Chapter One Hundred

(One hundred!)

...

Victor read the text message he'd received from Connor once more before he went into the courtroom.

Connor: Good luck today, darling. Let me know how it goes. I'm with Lexie and keeping her company; she says hello to Alex.

Victor smiled encouragingly as Alex was guided over to the desk. "Are you all right, Alex?"

The teen with a multi-coloured mohawk shook his head. "Not really, Victor. I don't want to be here."

"Well, let's hope you won't have to be much longer. Lexie says hello," Victor said, smiling once more.

Alex's eyes widened. "Is she okay? She's supposed to be starting a new treatment soon and - " he cut off sharply when he realised how loud he was getting, his cheeks reddening.

"I've got the latest reports for you. All of the nurses are looking after her, I promise," Victor said, opening his briefcase and offering Alex the charts for Lexie's last two weeks in hospital.

Alex read them over, practically devouring the information, and Victor was glad he'd brought them. It was only a few minutes of reprieve for Alex but in those precious moments, he didn't have to think about his time in prison or his upcoming trial. He was completely focused on his grandmother's wellbeing. Victor felt like he could see the doctor he would become in those moments and truly hoped that he would have the chance.

Alex didn't even notice as the jury and witnesses were sworn in, his focus intent on the charts. Victor watched the jury and witnesses as they waited for Judge Salt to arrive - not only was she known for fast-tracking guardian applications and search warrants, Judge Salt also ensured both witnesses and the jury would be sworn in before she even arrived, cutting another fifteen minutes off the court time; well, her court time, at least.

Victor smiled at the witnesses he'd chosen and trying to determine if the witnesses the District Attorney had selected would cause a problem. Even with rock-solid evidence, some people could be swayed by those they believed to be authority figures. The DA had chosen three police officers, while Victor's own witnesses were two nurses and a doctor. Depending on the jury, the authority of each group of witnesses could sway. He had selected two nurses and a former-nurse turned grandmother on the jury; the DA had chosen an ex-Marine, the child of a former police officer, and a school principal who looked like the stereotypical child-hating principal from every TV show and movie Victor had ever seen. The other six jury members were a mix of everyday citizens who could sway the verdict either way.

"All rise," the bailiff said, voice echoing through the courtroom. "The District Court of Maxville metropolis is now in session. The Honourable Judge Hyacinth Salt presiding."

People hurried to stand, and Victor watched as Judge Salt entered the courtroom, robes and wig on. The first time he'd seen Hyacinth in her judge's outfit, he'd wanted to laugh. Now, almost eight years as a lawyer had dimmed the response, and he couldn't help but feel respect for her as a judge, even if he didn't always agree with her decisions.

"Be seated."

"Your Honour, the case of Maxville Police Department vs. Alexander Plisetsky," the bailiff said, announcing the case and handing Judge Salt the manilla file stating who the clients, witnesses, and lawyers were.

"Have the witnesses and jury members been sworn in?" Judge Salt asked the clerk.

"Yes, Your Honour. All six witnesses have been sworn in and the jury have agreed they understand the requirements as set by the court and will provide a true verdict based on the evidence provided," the clerk responded formally.

"Thank you, bailiff and clerk. Are both sides ready?" Judge Salt, looking to Victor and the District Attorney.

"Ready for the People, Your Honour," the District Attorney replied confidently.

"Ready for the defense, Your Honour," Victor replied.

"May it please the court and ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my name is David Ackerman, counsel for Maxville Police Department in this case. The defendant has been charged with the crime of stealing pharmaceutical drugs from a locally-owned pharmacy here in Maxville. The evidence shows the defendant's fingerprints at the pharmacy where these drugs were stolen from. The evidence and witnesses I call upon today will show the defendant is, in fact, guilty," David said without a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Victor knew David was good at his job, but he also had the bad habit of relying on other people's weaknesses to look stronger; as soon as David thought the jury would be in Alexander's favour, he'd bring out his trump card about Alex being related to the Plight, which would result in Judge Salt's overturning of the jury's verdict, as it had so often before.

