that Mia fey was the one who
searched her office then?”

“Well, yes-“

“Objection!” yelled Payne, “This is a pointless line of questioning since I believe we already established that Ms. Fey is the suspect, did we not?”

“Yes but in the case study I remember reading about some unknown fingerprints found all over the place that were shown not to be victims or the defendant’s!” Diego yelled back at Payne.

“That’s right,” piped up Lana, cutting across them both, “Thanks to the new science of DNA testing we can now do we’re running them through the system. Unfortunately no matches have been found yet.”

“Hmm, that’s a Payne…well; do you think it could be a new suspect?” Diego asked, unsurely.

Something about him seemed different ever since the recess. Other than his occasional jibes at Payne, his confidence appeared to have deserted him a little. As if now he was doing little more than stabbing in the dark. Perhaps he’d been counting on a match for the DNA sample?

“Well, I’d say it’s quite possible a new suspect could appear but if no match is found…”

“Yes, but that’s the problem, is it not? There is no match and so we have no new suspect.”

Payne’s tone sounded frustrated now, Mia felt herself panic a little, what if no match was found!? She stared over a Diego and felt his eyes lock onto hers for a moment. Suddenly he had his confidence back.

“Well, that’d be all well and good…but what if I said I might know where to look. What if I
thought I had some idea of where our new “suspect” maybe hiding out?”

“I’d say you were mad!” exclaimed the Judge, his face full of surprise.

“I’d say you were lying!” Payne said, his bitterness, shown clearly by his tone.

“And I’d say TAKE THAT! I found these papers at the crime scene that shown undisputedly that Ms. Robert’s was in very large amounts of debt she had no way of paying back. Say Payne, ever heard of a loan shark?”

“Wh-what, no! There’s really no way-“

“Really, you’d say so would you?”

“Mr. Armando, “ Lana started, “Do you have the name of the bank she was indebted to?”

“Indeed I do. A company called Bluecorp, it’s says on here.”

“Right, well I can tell the lab and have them search through the names…but be warned, catching someone from Bluecorp won’t be easy, Armando.” Lana’s face was completely serious but Mia could see how determined Diego looked now.

“Just do it, please.” He said staring down at the defenses bench.

“Okay, but the results will be at least ten minutes. Is there anything else you need me to testify about…?”

“No Lana, that’ll be all, thanks though.” Diego said, he smiled at her and Mia felt a tiny immature pin-prick of jealousy. She knew there was nothing behind it, but still, Diego looking at any other girl made her feel jealous for some reason.

After around ten minutes of standing around not doing much the results finally came back. Mia would have been fine with this, was it not for the judgmental looks she kept receiving from people, namely Penny’s dad. The glaring seemed so unfair to her when she’d done nothing wrong- well, besides the whole Diego thing…

“The results are back…”

The courtroom turned silent suddenly.

Wow, people really get into these trials, don’t they? she thought after seeing their reaction. She absentmindedly crossed her finger that there would be a match.

“The test reveals that…”

Chapter thirty


Lana paused to glance down at the paper in her hand, “There is in fact a match at BlueCorp.”

“Whoa, seriously?” Diego blurted out, obviously very surprised his theory had worked out, “Well, in that case, we need to get this person in as a witness!”

“Easy there tiger, can you prove they’re definitely connected to this case?”

“Of course I can, I already did for god’s sake; the fingerprints, they’re all over the bloody place!”

“There’s no room for swearing in my courtroom, Mr. Armando! Keep a civil tongue in your cheek or expect a verbal warning!” The judge boomed out.

“Come on, Lana, tell us who it is already!”

“Hmm, okay then, the persons name is Tag Frizled.” she said, checking the paper twice as if concerned she’d miss-read.

“What an…interesting name. Can you call him to witness stand, please?”

“Yes but he’ll have to be called first,” Diego gave her a quizzing look, “What, do you think we have everyone in the city standing by just incase they’re involved somehow?”

“Ahah. I never really thought of it like that…” he trailed off, “So how long will it take?”

“They’ve been called now and should be here in about ten minutes.”

“Right…” he now slumped up against his stand, leaning his head in his hands.

This is going drag… Mia thought rightly. They were stuck waiting for at least fifteen minutes before a tallish man with black hair shuffled into the court-room and stood at the witness stand.

“Name and occupation please?” the Judge asked. He sounded somewhat weary from all the waiting.

“Tag Frizled…I work for a company called…err, Bluecorp…” he looked down as if trying to shield his face with a long blanket of hair he didn’t have.

The Judge grumbled under his breath, “Hmm, yes I’ve heard of this “Bluecorp” , I’m telling you no good with come of this trial…”

“Your honor, if we could attend to the matter at hand please?”

