CHAPTER 12: TESTIMONY-GATHERING, PART THREE
The investigation was recommencing and the next witness entered. "State your full name, please", Weinmann requested, in his usual manner. "You can just call me Carnell, Sir", the bellhop replied. "OK, Carnell, we've called you here to listen to your perspective concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage of Dr. House to Dominika House, nee Petrova. What would you say about the claims I have heard that the whole marriage is a sham?", the official enquired.
"I'm at a loss for words. I don't believe a word out of it", he replied. "Would you mind telling us more, Carnell? How are you so sure? You could begin by describing how you became acquainted to Dr. and Mrs. House", Weinmann said in a kind way, while Tritter harrumphed.
"I will. I was first introduced to Mrs. House, back then still unmarried, when she was hired as a pastry chef. If you haven't tasted her cinnamon rolls, you don't know what you're missing out, Sir. Anyway, from what I saw of her, Dominika House has always been diligent, hardworking and compassionate, but at the same time a very clever person. The woman could determine someone's origins and profession very easily. She almost creeped me out, she sounded like a girl version of that British detective with the deerstalker hat. Pardon if this doesn't help you, Sir, I'm just responding to your question", the bellhop said, looking anxious because of Tritter's malicious glare fixed on him.
"No, don't worry, Carnell, so far you're helping me very much. Now, can you please tell me about Dr. House?", Weinmann maintained his tone. "Certainly. One day like the others, he checked in the hotel, taking a very large suite. He was a hell of a resident, requesting tons of alcohol and bringing all kinds of... shady ladies in the suite. He pulled all kinds of pranks, as well, many of them with my help. He was very generous, however, it's due to the large tips he gave me that I managed to buy a very good suit of clothes", he started saying, but Tritter cut him off, "So you were an accomplice to his activities! Speak up! Leave the charade and say it outright: were you aware of his sham?".
"Sir, Detective, he didn't do anything illegal!", Carnell protested. "Don't worry, Carnell, Detective Tritter will not interrupt us again. Please, go back to your narrative", Weinmann intervened. "Yes, Sir. All those days, I actually felt sorry for Dr. House. He was drinking more than all the other customers combined and he always looked like a mess. He was a wreck, honestly. I've seen many guys struggle over a breakup, but he wanted to feel bad, he probably thought he was responsible. And that's a shame", the employee continued.
"But, Carnell, given what you say, it doesn't make much sense for Dr. House getting married to another woman so quickly, right?", the INS official asked. "Sir, I'm gonna explain in a moment. You see, I delivered Dr. House's breakfast every day. One day, he asked me something about the cinnamon rolls I'd taken to him earlier. He wanted the recipe and... Ummm... He wanted to know who was preparing them. I answered and he asked if it was possible to meet the staff member in question. Said staff member was Mrs. House. So, I told her he wished to meet her. I don't know what transpired during their first meeting, but I know that Dr. House was too fond of her company, since I was sent by my boss to fetch her. When I entered the suite, I found them in deep conversation. Dr. House was really upset to see her go and requested me to take her again to his room on the next day. A couple of days later, he checked out and she quit her job. I was invited to the wedding, but my schedule made sure I couldn't participate and that's a pity. I bet she looked pretty in her wedding dress, a real eye candy", Carnell finished his narrative.
"So, Carnell, you think there were real feelings between them?", Weinmann asked. "Oh, very much. From the moment he met her, he stopped drinking and dismissed all the... shady ladies entertaining him. As for her, I swear she was head over heels in love with him. When I told her he wanted to see her again, she practically jumped out of joy", he responded with a chuckle.
"To sum it up, Carnell, based on your interactions with both of them, you deduce that the accusations are not correct", the official declared. "Yes, yes, there's no way that the marriage could be a sham", the bellhop stated. "Thank you for your perspective, Carnell", Weinmann said, shaking hands with him.
The next witness, an elderly woman dressed in vibrant green, stepped into the office. "State your full name, please", Weinmann issued his customary request. "Emma Galway. My maiden name was O'Hara and...", the talkative lady began saying, but the official stopped her kindly, stating, "Mrs. Galway, we've invited you here to listen to your perspective concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage of Dr. House to Dominika House, nee Petrova. Please, keep your answers succinct and to the point. What is your stance on the accusations that the marriage under investigation is a fraud?".
"Ridiculous nonsense! And Mike is so dense that he believed the one who said that stupidity!", the widow replied, pointing at Tritter, who was seething. "To the point, please, Mrs. Galway. You have been a neighbor of Dr. House for years...", Weinmann was about to finish the sentence, but Emma interjected, "Right. I've been his neighbor for ten years. When I lost my Ian, I moved in 221 Baker Street. Ten years and I hardly caught a glimpse of that man, Dr. House, except when he was going to his workplace or when he returned home. A very solitary person. Only a younger doctor was coming to visit, and they played noisy video games. I've been awakened many times by the noise, Mr. Hastings can tell you the same", she was speaking in a very fast pace, resulting in Weinmann raising his tone and exclaiming, "Mrs. Galway! Can we please return to the topic at hand?".
