Wild Horses, Chapter Ten 

"Crime & Punishment"

It was an unusually hot and sticky afternoon, and the crowd that had gathered in the old courthouse was only making matters worse. The small room was silent, save for the rhythmic whooshing of several hand-held fans. Monica sat in the front of the room, her eyes never leaving the back of Chandler's head. She'd come to the trial under the pretense of wanting to see Peter Becker at work. As far as her mother knew, Peter was the only reason Monica was in the courthouse.

Peter rose slowly, the silence of the room stifling both him and his client. He cleared his throat, and peered up at the judge, as he prepared to deliver his opening statement.

Judge Harris was well known in San Francisco as a stern, but fair judge. Well into his fifties, the Judge wore a thick silver beard, that matched the hair on his head. His eyes were permanently crinkled, and his face was almost always bright red. He had thus earned the unfortunate nickname, "Judge Santa".

Peter delivered a seamless opening statement, pulling mostly on Chandler's good character, and the fact that his whereabouts on the night of Kathy Merritt's murder were accounted for. The prosecutor, a tiny, weasely looking man named Warren, used his opening statement to poke holes in all of Peter's theories, including the notion that Chandler was a good man. Warren intended to prove to the courts that not only was Chandler a murderer, he was also a thief, often robbing weary travellers on secluded roads. Chandler was fuming at the mere idea that he could ever do such a thing, but Peter shook his head, subtly informing Chandler that it wasn't worth a fight at the moment.

*

Two days into the trial, Warren was parading in yet another witness from Virginia, to testify yet again, that Chandler had been furious over his quarrel with Kathy the night of the murder. For his part, Peter Becker had heard enough.

"Your honor, is this really necessary? We have already heard from ten witnesses, all saying the same thing."

"Does this witness have anything new to add, Mr. McCarren?"

"Your honor, I'm simply trying to show the court that--"

"Yes or no, Mr. McCarren?" The judge boomed.

"Well, not really, your honor..."

"Let's move on then. Do you have a witness here that is not going to tell us the same thing?"

"Yes, your honor, but, um, they aren't in the courthouse today. You see, I- -"

"Fine. We'll recess until tomorrow mornin' Nine AM." Judge Santa pounded his gavel and effectively ended further discussion.



***~***

"Miss Rachel, what are you doin' out here?" Joey looked around nervously.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Rachel said, as she dismounted her horse and approached Joey.

"I'm fine, really, but...you shouldn't be out here like this."

"Joey, I'm fine. Peter is so wrapped up in the trial...and my family seems to be as well."

"Alright," Joey relented, and took a seat on the log that sat adjacent to his campfire.

"Joey, how is Chandler? I just can't believe all this is happening!"

"He's...okay. He knows that he needs to pay for killin' that man in New Orleans, but...but they are gonna hang him for sure if they decide he killed Kathy Merritt."

"Do you think he--"

"No! No, I know Chandler, and I know he'd never so much as slap a woman, much less kill one. He only killed that other man out of self-defense..."

"Okay, Joey, okay. I believe you, I do."

They were silent for a moment, both watching the crackling fire intently. Joey finally broke the silence.

"He's really taken by your friend, ya know," Joey was almost whispering, and it took a few seconds for Rachel to register what he'd said.

"You mean Monica," Rachel responded, nodding her head.

"He knows she's gonna be hurt, and he wants her to stay away from him. But I think he's happy that she is stickin' by him."

"Her father knows," Rachel sighed.

"What?" Joey's head jerked up, and his eyes filled with panic.

"It's okay, Joey. He's known for a while. He likes Chandler, but he also knows that they have no future. And if Monica's mother were to discover...all hell would break loose, that's for sure."

Joey sighed sadly, and fell silent once again. He looked up into the sky, and then back at Rachel.

"I'd better escort you back to town, Miss Rachel. It looks like rain is comin."

"I'd rather stay...if that's alright by you."

Joey looked at Rachel quizzically, but was in no condition to argue. If Rachel had asked him to carry the world, he would've. He was completely enchanted by her.

