Rei Ryghts: Rookie Attorney
The Ten-Year Turnabout
By Derald Snyder
Trial Day 1
Court Record:
Crime Scene Photos
Crime Scene Diagram
Testimony Notes
Avalon Hotel Work Permit
March 28, 9:36 AM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1
Rei couldn't help but note that Paul Peterman seemed to be in a sour mood as he stood in the defendant lobby, with his head bowed and arms crossed. "I-Is s-something wrong, Mr. Peterman...?"
"HA!" the fisherman shouted. "Everything's wrong, that's what... how many times have I stood in this place, wonderin' if I had any chance of winnin' this time..."
"Th-things are g-going to be d-different this time!" Rei asserted. "I'm g-going to fight for you w-with everything I have!"
Paul raised his head up to look the lawyer in the eye. "If it hadn't been fer your angry outburst yesterday, I mighta scoffed at that..." Just then, Bart Samson walked in.
"Good morning, Mr. Peterman. Rei, are you holding up all right?" The large man asked. "This is your first murder trial, after all... I don't want your nerves getting the better of you here."
"I-I'm fine!" Rei insisted. "I know y-you can't b-be standing next t-to me at the b-bench, but will you at least b-be watching f-from the gallery?"
"Of course," Bartholomew nodded. "Besides, you've technically rehearsed for the first part of this trial anyway. Just remember what you did there, and you should be fine."
"R-right," Rei nodded.
"Well I sure hope you can expose Mr. Schmucker's lies this time," Peterman muttered. "I'm counting' on ya, Miss Ryghts... don't screw it up."
"I'll d-do my b-best not t-to..."
March 28, 9:45 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 1
Rei recognized the judge immediately upon entering the courtroom... it was the same one who had presided over her debut trial. He was completely bald, with a large flowing gray-white beard and stern black eyes. Said judge then banged his gavel to silence the muttering crowds. "Court is now in session for the trial of Paul Peterman."
"Th-the defense is ready, Y-Your Honor," Rei proclaimed.
"The prosecution is ready to proceed, Your Honor," Michael Millhouse stated solemnly from the other side of the courtroom.
The judge nodded in acknowledgment, before looking over at the defense's bench. "Miss Rei Ryghts, it's been a while. I haven't seen you since your very first trial! Where have you been?"
"M-mostly handling civil c-cases, Your Honor," Rei muttered as she tapped her index fingers together.
"Ah, yes, I see," the bald man nodded. "Well, everyone has to start somewhere, I suppose... I see you've gotten rid of your handcuffs, by the way."
"I-it was Mr. Samson's idea," the former villain replied. "He s-said th-that if I w-wanted t-to repair my reputation, I sh-should stop looking like I d-deserved t-to g-go back t-to j-jail."
"Fair enough," the judge allowed. "But, Miss Ryghts... Are you sure you're ready to handle a ten-year-old cold case such as this one?"
"With all due respect, Your Honor," Millhouse spoke up, "it is because of Miss Ryghts that we are even standing here in court today. She has found several inconsistencies in the testimony and evidence, which left me no choice but to re-open the case." The gallery started muttering in disbelief at this, being silenced by the judge's gavel.
"Did she truly?" the judge said with wide eyes. "Well, it seems my hunch about you was correct, Miss Ryghts... you do indeed appear to be a prodigy of law."
Rei could only squeak in response as her face burned red. (I'm going to die of embarrassment if you keep buttering me up like this, Your Honor...!)
Fortunately for her, it seemed that he was finished with his praise for the moment, as he banged his gavel again. "Anyway, let us proceed. Prosecutor Millhouse, your opening statement."
"Yes, Your Honor." Holding up a piece of paper, the prosecutor began, "The crime in question occurred almost 10 years ago, on July 7, in an alleyway a short distance from the local branch of Fourth Third Bank, where the victim worked. Said victim was Rich Clark, a bank clerk, who was 31 at the time of death. The crime was reported by a witness at around 6 PM." Looking up, he continued, "When the police got there, they found no body, but they did discover a large bloodstain and two shell casings, as well as one bullet that had imbedded in the wall. The pattern of the blood suggests that the victim collapsed where he stood, then was dragged off somewhere..."