“Yes, yes, of course…”

“Mr.….Frizled, I regret to tell you your fingerprints were found all over Ms. Robert’s house,” Diego said in a voice that clearly showed he didn’t regret that at all, “Can you tell us why?”

He shuffled uncomfortable, still trying to avoid contact with anyone, “I…I don’t know, I don’t even know who this “Ms. Robert’s is, okay? Let alone where her house is and why my fingerprints are there! Err, I mean…no comment!”

“Mr.….Frizled, lying to the court is a serious offense! Especially since we have concrete evidence you were there on the day of the crime!”

“Okay, you got me…what do you want to know then?”

“Why are you fingerprints there?”

“Right, whatever…”

- Cross examination –

“So…honestly, I was at Ms .Robert’s house that day…

But only to catch up with her.

We hadn’t seen each other in ages.

So I went round to see her, that’s it.”


Diego coughed breaking the silence that had fallen on the courtroom. He seemed to be fighting back laughter. Gulping, with a strong smirk on his face he began- “Uh, Mr.…Frizled, do I even need to point out what’s wrong with that testimony?”

“Hmm, let’s see shall we?” Payne whined while leering over at Diego.

“Okay, well for a start, didn’t you say before that you don’t even know who Penny is? Also, if you were there for a friendly chat, people tend to have them in their living rooms, not in the study…also they don’t usually involve the guest looking through everything in the room either…though maybe that’s just me?”

Tag now shuffled uncomfortably, “I lied before, I do know Penny! We’ve err…been friends for ages.”

“What address does she live at?”

“It escapes me…because she’s only lived there for about a month!”

“Ha, well I happen to know she’s been living there much longer than a month as she was a trusted friend of mine!” Diego said, still smirking.

Payne now laughed manically, “Yeeees, that’s right isn’t it? You and Ms. Robert’s were very good friends, weren’t you? In fact, in less my facts are wrong I believe you and her were a little more than friends for a while, were you not? Well, that was you were before you left her for none over than you own client, Mia Fey!”

Mia could now see tiny beads of sweat on Diego’s brow; clearly he hadn’t known Payne knew about all that.

“How that relevant to this case?” he asked.

“Well, some would say it’s not…though it seems rather hypocritical to talk down to the witness for looking through Ms. Robert’s things when you yourself, had an affair behind her back with one of her good friends.”

Noticing the dirty looks most people were now shooting him, Diego regained composure anyway, “I don’t come here today to be judged for what I’ve done. That was personal between me, Ms. Fey and Ms. Robert’s and really does have no bearing on the case. Now if you’re done Payne, I’d like to continue my cross-examination. Mr. Frizler, do you have a decent reason for why your finger prints are everywhere?”

“N-no, I really don’t! Well, I don’t know I mean…no!”

“Wow, when you put it so firmly; it’s hard not to believe you Mr. Frizler!” Diego said dryly with his eyebrows raised, “I think we’ve pretty much confirmed that you weren’t there for coffee and cakes right?”

The judge nodded, “That testimony did have a lot of holes in it-“

“Objection!” Payne yelled out, “I won’t allow the witness to be persecuted for the unusual way he treats his friends!”

“Payne, you’d actually have to be a complete idiot to trust that! I expect a truthful testimony about what you were doing there!”

“Objection, I don’t appreciate you telling my client to be truthful, err I mean, accusing my client of being a liar!”

“No, no it’s fine Mr. Payne, Mr. Armando is right, I haven’t been entirely truthful about this…I’ll testify again.”

“Very well-“

- Cross-examination –

“I know Ms. Robert’s form somewhere.

I came to get something she took from me a while ago.

Obviously I didn’t kill her though!

Looking around someone’s property isn’t a crime, after all.”


“Uh, actually Mr. Frizler, it is…in less you have a search warrant…you didn’t have one did you?” Diego said scratching his head absentmindedly.

“Well, no…you don’t understand-“

“And another thing, “something she took from me a while ago”, what’s all that about? A bit vague, don’t you think? That could mean anything!”

“I…I don’t know, I just…I don’t know! Listen, I know you all think I killed her but, I swear-”

Mia felt a stab of guilt for some reason. She couldn’t help but feel really sorry for the guy. Standing there, he seemed like nothing more than a quivering wreck who had been accused, no different from her…well, in less he was actually guilty, that was. There was something almost familiar about him and his voice.

“Mr. Frizler, I won’t lie to you-“ Diego began.

“Yes he will, don’t listen to him Mr. Frizler!” Payne yelled across from his bench.

“-but all this lying you’re doing isn’t making you seem very…innocent.” Diego finished.

“You don’t understand! I-I had to go there, if I hadn’t…I’d have lost my job…”

“Right, go on, tell us about your job then…” said Diego, wearily.

- Cross-examination –

“I didn’t want to tell any one this because…

This will make me look really guilty.

