34
Tuesday 20 March 2011, 0807hrs EST, Commander Harm Rabb's Office, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA, (201307ZMar01)
Harm, taking advantage of an otherwise empty elevator, had dropped a swift kiss on Loren's lips, bringing a rush of blood to her cheeks and startling her into exclaiming, "Hey! Not fair! Keep it out of the office, remember!"
"Oh, I remember alright! But I've wanted to kiss you in the elevator ever since our first weekend with Sarah, and this was just too good an opportunity to miss!" and then as the doors slid open stood back to allow his blushing fiancée to exit the car first, but deliberately delaying stepping out into the corridor until Loren turned, a puzzled frown on her forehead, "Are you going somewhere?" she challenged.
"Nope! Just drooling over your butt!" he grinned.
Loren glared at him, and with a hint of a pout, she whisked away to the sanctuary of her own office where, despite the smile on her face, she could cool her burning cheeks before having to face the rest of the world...
Harm chuckled, highly satisfied with his coup, 'Yeah, payback's a bitch, ain't it, Loren?' he mused as he unlocked his office door, dropped his briefcase on his desk, hung his cover on the peg by the side of the door and turned to head for the galley to make a cup of coffee, only to be stopped by the physical barrier comprising Meg Austin and two mugs of steaming coffee.
"'Morning, Meg, you're bright and early," Harm greeted her as he stepped back to allow her into the office, "Come on in and take a seat. Here, let me get those," he continued taking the mugs from her hands and carefully but quickly placing them on the desk, and then waving his fingers rapidly a couple of times to take the sting of the heat out of them.
Meg sat as she was bid, saying, "Still drinking it black, Harm?"
"As ever," he agreed, taking his own seat, and picking up his mug took a cautious sip of the steaming brew, "Now… what can I do for you, Meg?"
Meg fidgeted uneasily, picking up her mug and then putting it down without tasting the contents, and seemed to have difficulty in meeting Harm's eyes, "It… it's a bit… no, it's not a bit… it's a lot… embarrassing…"
Harm bit back his first instinct to tease her; either they were long over that element of their friendship, or the quiet but serious tone in which she spoke was enough for him to stifle the urge.
"Well, I'm not exactly a stranger to the concept or the experience of being embarrassed, Meg, so why not just trot it out and see if I can't read the brand?"
Meg did manage a weak smile at Harm's picking up on what had been one of her habitual, ranch-learned expressions, and was ever so slightly flattered that he should have remembered it over the years since he and she had been partners. "I've been a fool, Harm," she stated bluntly.
"I'm glad to hear it!" Harm replied enthusiastically, and then as Meg's eyebrows started to rise and a thundercloud expression started to gather on her face, he added blithely, "'cos that means, I haven't, after all, got the monopoly on that particular state of being!"
Despite herself, Meg couldn't suppress a snort of amusement, "Harm, I am trying to be serious here!" she protested.
"I know, Meg, and I'm sorry, but you're so tense, you look like you might explode at any given moment, and without the benefit of a warning."
Meg sighed, "In some ways I hate asking this but… well… to cut a long story short, you remember I spent some time with Gunny while he was hardening me up for the Quantico assignment?"
"Yes, go on," Harm said grimly. He had a feeling that he knew where this was heading – somewhere where he didn't want to go.
"It's this way Harm, I started feeling attracted to him, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same attraction towards me and…"
"Meg!" Harm interrupted sharply, "You haven't been and gone and done anything stupid? Please tell me you haven't!"
Meg coloured, "No! We haven't! And I'm surprised at you Harm, after all you and Loren…"
Harm eased back on his indignation and added more gently, "No, it's not quite the same thing, Meg. Loren and I are both officers and we went about things openly and above board, we informed the Admiral when we started dating, and again when we became engaged. And on both occasions he read us the riot act. But he can't really do that if it comes to you and Gunny. Look, I respect your judgement, and even in some ways approve… I know, the Admiral knows, that Gunny is a good, fine man. But regs don't make allowances. As far as the Navy is concerned, an improper relationship between an enlisted man or woman and an officer always constitutes Conduct to the Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline."
"I know, Harm, I know. Look, the only thing that might be open to being misconstrued, is that Gunny and I went for a run together on Saturday. It was after that run that I realised we couldn't share anything more. So… What I'm asking is, will you accompany me to lunch today? I've asked Gunny to meet me at Cathy's Cookie Corner for a sandwich, and I intend to make it clear to him that while I do respect and admire him, we cannot have a relationship that goes beyond the professional."
"And you want me to sit gooseberry?" Harm asked incredulously.
"No… not exactly. I'd like you to be there, but at a different table, out of earshot, but with a line of sight, so that if he and I are seen you could witness that no untoward behaviour took place. Please?"
Harm hesitated, this had the potential to turn into a whole pile of crap, and Meg picked up on his indecision, "Harm, please? You did say you'd help…"
"Yeah, I did… but what I had in mind was rescuing you from kidnappers, or dashing into a burning building… but this… Meg, this could turn out really bad for everyone concerned."
"I know it's a big ask, Harm, but I really need an assist on this one."
Meg's words struck a chord with Harm and although he still had his misgivings, he nodded. "OK, Meg, I'll be there for you, but I can't today. It'll have to be tomorrow, and Meg, this has got to be a clean break between you and the Gunny. I'm not unsympathetic, but…"
Meg nodded, her eyes suspiciously damp, "Yeah, but…" she said bitterly.
Tuesday 20 March 2011, 0848hrs EST, Conference Room, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA, (201348ZMar01)
"That just about wraps it up for the day!" A J Chegwidden glared challengingly at the two rows of officers ranged along the length of the conference table. "It appears," he added with heavy handed humour, "that we have an exceptionally well behaved Navy and Marine Corps on our hands, for a change! Unless, of course, anyone knows better?"
A hasty murmur of disclaimers caused the former Seal's face to crack into a rare grin before he spoke again, "Commander Rabb, you seem to have nothing major on your plate, the Blair case is completed. Well done on that, and to you too Mister Roberts, that was some remarkably effective research! So, Commander Rabb, as you appear to only have the Maxwell case to resolve, you seem to be a man of leisure, at least temporarily, and considering the excellent job you did on last year's budget, next week, you can draft this year's budget proposals as well. You can use my office for that… From secure on Friday, I shall be on leave, going fishing in New Mexico, and you Rabb will be acting JAG for the week. So it's just as well I've found you something to keep you out of mischief!"
Chegwidden grinned openly at Rabb's confusion as he gathered his papers and got to his feet, pausing to allow his officers to follow suit before he left the room.