"Good morning, Your Honour, ladies, gentlemen, and all human beings of the jury. My name is Victor Harland, and I am the counsel for Alexander Plisetsky," Victor said. "Alexander has been wrongly arrested and incarcerated; I have not only video evidence but witness testimonies showing that Alexander Plisetsky was looking after his grandmother, who is currently in hospital fighting terminal cancer. The evidence I will provide today will show that my client, Alexander Plisetsky, is not guilty."

Alex's hands clenched at Victor's words about his grandmother and Victor rested a hand on his shoulder gently, providing support and comfort the best he could while still addressing the court.

Considering nearly 40 percent of men and 38 percent of women in the US would develop cancer in their lifetime, the likelihood of someone on the jury either being affected by the disease or knowing someone fighting it was extremely high. Victor just hoped it would help sway their decisions and make them see the evidence for the truth.

"The prosecution may call its first witness," Judge Salt said.

David called on his first witness. "The People calls Officer Abraham to the stand."

"State your name for the jury," the clerk said once Officer Abraham was seated.

"Aaron Abraham."

David stood and walked closer to the stand. "Officer Abraham, can you please state where you work?"

"Maxville Police Department."

"How long have you been a police officer?"

"Twelve years."

"Were you working on June 8th?"

"Yes."

"Were you called to investigate a break-in at the pharmacy on the morning of June 8th?"

"Yes, I was."

"Can you please describe what you found at the pharmacy that morning?"

"The back window was smashed in - the front has bars across it - and there were a significant number of pharmaceutical prescription drugs stolen from the premises. There were fingerprints found at the scene."

"Were any of these fingerprints belonging to the defendant?" David asked.

"Yes," Officer Abraham confirmed with a nod.

"No further questions, Your Honour," David said, returning to his seat.

"Does the defense have any questions for the witness?" Judge Salt asked Victor.

Victor stood. "Yes, thank you, Your Honour. The fingerprints you found, belonging to my client? Where were they in the pharmacy?"

"I don't remember," Officer Abraham said.

"That's all right, I have the evidence list right here," Victor said, taking a piece of paper from the stack on his desk. "Can you read the line highlighted in yellow, please, Officer Abraham?" he asked, offering the paper to the police officer.

"Fingerprints belonging to Alexander Plisetsky found at the pharmacy counter."

"Thank you, Officer Abraham. Were any drugs stolen from the counter?" Victor asked.

"There were several candy bars and - "

"Were any drugs stolen from the counter, Officer Abraham?" Victor asked again, his tone cool.

"No."

"Officer Abraham, were you one of the arresting officers involved in this case?"

"No, I wasn't."

"Thank you for your time, Officer Abraham. No further questions, Your Honour," Victor said.

"Does the prosecution have any further witnesses?" Judge Salt when Officer Abraham had left the stand.

"Yes, I do, Your Honour," David replied. "The People calls Officer Atkins to the stand."

Officer Atkins sat in the stand, his eye bruised purple, the clerk asking him to state his name for the record.

"Officer Atkins, you were one of the arresting officers on this case, correct?" David asked.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Can you tell the judge and jury what happened when you went to arrest the defendant?"

"My partner and I went to the house to arrest three teenagers for stealing from the pharmacy. We had another two police officers with us to ensure the four of us could handle all three of them, since we knew they'd be together. When we tried to take them down to the station, that little - " Atkins cut off abruptly, breathing deeply to control his anger. "That boy elbowed me in the face and almost detached my retina."

"He'd grabbed me from behind, of course I lashed out," Alexander muttered under his breath, Victor squeezing his hand gently.

"It's all right, Alexander. Just breathe, okay?"

Alexander wished he could feel as confident as Victor sounded and tried not to focus on the police officer's words, instead thinking to his grandmother's charts and what he might be able to do to improve them.

"Thank you, Officer Atkins. I sincerely hope your eye heals soon. No further questions," David said, smiling broadly in the jury's direction.

