When You're Broken On The Ground

Chapter 17

Trigger Warnings: talk of past murder, court case talk, graphic medical detail of a murder.

My FBI agent is very concerned from all my research on murder, dead bodies, court cases, and what's the difference from first degree homicide (murder) and second degree homicide. Turns out, it just separates the different types/ways/causes of murder. 

Word Count: 1083

Kissing his boyfriend goodbye, Logan heads to his office. The media swarm has died down by now, but there are still a few reporters there. He ignores them as he passes, nodding his head in greeting at the receptionist and security guard.

"Oh Mr. Braine? I'm female today," the receptionist calls out. She's been working here for a while, genderfluid, a hard worker.

"Thank you Ms Winchester," he says before continuing to his office.

Once he closes the door, Logan is able to relax, taking out and opening up his laptop and getting to work. 

And then the intercom in his office buzzes. That never happens. "Yes Ms Winchester?"

"Sorry Mr. Braine, but you're open right now and Mr. Duke and Mr. Líar want to talk to you. Should I send them up?"

Frowning, Logan says, "Send them up," before shutting off the com. As soon as the door opens he stands up and pulls them in, almost slamming the door shut behind the couple. "What happened?" He's cold, preparing for the worst. 

"They're re-opening our old court case," Dee states.

"The one that accused both of you of first degree homicide?"

"That's the one," Remus confirms.

Logan sits heavily on his chair. "You want to appointment me to the case, to defend you."

The couple share a glance before answering. "We do."

Sighing, Logan starts typing at lightning speed on his computer. Not turning away from his screen, he comments, "You do realize your case is very hard, as neither one of you have a solid alibi to begin with and the ones you have can only be confirmed by each other. I can not promise you will win it."

"We're aware," Dee replies stiffly.

"C'mon Logan, we-" Remus is cut off as Logan turns his screen to face the couple.

"According to the records, Devin was charged with first degree homicide. Remus, you were charged with assisting in a first degree homicide. There are other secondary charges but as the actual events of the murder are unknown they do not matter." Logan highlights certain areas of the records as he goes, pointing out where the things he's talking about are in the documents. "As the autopsy files here say, the victim was Jacin Smith, someone who was charged in the Sanders Case, our case. He was strangled around the neck with shoe strings, which killed him. After that, his midsection was stabbed with a what they assume to be a knife, about an inch thick in width and five inches length-wise, quickly followed by cutting his carotid arteries, with what they assume to be the same knife. Sometime in the same hour of the straggling, stabbing, and cutting of the arteries, the killer or killers deflated the lungs of the corpse before leaving the body in the river. Police retrieved the body approximately twenty hours after it was left in the river. It was already starting to decompose as bodies do. Approximated time of death: 9 o'clock at night. Body was clean of evidence; no fingerprints due to the water, no hairs, the undersides of the nails where clean.

"There was no evidence to go on so they immediately went to criminal record. They called all victims in the Sanders Case in for questioning, collecting alibis. Then they called everyone in again for alibis and, after picking out you two as potential leads, recorded your third questioning. Your alibis are that you left the Sanders household after lunch, at about 1 o'clock in the afternoon, to go into the forest out at the edge of town and spend time together. You claim to have left the forest at roughly 10 o'clock at night and arrived back at the Sanders household at about 10:15 at night. The only ones who can confirm your alibis between 1 and 10:15 are each other. Now, your alibis' location in the forest is opposite of the river and presumed site of the murder of Mr. Smith." Logan get to the end of the document and flips his screen back to him. "Now, there are several opportunities we have to begin to strengthen your defense, however it will be a hard and long-drawn affair, no matter the outcome. Do you still wish me to be your lawyer in this?"

Without hesitation, Dee and Remus agree in sync.

"Good." Logan pulls up a document on his screen and turns it to show the couple. "This is the base of a contract all of us will have to sign to confirm our agreement. I will edit it to fit the case and to state that I work for the both of you. It will be ready for you to read and sign by the day after tomorrow, therefore your appointment for the signing is at," he checks his schedule quickly, "3 o'clock. Please do not be late and be sure to bring a witness if you want, otherwise I shall have to call up the receptionist to serve as witness." He pauses, his features softening from a harsh stoic mask they hadn't noticed he had put on to his personal life face. "Who have you told about this?"

"None," Remus answers.

"We don't want to worry the others, especially Thomas," Dee elaborates.

Logan purses his lips. "With the current press plus the news of an old cold-case being re-opened, it would be wise to tell everyone before they learn of it from a news article or headline. Especially your twins and Thomas."

"You're right," Dee begrudges.

"Of course I am," Logan absently confirms, clicking around on his laptop before closing it. "Family meeting tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, that'll work," Remus agrees, adding it to his phone. 

"Oh, I almost forgot," Logan says. "When is the Arraignment?"

"A week from now minus yesterday, so six days from today."

"The day after Thomas gets back."

"Because that's our luck currently," Dee comments sarcastically.

"I'll see you both tomorrow." With that they shake hands, smile their goodbyes, and leave.

Quietly, to himself, Logan mutters, "How do we tell Patton and Roman about this?"

He gets no answer from his empty office, not that he expected one.