"As I was saying, despite being noisy, Dr. House was always an interesting neighbor. It's a shame he never seemed to be happy. We all gossiped about him, in certainty he was gonna die alone. Until, we learned that he'd got married. None of us had been invited to the wedding, but, then again, he hardly knew us, so I'm not surprised", she kept going, making Weinmann more irritated. "But, at the time of the arrest, Mrs. House was in your apartment. How did it come to be?", the official enquired.
"A day before the tragic incident, we were gathered at Mr. Hastings' apartment for tea. Mr. Hastings introduced the young lady to us as Mrs. House. I can't describe how dumbfounded we all were! And she's such a sweet lady. She reminds me of myself, when I was engaged to Ian. She's not Irish, but no one is perfect. Because I liked her company, I invited her to my place for tea and scones. Imagine, she was eager to give me some advice on how to proceed with Mike... Detective Tritter", the older woman resumed her narrative.
"Our relationship is not relevant to the issue at hand, Emma!", Tritter barked, adding, "And I don't want to do anything with you anymore! I just pretended having feelings for you because I thought you could give me information about House. You are too crazy to even do that correctly!". Immediately after blurting those words out, the irate detective understood how badly he'd screwed up. "Your personal liaisons are indeed not relevant here, Detective Tritter", Weinmann declared, "But your obsession over Dr. House and your abusive remarks towards witnesses are. Therefore, I don't request, I demand, that you stay silent for the remainder of the process".
Tritter swore under his breath, but kept silent. Emma, meanwhile, was stunned. "Mrs. Galway, I understand this might be tough for you, but I would like you to finish your statement", the INS official requested. "Certainly. All I have to say is that it's the wrong people who are subjected to this unfair treatment. About Dr. House, there are other people more suitable to speak. But, this young woman", she indicated Dominika, "there can be no question she loves her husband. True love is never a sham, and I have no doubt she loves him", Emma concluded. "I think there is no need for a summary. Thank you for your perspective, Mrs. Galway", Weinmann replied, shaking the widow's hand.
Weinmann wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead as the next witness was entering the office. "State your full name, please", he requested. "George Hastings", the strong man introduced himself. "Mr. Hastings, we've invited you here to listen to your perspective concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage of Dr. House to Dominika House, nee Petrova. What is your stance in regards to the accusations that the marriage under investigation is a fraudulent one?", the official asked.
"Total nonsense! For years, all I knew of Dr. House is that is a top-notch doctor and that he likes noisy video games. Anti-social, at times annoying, nonetheless Dr. House had a specific view on marriage, from what I understand, namely only contempt for the institution. Such views rarely change in people, from my experience. For them to change, something very important is required. The only explanation I can give is that he and his wife love each other. From my interactions with Mrs. House, I can say that, beyond reasonable doubt, she is head over heels in love with him", Hastings replied.
"You say you have interacted with Mrs. House, but there is no mention of Dr. House in your reference to this interaction. Could you elaborate more, Mr. Hastings? Moreover, were you aware of Mrs. House's status as an immigrant?", Weinmann further asked. "I first saw Mrs. House one day after the wedding. That afternoon, I was trying to get a nap, but I was unable to sleep, because of the sounds of music from Dr. House's apartment. I thought it was him behind the noise and decided to complain. Instead, I was greeted with the spectacle of a- pardon the phrase- truly gorgeous young woman. She was very kind, as well, and asked me if she could do something for me. She explained she is Dr. House's wife and that her husband was away for some purpose I can't recall now, but most likely related to his job. She also said that she was doing some kind of dance routine, hence the music. I invited her for tea and she accepted my invitation for the next day. It was then that, during the discussion, I asked her what her maiden name was. I drew the conclusion she's an immigrant, but I didn't know there was any issue over her papers. And, to be honest, such good and kind people are worth a piece of greenish paper, at least that's my view", the neighbor finished his answer.
"So, in a summary, Mr. Hastings, you don't give any credence to the allegations Detective Tritter has put forward against the pair", Weinmann concluded. "Indeed, I don't believe a single word of it. And, I remember Detective Tritter from some years before. He was stalking Dr. House, searched his apartment for drugs, jailed him on charges later proven false. I daresay that it's only Detective Tritter's obsession with Dr. House that motivated him to arrest Mrs. House", Hastings remarked. "I am going to take all this into account. Thank you for your perspective, Mr. Hastings", the official stated, shaking hands with the other man.
Five minutes later, neither of the last two witnesses, namely Jerry Barrett and Lisa Cuddy, had appeared. "So", Weinmann started talking again, "given the character of the testimonies heard, if the last two witnesses do not appear until noon, I am closing the investigation", he informed the other three people in the room. Tritter was obviously very irate, swearing under his breath, while House and Dominika were still silent, unsure what to do or say. Suddenly, however, a hubbub could be heard outside the door. "What's going on out there?", the INS investigator asked, stepping outside the office for a moment, Tritter following behind him. "It appears our witnesses remembered they have to give their testimony", Weinmann observed. He settled behind the desk again, as Jerry Barrett walked into the office, about to give the penultimate testimony.