As they left the room Harm was the target of a knowing elbow nudge by what seemed to be a grinning Mac and a whispered "That's what you get for so good with numbers!" from Loren.
Harm shook his head, "Nope, a piece of cake, I've still got the notes Renee left me when we drafted last year's budget together!" he said unthinkingly. And then as a stunned Loren stopped and glared at him he added, "What?"
"Harmon Rabb," she hissed furiously, "I didn't think that even you could be so… so… stupid!" and then spun on her heel and stalked off in the direction of the elevators.
"Wha… what did I do?" A totally baffled Harm asked, and almost jumped when Bud Roberts laid a daring hand on his shoulder.
Bud shook his head sorrowfully, "Rule two, sir: Never, ever, mention the name of your previous girlfriends, especially in a favourable light, or a light that could even be construed to be favourable!"
"Yeah… thanks, Bud, thanks a lot!" Harm replied with heavy irony, "Are there any more rules I ought to know about, perhaps?"
"Scores of them, sir; possibly hundreds!" Bud grinned, "And I'm discovering more every day!"
"How long have you been married, now, Bud?" Harm asked in amazement.
"Long enough to know that no matter how many rules I discover, there's another one, lurking just around the next corner! "
"Gee, thanks, Bud!"
"My pleasure, sir, and if you'll excuse me, Harriett wants to speak with me!"
Harm looked around for the blonde Lieutenant but failed to see her, "How…?"
"Rule thirteen, sir!" an unrepentant Bud grinned and quickly made his way along the hall to the bullpen.
Tuesday 20 March 2001, 0922hrs EST, Courtroom 3, JAG Headquarters, Falls Church, VA (191422ZMar01)
Harm waited outside the courtroom, waiting for the next witness to be called so that he could slip into court without attracting Judge Morris' ire. He had seen the disapproving look the judge had sent his way yesterday, and bearing in mind their shared past history he decided that it was probably best not to provoke Morris' temper.
He didn't have too long to wait before the MP NCO responsible for marshalling witnesses answered a summons from the court and turning to the assembled witnesses called, "Captain French!"
The surprised Captain grabbed his cover, and with a muttered, "I'd thought they'd done with me!" passed through the doors into the court room, while Harm slipped through the doors before they closed and for the second day in a row slipped into a vacant chair at the back of the court room where he could still get a decent view of the proceedings, just in time to hear Judge Morris caution Captain French, "I remind you Captain that you are still under oath."
French braced, "Yes, sir! Understood!"
"Very well, Captain, be seated. Commander Imes?"
Carolyn approached the witness stand, "Good morning Captain,"
"Good morning."
"I'm sorry to have called you back here, Captain, but there are one or two points that we have yet to cover. I'd like to ask you Captain, what were your relations with Captain Coulter and his family?"
"I disliked, and I still dislike, Captain Coulter. I very rarely saw his wife… she… uh… didn't leave the house much, and I saw his daughter, the present Commander Coulter, even less. When we moved in to base housing, she had just graduated from the academy, had recently married and was beginning her medical studies, or so I understood."
"Thank you, Captain. You state that you very rarely saw Ellen Coulter… but surely you must have seen her around, tending the front yard perhaps, or taking out the trash?"
"No, Commander… Come to think of it, I don't believe I ever saw her in the front yard… it was always Captain Coulter who tended it."
"Thank you, Captain. Now, you have just told the court that you disliked Captain Coulter, why did you, and in your own words, still dislike him?"
"In 1982 Captain Coulter and I both served as Lieutenants on the destroyer John Q Adams, on patrol in the South China Sea. On one occasion I was Officer of the Watch on the bridge when a lookout spotted an object in the water off the starboard bow. I ordered the collision warning to be sounded, full port helm and a decrease in revolutions. Captain Coulter, who had arrived on the bridge as a result of the collision warning, countermanded my orders telling the helmsman to ease the helm to forty five degrees. ordering stop engines and ordering a party of seamen to stand by to starboard amidships, ready to fend off whatever the object was."
"And what was the object, Captain?"
French looked uncomfortable, and hesitated, giving Alan Mattoni an opportunity, "Objection! What possible relevance can the nature of the object in the South China Sea almost twenty years ago possibly have?"
Carolyn shot a look of caution at Alan before addressing the court, "Your honour, if you will allow me a little latitude, I am sure the court will see not only where I'm going with this, but also why I'm going there."
Judge Morris considered her for a moment, "I'll grant you some latitude, Commander, but you'd better get where you're going pretty quick! Objection overruled!"
"Thank you, your honour," Carolyn replied and turned her attention back to Captain French, "So… what was the nature of the object, Captain?"
French looked embarrassed, but swallowed once and said, "It was a sampan – that's a small boat – with Vietnamese refugees on board."
"Thank you. What would have been the effect on those refugees if Captain Coulter had not countermanded your helm orders?"
"We would have broadsided into them, and probably have ridden right over them."
"So, the John Q Adams would have, in effect, steam rollered right over the top of them? Sinking the … sampan, and drowning its occupants?"
"Yes, probably."
"And what was the effect of Captain Coulter's orders?"
"Our bow wave pushed the sampan away and washed it down alongside our starboard beam, where it was grappled by the party standing by amidships and we were able to take the refugees on board."
"So… Captain Coulter's change to your orders saved the lives of… how many, Vietnamese refugees?"
"Nine" French said through clenched teeth.
"And you have resented him for twenty years for making a better decision than the one you had made?"
"No Commander, I did not resent him for that reason!" French replies heavily
"I am sorry, Captain, I'm a just a little confused here," Carolyn said spreading her hands in a supplicating gesture, "And I'm sure the court is eager to hear your reasons?"
"It was a combination of factors, Commander!" French said hotly, "Firstly, yes he did make me look like a fool in front of the bridge crew. Secondly, he cost me a year's pay and seniority, the Captain of the John Q Adams held over my recommendation for promotion for a further year." French paused for breath, "I could live with all that. OK, I admit I wasn't happy, but I had made a bad decision and would have to live with the fallout. But it was his smug and patronising attitude after the event that made me dislike him, and then after we moved to Saratoga, his attitude towards his wife made me despise him!"
"So your past antipathy received a boost when you found yourself again in close proximity?"
French nodded, "Yeah, that would be about right!"
"Thank you, your witness!" Carolyn turned away from the witness stand towards Mattoni as she spoke.
Alan Mattoni got to his feet briskly enough but despite his outward confidence he knew that Carolyn had just discredited Captain French's testimony. 'Dammit! This was the second time he'd been blindsided in this trial. Why the hell hadn't French told him of the old enmity between him and Coulter?'