Victor looked to the jury, trying to assess how well David had done in convincing them that Officer Atkins was just a man doing his job and had then been hurt for doing that job. A few looked concerned about his eye, especially with the stark purple bruising they could see even from their seats. One of the nurses he'd chosen looked like she might not believe him, and Victor hoped his own questions might bring her back around.

"Does the defence have any questions?" Judge Salt asked.

"Yes, thank you, Your Honour," Victor replied, standing to face Officer Atkins on the stand. "Good morning, Officer Atkins. How is your eye feeling today?" he asked politely.

"Hurts. A lot," Atkins replied.

"I can imagine it does. Now, you were one of the arresting officers on the case, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And you said you went to Alexander Plisetsky's house to arrest him, correct? A house in Maxville?"

Atkins frowned at the question, but nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"You are aware then that Alexander Plisetsky lives with his grandmother in her two-bedroom apartment in Westville?"

Atkins opened his mouth once, twice, and then straightened his shoulders. "He lives on the border between of Maxville and Westville; I consider it Maxville. And a person's home is a house, no matter where they live."

"Of course. So, where did you make the arrest?"

"110 Fifth Street."

"Right. That address is nowhere near Alexander Plisetsky's home, and is in fact, the address for one of his friends. The evidence list shows Alexander's friend's fingerprints in the pharmacy, most notably where the drugs and pharmaceuticals were kept. Can you confirm this by reading the highlighted line on the evidence sheet, please?" Victor asked, handing Atkins a piece of paper.

"Fingerprints belonging to Gary Nordwind found at pharmacy storage and near the smashed window. Fingerprints belonging to Benjamin Hummel found at pharmacy storage and near the smashed window."

"Thank you. Now, how did you know the three boys would be together?" Victor asked.

"It was a hunch; these kinds of kids stick together, especially once they've committed a crime. They like to brag to each other about it," Atkins replied.

"What were they doing when you entered the house?"

Atkins shifted on the chair, eyes flicking over to David and the jurors. "They were arguing."

"Did you hear what they were arguing about?" Victor asked.

Atkins shook his head. "We were there to take them to the station, not listen to a petty argument."

Victor smiled briefly. "It's lucky that your vests were equipped with cameras then. I'd like to play a video, if it pleases the court?"

Judge Salt nodded, the bailiff taking Victor's offered DVD and inserting it into the TV slot, everyone curious and waiting impatiently as the DVD started.

Atkins' voice came over the speakers loudly, the bailiff turning the volume down slightly when several people winced.

"This'll be easy, Alvarez. Just go in, grab the kids, and get them down to the station. They're probably high on the drugs they stole anyway," Atkins said.

"I don't think this is the sort of place where they have a drug lab set up, Atkins," Alvarez replied.

Atkins snorted. "Don't believe what you see. This place was probably bought with drug money in the first place. Jesus, look at the size of it. You really think the kids' parents can afford something like this on their wages?"

Alvarez sighed and headed in front of Atkins to the door, ringing the doorbell.

"We'll go around the back and check the garage, make sure they don't make a run for it," another voice said, two sets of footsteps leaving.

The front door opened a moment later, a maid looking at the police officers with worry in her eyes.

"Good morning, ma'am. I'm Officer Alvarez, this is my partner Officer Atkins. We're here to see Gary and Benjamin. Are they home, please?" Alvarez asked.

The maid's eyes widened at the sight of the police badges and stepped back wordlessly to let them inside. She took them through the house to a door that had a piece of paper with 'Keep Out!' written on it. Noise came from the room, Atkins not listening, but the camera in his vest picking up every word clearly.

" - can't believe you did that! You have to return it, right now! People need those, it's not a joke and you could seriously - "

"Oh, fuck off, Alex. We're going to get rich from this, and you're just jealous!" one boy sneered.

"No, you're not. You're going to get arrested; you really think they're just going to talk to you? You know what they did to - "

"That was, like, a billion years ago, Alex. Jesus, get over it," another boy scoffed.

Atkins knocked on the door with a closed fist, the door rattling in its frame. "This is the police, open up!"

"Shit!"

"I told you!"