"Are you saying that the body has not been found, even to this day?" the judge asked.
"Unfortunately not, Your Honor," Millhouse shrugged and shook his head in futility. "Nor has the murder weapon, though the prosecution has a reasonable hypothesis to explain this... You see, the witness identified one Paul Peterman, a local fisherman, as the shooter. Most likely he took the body and murder weapon out to sea in his fishing boat to dispose of both... Unfortunately, said boat has since been sold off and disappeared, so we cannot search that either..."
"It sounds like you're missing quite a bit of evidence for this case," the judge observed sternly.
"I did the best I could in the limited time I had, Your Honor," Millhouse countered. "I did manage to locate the original witness, Dean Schmucker, and compel him to testify. According to Detective Pericles, he was reluctant at first, but changed his mind when threatened with perjury."
"I see," the bald man nodded. "So do you intend to call him now?"
"Yes, Your Honor," the prosecutor replied. "Bailiff, please bring in the witness."
"Yes, sir!" the NPC replied, exiting the courtroom for a brief moment, then returning with the man in question. He appeared to be 6' 2" tall, a lanky build, short dirty blond hair, brown eyes, and a slightly pale skin complexion. He was dressed in a cheap orange-brown shirt with a red necktie, and looked somewhat nervous.
"Please state your name and occupation for the record," Millhouse ordered.
"Um... Dean Schmucker. I work in accounting," the tall man answered. "Now what's this about perjury...?"
"To be blunt, this is a re-trial of a case you testified in ten years ago," the prosecutor answered. "Involving one Paul Peterman..."
"W-wait, what?!" Dean gasped in shock. "I thought this case was done and dusted! Why re-do it now?"
"That is none of your concern, witness," Millhouse rebuffed him coldly. "Your only concern is to testify about what you saw on that day..."
"Ugh..." Schmucker began to sweat. "I-it's been ten years, man... my memory's gone all fuzzy! How'm I supposed to recall every little detail...?"
"Don't worry. We have a transcript of your original testimony on hand," Mike assured the witness. "But first, let's see what you can recall on your own."
"W-well, alright..." the blond man sighed.
The judge then banged his gavel. "Very good, Mr. Schmucker. Please begin your testimony now."
(OK, this is it!) Rei thought, (My first real murder trial! Here goes nothing...)
Schmucker began, "Well, it all started when I went to bank around closing time. Actually, they'd just closed their doors, so I went around back, hoping I could catch one of the tellers on the way out. I spotted the one guy- Clark, I think? -going into an alleyway, so I took off after him. But then he stopped and looked to his right, raising his hands! I heard a guy yell something, then, BLAM-BLAM! the clerk collapsed against the wall, and I fled for my life!"
"Did you happen to see the shooter?" Millhouse inquired.
"Uh..." Dean bowed his head in thought for a moment. "Only a glimpse, but I'm pretty sure the guy had dark hair, glasses, a brown jacket, and was kinda short in stature... kinda like the guy in the defendant's chair!" If looks could kill, Peterman would have struck the witness dead then and there.
"I see. Thank you, witness," Millhouse nodded.
"Now then, Miss Ryghts, you may begin your cross-examination," declared the judge.
"Y-yes, Your Honor," Rei acknowledged. "Mr. Schmucker, y-you said you only c-caught a g-glimpse of the shooter?"
"Well, there was a big garbage can in the way, sitting on top of the dumpster," Schmucker pointed out.
"Really? B-but why w-would it b-be sitting th-there?" Rei pondered. "D-doesn't that violate s-some sort of local ordinance?"
"How should I know?!" Dean shrugged helplessly. "But that's the truth, it was sitting there, stuffed full, with some folders sticking out the top!"
"...That seems consistent with your original testimony," Millhouse observed as he looked over some papers.
(Wow, that was faster than I thought,) Rei mulled. (Well, time to spring the trap...) Pulling out a photo, she stated, "Mr. Schmucker, this is a photo of the crime scene, where you can see the garbage can in question..."
"Yeah, off to the right, like I said!" the man nodded.
"But where are the folders you spoke of? I don't see them in this photo..." the horned lawyer pointed out.
"H... huh?!" Schmucker grunted, pulling at his tie a little. "M-maybe they fell out?"