"Are you goin stare at me all night, Mr. Tribianni, or are ya going to kiss me?"

Rachel's voice pulled Joey from his trance, and he looked over at her, blinking once before letting his heart take control.



***~***

"Monica, come inside, you'll catch your death for sure out there."

Monica took a deep breath, but did not move from her spot on the front porch of her parent's home. Things were not going well in the trial, and Monica was beginning to wonder if Chandler was right after all--perhaps he was a doomed man.

"Monica." Jack sat down next to his daughter, and took her tiny hand in his.

"I'll come inside in a second, father," Monica sighed.

"I know you love him, Monica. But you have to let him go."

Monica looked at her father quizzically, unsure as to whom he was talking about. Did he know? He couldn't be talking about...

"Pardon?"

"Monica, I know about Chandler. But your mother does not, and if she were to discover--"

"I know, father. I know."

"Even if he is freed...he has no future. And if you stay by his side...neither will you."

*

Judy watched quietly, as Jack and Monica discussed her future. She was well aware of her daughters ridiculous infatuation with that...murderer. She knew what she had to do. And if she got her way, Chandler Bing would never see the light of day again.



***~***

The prosecutor thumbed through his papers, seemingly deep in thought.

"Mr. McCarren, call your first witness," Judge Harris boomed, as the galley sat at attention.

McCarren stood, and smiled slightly, shooting a glance at Chandler, and then at Monica.

"I call Mrs. Judy Geller to the stand."

Monica gasped audibly, and Chandler turned to look toward the back of the courtroom, shock lining his face. Judy Geller paraded into the courtroom haughtily, without so much as a glance toward her husband or her daughter.

"Mrs. Geller, place you left hand on the bible, and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do."

*

"Mrs. Geller, do you recall the first time you encountered the Defendant?"

"Yes, I do."

"Can you tell the court, about the encounter?"

"Yes...yes. We were travelling, my family and I. Our carriage was forced off of the road. These..men...they...they pulled out guns, and they..." Judy began to tremble, and tears lined her eyes.

"Take your time, Mrs. Geller."

"What the hell is going on?" Chandler whispered to Peter.

"I have no idea. Mrs. Geller was a last minute addition. All Warren told me was that she wanted to talk about the robbery."

Chandler turned to look at Monica, and could see that she was just as confused as he was.

"Mrs. Geller?"

"Yes, yes, I'm okay. They tried to take our things, but they were stopped by two other men."

"I see. And are either of those men in the courtroom today?"

"Yes. The defendant, Mr. Bing. He was one of the two men that stopped the robbery."

"And he and his companion let you go."

"They did. But--"

"Mrs. Geller?"

"But that one," Mrs. Geller pointed a shaky finger toward Chandler, "Had some morbid fascination with my daughter. He tried to take her, but was stopped by my son, Ross. Then, later, here in town, he and his friend kidnapped my daughter, and Rachel Green. He is constantly harassing my daughter, and my family--"

"You're lying!" Monica screeched, as she stood up and tried to make her way toward her mother.

"Do you see the way he has brainwashed her?" Judy yelled, over her daughter's protests.

"No! You're a liar!" Monica was dragged, kicking and screaming from the courtroom.

Chandler sat back, in an utter state of shock. He watched, mesmerized, as Judy cried and carried on, her award-winning performance winning the sympathy of the jury, many of whom, were friends of the Geller's. Chandler shook his head despondently, knowing in his heart that Judy Geller's lies would go unnoticed, and that he was, for all intents and purposes, a dead man.



"Courthouse"

(C. Isaak)

You see his gentle smiling face

Then you go, oh

And all the good and bad you've done

He will know, he will know

People take their places, down at the Courthouse

People stand in line to see you fall

Everybody says they're in your corner

You'd be surprised to find one friend at all

And I don't care what people say

I will always feel this way

I don't care how long it takes

You're not to blame, you're not to blame

Time has come to say how much I love you

Time has come to say how much I care

And I don't care what people say

I will always feel this way

1 You're not to blame, you're not to blame