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Chapter 3 - The Turnabout Part 2

The people in the gallery were extremely shocked and started to question Calvin's guilt. After he said "I WILL BUST YOU!" with a threatening expression, anyone who saw the scene would think that Calvin is a killer for sure. Despite his action, the judge didn't penalize him because he knew that he could not control his anger. Afterwards, the judge ordered a ten minutes recess to calm down Calvin's anger and to give some time for the prosecution to prepare his witness. Meanwhile in the lobby,

Eric: "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE!? ARE YOU CRAZY??"

Eric and Calvin were arguing over what happened in the courtroom.

Calvin: "DO you know WHO is HE?? He is Tobias Pierce. Sarah's ex Boyfriend!"

Eric: "I don't care who the fuck he is! Your actions had nearly cost us a case. Your case!"

Calvin had sat on a chair.

Calvin: "Still, I couldn't contain my frustration. He and his wealthy family, I spoke with Sarah one time and they gave me a hard time for a WEEK! And what even shocking is that Sarah chose him over me! But that wasn't the end of the story, They made sure that the ENTIRE school would know the story. I was humiliated."

Eric: "I know what you have endured that time."

Calvin: "I was weak."

Eric: "Not anymore. You're Stronger, now."

Eric went to a coffee dispenser machine and ordered hot tea. Then he came back and gave it to Calvin.

Eric: "Those who hurt you will eventually screw themselves up. Consider yourself lucky, God has let you watch. This is bliss in disguise."

Calvin: "Yeah! You're right! Fuck women!"

Eric: "Hell yeah! ... hey except our moms and my sister and our grandmothers and the honest ones. J-Just the gold diggers, okay!"

Then Calvin and Eric burst into laughing, they always manage to cheer themselves up no matter which problem they are up to. Calvin and Eric met when they were just 9 years old, they know each other so well just like twins.

Eric: "Sarah didn't think this through, she wanted to manipulate Tobias and she was toyed by him instead."

Calvin: "That you mentioned her. She wanted to say something about Tobias, Like a warning or maybe a secret."

Eric: "We don't know what happened between Sarah and Tobias. But one thing is sure, if he is the only person present who witnessed the murder, he is our man!"

Calvin: "So that means he stalked her!"

Eric: "Yeah.... ...!"

Calvin: "What is it?"

Eric: "What if she brought the knife not to kill you, but to defend herself."

While Calvin and Eric were talking, a bailiff came to them.

Bailiff: "Mr Robles, Mr Bradford. It's time."

....

-October 2, 11:35 AM--District Court, Courtroom No.4-

Judge: "Court will now reconvene. Now then, Mr Bradford. Don't repeat what you have done earlier. This is a courtroom, not a schoolyard!"

Calvin: "Yes, Your Honour. I'm sorry."

Judge: "Very well, I understand. When I was younger, I have lived something similar and it went like.... (blah blah)"

Eric: "(Oh please, listening to judge's story will cure your insomnia.)"

Judge: "Ahem, Anyway. Mr Connell, if you please."

Prosecutor Connell: "The prosecution calls the witness subpoenaed by this court. Mr. Tobias Pierce, the person who was present during the murder of Sarah Baker."

Judge: "Very well. Bailiff, bring the witness to the stand."

Then Tobias Showed to the stand.

Prosecutor Connell: "Witness, your name and occupation!"

Tobias: "I'm Tobias Pierce, I'm the CEO of Pierce Corp."

Judge: "At such a young age, It's indeed a generation of talents!"

Prosecutor Connell: "Very well then. Witness, please testify to the court what you have seen that day."

--Witness testimony--

Tobias: "I was to meet with my agent that but the meeting was cancelled so I was on my way home. Then I saw Sarah and Brad having a conversation in front of Brad's home so I wanted to say hi. Then Sarah attacked Brad with a knife but he stopped her. After talking for a few minutes I thought that he would forgive her. Instead, he attacked her with a book, took the knife from her and killed her on the spot."

Judge: "Why did keep being silent until now?"

Tobias: "Although a man shouldn't attack a woman. Brad and Eri are still my friends. is it not it?"

Eric: "(how cunning of him)"

Judge: "Very well. Mr Robles, you may begin your cross-examination."

--Cross-examination--

Tobias: "I was to meet with my agent that but the meeting was cancelled so I was on my way to home-"

Eric: "Hold it, where were you going to meet?"

Tobias: "At the restaurant Le Grand Blue of course, for first-rate only."

Eric: "OBJECTION! Oh please, you are so full of yourself that you made a simple mistake. And that mistake will destroy your whole testimony."

Judge: "Mr Robles, enlighten us."

Eric: "The witness said that was going to his home. How?"

Judge: "I didn't understand."