"OBJECTION!" Rei slammed her fists on the bench. "I don't think so, worm! As you can see in this second photo, the folders you described are clearly visible! The problem is, this photo is from the shooter's perspective!"
"WAAAAHHH!" Dean Schmucker screamed in shock, setting the gallery chattering...
"Objection!" Millhouse interrupted. "Miss Ryghts, the forensics clearly showed that the shooter was someone short in stature! Inconsistent with the witness' height!"
"Y-yeah, that's right!" Dean stammered. "I'm not even licensed to carry!"
"OBJECTION!" the former villain shot back, shaking her head. "I never said he was the shooter! But it still makes sense if he was standing next to the shooter when Mr. Clark was killed!"
"GAAACCK!" the witness as he yanked at his tie, which suddenly popped off, revealing it to be a cheap clip-on.
"Order! Order!" the judge yelled as he gaveled down the restless gallery. "...Now I'm starting to understand. This is why Prosecutor Millhouse had the witness threatened with perjury, isn't it?!"
"My, Your Honor," Mike chuckled, "it takes a while for the pennies to fall, but when they do there is a veritable cascade."
"HOLD IT!" Schmucker suddenly yelled as he reattached his tie. "I... I want to revise my testimony!"
"Oh, really?" the prosecutor raised an eyebrow with arms crossed. "After all this time, and only now you wish to change your story?"
"L-look, I, I..." Schmucker stammered. "I-I admit it! I was standing next to the shooter! B-but that doesn't make me his accomplice or anything! Please, I'm begging ya, man, hear me out!"
The judge banged his gavel. "Well, given that it's been a few years, I'm inclined to give the witness some leeway here. But only this once!" he warned sternly. "Now, please give us your revised testimony."
"Y-yessir, Your Honor," Dean nodded. "Th-the truth is... I actually bumped into that Peterman guy while I was followin' after the clerk. But one look at that angry face, and I decided to let him have first go at him. Anyway, we entered the alleyway and confronted Mr. Clark together... but suddenly the guy- the fisherman, I mean- just pulls out a gun and shoots the clerk! So I scrammed outta there as fast as my legs could carry me, before I was next!"
Millhouse pondered in silence for a moment. "...So, you were standing with the defendant, but you didn't expect him to pull a gun?"
"Th-that's right!" Schmucker nodded vigorously. "I'm just glad I got such long legs, y'know?"
"Why did you not testify truthfully from the beginning?!" the judge demanded.
"Ummm..." the blond man tugged at his tie again. "I-it was my lawyer... he told me not to say where I'd been actually standing. He was all like, 'If you tell those guys you were standin' next to the guy who pulled the trigger, they'll finger you as the accomplice for sure!' S-so, that's why I lied!"
The judge could only shake his head in disappointment. "Well then, Mr. Schmucker, I would say that your lawyer gave you some very bad advice. Perjury is a very serious crime, in case you didn't know!"
"Of course, it remains to be seen if your new testimony will stand up to scrutiny as well," Millhouse pointed out.
"Indeed," the judge nodded in agreement. "The defense may cross-examine the witness."
"Y-y-yes, Your Honor!" Rei acknowledged. (But... there didn't seem to be anything contradictory in that testimony...)
But then, the former goddess remembered another piece of advice Bartholomew had given her... ("Rei, if you can't seem to find any inconsistencies in a witness' testimony, you can always press them for more information. If they're lying, more often than not they'll slip and say something contradictory. Only the most sophisticated of liars can keep their story straight...")
(Right, and Dean Schmucker doesn't seem like the brightest bulb here,) Rei thought to herself. (Right, so what should I ask about first...?) After pondering for a few moments, she spoke up, "Mr. Schmucker, may I ask why y-you were so d-desperate t-to get a hold of a t-teller in the f-first p-place?"
"Huh? Oh, uh..." Schmucker furrowed his brow for a second. "Well, my boss was informed of some inconsistencies in the payroll, so he sent me over to the bank to meet with Mr. Clark and figure out what was going on. I think he suspected that someone was skimming off the top or something..."
"Why did he send you specifically?" Millhouse pressed.