I…I was there to get money off her.

She owed my company big time.”


“Hmm, as I suspected. This doesn’t surprise me if you work for White…what were you looking for?”

“Money, she owed us…wow, it must have been thousands.”

“How long have you worked at Bluecorp for?”

“Only about a month, I’m really surprised he sent me there. He was so busy himself he had to though. I know it’s illegal but I swear I didn’t actually take anything…”

“Ha, so while it seems you’ve found out about this mans illegal activity, you haven’t got anything else on him have you!?” Payne sniggered, “Looks like your precious Ms….Fey is guilty after all.”

“Wh-what, Payne, are you crazy? I’ve just got him to basically admit he’s loan shark and none of you are slightly suspicious he might have killed her!? I’m not letting this one drop! He acts innocent and scared but I know he killed Penny Robert’s!”

“Mr. Armando does put across a good point. If he’s prepared to be loan shark, who knows what he’s capable of!?” the Judge rasped.

“Thank you, your honor. Mr. Frizler, could you please testify about looking for the money?”
“Y-yeah, okay-“

- Cross examination –

“You all know what a mess Penny’s office was in.

I looked everywhere, hoping to find the money and get out…

…but I couldn’t!

That’s why my fingerprints are everywhere!”


“Mr. Frizler, I hope you’re aware you will be punished for this! Breaking and entering is illegal…not to mention your career choice!”

Tag looked down sadly, “I-I know, I’m so sorry your honor…”

“So do you conclude that you looked for the money and left when you didn’t find it?” The judge asked.

“Yes, that’s all.”

“Then there’s no need for you to testify again, then.”

“Objection!” Diego shouted, “No, you can’t let him go! He’s guilty, I know it!”

“No, Mr. Armando, I swear, I didn’t murder Penny!” Tag shouted back - not in an angry way but more as an attempt to get his point across.

This was getting almost painful to watch for Mia, Diego seemed so sure he had and yet she almost believed the man herself, the desperation in his eyes and his vibe of him being a man who lived an almost half life. No one was that talented an actor. But where had she seen him before? Then it clicked.

“Mr. Frizler, you’re free to go. I apologize Mr. Armando but he really does seem to be innocent.” The Judge said.

“”Seeming” innocent isn’t enough though! Please, just give me some more time!”

It was too late, Mr. Frizler was leaving the stand, his head hung low, he certainly was a good actor.

…

“OBJECTION!”

…

“Mr. Armando?”

“N-no, that wasn’t me.”

“Then who was it!?” he asked nervously glancing around the courtroom.

“It was me.” Mia shouted with force, “I object to you letting this man leave…when he’s clearly guilty!”

“M-Ms. Fey, that’s quite the accusation!”

“Yes, yes it is, but you wouldn’t listen to Diego so I’m stepping in!”

“Mia, I really don’t think-“ Diego said, sweat poring down his face.

“I don’t care what any of you think because none of you know the truth, you all think I killed Penny but I didn’t…and I think I with my help, Diego can prove it!”

“Steady now, with you help? I’m a perfectly capable defense attorney on my own thanks!” he said indignantly.

Mia sighed, “I know that Diego but the thing is…you weren’t there that day. It didn’t happen to you.”

“Right, then let’s finish this, together.” He said nodding at her.

“How very touching,” Payne sneered, “Can we get on and hear your ridiculous account of events, please?”

- Cross examination -

“I just remembered something about when I woke up.

After finding Penny’s body I fainted from shock.

When I woke up there was someone else there.

A man, he said he was going to frame me for Penny’s murder.

He didn’t really explain anything but…I know it’s him!”


She pointed over at Tag who was in mid step after Mia’s “Objection”.

“All due respect Ms. Fey but do you actually expect us to forget about all the incriminating evidence and believe you merely on your testimony? You’re a lawyer after all; you must know that’s not going to happen.” The Judge said, kindly.

“I know, I wouldn’t expect you do just on that but please give me a chance,” she pleaded, “I think I know how I can prove it was him…or at least prove it wasn’t me!”

“Go on-“
“We all agreed the television was the true murder weapon, didn’t we?”

“Ah, yes, I believe we did.”

“Test it for fingerprints! I know for a fact it won’t have any of mine of it…just check it, okay?”
Diego gestured at Lana, “Lana, is it possible to have a quick fingerprint check…though I can’t believe anyone would be negligent enough to check for fingerprints everywhere on the crime scene.”

“Well, that’s the thing, we weren’t…we already did a test ages ago and…there were fingerprints on it…and they weren’t Mia’s…err I mean Ms. Fey’s”

“N-no, that’s preposterous!” squeaked Payne, as if unable to believe what he was hearing. “Who’s were they then!?”

“Tag…Frizled’s.”

