Never Enough Walls

[LUKA]

"I found so many inconsistencies in your statement and those of other witnesses."

"Well, I don't know anything about that."

"How about you walk me through it again, tell me how the incident happened."

"Again?"

"Yes, one more time."

"Christ! How much longer am I supposed to be in this hellhole?"

"As long as it takes to squeeze whatever we need out of you." A voice crept out as a man slowly walked into the dimly lit room, pulled up a chair and sat next to the person under interrogation, leaning forward. "You will help us or the rest of your world will cease to exist."

"Is that a threat?"

"It doesn't have to be a threat. With what you've done, you're already a dead man."

"How many times do I have to tell you the same goddamn thing!" he slammed his hands on the table. "I didn't do it! I didn't kill that man!"

"Well, someone must have." He leaned back, "And between you and me son, you are our primary suspect."

"I never touched the man. Not so much as breathed the same air as him."

"You'll be breathing a lot less if you knew who he was."

"Look," he set both hands on the table, "All I know is I was supposed to keep an eye on him and make a call when he was about to enter a certain building okay. That's it!"

"He was Trolley Chen's nephew." There was a short pause, "You know Trolley Chen?"

"Yeah, I've heard of him." His voice cracked.

"Word on the street says he's putting out a lot of money for any information on the man who killed his nephew." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a cigarette. "Looks like we found the man."

"W-what?" he became restless and began sweating profusely. "Y-you can't. I didn't!"

"I can, and you did." He lit his cigarette, drew and blew. "I might as well get something from you. This way at least we'll be able to afford that coffee machine everyone's been talking about."

The man stood up and began walking towards the door.

"W-wait, wait!" he tried to follow and was held back by another. "What do you want!"

He stopped at the doorway and turned, "The truth."

_______________

"Chief!" Luka called out as she walked up to him.

"Yes Luka. Do keep up, I'm in a bit of hurry."

"I heard you got the suspect to talk." She caught up to him and tried to match his pace.

"You heard right."

"Did he give any details on who would want Chen's nephew gone?"

"If you had been in there as you should have, perhaps you'd have gotten what you needed." He stopped and turned to face her. "This is your case Luka, I wasn't even supposed to be in there. Let me know if I should take this out of your hands because there are plenty others who'd want to jump onto this."

"Look chief, I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I've been following other leads that could tie up this whole case."

"Well for your sake I hope that is sooner than later. The nephew of one of the city's largest crime family is dead and bodies are sure to end up popping out of every garbage bag and alleyway in the city. Get on this and get on fast."

"Yes sir." She looked on as the Chief left her and walked out the station.

Iyer Baldacci. He's been commissioner of police for the greater part of 15 years, and at age 64 his health seems to only get better. The man was a vampire, how else could you explain it? Over 30 years in the police force and his skin was smoother than a woman's thighs. He was tall and lean, had slick back silver hair with a hairline that wasn't receding anytime this century. His bright blue eyes were deep and seemed like they could peer right into your soul. 15 years. For 15 years he's been the gate keeper of this city, maintaining order and keeping chaos at bay. But he is only a man.

_______________

[Charles Chance]

"Six hundred and fifty million dollars!"

The room was quiet as the jury followed his movement when he leapt from his desk and walked across the room.

"Six hundred and fifty million dollars. That's how much money LM Pharmaceuticals made in the last year." He motioned his hand for the witness box and continued. "You heard their Chief Executive Officer, Robert Verstappen, testify on oath that they had carried out various researches to determine the effects of GH42 on both adults and minors. You heard their head researcher, Dr. Druv Darj, testify that the side effects of the drug were buried and not published as is required by law!"

The court stenographer was typing away while journalists from various news agencies were vigorously taking notes. This was a big case. Probably the biggest in the last decade. LM Pharmaceuticals was one of the leading Pharmaceutical companies in the country and their latest drug was killing people.

"This is a company that has enough resources to ensure that the products they manufacture are tried and tested before distribution. This is a company that for the greater part of 50 years has been trusted as a safe and reliable drug company. We all know to warn our kids about the kind of drugs you buy on a street corner, we know to steer them away from shady dealers in back alleys, but what we don't know is that they are twice as likely to die from the drugs in our own medicine cabinets. John and Trisha Muller told their daughter to take her medicine because it would make her feel better."