"Captain French, you are a graduate of the US Navy Academy, Annapolis, are you not?"
"I am," French replied.
"So… you are inculcated with the honour code that prevails at that institution?"
"I am." French repeated.
"So… on your honour, you would endeavour not to permit your personal distaste for Captain Coulter colour the manner in which you gave your testimony?"
"No, Commander, I would not!" French said emphatically.
"Thank you, Captain French; no more questions."
Alan Mattoni withdrew to the prosecution table, well aware that his questions had been nothing more than an exercise in damage control; he could only hope that it had had some effect on the panel.
Judge Morris looked at Carolyn, "Redirect, Counsellor?" he asked.
"No thank you, your honour; this witness cannot contribute anything further that would impact this case."
"Very well, Counsellor, call your next witness."
"The defence calls Doctor Temperance Brennan."
Even from where he was sitting Harm could see the tension that emanated from Carolyn and Loren, and his forehead creased, obviously there was something about this witness that had them concerned. He leaned forward his elbows on his knees as he focussed intently on her.
She seemed fairly normal, an attractive brunette in her thirties, he hair worn loose to touch her shoulders, conservatively dressed in a navy blue suit and white open-necked blouse. The only sign that she might be not quite so conformist as a first glance might lead an observer to expect was the large, ornate pendant she wore around her neck.
Brennan elected to take a solemn affirmation to tell the truth, rather than the oath, explaining coolly that she didn't believe in the Christian myth and to her the oath was nothing but a meaningless formula. Judge Morris raised his eyebrows but allowed the substitution. Her statement made, Brennan seated herself in the witness stand, seemingly unfazed by the experience, and waited patiently until the bailiffs, in accordance with Carolyn's signal had wheeled a large, lightweight easel to stand at angle where it could be seen by the witness, the judge and the panel. Once that had been done, Carolyn approached the witness stand.
"Please state your full name, qualifications and current occupation for the record please."
"I am Doctor Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist, employed by the Jeffersonian Institute and consultant in forensic science to the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
"Thank you, Doctor Brennan. Please tell the court how you came to be involved in this case."
"I was approached by Doctor Coulter, who requested my expertise in examining a set of human remains."
"I see, and which remains were they?"
"They were remains that had been exhumed after a twelve year interval from a grave designated as being that of Ellen Coulter."
"Doctor, Commander Coulter," Carolyn placed just the slightest emphasis on Terri's naval rank, "Is an accomplished and experienced forensic pathologist. Why would she approach you for assistance?"
"Because while she is an accomplished and experienced forensic pathologist, but to put it quite simply, I am the best forensic anthropologist in the western world, and there were questions to be asked about the victim's manner of death that I was uniquely suited to answer."
It was Carolyn's turn to bite back an exclamation of dismay, she had carefully prepared Brennan so that the woman wouldn't present an overly confident, brash appearance to the panel, but a glance at the panel was enough to show that at least four of the members were now looking at the witness with marked disapproval, her claim to be the best in her field in half the world had not gone down well with naval officers who were accustomed to carrying out their own duties with the minimum of fuss and the total lack of bombast.
"And did you answer those questions, Doctor Brennan?" Carolyn ploughed on.
"I did."
"And what were your findings?" Carolyn moved to the easel and turned back the cover that had been concealing what lay beneath, revealing an annotated diagram of the human skull in profile.
"Once the remains of the flesh had been removed from the skull I examined the parietal bone, where the autopsy x-rays and MRI scan had suggested that there was a fracture. The original medical examiner claimed that fracture to have caused a subdural haemorrhage which in turn was the cause of death. However, when I examined the site I found that the fracture showed minor indications of callus formation indicating that the fracture was not caused at the time of death."
Carolyn asked, "Please indicate to the court, the location of the parietal bone."
"The parietal bone is the large bone at the upper posterior portion of the skull bounded by the coronal suture at its anterior edge and the lambdoid suture at its posterior edge, and on lateral edges by the squamosal suture."
"So…" Carolyn was able to follow Brennan's directions by the aid of the notes on the diagram, and her pointer came to rest on the specific portion of the diagram, "this rather large piece of bone at the top and back of the skull."
Brennan visibly winced at Carolyn's explanation in plain English, bringing more frowns of disapproval to the faces of the panel. "That is what I just said," she stated.
"And do we understand that the fracture was caused some time before the date of death?"
"Yes."
"And you could tell this by the formation of new bone growth at the edges of the fracture?"
"Yes. There was slight but significant callus formation at the fracture site, indicating that it was at the very least several days old."
"Thank you, Doctor, but even if the fracture was several days old, could it not have caused a slow bleeding haemorrhage that took those several days to kill the victim?"
"That is a possibility, and in order to either confirm the diagnosis, or to exclude it as a cause of death, I opened the skull and excised the parietal bone to examine its anterior aspect for signs of significant blood loss."
"You looked at the inside of the bone?"
"I did."
"And did you find any such signs of major blood loss?"
"I did not."
"Thank you; please tell the court what you did find."
Brennan allowed herself a small smile, "There was slight discolouration, a typical indication of a minor bleed."
"And would such a bleed be, in itself, sufficient to cause death?"
"No, it would have caused a slight headache in the victim, but no, it was not sufficiently heavy or prolonged enough to cause death."
Mattoni was back on his feet, "Objection! The witness is supposing!"
Carolyn interjected, "Your honour, the witness is more than just expert in her field, and such a conclusion is well within her sphere of competence."
Judge Morris turned to Alan Mattoni, "Defence counsel is correct, I'll allow the question and answer. Objection overruled."
"And did you come to a conclusion as to what caused the death of Ellen Coulter?" The forensic testimony was in danger of obscuring the fact that there was a victim in this case, and the reiteration of her name, Carolyn felt, should remind the panel that this was a case with a victim.
"I did not. A thorough examination of the skeletal remains revealed nothing that could possibly be cited as the cause of death."
"Thank you, Doctor Brennan. No further questions, your honour."
Judge Morris nodded as Carolyn re-took her seat, "Commander Mattoni?"
"Thank you, your honour. Doctor Brennan, you claim to be the foremost… uh… Forensic Anthropologist in the western hemisphere. Don't you think that claim is perhaps just a little exaggerated?" he finished with a tone that could only be described as patronising.
"No I do not. It is a simple statement of fact."
Mattoni allowed himself a flicker of a smile. If he could stoke this woman's arrogance, she would probably alienate the panel against her testimony – if Carolyn Imes would let him get away with it.
"Surely that is rather a matter of opinion?"
"No, it is a fact."
Carolyn was on her feet, "Objection! Asked and answered! Prosecution is badgering the witness!"
