Officer Morgan sat on the witness stand. He had already been sworn in and the DA was getting ready to question him. Everyone in the room, except for Cole, Leo, and the girls were obviously demons. Even the spectators that sat in the back of the courtroom. All had some characteristic that identified them as other than human.
Piper was more than a bit uncomfortable. So many demons around and all she could do was sit at the defense table and watch. But these were bureaucracy demons. Unlike ordinary demons, they cared little for the fight between good and evil. Bureaucracy demons cared only for their paperwork. The DA approached the officer.
"Officer Morgan," the DA began. "Would you tell us in your own words what happened on the day in question?"
"It was just past noon," Morgan said. "I was coming off of Stapler Road just south of town. When I reached the intersection at Point Bluff Road a car sped past me on Point Bluff Road heading into town. I could tell it was moving well beyond the speed limit."
"What did you do then?" asked the DA.
"Well, I turned behind the car and began to follow it," Morgan continued. "As we got closer to town, I got out my radar gun to clock the cars' speed. The gun read fifty-seven miles per hour. Just about then we passed the city limit sign. There is a speed limit sign posted clearly on the city limit sign."
"What is the speed limit posted there?" the DA asked.
"Thirty," Morgan replied. "It's forty before you reach town. It changes to thirty at the city limit."
"What did you do then?" the DA asked.
"I pulled the car over," Morgan said. "The defendant was the only one in the car. I informed her that she was traveling well in excess of the posted speed limit and proceeded to write her a citation."
"What did she do?" the DA asked.
"She got belligerent," Morgan said. "She said she wasn't speeding and that I had no right to pull her over. When I informed her that the radar clocked her at fifty-seven, she said the gun must be broken."
"Was it broken?" asked the DA.
"No, sir, it wasn't," Morgan said. "I had just calibrated it that morning. It was in perfect working order. I clocked her doing fifty-seven in a thirty mile per hour zone. So I wrote her a citation."
"Is it possible you could have clocked the wrong vehicle?" asked the DA. "Maybe another vehicle that was on the road at the same time."
"No, sir," Morgan said. "We were the only two on the road at the time. I clocked he passing the city limit sign doing fifty-seven miles per hour."
"Thank you, Officer Morgan," the DA said. "Pass the witness."
"No questions at this time, your Honor," Cole said. "However, I reserve the right to recall this witness at a later time."
"Very well," replied the judge. "Officer Morgan you're dismissed."
Morgan stepped off the witness stand and just smiled smugly at Piper. It was clear he thought it was all but over. The DA stood up and faced the judge.
"Your Honor," he said, "I believe that is all I have. The prosecution rests."
"Mr. Turner," the judge said, turning to Cole, "you may present your case."
"Thank you, your Honor," Cole said. "I call Ms. Piper Halliwell to the stand."
Piper was sworn in and sat nervously in the witness seat. She didn't like being the center of attention in proceedings like this. She just hoped it would be over quickly.
"Piper," Cole said, smiling, "you've just heard Officer Morgan's testimony of the events of that day. Was his testimony accurate?"
"Most of it," Piper said. "All but the speeding part. I wasn't speeding."
"How do you know?" Cole asked.
"I had just looked at the speedometer on my car," Piper said. "It showed
that I was traveling at thirty miles an hour. There's no way I was doing fifty-
seven."
"Pass the witness," Cole said.
Piper couldn't believe it. That was all Cole was going to ask? Where was this brilliant defense he had promised? The DA stood up and walked up to the witness stand.
"Ms. Halliwell," the DA said. "Your testimony is that just before you were pulled over by Officer Morgan, you had looked at your speedometer."
"Yes," the Piper replied.
"That was very fortuitous, wasn't it?" asked the DA.
"Objection," Cole said.
"Sustained," said the judge.
"Ms. Halliwell," continued the DA, "is it possible you checked your speedometer earlier and just thought you had checked it just before entering the city limit?"
"No," Piper replied. "I checked it because I saw the speed limit sign. I checked to make sure I was going the speed limit. So I wouldn't get a ticket."
"I see," the DA. "How often do you have your car serviced?"
"I don't know," Piper said. "Whenever it needs it."
"Is it conceivable that your speedometer is not properly calibrated?" the DA asked. "That you're going faster or slower than what it shows?"
"Not by that much," Piper said.
"But you will concede it is possible that it's not properly calibrated?" asked the DA.
"I don't know," Piper said. "I'm not much of a mechanic."
"I'm sure," the DA said. "So all we have is your word that you were going the speed limit."
"That's right," Piper said. "I told you, I checked my speedometer just before I entered the city limit and I was doing the speed limit."
"Fine," said the DA. "So, let me just make sure I have this right. You claim you weren't speeding. With absolutely no corroborating proof whatsoever. While Officer Morgan stated you were traveling twenty-seven miles faster than the posted speed limit and has a properly calibrated radar gun to back up his claim. Is that about the size of things?"
Piper looked at Cole. He didn't seem worried. Piper was definitely worried. When it was put that way, she didn't see how she could possibly win. The judge would probably find her guilty.
"No further questions," the DA said.
"Mr. Turner," said the judge, "would you like to re-direct?"
"No, your Honor," Cole said. "I have no more questions for this witness."
"Ms. Halliwell," the judge said, turning to Piper, "you're excused."
Piper got up and stepped down from the witness stand. She just glared at Cole. He just smiled at her. A smile as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Do something," Piper whispered as she took her seat next to him. "I looked like an idiot up there."
"Sit down and relax," Cole said. "Just watch and see why I'm such a good ADA."
Piper sat down and glanced back at Phoebe and Leo. They just smiled at her. But it was clear they felt as she did. She had lost the case. Piper just slumped down in the chair wondering if she had enough money in her account to pay all the fees and costs associated with this fiasco.