The Charge

"First-degree murder?" echoed Andrea.

"First-degree murder," repeated Kyle.

"That's not very funny."

"I would agree!"

"I mean, you shouldn't joke about that kind of thing."

"I wish I was joking."

Andrea scrutinized Kyle's face. He was hard to read at the best of times, and with the strange situation and his unusually dejected demeanor, it was even more difficult. But as crazy as it seemed, everything she could see told her he was being honest.

Andrea tapped her fingers on the table in thought.

"...Did you do it?" she asked.

"What?!" Kyle exclaimed. "THAT'S the first thing you asked me? What kind of question is that?!"

"A lawyer's question. And you're being evasive."

"NO! I didn't do it!"

Andrea tapped her fingers again.

Kyle waited for a moment before saying in a hollow voice, "Don't you believe me?"

Andrea took a deep breath. "Right now I don't know enough about the case to believe anything. Who did you kill?"

"You mean who am I accused of killing?" Kyle said with emphasis.

"Sure, let's go with that," said Andrea.

Kyle straightened up in his chair, but let his head roll back so he was staring at the ceiling. "You know the girl on the news who went missing…?"

Andrea nodded. "You mean the college girl… Bernice…. Beatrice… something like that?"

"Beatrix Davenport was her name"

"Did you know her?"

Kyle lowered his chin enough to look at Andrea again. "No Blondie, I didn't know her, and I still don't know her because I didn't kill her!"

Andrea just nodded, not commenting.

Kyle leaned forward again, his manacles rattling as he held his hands out earnestly towards her.

"Listen. I only knew the same as anyone, that she'd gone missing and it was all over the news. Then when I got home…"

"Stop!" said Andrea firmly, holding up a hand. "Mr Wynn, I'm afraid I'm going to have to end our conversation here."

She stood up and brushed down her suit jacket before clasping her hands in front of her, her posture stiff and formal. But then, formal was what this moment called for.

"Mr Wynn, I would like to apologize for laughing at you earlier, as I was not aware of the seriousness of the situation. I also regret any of my other remarks that may have been insensitive."

'May have been', she thought to herself. The familiar phrasing rolled off her tongue automatically, even though she now knew most of the things she'd said were insensitive. With the benefit of hindsight, a lot of her comments were far harsher than she would have ever dreamed of saying had she known. 'Not that I really have anything to apologize for, it's his own fault for playing around and teasing me rather than getting to the point,' she thought.

"Unfortunately, Mr Wynn, given your current lamentable circumstances, it would be best for us not to discuss the case any further, as doing so might result in my being legally required to testify against you in court. I'm sure that your attorney would advise against that eventuality," she said.

Still hunched forwards, Kyle looked disappointed he wasn't being given the opportunity to tell his story.

"I actually don't have representation yet," he said quietly.

"In that case, I wish you the best of luck in acquiring such," she said. 'Because you're certainly going to need it!' she thought.

"If that's all, then I will take my leave and bid you…" The words caught in her throat. What did you say in a situation like this? 'Good day'? Evidently he was not going to have a good day. 'See you soon'? Not likely. She'd probably see his face on the nightly news before she ever saw him again in person.

It occured to Andrea that depending on the outcome of the trial, this might be the last time she saw Kyle… ever! The idea of that would once have delighted her. Only a few minutes ago she had been crowing at the thought of getting him out of her life for a few weeks. But this might really be final.

The thought left her feeling a little empty. As though there would be a Kyle-shaped void in her life. He was her arch-enemy, her nemesis, she disliked him intensely… but this wasn't how she had ever thought that things would end.

"...I will take my leave," she finished awkwardly, and turned to press the call button.

"I want you," said Kyle.

Andrea froze with her back still towards him, her fingertips hovering just a fraction of an inch from the call button.

Had he really just said that? It seemed impossible. Should she ask him to repeat himself? Or just pretend she hadn't heard and leave. Did he really mean what she thought he did…

In her indecision, she did neither. Just stood unmoving, her arm still outstretched towards the call button.

"I want YOU," Kyle repeated.

Andrea lowered her hand to her side, but still didn't turn around.

"No, you don't," she said quietly.