"Agreed! Objection sustained!" and then to Alan Mattoni, "Be careful, counsellor!"
"Yes, your honour. Doctor, despite your claim that you are the best in half the world at what you do, you could find no other injury that might have been the cause of death?"
"No. I could find no other bone injury that might have led to the victim's death."
"So… the skull fracture could have been the cause of death… After all, isn't judging the amount and the duration of bleeding by the stain the blood leaves behind an… uh… inexact science… isn't it in fact, no more than a wild guess?"
"No, it is not. It is a deductive process based on extensive data gathered over an extensive period of time by a large number of forensic scientists from all sub-branches of the discipline. The evidence is physically examined and the results of that examination compared to information that has been gathered and verified. And on that basis my conclusion is accurate."
"But that conclusion is still somewhat subjective, is it not Doctor, the evidence is still open to interpretation, even?"
"No more than in the decision of a jury!" Brennan shot back.
Carolyn winced and looked at the hastily scribbled note that Loren had shoved towards her 'Damn!' and nodded gloomily. For a second Carolyn thought about objecting, but a glance at the panel's faces changed her mind. They were looking both affronted and hostile, and Carolyn decided that this was a topic best left alone in the hope that that Mattoni having made his point would move on.
"But Doctor, in the face of the lack of evidence of any other injury, surely the skull fracture and the resulting bleed must have been the cause of death."
"No, that is not possible. Neither did I say that there were no further injuries. I merely said that there were no further bone injuries, a soft tissue injury can also cause death."
"Ah… and did you find any soft tissue injuries?"
"No… I did not… I…"
"Thank you Doctor. Just answer the question I asked, please!"
Brennan glared at Mattoni, but held her tongue, for which Carolyn gave heartfelt but silent thanks, as Mattoni addressed the judge, "No further questions, your honour."
Morris nodded, as was his habit, and looked at Carolyn. "Redirect?" he asked.
"Yes, your honour; Doctor Brennan, why did you not find any soft tissue injuries that might have led to the victim's death."
"Because I didn't look for them. My expertise is in bones, not soft tissue. I leave the examination of fleshy remains to others whose interest and expertise lies in that area."
Carolyn nodded, she had made the points she had wanted, now it was time to get Brennan off the stand before she annoyed the panel any further. "No more questions, your honour!"
"Thank you, Doctor Brennan, you may stand down."
There was the usual shuffling, subdued coughs and whispers as Doctor Brennan stalked up the centre aisle to the court room doors as the court waited for the judge's next words.
"Call your next witness, Counsellor," he told Carolyn.
"The defence recalls Commander Theresa Coulter."
Terri returned to the witness stand, and as he had for Captain French, Judge Morris reminded her that her testimony was still under oath.
Carolyn smiled warmly, "Commander Coulter, thank you for staying within recall range. You have already given testimony as the daughter of Captain and Ellen Coulter, and it is a matter of record that it was you who found your mother's body, is that not so?"
"That is correct," Terri answered calmly.
"Can you describe for the court exactly what you found when you entered your parents' home that summer afternoon?"
"Uh… I entered through the front door. In the hallway the door to the kitchen at the far end was open, but the door to the lounge was closed."
"What did you do then, Commander?"
"I looked for my mother in all three first floor rooms; I didn't find her, so I then went upstairs."
"And upstairs, what did you find?"
"There were three doors off the hall. The door to the bathroom and the second bedroom were open, but my parents' bedroom door was closed."
"I see, please tell the court what you did next."
"I knocked on my parents' bedroom door, but I got no answer, so I opened the door and called out to my mother. I could see her on the bed, but she didn't make any reply. I went over to the bed and shook her shoulder but she didn't respond. She was warm, so I felt for a pulse, but I couldn't find one. She was dead…" Terri's voice choked as she relived the feelings she had gone through twelve years ago.
"Thank you, Commander," Carolyn's voice was low and sympathetic, "I realise that this is hard for you. But we do need to get to the bottom of this matter."
"I'm alright, Commander, thank you." Terri's voice regained some of its former strength, "Please, carry on."
"Once you had decided that your mother was dead…"
"Objection! Counsel is postulating an occurrence that the witness was not at that time competent to judge!"
"He has a point, Commander Imes," Judge Morris observed.
"Your honour, Commander Coulter is an Annapolis graduate," Carolyn protested. "She will have received first aid training at that place and would know how to take a pulse. She was also in her second year of medical school, and although not qualified to give a legal opinion as to whether or not her mother was dead, I put it to the court that the training she had received and common sense would enable her to draw the correct conclusion."
Morris thought for a couple of seconds, his eyes never leaving Carolyn's face, "Very well, I'll allow it. Overruled! But Commander, tread carefully!"
"Yes, your honour; thank you." Carolyn hid her smile of triumph and turned back to Terri.
"What did you do next, Commander?"
"I… I opened the window and then used the telephone on the nightstand and called nine one one."
"Why did you open the window, Commander?"
"It was just so hot and stuffy that I couldn't breathe."
"Did you wonder why your mother had the door and window closed on what was one of the hottest days of the year?"
"Objection, your honour!" Mattoni was on his feet again, "Counsel is assuming facts not in evidence!"
"Your honour, it was July… even with our somewhat uncertain weather; July is still a hot month."
"Prosecution counsel is right, Commander, without any evidence to back you up, I have to sustain his objection! The panel will disregard defence counsel's last question."
"I'll re-phrase," Carolyn said and turned back to Terri, "Given that it was July, did you find it surprising that your mother had closed both the door and window before lying down on the bed?"
"Yes,"
"It wasn't a cold enough day for her to have needed to close windows and doors?"
"No… it was hot enough that on the drive to my parents' home that I'd wound down both windows of my car, and so I was very surprised that the heating was on 'high' in the house."
"The heating was on?" Carolyn asked.
"Yes… I couldn't face being in the room with my mother's body, so I went downstairs to the kitchen to wait for the MPs and the ambulance, and when I got there I saw that the heater was switched on. So I turned it off."
"Thank, you Commander. I'd like you now to become the scientist, rather than the daughter. Are you able to do that?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Go ahead."
"Thank you. You stated in your earlier testimony that with the original autopsy report, because it was flawed and incomplete, you would not have considered it to be reliable evidence."
"That is true, and I hold by that opinion."
"Thank you. Having reached that opinion, what did you do?"
"I authorised the exhumation of my mother's remains and then I carried out a second post-mortem exam."
"I see, that can't have been an easy decision to make, nor can it have been an easy examination to conduct." Carolyn said gently.