He slowly walked back to his table where his client, a child, sat in a wheelchair with an IV drip hanging from a stand. Her parents sat behind her locked in arms. He gently laid his hand on her shoulder and turned to face the jury.

"Look at her. A simple antibiotic. Two weeks later she lost her liver, and an opportunity at a normal life. The Defendant would have you believe that her doctor bears all the responsibility. But this ignores one critical fact. LM Pharmaceuticals knew the potential side effects of these drugs on children and they chose not to warn us! When our desire for profit greatly exceeds the value of a life, it only leaves a trail of destruction, especially for those with so much to look forward to in life. Now, she will never walk again, she will never be able to breath normally again, she will never eat or drink normally again, she will never live the life she is owed. We need to show them that they cannot conceal such critical information! We need to show them that they can never put a price tag on a human life."

_________________

"That was one hell of a closing Charlie!" Ben remarked.

"Thanks. It makes it easier when you're on the right side of the table." Charles washed his hands in the men's room and quickly dried them with a paper towel.

"You have any idea when the jury might be back?"

"Who knows, it could take a day, it could take a week. The last time I had a case this long it took five days for the jury to come out."

Just then the men's restroom door opened and a court marshal leaned in.

"The jury is back."

"Or it could take an hour." Charles remarked in shock.

He quickly found his clients and notified them of the jury's arrival.

"That's a good sign right?" Trisha held onto her husband's arm. Her eyes searched Charles' for any sign of hope to confirm her belief.

"I don't know." Charles replied.

Just then counsel for the Defendant company, LM Pharmaceuticals, approached them.

"Six Hundred Thousand, sealed." The lawyer looked at Charles, then at the Mullers, "That's all we're offering, nothing more."

"Give us a moment." Charles replied.

"Charles." John started, "Two years ago we put ourselves in your hands. What should we do?"

"Two years ago you took a chance on me. I need you to that chance one last time. Lets go to verdict."

_________________________

The atmosphere in the courtroom was so tense you could cut it with a butter knife. This was it. It took two years to reach this point. The Defendant's lawyers were talking amongst themselves and counsel stood up and walked over to Charles' table.

"Two million." he whispered.

Charles almost choked on his own saliva. He looked back at John and Trisha, and turned to face counsel.

"No." he replied almost not hearing himself.

"Mister foreman have you reached a verdict?" the judge inquired.

"We have your Honour." he replied

"What say you?"

"In the matter of Helen Muller v LM Pharmaceuticals, we find in favour of the plaintiff, Helen Muller."

There was huge sigh of relief that swept across John and Trisha's face.

"We further order the Defendant to pay compensatory damages in the amount of Five Million dollars."

Charles couldn't believe it. His heart rate was through the ceiling.

The judge dismissed the jury and the matter was adjourned.

He walked the Mullers out of the court room bustling with reporters, gave a press briefing and they embraced him teary eyed with joy before finally leaving. What a hell of a day.

"Mr. Chance!" someone called out to him.

Charles turned to face the voice that called to him.

"Glad I caught up to you Mr. Chance. Congratulations on your win."

"Thank you."

"If you don't mind I'd like to have a word with you."

"I'm sorry, you are...?"

"Apologies, how rude of me not introduce myself. I'm Jonus Bruno, but everyone calls me Jones."

"Ok, Jones...look I've had a long day today and I could use some rest ok? So how about you reach me at my office, I'm sure we could make an appointment..." Charles started walking away but then two large fellas blocked his path.

"Ten minutes Mr. Chance, I promise, then you'll be on your way."

______________________

The guard buzzed the door open and Charles walked in.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Charles Chance, I'm your new lawyer."

"I didn't ask for any lawyer."

"Well I didn't ask for you as a client, so I guess we're stuck with each other." he pulled up a chair on the other side of the table and sat down. "Look, all I heard is you're an accomplice in the death of an important individual and there are some people who would like to know what you know."

"I've been saying the same goddamn thing for the past 24 hours! I never killed anybody!" he slammed his hands on the table.

"Ok...ok. Look, first things first, we need to get you out of here."

"No. Listen man, as soon as I leave this place I'm a dead man!" he was shaking in an uncontrollable manner. "The walls. The walls in here will keep me safe"

"No they wont. In here, there are never enough walls to cover your back."