Atkins opened the door when he realised it wasn't actually locked, three boys standing in the room with a bag full of prescription drugs sitting on the floor next to them. Alex's eyes widened and he put his hands up quickly. His friends tried to run to the window, to escape, and Atkins and Alvarez ran in to grab them, both of the boys kicking out at them.

It was over in a matter of seconds since Atkins and Alvarez were both stronger than the two teens. Atkins turned towards Alex, who still had his hands in the air, and put a hand on his shoulder. He obviously startled the teen, who cried out in surprise and spun around, knocking Atkins in the face with his elbow. Atkins let go of the boy he'd caught at the force, his eyes watering and pain blossoming across his face.

"Shit, I'm sorry! Are you - hey, don't run!" Alex called when Benjamin tried to bolt.

Atkins lurged up and at the boys, knocking them both onto the ground. "You're both going to prison for a long time."

"No! I can't, I can't. I can't, I have to look after my grandmother. Please, I didn't do anything, I said I was sorry, I - "

"Shut up!" Atkins yelled. "Jesus, Alvarez, get these fucking bastards out of here," he said, sitting up and touching his tender face gently.

"My parents were married when I was conceived, asshole!"

"Gary, shut up, you idiot," Alex hissed at him as they were led outside by Alvarez.

The other two officers arrived a second later, Atkins telling them to get photos of the scene so he could take the bag of drugs to the station and check for fingerprints.

Stopping the DVD and ejecting it, Victor handed the disc to the bailiff to be admitted as evidence. The DVD was stickered and labelled and returned to Victor a moment later.

"Now, were you able to hear their argument clearly?" Victor asked Atkins, who looked as though he'd sucked on a lemon as he nodded in response. "Good. Now, does that sound like someone who was involved in the pharmacy robbery?"

"Objection, Your Honour. It's speculation," David called out.

Judge Salt nodded. "Scratch that question from the record. Continue, defense," she said.

"Officer Atkins, from your understanding of the argument between the boys, do you believe my client was involved in the robbery?"

"No. But that doesn't mean he would've turned his friends in; those kinds of kids stick together," Atkins said quickly.

"The video states you were there to arrest two teenagers, not three," Victor stated, Atkins turning red at the reminder. "No further questions, Your Honour," Victor said.

"Does the prosecution have any further witnesses?" Judge Salt asked, looking to the DA.

David considered his options for a moment: Officer Alvarez was his last witness, but Atkins and that damn video had already screwed his argument. He couldn't risk Victor ruining another of his witnesses and instead decided to focus his energy on destroying Victor's witnesses instead. "No, Your Honour."

"Very well. Does the defense have any witnesses?"

"Yes, I do, Your Honour. The defense calls Dr. Arthur to the stand."

"State your name for the record," the clerk said once the doctor was seated.

"Doctor Arthur Arthur," Arthur said, looking as though he'd heard every joke about his name and was already anticipating questions or mocking.

"Thank you, Dr. Arthur. May you please tell the court where you work and what you do there?"

"Maxville's Local Chemist; I'm the pharmacist," Arthur replied.

"Do you know my client, Alexander Plisetsky?" Victor asked, looking over to Alex.

"Yes. He's one of our regulars; he picks up prescriptions and medicine for his grandmother, mostly. He buys a sugar-free candy bar every so often."

"Were you working June 7th?"

"Yes, I was."

"Did Alexander Plisetsky come into the pharmacy that day?"

"Yes, he did. He wanted to buy some hair dye and clippers. Said his grandmother wanted to give him a mohawk," Arthur said with a grin at Alex's multicoloured hair.

"Did you talk about anything else that day?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes. We discussed his grandmother's charts and treatment. Alex is attempting to cure her cancer."

"Were you working on June 8th?"

"Yes, I was the one who called the police about the pharmacy being robbed."

"The drugs that were stolen, could any of them be used to treat cancer or were any of the drugs from your and Alex's discussions?"