"No, neither the decision nor the examination was easy." Terri responded bitterly. Carolyn and Loren exchanged looks, it was almost painfully clear to them that Terri hadn't yet forgiven them for persuading her to take those steps.
"What were the findings of your examination, Commander?"
"I examined the remains of the soft tissue, taking specimens of the deceased's lungs and brain, and in the light of the original autopsy's unquantified finding of 'elevated levels of CO,' subjected them to tests designed to ascertain the presence of Carbon Monoxide in the form of Oxyhaemoglobin."
"After twelve years, Commander?" Carolyn asked.
"Yes. I was able to calculate the presence of a large proportion of CO in the surviving tissue sample, and by applying calculations using the known half-life of Carbon Monoxide was able to reach the conclusion that at the time of death the deceased had a Carbon Monoxide tissue level that was in excess of six and a half thousand parts per million."
"That sounds high, Commander."
"It is a lethal level, death would have occurred between twenty and thirty minutes after CO saturation had reached that density."
"Thank you, Commander. Did the amount of Carbon Monoxide present lead you to a different conclusion regarding the cause of death, from the original autopsy's finding of death by reason of a subdural haemorrhage?"
"Yes. I concluded that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to the inhalation of Carbon Monoxide. My findings and conclusion are in my report." Terri added helpfully.
"Thank you, Commander. Your witness." Carolyn concluded and faced Alan Mattoni.
He got to his feet and with a puzzled frown on his face approached the witness stand, "Commander, I'm slightly confused here… you testified yesterday as a prosecution witness, yet today you appear as a defence witness. Would you care to explain to the court what seems to be an apparent change of heart?"
"There is no change of heart Commander. I am merely following the evidence. When this case was opened for re-trial, the only evidence I had was the original autopsy report and Captain French's… incomplete testimony. That was sufficient to convict my father of my mother's murder, and I was content to believe that evidence and in that verdict, and for the last twelve years I have hated my father for what he was alleged to have done. However, this time around defence counsel asked questions that hadn't, to my knowledge, been asked before. Those questions required a fresh look at the evidence, and I must admit, in the hope of proving conclusively that my father was guilty, I re-examined, or had re-examined the physical evidence in the case. While the daughter was hoping for a verdict that would confirm the original verdict and sentence, the scientist was looking for the facts as revealed by the evidence."
Mattoni blinked, "Can you do that, Commander?" he asked in a show of surprise.
"Of course. It's really no different than the lawyers' adage of 'what happens in the courtroom stays in the courtroom'."
"I see. Now Commander, you have been very convincing in relating your findings and conclusion, but tell the court, please, how is it possible to calculate the amount of Carbon Monoxide in tissue after a period of twelve years."
"It is not a difficult calculation. The half-life of Carbon Monoxide is a known factor, and in this case the initial dosage was so high that enough remained in the tissue to be identified and a simple extrapolation based on the half life was sufficient to give the initial level of Carbon Monoxide in the victim."
"We have heard you today make much of the fact that the bedroom door and window in your moth's room were closed. Did that discovery lead you, at that time, to suspect anything other than blunt trauma as bringing about your mother's death?"
"At that time, no. I hadn't seen the autopsy report with its mention of elevated levels of CO in the tissue, neither was I yet experienced enough to correctly identify the colour of my mother's skin as being indicative of CO poisoning."
"So, until the defence team put the idea into your head to challenge the original autopsy report, you were content to abide by the original verdict?"
"That's not how it worked…"
"Just answer the question, please Commander!"
"No."
"No, what? No you weren't content to abide by the original verdict?"
"No, once I had seen the initial report, I was no longer content to abide by its findings!" Terri shot back.
"And why was that, Commander Coulter?"
"Because once I had seen the report I realised that it was flawed and incomplete." Terri paused, "Just as I told you yesterday!"
"I see, thank you Commander." Mattoni had been at a disadvantage throughout the cross examination, he had hoped to shake Terri from her previous testimony, but she, backed up by science had proved obdurate, and he lacking any scientific evidence to contradict her testimony, silently but bitterly cursed the slipshod defence and the flawed autopsy report at the first trial that had put him in a no-win situation.
"I have no further questions for this witness," he said heavily.
Judge Morris again nodded and turned to Terri, "You may step down, Commander. Commander Imes, do you have any further witnesses?"
"Yes, your honour, I would like to call Captain Thomas Coulter to the stand."
Judger Morris checked his watch, "Very well, but we'll recess for lunch first. This court will reconvene at thirteen thirty hours!" The crack of his gavel gave emphasis to Morris's' words and the courtroom was already half on its feet when the bailiff's cry of 'all rise!" was uttered.
Harm waited while Carolyn and Loren gathered their papers from the table in front of them and Captain Coulter was led away by his escort. For the first time Harm noticed that drawn expression on his face had lessened as had his air of being diminished. Harm could not help but agree with the optimism that Coulter showed. Mattoni's bolt was shot, and he wouldn't be surprised if Carolyn moved to dismiss the charges when the court reconvened. In the meantime, it was time to eat, and Harm stood and moved towards Loren, "Carolyn," he acknowledged the senior of the two defence attorneys, "Ready for lunch?" he asked Loren.
Loren stared at him for long seconds, and Harm began to feel uneasy, "I am ready for lunch," she said at last, "but not with you. You are still in the dog-house, mister! Are you ready ma'am?" her last remark was addressed to Carolyn.
Tuesday 20 March 2001, 1243hrs EST, Commissary, JAG Headquarters, Falls Church, VA (191422ZMar01)
Harm moodily pushed the commissary's idea of vegetable chow mein around his plate, trying his hardest not to stare at the table in the far corner of the room where Carolyn and Loren were giving every appearance of enjoying a convivial lunch and also tried to ignore the sympathetic comments and looks that Bud, his own lunch companion, kept sending across the table at him. At first remorseful, and then miserable, Harm was beginning to get angry at what he was coming to see as Loren's intransigence.
Hell, it wasn't as if he'd been unfaithful or forgotten Loren's birthday, all he'd done was to say that the job the Admiral had dumped on him wasn't going to be as bad as the old man had thought, because Renee had helped him to figure it out last year! 'What was so damn' wrong with that?' he asked himself.
His mood wasn't helped by the approach of a tray-laden Harriet accompanied by Mac, who were headed for the table with the obvious intent of sharing their lunch time with Bud. Harriet placed her loaded tray on the table and smiling brightly said, "Hi, sweetie," to Bud and a slightly less bright smile as she acknowledged Harm's presence, "Hello, sir. You don't mind if we sit, do you sir?"