"Well, you know, I'm an accountant now, but even back then I was pretty good with numbers," Schmucker explained.
"Ah, yes," the prosecutor nodded in comprehension. "You were a construction worker back in the day, right?"
"Well, everyone's gotta start somewhere," the witness shrugged.
"Indeed, it seems you've moved up in the world, Mr. Schmucker," the judge added.
(Hmm, nothing contradictory there,) Rei mused. (Guess I'll have to come at this from a different angle...) "Mr. Schmucker, how come you g-got to the b-bank s-so late anyway? Shouldn't y-you have t-tried t-to get th-there earlier?"
"Y-yeah, well..." Dean stammered, "The bank closed about a half-hour after my shift got off. I should've been able to get there in time by car, but... I got a little turned around and lost. That's why I was late..."
"So, exactly wh-what t-time d-did your shift g-get off?" Rei asked.
"Uh... about 4:30 PM, I think..." Schmucker replied uncertainly.
"Which would mean that the bank closed at about 5 PM," Millhouse supplemented. "And the murder occurred not long after..."
Rei blinked at hearing this. (Wait a minute... 5 PM? But wasn't the murder reported at...) She then gasped as a sudden epiphany hit her. "HOLD IT! Prosecutor Millhouse, didn't you say the crime was reported at 6 PM?! That's almost a whole-hour gap!"
"Wh-what?!" the judge gasped with wide eyes.
"Ah...!" Millhouse grunted with a similar expression.
"Acckk!" Schmucker grabbed his tie again, as the audience began to mutter in confusion. "I was, uh, running away in panic, so I got lost again! A-as soon as I got my bearings, I ran right to the police station!"
(Even I can see he's grasping at straws now!) Rei thought, (I must be on to something here!) Slamming her fists on the bench, she declared, "I don't buy that, worm! You seriously expect us to believe it took you a whole hour to find your way to the station, even if you got lost?!"
"Unfortunately, I have to concur with the defense on this one," Millhouse lamented. "Even going on foot, the police station is only a half-hour away from Fourth Third Bank..."
"And another thing!" Rei pressed the attack. "Even if you got lost, couldn't you have just flagged down somebody and asked to borrow their phone, and contacted the police that way?! Your flimsy excuse holds no weight, maggot!"
"Ngaaahhhh!" Schmucker snapped his tie off again, causing the gallery's chatter to increase in volume, forcing the judge to gavel them down.
"Well then, Miss Ryghts," Millhouse said, "would you have any theories as to what the witness was actually doing during this time?"
(What he was actually doing?) the horned attorney pondered internally. (Well, if I assume that Schmucker was actually the accomplice to the real shooter, then...) "There's only one thing that can explain it! Dean Schmucker was helping his partner, the one who shot Rich Clark, hide the body away!"
"H-he was hiding the body?!" the judge gasped.
"Ah, so you're suggesting that Mr. Clark's murderer is a heretofore unknown third party, instead of Mr. Peterman?" Millhouse suggested.
"Th-that's exactly what I'm saying!" Rei insisted. "A-after all, we both know Schmucker and Peterman had n-no association with each other b-before the murder happened!" (It's the only way Paul Peterman could be innocent!)
"I see," Mike nodded. "However, before we address the matter of whether Mr. Schmucker was hiding the body, there's something vital you're missing."
"Wh-what's that?" the former villain grunted.
"Motive. Exactly why would Dean Schmucker and his so-called partner want Rich Clark dead anyway?" the cobalt-haired prosecutor stated.
"Uhh..." Rei bit her lip as she pondered the possibilities. "W-well... Mr. Schmucker said that he was sent t-to the b-bank b-because Mr. Clark found inconsistencies in the p-payroll... B-but what if HE was the one skimming off the top?!"
"Urk!" Schmucker grunted, now holding his detached clip-on in both hands.
"Which means, he and his partner had Mr. Clark killed to silence him!" Rei finished with a dramatic flourish of her pointer finger.
"Hmm... that does sound plausible enough," the judge agreed. "But that still leaves the question: Where could they have buried the body that it remained undiscovered for ten years?"