Arthur seemed surprised by the question, but shook his head. "No. The drugs that were stolen could be used to make amphetamines, but that's been linked to create cancer, not heal it. Amphetamine use has also been linked to Parkinson's disease, and I know Alex wouldn't do anything to hurt his grandmother or add to her pain."

"You seem very certain of this; why wouldn't Alex hurt her? Surely every teenager has a falling out with their parent or guardian at some point and could probably do something to hurt them, emotionally or otherwise."

Arthur shook his head adamantly. "Alex wants to be a doctor to heal people, not to hurt them. And I've known Alex for almost six years; the only time I've ever heard him complain about Lexie was her wanting to give him a mohawk. He said it wasn't professional and she'd probably use it to embarrass him when he was older."

Victor grinned. "She sounds like a fantastic woman."

"Oh, she is. She probably would've given herself a mohawk if she had any hair left. We're working on getting a mohawk wig for her to wear in the hospital," Arthur said with a grin.

One of the other witnesses - one of Victor's chosen nurses - burst out laughing. "Holy shit, Lexie's gonna love that!"

"Shh," the other nurse said, nudging her sharply, though she was smiling as well.

Judge Salt glared over at the witnesses to get them all to shut up, and on the jury, several people looked amused.

"Continue your questions, defense," Judge Salt said a moment later, glad she hadn't needed to bang her gavel around like Judge Judy did.

"Thank you, Your Honour. Dr. Arthur, when you talked to Alex on June 7th, did he seem nervous or upset or act in any way that was out of character?"

"No. He was normal, I didn't notice anything out of character," Arthur replied.

"No further questions, Your Honour."

"Does the prosecution have any questions?" Judge Salt asked David.

"Yes, Your Honour," David said, standing. "Dr. Arthur, would you consider Alex a friend?"

Arthur blinked. "Well, yes, I suppose I would," he replied, somewhat cautiously at the unexpected question.

"Do you discuss a lot about Alex's life when he comes to the pharmacy?"

"Sometimes; school, homework, that sort of thing. He talks about his grandmother, mostly," Arthur said with a smile.

"And these plans he has to cure her cancer, have you discussed those?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, not really. He asks questions that probably relate to his own research, but I don't know the finer details. It's understandable, especially when some medical professionals believe curing cancer will result in a grand cash prize."

"You don't think there's money in curing cancer?"

"It's a disease, not something to be profited from."

David gave a brief nod. "So, these plans that Alex hasn't discussed with you - or anyone, presumably - they would involve medication and drugs, correct?"

Arthur clenched his jaw briefly. "Yes, but - "

"And are these drugs available at your pharmacy?"

"Some of them, yes. But Alex - "

"Were any of those drugs stolen?"

Arthur huffed. "Will you let me answer?"

David made an apologetic face and gestured for Arthur to talk.

"The quantity of drugs required to conduct a useful experiment are more than my pharmacy could ever hold. Even if the drugs that Alex needed were stolen, they wouldn't be of any use. So, yes, I have drugs at my pharmacy - I challenge you to find a chemist that doesn't have drugs - and yes, a number of drugs were stolen. However - " he added fiercely when David looked like he was going to interrupt again. " - the drugs that were stolen are more likely to cause harm or pain to those suffering from cancer. Alex would not harm his grandmother."

"Yet you, as his friend, were unaware of several important aspects in Alex's life. His plans to cure his grandmother, and the fact that his friends stole from your pharmacy in particular, which he knew about," David said. "No further questions, Your Honour."

Arthur looked utterly pissed at David, but left the stand and returned to the witness-assigned seats. He tried to smile at Alex encouragingly as he passed, but probably failed.

Nurse Ashley and Nurse Gertrude's questions went much the same way, with Victor trying to drive the point home to the jury that Alex wouldn't have stolen from the pharmacy - hell, he probably would've stopped his friends had he known what they were doing, or turned them in as a worst-case scenario. Then David would argue that no one knew what Alex's plans were and what drugs he would have needed for his experiments, and even if he only had a small sample, it would be enough to justify stealing from the pharmacy.

