Twenty one

The judge entered, took his seat before audience seated, Pearl took her seat and the trial begun;

'Ms Jackson, where is your lawyer?' The judge inquired after observing your a few seconds.

Pearl's lawyer's chair beside her was empty.

Suddenly the entrance door opened and a lady in her 30s walked in, Pearl watched her was she entered and walked straight to the judge, was this her lawyer, Why didn't they just meet yesterday to be acquainted so that they could recognise one another? But she was sure this lady like to be the central of attention.

'Ms Jackson, are you aware that Miss O'Brien will be defending you.' The judge told her after the lady finished talking with him.

Pearl nodded. She guessed so.

The lady with the big briefcase, all ready for the trial, walked to her and took her seat beside Pearl; she didn't even look at the accused. So they got her a lawyer that didn't even know to say hi or hello?

Well, I guess she would say; I will win this case and forget I ever met anyone like this. She didn't blame her.

The prosecutor stood up, looked around the court, his gaze rested longer on her before he looked at the judge again.

'Your lordship, I will like to call Mr William to the stand.' The prosecutor said to the judge, who nod his head for approval.

Pearl turned and scanned the crowd; she didn't see him, when she entered.

A door by the other side of the hall, opened and William walked into the court wearing a green t-shirt tucked into the jeans he was wearing. She watched him walked to the stand and in the middle of what seemed like 25 seconds, Pearl looked at her lawyer, the lady was smiling, why was she smiling?

What does that mean? Yes, William is handsome, she couldn't doubt and yes, many women must have found him fancy, why making the lawyer a fuss, she wasn't the only one? And beside why should shouldn't she? William didn't even like her.

'Mr William, how long have you known the accused?'

She watched him, he didn't even give her a glance; he only stationed his eyes on the prosecutor, maybe he hadn't forgiven her, and beside why should he, she lied to him, remember?

'For a few months, she has been teaching my son.'

'How old is your son?'

'A year older than Katie.' William answered.

'How have she been relating to the other members of the ranch?'

He looked at the man; 'I don't inspect her every 24/7, sir.'

'Have you ever heard her call home?' He asked him.

William shook his head.

Prosecutor looked at him and at the judge. 'No further question, your lordship.' Like he had gotten what he wanted.

Her lawyer stood up and walked to William. 'Sir, you have known the accused for few months like you said and on those days, you never seen her call or text anyone?'

He shook his head.

'Wouldn't you have thought she was hiding something about her life?' Her lawyer queried.

'I'm sorry.' William said with a smile.

'I don't pry into people's life, if it restricted.'

'So, are you saying, Ms Jackson, my client did not let you know anything?'

'I didn't ask, she didn't tell me.' He told the lady.

She looked at the judge. 'Let it be noted my lord, that Ms Jackson would have called home, if she needed anything, although she had a ranch, anything she asked would be given to her but one would always like to live his own life, with her own money and that was precisely what my client did, she left home to start her own life, work. So it can be said that she hadn't know her husband died because if she did, she cared about him beside he is her daughter's father, how would she have been able to live with herself…..' She paused her sentence as her eyes move through the crowd.

'Objection, your honour, if the accused had known would she have come back, she could also lie to her daughter and she would believe it.' Mr. Douche objected as he stood up.

But Pearl's lawyer wasn't going to back down so easily. she faced the opposing lawyer while directing her words at the judge. 'Your honour, Katherine was there when it happened; it wouldn't have been a lie.'

'Yes, you're right, she saw her mother kill her father.' Mr. Douche continued.

'My client can't even hurt a fly.' Pearl's lawyer defended.

'But she had the gut to get assess to a syringe and kill her husband.'

'Many people have asses to a syringe, barrister.'

He shook his head, he turned to look at the judge and back at the defense concil. 'Not Mr Parker, what reason, he would have to hold a syringe, he didn't even know how to use it.'

They watched as O'Brien laughed and turned to the lawyer. Pearl had seen her name on the tag she wore on her chest. 'Mr Parker wasn't stupid, he isn't a baby and beside you pull and press. As you were saying, if Ms Jackson had killed or planned on killing, he wouldn't know or he wouldn't fight her? Note that, barrister that a man's strength cannot be equal to a woman's.'

She turned back to the judge.

