"So what made you suspicious initially?" Giles asked.
But before Harry could answer the court clerk knocked on the door and informed them that the court was resuming session at one o'clock.
"One?" Giles almost screamed at the clerk. "Judge Evans, said she would give me until two!"
"Well maybe she changed her mind? You need to be back in position ready to resume at one, you've got" he checked his watch, "eight minutes."
Giles stood up quickly, pushing the table into Harry's chest this time.
"Sorry, I need to go and sort this out, there must be a mistake. But just in case there isn't and you go straight back up on that stand from now on you mention nothing more about hurting Nikki, you tell everyone just the facts of what happened. I don't want to hear any more emotional crap and whatever you do DON'T MENTION BUDAPEST!"
Giles grabbed his wig and papers and left at a run, his bulk wobbling and beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. Harry moved the desk back out of his ribcage and idly flicked through the Bible on the table. There was a list of useful passages for prisoners at the front of the book. The first one that caught his eye said:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
What was it that Giles had asked him? Asked him whether he was still a witness for the prosecution? He had seen the way Nikki had looked across at him; at Andrew Moorcroft. After all that had happened she was still in love with the man. Harry might not have been jealous of him at the beginning but he was now, how could he be so awful and yet have such a hold over her?
He suspected it was because the look she gave Drew was very like the look she had given him once, want and pain, longing and hope all mixed up together. He knew with utter certainty that despite everything that man had done to her, she really loved him.
It would be easy for him to convince the jury that there was reasonable doubt, he thought to himself remembering the words he had just read: 'that a man lay down his life for his friends.' He could so easily do it. He'd had to field off all those suspicious looks, and police questions that day he had taken her to the hospital. Everyone just assumed because he was the one with her, then he must have done it. He could easily take the fall for this, and leave the two of them to live happily ever after.
But that wasn't going to happen was it?
There would be no happily ever after. Nikki was in love with Andrew, but he doubted the same was true of Andrew. He'd already caused enough injuries to warrant being tried in Crown Court, so if he were released he would hardly be likely to change his behaviour now. What was that passage that was read out at every wedding he'd ever been to?
"Love is patient, love is kind... it keeps no record of wrongs...it always
protects...always trusts…always perseveres"
He couldn't remember it all, but those were the ones he always thought about. If those were the criteria for loving Nikki Alexander, he'd score more points than Drew.
There was a knock on the door.
"It's time to go Dr Cunningham," the clerk called through.
Giles would be livid, he'd have a heart attack before the end of the day if it carried on like this for much longer. Harry knew a court case against the swanky firm of Murchison, Bailey and Singh would be difficult. That's why he had been so diligent from the start with his record keeping. But already they were obviously pulling invisible strings that his affordable barrister could only dream of.
As Harry extricated his long legs from under the table his eyes fell on the open page of the Bible again.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
'It better had,' he mumbled and followed the clerk back to the witness box.
Coudn't help putting in quotes from the birthday boy himself; but it is Christmas...
