REASONABLE DOUBT

A/U: Hutch is an attorney hired to defend a disillusioned, burned out cop accused of murder. Beta read by DJJBlack

CHAPTER 1

Ken Hutchinson, known as Hutch to his friends, reached out to silence the alarm before it could awaken Vanessa. His wife was not a morning person and Hutch was in no mood to continue their fight from the night before. He waited a beat to make sure she hadn't been disturbed, then slipped out of bed and padded into the bathroom.

Casting a final glance at his wife's sleeping form; he silently closed the door and reached into the shower stall. As he waited for the water to reach a comfortable temperature, he stripped off the pajama bottoms he routinely slept in and tossed them in the general direction of the hamper. He had to admit to himself that he took some satisfaction in knowing that his pants on the floor would give Vanessa fits.

Having safely shut himself behind the shower's frosted glass door, he turned his face up into the spray and closed his eyes, letting the water wash over him for several long seconds. Some mornings he wished he could just stand there forever, letting all the doubts, fears and uncertainty that made up his life wash down the drain along with the warm water. Finally, being very careful not to use Vanessa's precious lavender scented soap, he grabbed his bar and lathered his body. In the beginning of their relationship, he had loved her trademark lavender scent. Now he hated it. Passionately.

Shower finished, he grabbed a thick terrycloth towel from the rack, briskly dried himself off, and tied the towel snuggly around his waist. As he leaned forward over the sink and rubbed the fog of steam off the mirror, he was stopped short by his reflection.

The handsome man with the thinning blond hair and ice blue eyes still looked pretty good despite the fact that his first thirty odd years hadn't been particularly kind to him. But, becoming a successful attorney was a highly competitive venture. It meant long hours, and late night meetings with potential clients, often in a bar where the drinks flowed freely or an expensive restaurant with the company picking up the tab. So, he'd put on a few extra pounds thanks to too much rich food and an over indulgence in alcohol.

Add to that already hectic work schedule a wife who insisted on living an extravagant lifestyle, and there just weren't enough hours left in the day for him to find time to spend on himself. But, even though he'd had to give up his morning jogs, his legs were still muscular and strong, and he didn't think the extra weight spoiled his athletic build.

The unnerving thing about looking into the mirror, though, was that while he recognized the face reflected back at him, he realized, sadly, that he no longer recognized the man. He shook his head and reached for his toothbrush. Who the hell was he now?

He quickly finished his morning routine and returned to the bedroom to dress for the day. No court appearances meant no need for a suit; so he chose a tan sports coat over a cream-colored pullover and neatly pressed khaki slacks. At least whoever he was now knew how to dress.

As he turned to leave the room, he looked back to where Vanessa lay on the bed, still curled up under the down comforter. She really was a beautiful woman. Her high cheekbones, swan neck, lithe build, and legs up to there led most people to assume that she was high fashion model. Hutch found that ironic since that was supposedly her burning ambition. Too bad her inside wasn't as beautiful as her outside. She not only had a sharp tongue, but also a nasty temper that flared at the slightest real or imagined provocation. Over the years Hutch had become adept at dodging flying plates and glassware. Keeping the cabinets stocked with dinnerware was an expensive proposition.

Hutch doubted that Vanessa had ever loved him, at least not in the way that he had once loved her. At any rate, whatever positive emotions they had once shared had died a painful death a long time ago. And now here they were, trapped in a loveless marriage because neither of them was willing to take the first step to end it. Sighing heavily, he quietly left the bedroom, careful as always not to awaken to the sleeping evil queen of the house.

He took the elevator down to the underground parking garage. Vanessa had insisted on having the condominium when they moved to Bay City, even though it was expensive and cost more than they could really afford. But, one way or the other, Vanessa always got what she wanted. Just like the newer model silver Corvette that was parked in her assigned space. He unlocked the door to his vehicle, an older model black Mustang. This baby might be 'past its prime' but, the leather seats were still in good condition and comfortable, and he had no trouble settling his lanky frame into the driver's seat. The temperamental engine coughed and sputtered for a few seconds before turning over; then he was on his way to the law office where he was a junior partner.