'If the deceased was been threatened with a syringe filled with something he didn't know about, wouldn't he had fought her, hit her, tell her to stop and wouldn't Katherine have shouted her mom's name or wouldn't the neighbour who had just gotten back home hearing the little girl's scream but Katherine only call her mom once and silently….I have heard her, she has a loud voice, if Pearl had killed him, wouldn't anyone know how, are you saying Ms Jackson developed super strength overnight and became strong enough for us Mr Richard on the ground without any bruises or injuries. Do not forget Katherine's fingerprints on a trophy that was struck to his head, shouldn't she have hit it at her mom to stop them from hurting each other?'

The court remains calm as she continued.

'Your lordship, I will like to call Katherine to the stand.'

Her daughter, why didn't they inform her of all these?

The prosecutor took his seat as Katie walked in and stood, the lady moved to her. 'Honey, do you love your mommy?'

Pearl smiled when she saw her daughter nod, nod, nod and nod.

'Don't be afraid, they are just people.' She said when Katie did not smile.

'What happened that day, the day you and mom packed your bags?'

Pearl wondered why she should be asking Katie that question beside it happened few months ago.

Katie smiled as she looked at Pearl.

'Mommy and me came back home at sun set after taking ice-cream and daddy was sitting down with a paper in his hand, I didn't hear what he was saying because mommy sent me inside.'

'What happened when you came out?'

'Daddy was holding an injection the ones I saw mom holding when I am not feeling fine.....'

'Objection, my lord.' The prosecutor stood again.

The judge raised his hand. 'Objection overruled.'

'Continue, Katherine.' O'Brien encouraged her.

She nodded. 'She was telling him something I could not hear but he was now holding mommy's neck and pushing her to the ground, she was shouting, she tried to run away but he didn't leave, then I took the trophy I won for my last school competition and I hit daddy. I am really sorry; I know he will be angry with me.'

O'Brien smiled at her. 'Tell me.'

'Mom smiled at me, when I saw him on the floor because mommy gave him the injection so that he could calm down, then she told me to pack our things that when daddy is awake, he will call us back.'

'Which injection?'

'The one daddy was holding because it fell from his hand, when I hit him, I'm so sorry.'

O'Brien nodded at Katie and motioned towards her to get down.

Pearl watched her pretty girl walked down and walked into William's arms.

'Your lordship, Katherine had seen her mother in a state of distress and as you have heard, Pearl and her daughter had just gotten back from taking ice cream. When they came back, they found Mr Parker sitting with his hands folded waiting for her and the next beside was a syringe which he intended to kill his wife with…..'

'Objection, my lord.' The prosecutor stood up and walked towards to the judge.

'Your lordship, Mr parker had no reason to kill his wife, if she had been cheating on him with most of her friends or with that rancher, I would say she deserved it but think about what reason would he have had but typically, Ms Jackson had more reasons to get rid of her husband; he was a disturbance...'

'Barrister, we are not paid to render our self-observed opinions. we look for the truth besides she was trying to help her daughter have a family like you do. Ms Jackson had no reason to kill her husband when all she wanted was to give Katie a father, what other reason could she have had?'

'Jealousy….'

'Excuse me? Mr Parker had no money; he was an artist, an artist who had some financial problems. Why would she kill him if she was also working?'

'Although Mr Parker didn't have enough, he was happy but it was until she came into his life.' the prosecutor started.

'Richard was not happy, he had never been happy, he only got worse when we came.' Pearl told the man.

'Ms Jackson?' The judge warned.

Pearl shut her mouth.

'Your lordship, during my search, we found the paper which Katie had testified Mr Parker had been holding; I checked the paper and I could read the content to you and maybe, barrister it can explain to you that my client wouldn't have had any reason to kill the father of her child.'

'What can the paper prove?' The lawyer asked her.

She looked at him. 'Every little detail involved in the scene of the crime, Monsieur is always important and I will tell you why Mr Parker would have killed my client.'

'He was holding a paper so, he was sitting down holding a paper and maybe Pearl had hid the syringe somewhere.'

'Which he searched and found?' She asked him.

Really?

'Ma'am, go ahead.' The judge instructed her, paying no mind to what Mr. Douche was saying.

She nodded and walked to her table, yet she didn't exchange a glance with her.

She walked back with a folded paper and opened it.

'Your lordship, this is actually a letter.'

The judge nodded.

Pearl remembered the paper he was holding when he spoke to her that night.. She didn't feel the need to know what was written there.

She gave the paper to the judge, who wore his specs and glanced through it.

'Ms Jackson, do you know the content of this letter?' The judge asked her.

