Steele Reasonable Doubt
The expression on her face as Steele walked into the office caused his smile to almost falter. Miss Wolfe often had an air about her that made it seem she was his judge, jury and executioner. 'Confidence' he told himself, 'If you can't own it at least give the impression that you do.'
"Ah, morning Miss Wolfe." he said smiling, "I see you're thrilled to see me, as always."
"I might have been an hour ago, you know when you were supposed to be here, where have you been?"
"If you must know, I've been working on the case."
"You're not supposed to do that, remember?" With a small nod of her head Bernice gestured towards Laura's office, "Does she know?"
"That I'm not supposed to do that?"
Bernice rolled her eyes, "You're impossible."
"Ah, that she is aware of, mentions it often in fact."
"So you see Murph..." Laura paused and looked at the door.
"See?"
"Shhh, I think he's here."
"He who?"
"Him!"
"I don't know why we need him."
"We don't, the client needs to see him, and what the client wants.."
"We give them."
"Exactly!"
"I get it but really Laura this case is very C and D. We've solved it for crying out loud, without any help from him. I don't see how there's anything that he can tell them or help them with now."
"I know that, and you know that Murph but they don't. I don't even think he does."
"He would if he was here..."
"You called?" Steele said walking in with a grin on his face.
"Not really." Murphy said.
"We called an hour ago." Laura said, "The client wanted to see you, remember?"
"Naturally."
"Naturally?"
"Yes, it's quite natural he'd want to see me, after all, I've solved the case."
"You've solved the case?" Murphy said.
"I believe I just said that."
"Mr Steele, we've solved the case. In fact there wasn't a case to solve. I'm afraid to say our client's son is guilty."
"And I believe he's innocent, which I'm afraid to say, means you're wrong."
"YOU think he's innocent, oh well then he must be." Murphy said.
Laura glanced at Murphy then looking back at Steele said, "What makes you say that?"
"Laura, don't tell me you believe him."
"I'm not saying that yet Murphy, but this is a serious crime he's been accused of, you think he did, I think he did it, even his own family and lawyer think he did."
"Exactly, so where's the case?"
"Well his father obviously has doubts if he hired us to try and find any evidence that he didn't do it."
"His father is grasping at straws, Laura. Come on, we already discussed this."
"I'd still like to hear what he's thinking, Murph, aren't you the least bit curious?"
"Oh alright, but it better be good."
"Twelve Angry Men." Steele said.
"More annoyed than angry and not annoyed enough for twelve." Murphy said.
"Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, United Artists, 1957."
Murphy rolled his eyes, "I should have known."
"Please tell me you're going somewhere with this." Laura said.
"Somewhere logical." Murphy added.
"Oh I am, you see belief of the majority does not guilt attest."
"In English, please."
"So you're saying", Laura said as she began to pace, "That everyone could be wrong and he's innocent, based on what? An old movie?"
"Granted, I'll admit it sounds irrational."
"I can at least agree with that." Murphy said.
"Please tell me you have more than that." Laura said.
"I happened to visit the rest home where the prosecution's key witness resides, lovely little lady."
"And?"
"Are you aware that she's very frail and has difficulty walking?"
"Doesn't make her testimony any less threatening." Murphy said with growing impatience.
"It does however impact timing, doesn't it." Laura said causing Steele to smile at the hint of a gleam in her eyes.
"Precisely, her eyesight isn't exactly keen either."
"Sorry for sounding like Captain Obvious here", Murphy said, "but wouldn't details like that have been picked up long before now?"
"Indeed so and perhaps would have if our lad had grown up on, as they say 'the right side of the tracks'."
"Are you saying he's a victim of prejudice, this is the eighties you know."
"I'm simply relaying what I've discovered and observed."
"Which I must admit does cast some doubt over his guilt and does open up more questions. I think we'd better call our client back in and tell him Mr Steele is here now with some promising news."
"Laura, you're not seriously going to look into this are you?" Murphy said.
"I honestly don't think I can ignore it."
"Isn't this the job of his defence team?"
"I think when his father hired us, we became his defence team."
"I don't believe it", Murphy said, "he's done it again, Mr No Work turns up, throws a spanner in the works and viola, more work for us."
"Murphy, I'm shocked, after all isn't the important thing the truth?"
"Excellent point, Mr Steele or...what was your real name again?"
Steele straighten his ties and grinned, "Well you see Miss Holt I'd love to tell you, but the jury's still out on that one."