INNOCENT (Gabe's Trials)

Flirting with disaster

"All arise!" Brandon's voice boomed and the chairs screeched on the tiled floor when everybody stood, waiting for me to make an appearence. I just opened the door and made my way to my huge desk, trying not to look at anybody in particular, and most of all trying not to see him. "The court is now in session. The honorable Judge Groves is presiding." Brandon said while I sat down and then gave me a little smile and a wink the moment he caught my eye. I smiled back at the old bailiff before returning to my papers -and when I say old, I actually mean mid-forties.

"Are there any preliminary issues I should be aware of?" I asked, still not lifting my eyes from my papers. The more I could prevent making eye contact with him, the better.

When nobody made their way to me, I finally looked up, seeing both Cacy and Lila shaking their heads in unison. Good! No preliminary issues meant less stress for me.

"In this case, I think we can procced to the hearing of the witnesses. Miss Lindon?" Cacy nodded and stood up from her chair, taking her notes with her.

"The prosecution calls Officer Gavin Cliff, from L.A.P.D." Oh, she was bringing in the big guns from the begining. I nodded in agreement and glanced at Lila. She seemed to be deep in thought, whereas her client was fuming. Mr Shaffer's eyes were burning with anger and his mouth was set in a grim line, but all I could see was his perfect, naked body. I teared my eyes away from him and glaced at Officer Cliff. He was a midle-aged man, with nothing special about him, except for his belly that looked like it could blow up at any moment. I guess that's what years of eating doughnuts and drinking coffee in the back of a police car does to you.

After the officer performed the drill, swearing to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, Brandon stepped back and Cacy took a couple of steps forward.

"Mr Cliff, for how long have you worked as an officer?" Cacy asked.

"For fifteen years, ma'am." He answered proudly.

"So you've dealt with this sort of cases before..." Lila stood up from her chair.

"Objection, your honour! How is this relevant?" Looking from Lila to Cacy, I nodded my head.

"Approved." Cacy's eyes widened slightly, her confident attitude never faltering.

"Are you one of the officers who found Mr Shaffer at the crime scene and escorted him to the station?" She asked, smoothly continuing her interogation of the witness.

"I was." Officer Cliff nodded his head.

"Where was he when you found him?"

"He was leaning over the body of the victim." Oh, God! Things really looked bad for Lila and her client. God dammit! They were flirting with disaster and this was only the begining.

"How did he react when you wanted to take him to the station?"

"He resisted us and tried to run." I took another look at Lila, but she seemed perfectly calm.

"What was Mr Shaffer wearing that night?"

"A black suit and a navy shirt." Cacy nodded and smiled, heading for her desk.

"This is the jacket he was wearing that night, isn't it?"

"Objection, your honour! Ms Lindon posed a leading question to the witness." I just nodded and glanced at Cacy.

"Ok... Were traces of the victim's blood found on Mr Shaffer's jacket that night?"

"Yes."

"The prosecution has no more questions."