Pearl shook her head. 'I did hear Richard say that grandma had contacted me and I hid it from him.'

She nodded. The judge read.

'DEAR,

I KNOW I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING FOR YOU LATELY. I AM SO SORRY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, COME BACK HOME, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU, IT IS TIME YOU LEFT THAT THING, COME BACK, I ACCEPT YOU, COME BACK.

LOVE'

'Mr Parker had misunderstood the content of the letter.' O'Brien continued.

The judge looked at her.

'The letter had been received and misread, how? This letter had however contained specifically, apologises, so Mr Parker found the letter and read it thinking it was Pearl's grandma.'

'How do you mean?' The judge asked her.

Pearl wondered, she too was confused.

'Your lordship, the deceased's grandpa; who had just passed away wrote a letter to his grandson; whom he had not seen for few years since they had an argument which, his parents were aware of. His grandfather sent that letter to bring him home but during the state the deceased was at that time…..desperate....'

'How did you know he was desperate?' The prosecutor asked her.

She smiled at him. 'I do my research.' She then turned to the court.

'Mr Parker, had lost an important artwork, that day and he needed money badly, because after his exhibition and a client picking up a valued piece, the client didn't pay him the amount demanded for the art, he didn't get enough and since that was his best piece and the rest of his artworks were in the museum, he had nothing else. But while he was drinking he remembered Pearl's family; I am not assuming this, the bartended actually heard him thinking out loud.' She expatriated when she saw looks of uncertainty round the room.

'That was when the letter came in.'

'It could have been sent by somebody.' The judge told her.

She nodded.

'Yes, I checked Pearl's grandma, her writing and the way she would address her granddaughter, she always called Ms Jackson; Perry…..'

'She's been angry with her for over seven years.' The prosecutor informed

'Yes, I know and Madam Sarah wouldn't called her daughter another name apart from Perry, angry or not.'

'If she had wrote a letter, she would have addressed her as Perry and not dear and if she had been the one apologising, it would have been leave that man because she never like Mr Parker and one more thing, his grandfather; who died of an heart attack had been angry because his grandson didn't want to stop drinking.'

'What is your point, barrister? Ms Jackson was the one who planned on killing her husband.'

She looked at him. 'I will give you two reasons Mr Parker had to kill his wife; Ms Jackson was far richer than he was and he never had the kind of things Pearl had; a stabled life, a family who were happy with each other.'

'The deceased can't not be blamed for his own death, your lordship.' The prosecutor told him.

She shook her head. 'Why not, does he have to put the blame on someone else?'

'Ms Jackson did it, her fingerprints were on the syringe and she was at the hospital.' Mr Douche insisted.

She sighed and looked at the judge with a smile on her face.

The judge nodded.

'To clear your doubts, I will show you the hospital surveillance cameras.' She walked to her bag and brought out a CD, she gave it to the guard who slut it in.

The judge turned to the screen behind him.

'The director gave me this CD and when I looked through it, someone had forgotten that although there weren't eyes everywhere, there were eyes everywhere.'

She smiled and press the remote, the screen came on.

'That day after Daphne had called Ms Jackson, the door was opened because you were only allowed to go in twice except for in emergencies and someone else had entered the room where drugs were kept, took a liquid and a syringe.' She paused.

They watched at coverage and she pressed paused at the figure on screen soon after Pearl had left.

Pearl faced a hand over her mouth. It was Richard.

'You can see Mr Parker going round the room, he picked a rare liquid; which they only used to cure some diseases and high dosage could kill and wash away from your system in one hour without a trace. He had wanted to kill Pearl and watch her die. That was why the police men found him because in the middle of ten minutes, the neighbour called the police officers and in another ten minutes, they were able to get him to the hospital and that was why the doctor found the poison in his system.'

She turned it off and looked at the judge.

'Mr Parker had wanted my client's money, he would have however try to make peace with Madam Sarah and obtain the entire fortune, he wanted to kill her but that night just before the neighbour get to the scene of the crime, Pearl had tried to defend herself because she had no secrets, she didn't hide anything from her daughter, how could she hide a syringe without Katherine asking her mother; why this is here? Mr Parker had tried to kill his wife because of his ambition and desperation, if she had not defended herself, maybe just maybe she would never be here and Katherine would never be happy by herself and she wouldn't have met Mr William to take care of her daughter.'

Pearl cleaned the tears that fell from her eyes.

'What about her friend, the man she spoke to at the hospital.' The judge asked her.

She shook her head.