The law offices of Peterson and Marshall were housed in an older building in downtown Bay City. The firm wasn't as prestigious as the higher priced Beverly Hills firms, but they still had a lucrative business and represented some well-known clientele. While they handled all kinds of civil and criminal matters, Hutch's caseload fell into the latter category and consisted primarily of the firm's 'white collar' crimes such as forgery, embezzlement and fraud. Mostly boring, routine cases, but they paid the bills. Barely.

Once inside the building, Hutch headed directly for the stairs. Peterson and Marshall was located on the fifth floor, but since the elevator was in a constant state of repair, taking it wasn't an option. The five-story climb was the only exercise he got these days, so he didn't mind making it himself, but it irritated the hell out of him that his clients had to make it too.

The firm's three junior partners had small offices flanking a tiny space that served as their reception/waiting area. The desk in the middle of the area was manned by Amanda Gordon, a petite blue-eyed blonde who handled the secretarial duties for all three lawyers. As he approached his corner office (after all he was the 'senior' junior partner), Hutch saw an older couple seated on the sofa by Amanda's desk. Their clothing suggested a lower middle class couple that worked hard for a living, not their usual clientele. The man held his hat in his hands and the woman was nervously twisting a hanky in hers. Hutch glanced at Amanda, one eyebrow raised.

"Good morning, Mr. Hutchinson." She said, smiling brightly and nodding toward the couple on the sofa, "This is Mr. and Mrs. Starsky. They'd like to speak with you regarding a personal matter."

Hutch smiled at them politely. "Of course. Please come into my office."

He ushered them into his office, closed the door, and gestured for them to have a seat. Smiling nervously, they settled into the two upholstered arm chairs facing Hutch's desk. He took his own seat and leaned forward across the desk, smiling encouragingly. New clients were often anxious during their visit, and Hutch did his best to put them at ease. He genuinely cared about his clients; that was what made him so good at his job.

"I'm Ken Hutchinson. How may I help you?"

"I'm Al Starsky, and this is my wife, Rose," the older man answered with a slight edge to his voice. "A mutual acquaintance recommended you. Sam Benedict."

"Yes, Sam and I went to college together" Hutch kept his conversation casual as he waited for the other men to state the reason for his visit. "How is he? I heard he became a cop."

"Yes, he did," Al nodded sharply and got right to the point, a trait greatly appreciated by his prospective attorney. "We need a lawyer to defend my nephew, David, and Sam said you'd be fair and do your best to clear David's name."

"Why does your nephew need a lawyer?" Hutch relaxed back into his chair, closely watching the couple's facial expressions and body language. There was a lot to be learned about a person just by observing their non-verbal cues.

"He's been arrested for murdering his ex-wife." Rose Starsky said, as she wiped at her eyes with the hanky she still clutched tightly in her hands. "But, he didn't do it."

Al put a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "David's a cop too. A homicide detective. Whoever really killed Kelly is trying to make it look like he did it." He looked at Hutch beseechingly. "We don't have a lot of money but, if you help David, I swear you will get paid…one way or another."

Hutch hesitated. He had never defended someone accused of murder, but something in the older man's plea touched him. Hutch had always considered himself to be a good judge of character, and those instincts were telling him that this couple and their nephew needed his help.

"Suppose we start at the beginning," Hutch suggested. "Is there any evidence to suggest that your nephew is guilty, other than the fact that the victim is his ex-wife?"

"We don't know." Al said in a discouraged voice. "Nobody will tell us anything. They won't even let us see David."

"If he hasn't been arraigned yet, the police are within their legal rights to restrict any outside contact with the suspect." Hutch thought for a moment. "Tell me a little bit about David…and his wife."

"Ex-wife," Rose said pointedly. "They've been divorced for three months."

"I assume that it wasn't an amicable divorce."

"No, it wasn't," Al confirmed somberly as he perched on the edge of his chair. "They were fighting all the time at the end…sometimes it got violent…but Kelly was the aggressor, not David."

