A Thing of Beauty - A Hozier Fanfiction

Prologue

Central Criminal Court of England and Wales

London, England

23 February, 2018

Cassie stared at the oak-paneled wall opposite her, counting each line that ran with the grain. A barrister passed in front of her, his black robes billowing behind him. He interrupted her count and she had to start all over again. Not that it mattered; it was a good distraction from what she was about to embark on. A solicitor sat next to her, reading notes from a manila folder, occasionally shuffling the papers. It was the only sound as the barrister's footsteps echoed down the empty hallway and eventually disappeared.

The wooden bench was hard against her legs and it creaked slightly when the solicitor shifted his weight. She reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, smoothing down the rest of it and checking the tight bun it had been styled into. She didn't feel like herself, but the Crown barristers told her that her appearance mattered. The purer she could look, the better. She adjusted the collar of her navy blue dress, tugging at it slightly at the base of her neck. The top button was rubbing against her skin and leaving a rash.

The door to the court room creaked open and a man in a police uniform stepped out. He gestured to the solicitor and Cassie's heart dropped from her throat down into her stomach.

"They're ready for you," he said, sliding his folder back into a briefcase and standing.

The bench creaked again as the solicitor heaved himself up and the noise shot through the otherwise-silent corridor, making her flinch. He offered her a hand and she stood on quivering legs, smoothing down her dress.

"You ready?" the solicitor asked.

No. No, I'm not fucking ready, Maurice. What type of fucking question is that?! Cassie thought to herself.

After a deep breath she nodded. She wobbled slightly on her high heels and Maurice steadied her elbow.

"Just answer the questions," he said softly as he picked up his briefcase. "When they play the audio, try to focus on a point on the floor. I don't think Defense has much to use against you, so it should be pretty painless."

Cassie nodded and put one foot in front of the other, staring down at the grey marble floor. The police officer held the door for them and Maurice led her into the court room.

"The Crown calls Cassandra Delphine Adler, Your Honor," the lead Crown barrister said, his voice booming through the two-story room.

Maurice gestured for her to walk ahead of him. Cassie passed a pool of reporters and blinked rapidly to force tears down. There were hushed murmurs from the public gallery looking down from the second level. She felt dozens of eyes boring into her skull as she took each step slowly. If the trial was in America, it would surely have been recorded by cameras. At least there was that small mercy now. The court usher met her in front of the press pool and led her across the court room to the witness stand.

She kept her eyes lowered to the floor and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from turning tail and legging it from the room. The pain reminded her of her purpose. The usher handed her a laminated card as she stepped carefully up onto a small wooden platform. An office chair was pushed to the corner to allow space for standing and a small barrier wall blocked her lower half from view. The floor creaked slightly as she turned toward the rest of the room.

"Ms. Adler, please read what is printed on the card," the usher said, facing her.

She swallowed. Her mouth felt like it was coated in cotton wool. She glanced at the judge, up on his dais behind a large wooden desk.