Eric: "His house is on the other half of the city, and this restaurant is in the middle but the thing is that Calvin's house is on the other half."

Prosecutor Connell: "What!?"

Eric: "Now you have no reason to be there, can you explain it to us?"

Tobias: "You little.."

Judge: "Witness! if you may."

Tobias: "Ok ok. Earlier that day, Sarah wasn't alright, she didn't feel good. After the cancellation of the meeting, I researched the position of Sarah using GPS. To my surprise, she was heading to Brad's house. So I decided to go there."

Judge: "Is that so? Mr Robles, do you have anything to say?"

Eric: "May I ask a few questions?"

Judge: "Yes. Please, proceed."

Eric: "Mr Pierce, can you describe us the position of the defendant and the victim after their struggle?"

Tobias: "Yes, I can. After the struggle, brad looked blindly at Sarah's corpse. Then he retracted his knife and went inside his house."

Judge: "He must be terrified about what he has done."

Tobias: "That seems to be the case."

Eric: "Your Honor, can we add what he said to his testimony?"

Judge: "Very well. Witness, add what you have said to your testimony?"

--Cross-examination 2--

Tobias: "Brad was shocked after the killing. Then he retracted his knife and went inside his house."

Eric: "OBJECTION! That strange, I thought that the knife in question is a chef's knife, not a retractable knife."

Tobias: "...!"

Prosecutor Connell: "OBJECTION! The witness just made a simple mistake, that's all."

Eric: "OBJECTION! How could he made such a simple mistake, he was here in this trial from the start... Or perhaps he wasn't?"

Then Eric turned to the judge.

Eric: "Your honour, do we have a way to know when Mr Pierce had joined the gallery?"

Judge: "Of course. Bailiff, at what time Mr Pierce had come to the gallery?"

Bailiff: "At 11:20 AM, Your honour. Just before the commotion."

Eric: "As I suspected! The witness barely managed to watch the trial. And yet, he is so sure about what he had said just now."

Judge: "I would like to know what your line of reasoning proves, Mr Robles."

Eric: "The retractable knife that Mr Pierce saw is the murder weapon."

Prosecutor Connell: "May I remind you that your client is the one who was holding that knife? That's incriminating him more."

Eric: "But according to the witness, shouldn't we found the retractable knife instead of the chef's knife or at least both of them"

Prosecutor Connell: "That's..."

Eric: "That's the knife that only the true culprit knows about."

Judge: "Mr Robles! Are you indicating the witness as the real murderer!?"

Eric: "Of course! That is precisely what I am doing!"

Tobias: "WHAAAAAT!?"

Eric: "(You are not running from me!)"

Calvin: "(I never saw him being so confident! This is completely unlike him!)"

The general public started talking and suspect Tobias of murder.

Judge: "Order! Order!"

Prosecutor Connell: "OBJECTION! Your Honor! The defence accused the witness but lacks evidence!"

Judge: "I'm sorry but that is due to the poor investigation from your side."

Tobias: "Your Honor! I can provide you with evidence to clear the doubts once for all."

Judge: "Very well."

Tobias took a picture from his pocket and showed it to judge.

Judge: "That's.. That's.. That's the scene described by the witness earlier!"

The picture shows Sarah's corpse lying on the ground and Calvin watching her while holding the retractable knife.

Prosecutor Connell: "That settles it now."

Judge: "I'm sorry Mr. Robles but that's it."

Eric: "(NO!)"

Calvin: "It's okay Eric, you fought well."

Eric and Calvin looked at each other while Calvin smiled.

Eric: "Wait a minute!"

Judge: "What is it?"

Eric: "This evidence is contradicting reality!"

Judge: "Please, explain yourself."

Eric: "Look at Calvin's hand, there is a scar but in this picture, there isn't any. And the haircut is slightly different in the picture too."

Judge: "Yes, you are right. So what is your conclusion?"

Eric: "It's simple Your Honor, this picture has been photoshopped."

Prosecutor Connell: "Impossible!"

Eric: "That's possible Prosecutor Connell, Mr Pierce is the CEO of a technology company, and it explains why he took some time to come as a witness."

Tobias: "Are you really accusing me? ME? TOBIAS PIERCE?"

Eric: "Of course, and you have undone yourself. You failed miserably."

Detective Freeman rushed into the courtroom

Detective Freeman: "Your Honor, we have important news!"

Judge: "What is it, Detective Freeman?"

Detective Freeman: "While reinvestigating the clues we found another set of fingerprints on the knife."

Prosecutor Connell: "They may belong to the culprit."

Eric: "(Game Over Tobias!)"

Calvin:"(Why do I have a bad feeling about this?)"

Judge: "Who they belong to?"

The pressure rose in the courtroom and everyone is waiting for the answer.

Detective Freeman: "They belong to..."

"Eric Robles"