"Was there a previous history of domestic violence?" Hutch pulled a legal pad from a desk drawer and began to take notes.

"I don't know." Rose sniffed "We knew there were fights and we saw bruises on David's face and arm a few times but he always told us he had it under control. But, he did tell us that he thought Kelly was cheating on him, and it wasn't the first time that he had suspected her of having an affair."

"Who filed for the divorce?"

"David."

"On what grounds? Infidelity?"

"Irreconcilable differences," Al sighed heavily. "Kelly contested it and accused David of infidelity. She also accused him of assaulting her during the marriage and told the court that she was afraid of him. The court issued a restraining order against David."

"So it was a pretty bitter divorce…" It was not a question but a mere statement of fact.

Yes," Al admitted reluctantly. "Kelly dragged David's name and reputation through the mud. She took everything she could get her hands on. Finally, David just gave in and let her have whatever she wanted. He just wanted it over with."

"How had things been between them since the divorce?"

"Kelly refused to leave him alone. She constantly called him in the middle of the night…she broke into his apartment while he was at work…she even told internal affairs that he has a drinking problem."

"Does he?"

"Not that we know of, but Kelly did. That was one of the reasons for the divorce."

"How was she murdered?"

Al's gaze dropped to study the pattern on the carpet, and his voice was soft. "She was beaten to death, and there were supposedly signs that she'd been raped,"

"Well, before I make a decision about taking the case, I'd like to make some phone calls and do some preliminary investigation into the case. I'd also like to talk to David in person. From what you've told me the police have strong circumstantial evidence implicating your nephew as the prime suspect."

"If you decide to take the case…can you help him?" Rose Starsky asked in a tearful voice.

"If I take the case, I'll defend your nephew to the best of my ability." Hutch cautiously reassured her. He had learned early in his career not to make any rash promises. Sometimes the guiltiest appearing suspects turned out to be innocent and the suspects who looked so innocent turned out to be as guilty as sin.

He stood up bringing the meeting to a close, and held out his hand. The elderly couple also stood and Al firmly returned the handshake. Hutch escorted them to the door and then returned to his desk to consider his options.

He decided that his first order of business would be a phone call to his old college classmate, Same Benedict. Fifteen minutes after he asked Amanda to get Sam on the line, she put the call through to him.

"Ken, it's good to hear from you," Sam's voice boomed across the line. said in a boisterous voice. "I assume you're calling because Al and Rosie came to see you about David."

"That's right. What can you tell about the case?"

"Off the record? I think somebody's setting David up, and they're doing a damn good job of it."

"Why?"

"Why?" Sam chuckled. "You'd have to know David. He can get under your skin sometimes. But, he's a good cop…one of the best. He's made more than his share of enemies, just like the rest of us. And Kelly was a bitch." He hesitated slightly "Honestly, I'm surprised that something like this didn't happen long before now."

"But, you don't think that her ex-husband had anything to do with it?"

"No, I don't. Believe me; Kelly gave David more than enough reasons to knock her around. But he never touched her. Not once."

"Are you sure about that?" Hutch had to ask "Everybody has their breaking point."

"I'm sure. Like I said, you'd have to know David."

"Where's he being held? Downtown?"

"Yeah. Isolated from the other prisoners…one of the perks of being a cop. You gonna take the case?"

"I don't know yet. I want to talk to him first hear his side of things, see if the cops have anything besides circumstantial evidence against him."

"He needs somebody on his side or he's going to get railroaded into prison for sure. I don't want to see that happen. He's a good kid." Sam's voice grew solemn. "That bitch he was married to made his life hell when she was alive; it would be a shame if she could do the same even after she's dead." There was a soft click as Sam hung up disconnecting the call.

Hutch hung up and leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful sigh. A cop, a bitter divorce, a vindictive ex-wife, accusations of affairs and abuse. The case already intrigued him.

He left his office and paused beside Amanda's desk. "Cancel my appointments. I'll be out for the rest of the day."

"New case?" She asked with an inquisitive smile.

Hutch glanced at her over his shoulder as he headed for the stairway. "Maybe,"