Chapter 6

Given Lee's hand cut, Jack couldn't help but be suspicious. That he had just dealt with case-related evidence and had a new wound seemed too coincidental.

Jack: " Hey Lee, how is your hand now?"

Lee glanced at his hand as if he were merely observing the cut.

Lee: " It's nothing, oh. Simply a little cut I got before."

Jack: " Allow me to investigate."

After a brief pause, Lee extended his hand for Jack to examine.

Jack: " This does not appear to be empty. It's a deep cut."

Lee: " It doesn't matter much. It's possible that I just misplaced it."

Jack was skeptical. He couldn't help but wonder if Lee had tampered with the evidence that had just been presented to the court because he knew that Lee had handled it.

Jack: " Tune in, Lee. The truth must be known to me. Have you altered the evidence?"

Lee's expression changed to one of worry as he responded.

Lee: " No, obviously not. What makes you even consider that?"

Jack: " Since you have a new cut on your hand, and there's dried blood around it. It simply appears to be excessively incidental."

Lee: " I swear to you that I did nothing. That cut was from something different."

Jack didn't know if he could trust Lee, but he wanted to make hasty judgments with more information. He decided to investigate the matter further and closely monitor Lee.

Jack visited the courthouse the following day to examine the case's evidence. He noticed that one piece of DNA evidence was missing as he looked at the items. He looked through the evidence again but couldn't find anything.

Jack: " This is awful. The entire case could be put in jeopardy if this evidence is missing."

He quickly called the PI and let him know what had occurred.

PI: " That is not ideal. We must determine who stole it and why."

Jack: " I think Lee was the one. But I have no evidence."

PI: " We'll have to look into it more. We might be able to locate some surveillance footage or other aid."

Jack and the PI put in a lot of effort over the next few days to locate any evidence that might help them locate the missing DNA sample. They looked at surveillance footage, talked to people working in the courthouse, and even staked out Lee's apartment.

They finally got a break. Just a few days before the DNA sample went missing, they discovered surveillance footage showing Lee sneaking into the evidence room late at night.

Jack: " That's it. We have the evidence we require to execute Lee."

PI: " However, we must be careful. Assuming Lee figures out that we know, he could attempt to fight back."

Jack: " I know. Be that as it may, we can't simply let this go. We need to make the wisest decision."

Jack couldn't help but be concerned about the upcoming court hearing after Lee was detained. He was concerned that Lee might attempt to exact retribution or make false accusations against him.

As he entered the court, he saw that the environment was tense. The defendant seemed apprehensive, and the judge appeared to be harsh. Jack prepared to present Lee's evidence as he took his place at the prosecution table.

Judge: " You may begin, Mr. Smith."

Jack: " I am grateful, Your Honor. Fine people of the jury, today we have evident proof that the litigant, Lee, altered proof for this situation."

Jack showed the surveillance footage of Lee sneaking into the evidence room as he spoke. The jury panted as they watched the video.

The accusation: This footage was taken just a few days before the DNA sample vanished. It is evident that Lee was involved in some way."

Even though Lee's lawyer tried to disprove the evidence, it was clear that it was strong against him. For the jury's deliberations, the judge ordered a recess.

Jack couldn't help but feel anxious as they awaited the verdict from the jury. He knew that Lee had a strong case, but anything could happen in court.

The jury returned with their verdict, which felt like an eternity. Lee was found guilty of obstructing justice and tampering with evidence.

Lee received a ten-year prison sentence from the judge, to which cheers and applause filled the courtroom. Although Jack couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to be more careful in the future, he was relieved that justice had been done.

He got a call from the PI as he left the courtroom.

PI: " Jack, we just got some new data. In this case, it turns out that Lee collaborated with the defendant. They were attempting to conceal the DNA proof to safeguard themselves."

Jack was taken aback. Lee's willingness to go to such lengths to defend a criminal baffled him. He realized he needed always to keep his guard up and be more cautious around the people he worked with.

Jack: " Gratitude for telling me. I'll remember that."

He promised himself to be more careful and vigilant in the future as he hung up the phone. In the high-stakes world of the criminal justice system, he knew he could not let his guard down even for a moment.