'That man was just acting, he had never met Ms Jackson; he was paid to lie.'

The judge turned to the prosecutor.

'Do you have anything to say?'

He shook his head ashamed.

'This trial will continue after recess.'

She nodded and walked to her chair as soon as Pearl sat down; she held the lady's hands. 'Thank you.

The madam nodded and took a deep breath.

She sat down and with her palm folded. What now? 

She sat down after the judge took his seat and the hall went quiet.

'After all evaluation and consideration; Ms Jackson tried to defend herself and although I once thought the case a waste of time, Ms Jackson; you are pronounced not Guilty.….'

She heard shouts from the back but the judge was not done.

'Weldone Barrister and Pearl be careful next time. Case dismissed.'

She nodded as she smiled filled with joy. She was pronounced not guilty, she was so happy, finally! She hugged her friend; Sheer and her husband and hugged Sophie and then she looked at her lawyer. 'Thank you very much, O'Brien.'

She gave her her hand. 'It's Lucy: It was nice working with you.'

Pearl smiled fully for the first time in weeks. 'I wish we could talk more, would you like to have coffee?'

'I would appreciate that, Katherine really needs you and you are a good mom.'

She nodded and hugged her.

'I can't thank you enough, can we talk tomorrow?'

She nodded. 'Yes, your friend have my number, I will be delighted, have a nice day.' She said when she released her.

Pearl nodded as she watched her leave the hall; she hugged her friend as she noticed the press rushing towards her.

Now she needed her daughter.

Sophie smiled for the first time in a few months; now her friend was safe, she wasn't rotting in Jail, Sheer and her husband had gone back after her release, she was grateful, she had left Pearl in the room, she needed the rest she could get, she deserved it and besides she had requested to see Lucy tomorrow and maybe she would be able to tell her how they really got O'Brien to defend her, maybe she would get the courage to tell her; it was all William's idea but now?

The most important thing is for her was Pearl was back and free.

She smiled as she lean on the pavement in front of the porch. Finally.

She heard the door opened and she felt a familiar wave and perceived a friendly scent; it was Nick.

She waited for him to reach her and when he did; he rested on the pavement and sighed she looked at him.

'Although, it has been tough, thank you.' He deserved that thank you now, especially what he'd do for her friend.

He looked at her.

'I know you talked to the chief about not suspending me, I know you also talked to the guards not to ill-treat Pearl and you did everything so that she could be able to live through those times in the cell.' She smiled.

'You deserve more than just thank you; you've been there for my friend.'

He smiled at her.

'I am tough, I know but I also have a soft spot.'

She turned to face him this time.

'Pearl…..Ms Jackson, I mean isn't my friend, she is your friend and you were once my partner…more than a partner actually but you have always helped in out, is there a crime in paying back?'

She shakes her head. 'I have never done anything for you, I have only obstructed you, prevented you from.....'

'And all those times, have been good times, they were times that I wish I could turn back time and do the right thing.'

She smiled. 'I must have been stupid and callous, wasn't I?'

He shook his head. 'You were the best partner, I ever worked with.'

She shook her head. 'But I am not your partner anymore; we are now just co-workers.'

He looked away.

'Tell me, how is Lillian?'

He looked at her; was she really asking from the depth of her mind?

'We never dated.'

She looked away. 'Honestly, Nick, have you ever had a long lasting relationship; the maximum of five months or six, close to you proposing.'

'I can't remember, the only relationship that ever lasted for four months after Sonya left for France was the one I had with you, do you remember?'

She laughed. 'Yeah, but are you serious that you never had any relationship apart from the one you had with me.'

'Yes, maybe the problem was me, maybe it was because l...….couldn't bear it if you were available and I was seeing someone else.'

She laughed. 'I had boyfriends.'

'You never got close in marrying any one.'

She shook her head. 'When it is time for me to get married, it will be with the right guy.'

'And how will you meet the right guy, you are not getting any younger.'

She looked at him.

'I don't think there is a problem with me.'

He smiled and took her hands. 'You don't have a problem, let's try something, let me be your coach, friend, so that at least if there is no chance of us being together again then there is a chance I could share breakfast, lunch, dinner with you.'

Yeah, she missed doing those things with him. 'No strings attached?'

He nodded. 'No strings attached.'

At least that was what she told herself the last time they dated.

He moved closer to her. 'Believe me, when I say, every man should be lucky to have you because certainly I am.'

She smiled and hugged him. Gosh! His words meant a lot.