Charlie
"I Charles Swan swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
"Mr Randall?"
His lawyer stood and faced the audience.
"Does this look like a man who would abuse his daughter in anyway? Risk losing the only family he has left? Yes, my client loves his daughter, but doesn't every father? Charlie, would you ever hurt your daughter?"
"No. She's my daughter."
"Has she ever harmed herself?"
"Not that I know off. There would be times where she had bruises on her legs."
"Did you ever ask her about these?"
"No. She has always been a clumsy girl. I believed she may have just fallen over or bashed her legs against something."
"Did she ever complain to you?"
"No. She had no reason to."
"Why do you believe we are standing here today?"
"I know that she has a tough time at school and maybe she's wants some attention. I'm always at work so I can pay for Bella wants but that means I'm not home very often. I think she just wants my attention."
"Will you give her the attention she wants?"
"I will."
"I have no further questions your honour."
Clutching Edward's hands, my hope started to drift away.
"Miss Jordan."
"Thank you, your honour."
She stood up and walked over to Charlie.
"What I see before me is a monster. Everyone has their own opinions but under this image is a monster. He has accused Bella of being an attention seeker. If she is an attention seeker then how has she been able to convince police officers to arrest their chief? Why would she go to such lengths to have us here today, discussing this issue, unless it is true? No one is that skilled a liar to be able to bring it this far."
My hope started to build; Selena is an amazing lawyer.
"Charlie, would you ever hurt your daughter?"
"No."
"Then why are there pictures of physical abuse you put her through?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Your honour, if you could take a look at these pictures then you will see moments captured from Bella's bedroom."
She handed him a folder and continued to talk as he looked through the pictures.
"Charlie, when did you meet Renee?"
"We went to school together?"
"Did you ever go out together?"
"Yes."
"How long for?"
"A few months."
"Why is it you married her?"
"I loved her. I still do."
"Are you sure, because I know that you got Renee pregnant at eighteen and your families made you marry? You had no feelings for her at all."
"I loved her."
"Did you ever hurt her?"
"No."
"Then why was she in the hospital seven months pregnant with a bruise of your hand on her stomach?"
"It wasn't my hand."
"Who's was it then?"
"I don't know, there was nothing concluded."
"Being eight months pregnant though, wouldn't you have been around your wife nearly every minute of the day? You would have seen who did this."
"I had to work as we had money problems. I was out most days."
"Who was there to look after your wife?"
"No one. We had no one to help."
"So you left your eight month pregnant wife alone when she was having difficulties. She fractured her spine three times throughout her pregnancy. In the early stages, she fell down some stairs and broke her leg and sprained her wrist. You still left her to fend for herself. How could anyone do that to someone they loved?"
"I had to. She couldn't work so I had to. I had to do everything to help her."
"Yet you let her get hurt. You weren't even at the birth of your daughter. Your excuse was that you were stuck in traffic. You are a police officer, turn on the lights and sirens and you can get through the traffic. You didn't see your daughter till she was a three weeks old as she was too small and weak. Why was that? Because her mother didn't have enough to eat, was abused before pregnant and abused whilst she was pregnant."
Selena sat down next to me and gave me a confident smile. I took a deep breath as I looked up at Edward who kissed my forehead.
"Thank you Miss Jordan. Charlie you can take a seat; I'd like to call Alex Goodon to the stand please."
I watched as Charlie sat next to his lawyer and Alex stood by the stand.