“Wh-what!?” Payne was now excessively sweating (even more than he had been before), “No, surely not? That doesn’t prove anything!”

“That’s were you’re wrong Payne. It proves everything! Even you should be able to see how important it is that the defendant’s prints are on the murder weapon! Don’t worry though, something’s you’ve said today have been correct!”

“T-they have?” he stuttered uncertainly.

“Yes, don’t you think it now seems rather likely that Mr. frizzled may have killed Penny Robert’s, moved the weapon, hoping no one would realize, and then made it look like she’d committed suicide…before framing Mia!”

“I think that’s a little far-fetched, don’t you, Armando?” he spat back.

“Really? That’s’ odd, wasn’t that your theory for what Mia did it but with some names mixed around a bit?”

“Well, yes…but that’s not the point. You don’t have any concrete proof do you, Armando? All mouth…and no trousers sums you up.”

“Objection, I propose that we get Mr. Frizler to come up here and deny it!”

“Of course it’s not true!” Tag shouted desperately, “So my fingerprints are on the murder weapon, so what!?”

This caused Diego and Mia to both raise their eye-brows at him, “That you even have to ask that is absurd!” Mia yelled back, “I know what you did Mr. Tag Frizler…or should I call you…Mr. Fitzgerald?”

“Wh-what?”

“That’s your real name isn’t it? I knew I recognized you from somewhere and now I know it wasn’t just from the when you told me about how you wanted to frame me but also from the other day at my office! What were you doing, casing the joint? Sizing Penny up so you could decide in which way was best to kill her!? This is a real person here and I know you killed her since I most certainly didn’t!”

He was now silent and quivering on the witness stand, “S-stop it, please!”

“Stop acting, dammit! It’s so obvious it was you!”

“Please-“

“No, I won’t stop it. Not until you admit what you did, not until you look her parents in the face and tell them what you did to their daughter!”

“I-I didn’t-“

“You did!”

“Mia, shouting won’t help anyone!” Diego chipped in.

“NO!” she shouted almost in tears, “I won’t go to jail for something I didn’t do! I won’t let him get away with this!”

“Please, stop…I’m begging you! You don’t understand what happened-“

“Well please enlighten us then…”

…

“I-I broke into her apartment…y’know, to get the money from her…I was really scared, I’d never done a job like this before but my superior said all I had to do was break in, get the money and leave…”

“Well what went wrong?” Diego said, desperate to hear more.

“Sh-she found me…I was half way through searching. I was so scared she’d come in and find me…I’ve never been cut out for the job really, too much of a coward…so when she found me I really didn’t know what to do! She dived for me, pushing me backwards into the wall…I saw her grab the phone so I pushed her back…I swear I never meant for anything too bad to happen, just to knock her out for a bit so I could escape, but then...she fell backwards into the cabinet and the TV resting on top crashed down on her… she screamed, so loudly.”

He was now nearly in tears as if seeing it all happen before his own eyes…as if a miniature television screen was showing him the whole scenario again, and again in his head, “When I tried to bring her round nothing happened…I knew she was dead and I panicked, really panicked. Especially when I heard the door being kicked down, so I took the knife from my pocket and moved the real murder weapon away into the corner where I didn’t think anyone would notice it. I slit her wrists…and ran for it…but then I heard a thump...the sound of Ms. Fey fainting…I think so I came back. I tried to frame her…”

The whole room was silent now, even Mia was speechless and let strangely grateful to him. He’d admitted it…finally…she was free to go but she didn’t feel the slightest bit happy. She’d shed her own tears over all this and she knew all trials were the same- There were no winners and losers in here, she hadn’t won because she got to go home free. She’d lost very someone important to her…she hated Tag for lying all this time and killing Penny but getting him a guilty verdict made her feel no better about her own bad decisions in the past. It was over…and maybe her dream of being a lawyer was too?

“Mr. Frizled…do you confess to the crime of killing Ms. Penny Robert’s?”

“I do.” He replied, “But please, Ms. Fey I just need to say one more thing before they take me away…I’m sorry for what I did and I’m not a bad person…It was all an accident that panicked me, all that stuff about me framing you…I…I didn’t know what to do…the way I acted that day was terrible and my smug demeanor was just and act.” He now turned to Penny’s parents, “And I’m sorry I killed your daughter…just know it was an accident though, please? I’m…so sorry…” tears were now streaming down his face, “I’ve said everything I need to…you can take me away now.”

“Ms. Mia Fey, I pronounce you…

NOT GUILTY”

And that was that, the end of the trial. Mia could only chose to believe that he was truly sorry because that’s what she wanted to believe. All she could think of was trust…Diego, for the most part had gotten her the right verdict and she was grateful for that. She just couldn’t help but regret making herself someone Penny didn’t trust, would she still be alive if she’d trusted someone enough to ask for help?




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