When Gertie explicitly stated that Alex had been at the hospital all day and that she'd seen him on her rounds reading to Lexie or doing his homework or just in the hallways, David stated that no one could have seen Alex every minute of the day. The hospital cameras had blind spots and Alex knew the hospital like the back of his hand; he could have left the hospital without anyone knowing. Victor could see that the jury would agree with David's statement and it was worse because it was true.

The closing statements were what could make or break a case, Victor knew this just as well as any lawyer, and he listened to David's statement carefully, trying to pick out what he could rebuff in his own.

"The pharmacy was broken into by someone who knew the place and knew that the back window wasn't alarmed. Expensive narcotic drugs were stolen and when Alex was found in the same room as the stolen drugs, he fought a police officer and almost dislocated the man's retina. The accused has the motive in his experiments, which no one knows what they will do or what they contain. He also has knowledge of both the pharmacy and staff, and knows enough about the hospital to leave unseen by cameras. Keep these facts in mind when you come to your decision. Only you have the ability to ensure that the great-nephew of the Plight won't put his experimentation into action."

Ah, shit. There went three jurors, Victor thought, practically seeing their decisions change with this new information.

"The jury will ignore the relationship between the accused and the Plight; this information wasn't presented during the case and is not relevant to the case," Judge Salt said firmly, ignoring David's aghast expression.

Even though they were told to ignore it, everyone knew they wouldn't. Not when it was brought up as the final statement from the District Attorney himself.

Victor waited until David had returned to his seat to stand and take the floor. "Ladies, gentlemen, and all members of the jury, thank you for your time during the proceeding today. You've heard a lot of so-called facts about my client, but I would like to present the truth: Alexander Plisetsky is a fifteen-year-old boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His grand-uncle, the Plight, was arrested protesting women's rights and now Alex Plisetsky has been arrested for being in a room where stolen drugs were held. The drugs were all found and accounted for, though admittedly, the candy and chocolate is unlikely to be found by now," he said with a grin.

He might've swayed a juror back with that.

"Alex is a straight-A student and has spent nearly all of his free time caring for his terminally-ill grandmother. There aren't many fifteen-year-olds who practically have to be thrown out of hospital to go spend time with friends, friends who, due to their parents' wealth, were released long before this trial ever began. There aren't many fifteen-year-olds who could recite all two-hundred-and-six bones in the body at will. There are children who will argue about doing chores, but there aren't many who argue with hospital directors to extend visiting hours to ensure all patients have the chance to see their family and friends. Alexander Plisetsky did this when he was only thirteen and it is a young man with that sort of conviction that would never do anything to harm someone he loves. Alex Plisetsky's only goal in life is to become a doctor and the Hippocratic Oath is one he has already taken to heart: do no harm. If you truly believe that Alexander Plisetsky would harm his friends at the pharmacy and hospital, or his only family member, then you should judge him as such. However, if you believe, as I believe, that Alexander Plisetsky would not commit this act, then you should grant him his freedom and let Alex go on to achieve his dream of defeating cancer and helping cure those in pain."

There was silence in the court for a long moment as Victor returned to his seat. Ten out of twelve jurors wasn't bad at all, especially if those ten could sway the other two to a unanimous decision. He looked at Alex beside him, the poor teen pale and trembling with a white-knuckled grip on the seat's armrests.

"The jury will adjourn to discuss their judgement. There will be a recess until 1pm when we will reconvene to hear their verdict," Judge Salt said, banging her gavel with a sound of finality.

"I'll buy you lunch when you're out, okay?" Victor offered with a smile.

Alex shook his head. "I just want to see my Gran, please, Victor."

"All right; I think I can manage that," Victor said, handing the documents of Lexie's results to the prisoner escort as they came over to take Alex to the holding cell. "For Alex to read while he's waiting, please, Oscar."

Oscar checked the documents for staples or paperclips, then nodded. "Sure thing, Vic. See you at 1pm."

"See you both then. You'll be out of here and with your Gran soon, okay, Alex?"

Alex didn't look as though he believed him, but nodded and left with Oscar.

...

End of the hundredth chapter!

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