Stephen Penner - Presumption of Innocence

And she did.

"I was there when the body was lowered down. It took three of us: me and two patrol officers. And that was working with gravity. In addition, Emily's hands had been bound behind her back prior to death, and the rope was only removed post-mortem. I know it was removed post-mortem because the rope left impressions and blanching that would have dissipated if her heart had still been pumping blood at the time of removal. Based on those two things, I know that whoever was responsible for Emily's murder was strong enough, first, to overpower her and tie her hands behind her back, and second, to hoist her body from the ceiling."

"I fail to see how that implicates my client directly," Welles sneered. "There are plenty of people strong enough to do that."

"Then let me finish," Kat replied with a sharp, sweet smile. "I don't just cut open bodies. I am tasked with determining the cause of every death in the county. Often, the most valuable information comes not from an autopsy the next morning, but from the eyewitnesses the night before. As part of my investigation I reviewed every police report generated in this case. Every one. I know a young woman named Holly Sandholm witnessed the murder. And I know there's no way she was strong enough to overpower Emily or hoist her still struggling and very much alive body from the balcony by her ankles."

Kat paused and nodded toward the defense table. "But your client, Mr. Karpati, is strong enough … and that's exactly what Holly said happened."

Welles narrowed his eyes. "And do you always take the word of a teenage girl?"

Anderson shook her head and laughed lightly. "Oh, no. I have a teenage daughter myself."

The jury laughed too. Perfect , thought Brunelle.

"I know not to believe anything until I can confirm it," Kat continued. "I'm a pathologist, a scientist. And I'm telling you that what Holly told the detectives is wholly supported by the indisputable physical evidence. So when you asked me that there was absolutely nothing connecting your client to the murder, well, the answer is no, just the opposite. Your client had the strength and opportunity to commit it, and that's corroborated by the only witness."

Kat thought for a moment. "Well, the only surviving eyewitness."

Welles just stared at her for several moments.

"Wanna ask me another question?" Kat grinned.

Welles smiled too, but a cold, hateful smile. He turned and stepped back to his table. "No, thank you, doctor. No further questions."

Yamata jumped up to press her advantage, but Brunelle grabbed her arm. "No questions," he whispered.

"What?" she whispered back. "but-"

"The judge won't let us," Brunelle explained. "It's one thing if a defense attorney steps in it. It's another to let us elicit rank hearsay. And anyway, we don't need to. She killed him. Let it lay as is."

"Any redirect examination, Ms. Yamata?"

Yamata hesitated but only for a moment. "Er, no, Your Honor. Thank you."

"The witness is excused," the judge announced. "We'll take our morning break now. Please reconvene in fifteen minutes."

Once the jury filed out, Brunelle walked up to Kat as she stepped down from the witness stand. "I love you."

"Shut up," she laughed. "I'm still mad at you."

"I said I was sorry."

"You also said you wouldn't do it," Kat reminded him.

"What I said was," Brunelle raised a finger, "she wouldn't wear a wire."

Kat crossed her arms. "Really? You're sticking with that?"

Brunelle grinned. "Words matter."

"And talk is cheap."

"Okay, let me make it up to you."

Kat shook her head. "Good luck with that."

"Dinner. This Friday. My treat."

Kat hesitated

"Come on," Brunelle encouraged. "What's the worst that can happen?

"The worst that can happen is I give you a second chance."

"Parker's Grill?" Brunelle pressed on.

Kat raised an eyebrow. "That pretentious, overpriced place? You can't afford that on your government salary. I should know. Make it Jordan's."

"That's not much cheaper," Brunelle observed.

"Hey, Sherlock," Kat tapped him on the forehead. "I just said yes."

"You did?" Brunelle beamed. "Hey, how about that?"

"Yeah, Lizzy's still grounded for pulling that stunt for you," Kat explained. "So, she can stay home and watch TV while her mom gets a free dinner."

"Hardly seems fair if it's bought by the same guy who put her up to what got her grounded."

"Are you arguing against the date you had to talk me into?"

Brunelle shook his head forcefully. "No, ma'am."

Kat put her hands on her shapely hips. "Ma'am?"

"I think I better shut up now.," Brunelle said.

"I think you're right," Kat laughed. "See you Friday, David."

Kat strutted past Brunelle and out of the courtroom. He watched her the whole way, then turned back to his surroundings, a boyish grin still on his face. But the grin drained away when he noticed two things.

Karpati still at the defense table, displaying a grin of his own.

And the word scrawled in large block letters on his legal pad:

"LIZZY"

The break was over soon enough and Yamata came back into the courtroom wearing a frown. Brunelle knew she had stepped out, but hadn't known where she'd gone to. The bathroom, he figured.

"Bad news," she announced in a low voice as she reached him. "Chen's had no luck scaring up any No Bloods. And he says he's done looking for today."

Brunelle knitted his eyebrows together. "Why?

"Triple homicide on Capital Hill. Messy. The whole major crimes unit is there. Suspect got away, so if Chen's not at the scene, he'll be on the manhunt."

"Damn." Brunelle frowned and tapped his lips. He looked at the clock. It wasn't even eleven o'clock yet. "We're out of witnesses for today."

Yamata nodded. "We're out of witnesses for the trial," she said. "Unless you want to start calling random patrol officers to stall."

Brunelle shook his head. "No. 'What did you do?' 'I put up crime scene tape.' 'What did you do?' 'I kept the log everyone signed in on.' No, we want to finish strong."

Yamata nodded. "Dr. Anderson was strong."

Brunelle nodded, but was still frowning. "Not strong enough."

"All rise!" Judge Quinn retook the bench.

"Are we ready to proceed?" she asked.

Brunelle grimaced. He forced a smile and gestured amicably up to the judge. "Well, actually, your Honor, no. The State is having a small witness problem."

Judge Quinn looked at the clock. "Do you want to adjourn until after lunch?"

"I'd like to adjourn until tomorrow," Brunelle countered, then readied himself for the reaction.

The judge just raised an incredulous eyebrow. But Welles went into full drama mode. He smelled blood.

"Tomorrow?" he gasped. "I object. No, I do more than object. I protest. This is absolutely outrageous. The State has utterly failed to produce any evidence that my client was involved in this murder, let alone that it was done to advance his standing in a secret society of vampires. And now that they have reached the end of their case, they ask for one more day? The court should deny the request and force the State to rest its case."

The judge raised the other eyebrow at Brunelle.

"It's just one more day, Your Honor," he assured the judge.

Judge Quinn rolled her head back to Welles. "What's one more day, counselor?"

"What's one more day?" Welles repeated, aghast. "It's one more day my client is held illegally. It's one more day my client is denied his freedom. It's one more day the government uses its power to trample upon the liberties of a God-fearing, law-abiding citizen."

When Judge Quinn seemed ready to question him on that particular description of Arpad Karpati, Welles pressed on. "We all know that as soon as the State rests, I will make a motion to dismiss the case for failing to present any evidence that connects my client to the murder. And we all know that when I make that motion, the court will grant it, and Mr. Karpati will be a free man. What's one more night, you ask? One more night is a travesty of justice, and nothing less."