Much as he would have liked to snarl something surly Harm was compelled by civility and good manners to mutter, "Harriett, Mac, no, go ahead…" before he sunk back into bitterly frustrated reflections. Consequently it took three or four attempt by Harriet to attract his attention when she asked him how did he think the Coulter court-martial was going, and his somewhat distracted "Oh, fine, I guess…" did nothing to satisfy her curiosity, but did draw a keen look from Mac, who saw beneath his distraction to his mixed emotions of misery and anger.
She lightly touched his forearm and when he looked up she was scribbling on her now ever-present note pad, and tearing off the top page passed it to him, 'Don't know what's wrong, but something is, think before you act!'
Harm read the note and with a muffled "For fuck's sake!" screwed it into a ball and without another word pushed his chair back from the table and practically stormed out of the commissary.
Harriet sat open-mouthed while Bud and Mac with matching expressions of concern watched him leave. "Wha… what was that all about," the blonde Lieutenant asked.
Bud sighed heavily, "Harm and Singer are having a dumb fight…" and then in response to the inquisitive expressions on both women's faces he explained, "It seems that when the Admiral gave Harm the job of writing up this year's budget request, he made a comment saying that it wouldn't be so bad because thanks to Renee's help last year, he had a handle on the business. And, well, Singer took it to heart and she's giving him a hard time over it."
"Well," Harriet remarked smugly, "she might just find out that Harmon Rabb isn't the man she can play those sorts of games with…. I wonder if, with a little nudge…" she said speculatively and then gave a yelp, "Ow! Bud! Did you just kick me?" she demanded indignantly.
Bud looked at Harriet with something very like scornful anger in his expression, a look she had never seen directed at herself before, as he said, "No, I didn't, but maybe I should have!"
Harriet looked in turn at Mac and Bud, "Ma'am, did you…?"
Mac nodded her head emphatically, "Yep. Did!"
"But… Bud, ma'am… all I meant was that we might be able to make the Commander see where he's gone wrong! I mean, look at him today, I've never seen him look so miserable, and then the way he swore when he left like that…"
Bud closed his eyes for an instant, "Ma'am, will you excuse us please!" he said as he rose to his feet and taking a firm hold on Harriet's forearm hissed, "With me Harriet! We need to talk!"
"Bud Roberts!" Harriet exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing?"
"Get on your feet and come with me quietly Harriet, or by the living God I will drag you out of here in front of everybody!"
Harriet looked up at her husband her jaw sagging and her blue eyes filling with tears, as she groped for her cover and purse. She had never seen Bud so mad before, not even when he had had that blazing argument with his father over Big Bud turning up half-drunk when he came to babysit Little AJ. Numbly she walked out of the commissary, keenly aware of Bud's guiding hand maintaining a firm grip on her elbow.
Mac looked with troubled eyes as Bud and Harriet left. Despite her honest liking for the bubbly blonde, and her acknowledgement of her good qualities, she wasn't totally blind to the other woman's faults. Once Harriet got an idea into her head she could be like a… a… terrier with a bone between its teeth, worrying and worrying at it, and refusing to let go, no matter how much she was asked to do so. It seemed that Bud had finally had enough of his wife's interference and was about to stop asking and start telling instead. Mac only hoped for both their sakes that despite Harriet's intransigence over the Harm and Loren Singer engagement, Bud wouldn't let his anger drive him too far. She shook her head, although she had previously thought that the Navy's ban on husbands and wives working together was ridiculously hidebound, and although on this occasion the dispute was not work related, she could suddenly see some sense in the ruling. If Bud and Harriet were at outs with each other, then the tension between them would be readily recognised in JAG Ops, and could, if the Admiral became aware of it easily end up in official action being taken against both husband and wife.
Loren was too immersed in her own misery to take note of Bud and Harriet leaving the commissary, although she was keenly aware of Harm's rapid departure. But along with the misery there was the beginning of a glow of resentment. 'He had brought this on himself, praising that stupid, artificial Peterson woman right in my face! That… that bottled blonde… Oh, what was it MacKenzie had scathingly called her? Oh, yes, "Video Princess"! He made me so damn' mad, and what was worse he couldn't even see what he'd done wrong! Men are so damn insensitive sometimes. But maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't have turned my shoulder to him and ignored him when he asked if he could join Carolyn and me…'
Carolyn had very little difficulty in interpreting the various expressions that chased one after the other over her friend's face. 'Whoa, hold on there just a cotton-picking minute! Friend? Where had that come from. This was Loren Singer I'm thinking about! But… yeah… friend was right! She'd started off as no more than an unwelcome second chair who, it was grudgingly admitted, had done a lot of the work that brought about the Coulter case, and while they had been working together the younger woman had unexpectedly revealed a dry sense of humour, an ability to work as a good team member, a quick mind and an aptitude for discovering discrepancies, and somewhere along the line a working partnership had morphed into a companionship and then a friendship. OK, it was still not a deep friendship, but Loren was… she had, by degrees become a friend.'
With that thought in her mind Carolyn said quietly, "OK Loren, you've told me what he did wrong, and yeah he was a bit of a klutz! But… men can be like that you know, and while you're certainly punishing him, if the expression I saw on his face a bit earlier is anything to go by, it now looks like you're also punishing yourself! And face it Loren, his sin isn't so black that you need to risk losing everything just because you got into a snit over a thoughtless remark!"
"I know!" Loren snapped back, "But it's not just his comments about that woman! Just look at the way he's acting out! What was he thinking, raging out of the room, that way? Why not just take up an ad in Times Square and let the whole world know we're having a fight! He's makes me so damn' mad!"
"Yeah, well, you've made that pretty obvious!" Carolyn observed dryly, "but take a minute, Loren, and ask yourself, who are you really mad at, Harmon Rabb or Loren Singer?"
Loren sent a look of dismay across the table at Carolyn, "Oh, my God! You're right, Carolyn I need to…"
But whatever Loren was about to say was interrupted as Alan Mattoni slumped into one of the vacant chairs with a resigned, "Ladies… sorry to interrupt, but can you spare a moment or two? If so, I might be able to spare us all a lot of moments and some aggravation."
Loren pushed aside her personal dilemma and turned her attention on Alan as Carolyn coolly replied, "Well, now that you've interrupted our lunch, I guess we might as well let you have your say."
Alan had the grace to wince and look embarrassed at his breach of manners in not asking permission to join them before he sat, but swallowing his chagrin he continued, "Your witnesses' forensic testimony has pretty well sunk the original autopsy report… and I'm pretty sure that despite Captain French's testimony the panel are going to decide in Captain Coulter's favour, so I thought I'd let you know that if you were to move for a dismissal of the charges, I won't object."