"Yes, I do," Kyle insisted.

"There must be someone else, someone with more experience?"

"I don't want someone else, I want you."

"But I've never… I've never actually…"

"It's okay, I know that you'll be great."

Andrea hesitated. Was she seriously considering this…? At last she turned to face Kyle.

"... But I don't even like you!" she said.

A hint of a smile cracked the corner of Kyle's mouth. "You have made that abundantly clear, Chuckles."

"...Then why?"

"Because I don't need someone who likes me or who has experience. I need someone who cares."

Andrea slowly crossed the room to sit back at the desk, holding her head in her hands, still feeling dazed. Rubbing her temples, she said, "This still doesn't feel real. You're going to need to say it properly."

Kyle ran his hand back through his hair, shuffled his chair forward and clasped his hands in front of him in what was almost a praying posture.

"Ms Mason, I am saying that I want you… to be my defense attorney."

Andrea let her breath out with a sigh.

"For first-degree murder…" she breathed.

"For first-degree murder," he confirmed.

"You know I'm serious that I've never tried a murder case before?" In a way, this would be a massive opportunity for Andrea to advance her career.

"And I'm serious when I say I know you can do it. I don't want a lawyer who is going to play it safe and tell me I need to take a plea deal. I need a lawyer who believes in me, who KNOWS that I'm innocent. I need someone who cares… someone who cares about actually winning! Not just trying to soften the blow of losing. I need you!"

This was all so unexpected to Andrea. She had no idea that Kyle thought so highly of her. He was always so… He teased her when she lost to him, he criticized the way she practiced, he laughed at her and… He was her arch-enemy! Why would he ever want her to do this for him? Why would he ever think she would say yes?

…Why was she thinking of saying yes…?

But on the other hand, she didn't know he was innocent. She didn't know anything about the case. She really didn't know anything about Kyle…

Apparently, she knew even less about who he was and what he was like than she thought she did.

Would she still be able to defend him if she thought he WAS guilty?

Kyle seemed to pick up on her indecision. He reached out as though he wanted to take her hands again, but she was sitting at an appropriate distance now, and so the chains on his manacles stopped him short before he could reach her.

"I know that it's a lot to take in, let me just explain what happened. I got home last night–"

"No!" insisted Andrea, holding her hand up again. "I'm not your attorney yet, I haven't said yes yet. And if I say no, then my point stands. You can't talk to me about these things, we won't have any attorney-client privilege." She fixed Kyle with a steady gaze. "I'm not going to lie for you. If they ask me to testify, I will! And I'll tell the truth, and that means telling them about anything you tell me. So… don't tell me anything… not yet."

"Not yet?" Kyle sounded hopeful.

"I need to think about it," said Andrea. This was all happening too fast. She was not going to make a commitment like this without thinking it through. That was a hard line she wasn't willing to compromise on.

"Look," she said, checking her watch. "Let me check on my other client… I mean, my client. I mean… Adams, wherever he is he must be wondering where I am. I'll grab a coffee, clear my head…"

'…And talk to Jacquelyn and get her advice!' she thought. She had no idea if she was even going to have time for a case this big on top of whatever it was Jacquelyn had told her to prepare for.

"I don't need long talking to Adams, I promise I'll be back with an answer for you… before the end of the day." Andrea began to stand back up in preparation to leave.

Kyle held up his hand to stop her. "Blondie… about that…"

Andrea stopped. What now?

Kyle took a deep breath. He was looking back down at the table, not meeting Andrea's eyes.

"Adams isn't here anymore. He got transferred to county earlier this morning."

Andrea frowned. She supposed Kyle could have overheard about transfers, maybe his cell was in the same area as Adams. Could Adams have seen Kyle being brought in? She had to imagine Adams would have felt some satisfaction at the sight.

But it still didn't make sense. She had to go through so many hoops to arrange to meet with Adams, and no-one had mentioned that he had been transferred.

"Why did none of the cops tell me that?" she mused aloud.

Kyle still wasn't looking at her.

"They didn't tell you… because they were told not to… because I arranged to have you sent here…"

Andrea's face went hard.

"What?" she said flatly.