"Um... I think... W-well, Mr. Schmucker used t-to b-be a c-construction worker b-back then, right?" Rei stuttered. "S-so, th-they p-probably b-buried the b-body at the c-construction site! After all, n-no one would q-question construction workers moving d-dirt at a construction site!"
"Oh, come on!" Schmucker protested. "Now you're just talking out your rear end!"
"Objection!" Millhouse cut in. "Miss Ryghts, while your theory appears to be sound, it is just that: a theory based on conjecture."
"C-conjecture?!" Rei grunted in disbelief. "H-how could you...?!"
Millhouse held up a hand. "Miss Ryghts. You and I both know the golden rule of Lowee's legal system: In a court of law, evidence is everything. Therefore, if you wish for this court to take your claim seriously, you need proof of some kind."
"Y-yeah!" Dean nodded vigorously in agreement. "Let's see some proof, huh?! Of course, it's been so long, I'll bet there isn't any evidence left!"
"Urk!" Rei groaned, sweating a bit. (He's more right than he knows... the entire evidence file was purged! The only thing that was left was...) And then, suddenly everything clicked. "AAAAAAAHHHH!"
"Ha! See? I knew it! You got nothing!" Dean proclaimed with a relieved grin.
"OBJECTION!" the horned woman retorted. "I DO have proof, worm, and it's time for you to eat dirt!"
"...You sure seem confident all of a sudden," Millhouse observed. "Very well then, show us your proof."
"TAKE THAT!" Rei responded, presenting the work permit. "This is a safe work permit for the Avalon Hotel from ten years ago!"
"The Avalon Hotel?" the judge blinked. "Come to think of it, that venue is preparing for its' tenth anniversary celebration, in a few more months..."
"What the...?!" Schmucker gasped in disbelief. "Wh... where d-did you get that?!"
"As Prosecutor Millhouse can corroborate, this was the last piece of evidence remaining in the evidence file from ten years ago," Rei explained. "The rest of the file had been purged, save this one work permit, which we had believed irrelevant to the case... until now!"
"Ahhh!" Mike cried out in surprise. "Y-you mean... you can't be saying..."
"I am!" Rei insisted, slamming her fists on the bench. "The defense asserts that Mr. Clark's body is buried underneath the foundation of the Avalon Hotel!"
"NGOOOOOOH!" Dean Schmucker screamed as he literally ripped his clip on tie in two pieces, setting the gallery abuzz!
"Order! Order! Order!" the judge cried as he banged his gavel repeatedly. "Miss Ryghts! Are you saying the reason no one has found Mr. Clark's body after all this time, is NOT because Paul Peterman disposed of it at sea, but because Dean Schmucker and his partner buried him at the construction site of that hotel ten years ago?!"
"Exactly!" Rei confirmed with an evil smirk. "So tell me, Mr. Schmucker, did you work at that site ten years ago or not?"
"I... I..." Schmucker stammered, sweat pouring down his face. "L... Lawyer... I want a lawyer! I'm not saying anything else! I want a lawyer right now!"
Millhouse just shrugged and shook his head. "Well, you're certainly within your rights to request an attorney, Mr. Schmucker. Unfortunately, your lawyer will have to consult with you from jail. After all, we've proven beyond any reasonable doubt that you lied under oath ten years ago."
"GAAAAAAAHHH!" Schmucker cried in shock, throwing his hands up, causing the two halves of his clip-on to sail in opposite directions, before he collapsed over the witness stand, remaining there until the bailiff came and affixed the handcuffs.
"Hey Schmucker!" Peterman called out. "Right there, asshole!" He grinned as he made an obscene gesture, the blond man simply glaring back at him as he was escorted out of the courtroom.
"Mr. Peterman! Such behavior is unacceptable in a court of law!" the judge admonished. "Do anything like that again and I will hold you in contempt!" The defendant simply folded his arms and snorted in response.
(Honestly, I can't say I blame him...) Rei thought with her head bowed.
"Ahem!" Millhouse cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Now then, Your Honor, I believe a temporary adjournment is in order, so we can begin excavating the Avalon Hotel, to see if the defense's theory has any merit."
"Yes, I quite agree," the judge nodded. "Court will recess while this new wrinkle in the case is looked into. Court is adjourned!" He banged his gavel to signal the end of proceedings for the day.
*To be continued...*