"No!" Loren interjected, and then as the two senior officers looked at her, she blushed and subsided back into silence.
"That's very kind of you, Alan," Carolyn said sarcastically, "and if you had said that yesterday, I might have accepted your offer. But at this late stage, I agree with Loren. What you're offering is not only literally a day late but also a dollar short!"
Alan shook his head in amazement, "But… I'm giving you the win!"
"It's not about the win!" Loren burst out again and then gasped, "Sorry, ma'am, sir!"
"No, go on, Loren. Tell Commander Mattoni why it isn't about the win," Carolyn encouraged her friend.
"Sir, if you concede now, and dismiss the charges, then yes, Captain Coulter will be vindicated, released from prison and all the rest. As far as the court is concerned that, of course, would be a good and just outcome. But it leaves a major question unanswered: If Captain Coulter did not murder his wife, then exactly how did Ellen Coulter die? Commander Imes and myself are pretty sure how, but Captain Coulter and his daughter need to have that our reasoning for coming to our conclusion as to cause of death entered in the record. We have one piece of physical evidence to offer and we want to put Captain Coulter on the stand. Once we've done that…" Loren paused, looked at Carolyn for confirmation and then took the plunge… "We'll rest our case and allow you to move to dismiss the charges!"
"Why allow me to dismiss, Lieutenant?"
"We've got this case won, sir, we'll have uncovered the truth and we have nothing more to prove. This way, we'll have the undisputed win, and you'll come out of it looking good too, instead of just having a loss on your record."
Mattoni leaned back in his chair and looked at Loren with a mixture of admiration and amusement, "You, Lieutenant are exceedingly devious and cunning, and might just turn into a damn fine attorney one day!"
"What do you mean, 'might' and 'one day', Alan?" Carolyn laughed as she came to Loren's defence, "She already is a damn' fine attorney!" Loren blushed slightly at the unexpected praise as Carolyn continued, "I may have done most of the talking in the courtroom, but it's Loren's hard work in prepping the case that has really kicked your butt! So… our offer is on the table… take it or leave it!"
Alan nodded, "I'll take it. And I'll also take my leave of you! I'd like to say it's been a pleasure working with you, but I don't take all that much pleasure in having, as you so delightfully put it, my butt kicked!" With a grin to take any implied harshness out of his words, Alan Mattoni stood and looked at the two defence attorneys in turn, and then with a smile on his face, he gently shook his head and left them in peace.
Carolyn idly twirled her fork in what was left of her pasta and prawn salad and without looking across at Loren, remarked in a conversational manner, "That was pretty generous of you, to let Alan off the hook like that."
Loren looked up in surprise, "You think so?" she asked.
"Yeah… you cut him a lot of slack… Why not try the same tactics with Harm?"
Tuesday 20 March 2001, 1326hrs EST, Courtroom 3, JAG Headquarters, Falls Church, VA (191826ZMar01)
Carolyn looked anxiously at the courtroom clock and then double-checked the time on her watch. Loren was cutting it fine. There was less than five minutes left before the court was scheduled to reconvene, and Judge Morris was not one to turn a blind eye to half the defence team being late or, heaven forfend, not showing up at all!
Then to her relief she heard the rapid click of heels on polished wood and turning her head she saw a drawn and miserable looking Loren hurrying down the aisle towards the front of the courtroom.
Carolyn waited, barely, until Loren had taken her seat and then leaning back she spoke in a fierce hiss around Captain Coulter, "Well, all sorted?"
Loren shook her head numbly, "No... he's left the building… nobody seemed to know where he's gone and I didn't want to advertise…"
Carolyn missed whatever Loren might have been going to say next as a slight disturbance at the rear of the court caught her attention, and hoping that it might be Harm she turned her head just in time to see that it was indeed him taking a seat in the back row, "It's OK! He's here!" she hissed.
"Another witness?" Captain Coulter asked, intrigued by the behind his back whispered conversation.
"No, not a…" Carolyn began but was cut off as the judge's door opened and the bailiff called the court to order.
Personal considerations had to be put aside as Carolyn and Loren turned their full attention on what they felt was the climax of the trial and the presentation of the key piece of evidence in discovering the reason for and the cause of Ellen Coulter's death.
Judge Morris looked at Carolyn and asked, "Are you ready to proceed?"
"Yes your honour, at this time, I'd like to submit Defence Exhibits A, B and C. Exhibits A and B are the autopsy reports carried out By Doctor Brennan and Commander Coulter respectively on the exhumed remains of Ellen Coulter. You will note that they are considerably longer and more complete than the original autopsy report!"
"Don't editorialise, Commander!" Judge Morris warned.
"My apologies, your honour. Exhibit C is a work order from Base Housing Maintenance for repairs to be carried out to the heating system at 42 Saratoga Avenue, Norfolk Naval Base. This is the address at which the Coulters resided." Carolyn paused for effect. "The work order is dated the day of Ellen Coulter's death and is for repairs to the propane gas operated heating and hot water system commonly installed in Base Housing. I would like the court to note the handwritten comments at the foot of the work order. These comments were written and signed by Petty Officer Two Argente, the operator assigned to the repair, and where he states that he was unable to complete the work on the date assigned because he lacked the necessary length of vent piping, and that he warned Mrs Coulter not to turn in the heating until he had returned the following day with the necessary parts to complete the repairs, and that in accordance with normal safety procedures he had 'tagged off' the heating unit."
"Commander Mattoni, have you seen this?"
"No, your honour."
"Very well… Commander Imes, if you'd be so good?"
Alan Mattoni gave the work order a swift perusal, even now his brain working to see if there was something in it that he could possibly turn to the prosecution's advantage, but there it was in black and white, just as Carolyn had described. With a sigh he handed the sheet of paper back to Carolyn, "The people stipulate to its existence and authenticity, your honour."
Judge Morris accepted the page from Carolyn and instructed the court recorder, "So entered." He then looked at Carolyn, "Do you have anything further, Commander?"
"We do your honour; the defence calls Captain Thomas Coulter to the stand."
As always the prospect of hearing the defendant give his version of events sent a quick and hastily stifled frisson of anticipation round the court as Judge Morris raised his head and let his gaze sweep the assembled spectators.
Captain Coulter was duly sworn and having seen him take his seat in the witness box, Carolyn sat down and Loren, putting her personal issues to one side and now fully focussed on the business at hand, rose to begin her direct questioning of the witness, and she meant business, wanting to finish this as quickly as she could so she could turn her attention to the disastrous state of affairs between her and Harm.
"Would you agree, Captain, that at the time of your wife's death, you were a drunk?"
