all rise

[self_composed]

No plea bargain is struck. The jury is picked, and Lucinda asks a few random ones whether they have accepted bribes and sees who looks nervous: no one, as it turns out, so she strikes people who are too young to have children and one fellow who looks like he hates the entire world for her picks. Paul strikes a grandmotherly type and someone who admits when asked that they don't think much of rich people.

"All rise," comes the command as Judge Roberts walks in.

Comments

[self_composed]

Bella burns a square to actually convey the sensation of petting him. [You're doing fine.]

Paul does not look good. He has flecks of lint in his hair, what looks like it might be hastily-wiped-away bird crap on one of his shoulders, bags under his eyes, and a broken shoelace. He fumbles his notes as he takes a last quick look through them, and weaves not-quite-drunkenly when he approaches the witness stand.

He obviously doesn't have the brainpower left for detailed eloquence. "So," he says to Alice. "If all that happened, why didn't you tell anyone until now? Hm?"

[edgeofyourseat]

...He'll run this one by Bella first:

He did, actually, a long time ago. There was a child psychologist, when he was eleven, to whom his parents sent him to (in his father's words) figure out what the hell was wrong with their devil child. After several months of sessions, he gained the courage to mention what was happening at home. The shrink turned around and reported this to Dad, who was less than pleased. Although the only direct punishment for that incident was being confined to his room for a month, his father was touchy for a long time afterward.

[self_composed]

[I'mma curse that bastard too unless you have some objection,] Bella says. [I'd put it like this: "I did tell someone. When I was eleven, I went to a psychologist, and after a while I tried explaining to her what was going on, but it turned out she didn't care that much about patient confidentiality, and instead of helping me she just told my parents that I'd told her, and I got punished. I didn't try that again until now." All said subdued and not making eye contact and pausing between clauses.]

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice does not particularly care what Bella does to the shrink.

"I did," he says, mere seconds in total after Paul asked the question, and explains the circumstances according to Bella's template.

[self_composed]

Bella puts a curse on the shrink. But she holds it down to a week because she's not going to have any chance to monitor how severe it is.

"Oh," Paul says. "Uh, but why now?"

He really hasn't slept much recently.

[edgeofyourseat]

Yeah, okay. Does Bella have advice on how to present the narrative of... her?

[self_composed]

["I made a friend,"] Bella says, [and you can point at me - "who only just moved here, and I found out her dad is the chief of police. I didn't want to risk it at first but she talked me around. Her dad's a decent guy."]

[edgeofyourseat]

That one he repeats nearly verbatim. He doesn't sound like he's reading from a script, though; he sounds flawlessly authentic.

[self_composed]

Paul just stands there for a few seconds.

"Mr. Washington," says the judge.

"Oh. Uh. No further questions." Paul sits down.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice's eyebrows lift slightly, a can-you-believe-this-dude? expression briefly overlaid on his general air of resigned misery.

[self_composed]

[Very nice,] Bella approves.

Alice is dismissed. Lucinda calls up Theo. Swearing in and the like happens.

Lucinda stalks up to Theo like she's a tiger. "So," she says. "I understand you have been in the employ of the Hammonds for some time, is that right?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"...yes," says Theo, after turning the question over in his mind for a moment to see where the scary parts are.

[self_composed]

"And do you remember driving Laney to the hospital in November of last year?" Lucinda continues.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yes," just because no one would believe him if he said no.

[self_composed]

"And where did you drive him from?" Lucinda asks. "I remind you that you are under oath."

[edgeofyourseat]

Theo looks pained.

"From the house."

[self_composed]

"Have you ever heard or seen evidence that your employer was mistreating his son?" Lucinda continues, pacing a little.

[edgeofyourseat]

You can almost see the gears turning in his head as he desperately tries to come up with the most lenient interpretation.

"Nothing I was sure of," he says, eyes darting from side to side like a hunted creature.

[self_composed]

"But you suspected?" presses Lucinda.

[edgeofyourseat]

"I... didn't... really think he was doing anything like that," he says haltingly.

[self_composed]

"You didn't think he was doing anything like that," Lucinda repeats, spacing out each word. "Why did you think Laney needed transportation to the hospital in November?" she asks, all innocent curiosity.

[edgeofyourseat]

"I thought it was none of my business," Theo mumbles.

[self_composed]

"I have a police report," Lucinda says, pulling it out of her files and waving it around slightly. "It says Officer Kerensky found the incident suspicious and asked several people - including you - where Laney had gotten hurt. And that you said..." She peers at the report, like she's never read this part before. "'Dunno'."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Well, I didn't," says Theo, gaining mroe confidence as he repeats the old, well-worn justification. "I only knew where I was told to pick him up. He could've hurt himself anywhere."

[self_composed]

"So," Lucinda says, "your explanation for events is that Laney broke his own ribs... somewhere... and was transported home, by someone other than you, even though you are the family's driver and were working that day... and even though an ambulance would have taken him directly to the hospital... and that none of these things struck you as potentially worth informing the police, so even when Officer Kerenksy sought you out specifically you only told him... 'dunno'. Is that right?"