Coulter licked his lips, hoping that the signs of his nervousness weren't too apparent to the panel, "Yes, I was a drunk," he answered in a subdued voice.
"And what kind of drunk were you?" Loren asked.
"I was an angry drunk."
"Did you ever direct that anger at your wife, sir?"
Coulter nodded miserably, "Yes," as he looked down at his fingers twining themselves around each other as his hands rested on his belt buckle.
"Why?" Loren countered.
"Because she wasn't perfect. That was what I expected from people – that was what I asked of my men."
Loren turned and paced slowly towards the panel, "Do you think that this was fair, sir?" she asked over her shoulder.
"No… it was twisted. My wife… deserved better from me." He paused for a few seconds, "I was not up to the job of being her husband. I was weak and full of self-loathing."
"Did you ever consider leaving her?" Loren asked
"No. Because then I would have had no-one to blame for my unhappiness."
Loren nodded and paused before she carried on with her questioning, and Harm took the opportunity to crane his neck to see how Terri, no longer a witness and seated amongst the spectators, was taking her father's confession. He could see that her face no longer wore the closed, almost hostile expression that it had worn throughout the trial whenever she had looked at her father or heard his name mentioned. Instead there was an expression of growing doubt.
Loren drew a deep breath and clasped her hands behind her back before she turned back to face the witness box, "Did your wife ever try to leave you, sir?"
"No, Ellen would never go out on her own, she was too dependent. Though she did throw me out of the house."
Loren slowly walked back across the courtroom towards the witness stand, "Tell us about that, please, sir."
"It was the week before she died. We were arguing… and… I lost control… I pushed her. When she fell she…" Coulter gestured towards the back of his own head, "she whacked her heads on the bedpost. I had threatened her often," Coulter admitted shamefacedly, "but it was the first time I had ever laid hands on her… the first time I had hurt her. It… it shook me up."
"How did you react?" Loren asked.
"I took a room at a motel." Coulter replied.
"You returned a week later, sir?"
"Yes, and we argued again!" Coulter replied heavily. "I threw stuff around, but she stood fast. Stared me down. I was furious but … but I knew it was over, all I could do was stomp out of there."
"Captain, why did you yell 'Are you happy now?'" Loren asked.
"I was trying to make the point that she would be alone from now on and that it was going to be hard for her."
"Sir, she'd just been alone for a week!" Loren objected.
"She called me at the motel every day." Coulter responded. Harm could see the surprise on Terri's face at that revelation.
Loren nodded, and then asked in a softer tone, "Captain, what did you do when you found out that your wife was dead?"
Coulter looked Loren straight in the eye and in a level voice, but with his eyes bright with remembered tears, said simply, "I cried." He paused and swallowed to clear his throat before he continued, "That may sound pathetic and like a plea for sympathy… but it's the truth."
"Thank you, Captain Coulter. I have no more questions," Loren said quietly.
"Commander Mattoni?" Judge Morris invited the prosecution counsel to cross examine, and Mattoni stood but then to everyone's surprise said, "The people have no questions for this witness your honour, and moreover, in the light of testimony given before this court, the people unconditionally withdraw all charges against Captain Thomas Coulter!"
Judge Morris almost gaped at Mattoni There was a subdued hubbub in the courtroom as the spectators shared his amazement, a hubbub that Morris almost instantly stilled with glare, a sharp rap of his gavel and an even sharper "Silence! Or I'll have the bailiff clear the court!"
He beckoned both sides, "Sidebar!" and waited for them to approach the bench, and then covering his microphone with his hand he asked quietly, "What the hell is going on?"
"Your honour," Mattoni replied, "It's obvious that the evidence we've heard today totally discredits the evidence from the first trial. The forensics are so much more complete, Captain French's testimony may, even unconsciously be tainted, the work order, tied in with the forensic report of high CO levels… and well, your honour, I have nothing with which to refute all this. So rather than have the defence come right out in court and present as a closing argument that Ellen Coulter took her own life, to the added distress of both Captain and Commander Coulter, I would far sooner withdraw the charges and spare them that much."
"I see," Judge Morris said in a non-committal tone of voice, "And I take it the defence has no objection?"
"None, your honour. We've set out our stall, and I don't think there's a single person in the courtroom that would vote for a guilty verdict."
"You may well be right," Morris growled, "but I don't like seeing the jury being second-guessed before they have even made the first guess. But as both prosecution and defence agree, then so be it! Stand back!"
The attorneys withdrew to their own tables as Morris began his ruling, "Captain Thomas Coulter, the withdrawal of all charges by the prosecution means that you are a free man. The original conviction against you is null and void, and you are reinstated to the list of active Navy officers with rank, seniority and all pay, allowances, benefits and entitlements restored to you with effect from the date of the original conviction! Members of the panel, the court thanks you for your attendance at this trial, you are free to return to your normal duties! This court is adjourned!"
All rose as the disgruntled judge returned to his chambers and the crowd broke up into excited clumps as the members of the panel worked their way through to the exit, some of them at least relieved that they hadn't had to reach a verdict.
Harm edged his way forward to join the group consisting of Carolyn, Alan Mattoni, Loren and Captain Coulter, only to stop as he came across Terri Coulter working her way towards the doors.
"Leaving?" he asked her with an inquiring look.
Terri looked over her shoulder, her face troubled, "I don't know if I can face him yet, Harm. I've spent the last twelve years of my life hating him… and now it's all been turned on its head."
"He didn't do it, Terri. I know it's hard facing up to the fact that your Mom may have deliberately taken her own life. But your dad, for all his faults didn't kill her. Terri, he's spent twelve years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and I'll bet that's changed him. I can guarantee that he's sober; twelve years in prison is a long time without a drink. You need to talk to him, Terri."
Even as he spoke, Harm realised that he was also giving himself the best possible advice.
"Harm, I don't know what to say…"
Harm gave her a half-grin of understanding, "You could start with 'Hi, Dad'," he suggested, looking over her shoulder.
Terri turned to see what he was looking at, and saw her father staring hungrily at her, with his heart in his eyes. "Yes… OK… I'll give it a try." She turned and slowly walked towards her father, and as they saw her approach, Carolyn, Loren and Alan stood back.
Terri halted in front of her father and licked her lips, "H… h… hello Dad…" she faltered
But Harm, despite Terri's opinion hadn't been looking at Captain Coulter; rather he was looking at Loren who stared back at him with much the same expression on her face as Terri's father had.
Indifferent to the others around them Harm and Loren started walking towards each other on the same instant, and then stopped with only a couple of feet between them each searching the other's eyes.
"Loren, we need to talk," Harm finally said gently.
"Yes… yes, we do…" Loren agreed, her eyes misting over.