Chapter: III

Cross Examination

Chapter Start

"Okay would the witness please restate his testimony?" Marvin requested trying to formulate a plan in his mind. A drop of nervous sweat fell down his face as he tried to think this through.

"Why sure Bigburg! I'd be happy to!" Damon said with a smile almost delighted to do so.

"I remember I was relaxing at the station when I got a call."

"HOLD IT!"

"Wait...Bigburg?" Marvin said in a confused tone

"Yes Bigburg! That would be you!" Damon said happily

"I see...uh...nevermind. Anyway!" Marvin said trying to change the subject

"What time was it around this point?" he asked hoping this would give him a contradiction.

"I wasn't wearing a watch at the time and there were no clocks around so I don't know exactly. But I think it was about 10:35pm or so." Answered Damon scratching the back of his head as he spoke.

Marvin sighed inwardly as he knew that the time matched with the evidence. ((Crap what do I do now?…Wait! He seemed kind of unsure , maybe he's hiding something? It's worth a shot!))

Marvin looked right at Damon

"What exactly were you doing before you got the call?" Marvin asked with suspicion in his voice.

"OBJECTION!!!"

"That's irrelevant to the case! Stop wasting this courts time!" Shouted von Karma

The Judge looked from side to side and sighed. "I have to agree with the prosecution. I fail to see the point of that question."

"Wuh-WHAT!?" Marvin said in frustration and surprise.

"But-But I-" Marvin stuttered his plan of attacks shattered.

'Now now, Manny calm down, I'd love to answer Grossburg's question. Now what was it again?"

"Oh well…I asked what you were doing when you got the call." Marvin asked again now with a sense of gratitude for the witness.

"OBJECTION"

von Karma had his hands planted straight on his desk with his eyes bulging from his sockets.

"This is irrelevant…..meaning your wasting the court's time" He muttered with a mix of emotions in his head.

Damon however ignored him and with a smile answered Marvin "I was listening to my favorite band. Hobodou! They're small now but with talent like that I know they'll make it far! Once they get signed and get their first rec-"

"That's enough witness."von Karma cut in

Marvin again sighed inwardly knowing that again that hadn't found him anything.

"Okay well continue with your testimony" Spoke the Judge

"She said that it was an emergency and that she heard gunfire and thought someone was dead."

"HOLD IT!"

Marvin placed both his hands on his desk and stared at the witness.

"Are you sure it was a woman?" Asked Marvin hoping to find a crack

Damon simply shrugged "Well they had a very high voice and they were shrieking and crying a lot so I simply assumed. Besides the other witness if a woman right? Makes sense that it would be her."

Marvin simply sighed again realizing that this was still not helping.

"Alright hippy continue your testimony." Said von Karma enjoying the defences frustration.

"She gave me the address and I was off immediately."

"HOLD IT!"

Marvin slammed a hand on his desk and narrowed his eyes.

((Third times a charm)) He thought as he announced his question.

"When you say immediately. what do you mean?" Marvin asked holding the last word.

Damon looked puzzled and starting wrapping his finger around a strand of hair.

"Well I guess I mean it like the word says. I immediately got up and headed to my car and drove to the house as fast as I could." Damon explained fiddling with that strand of hair.

Marvin sighed once more and buried himself in his desk. ((Once again I've got nothing. He simply got up and….. and he….waitaminute!)) With that Marvin recalled the first part of his testimony.

"I remember I was relaxing at the station when I got a call."

((If he was relaxing he probably wouldn't have been ready to leave immediately. It's a long shot but it's something.))

Getting up from his desk Marvin smirked and nodded and his head. ((It's time to look cool.))

"Mr. Gant" He began already having his objection planned.

"You said that you were relaxing when you got the call correct?" Marvin said with his plan moving into action.

"Yep I was laying back relaxing with my tunes playing just all prepared and ready to go." Damon said happily with a almost sneering undertone to his voice.

"Exactly so!...Wait what?"

"I said that I was perfectly ready and prepared to go at a moments notice. Just like a good officer should." Damon repeated almost as if he knew Marvin's plan

"Your…your kidding, really?" Marvin despondently remarked his whole plan down in smoke.

"OBJECTION!!!"

"The Hippy has testified clearly that he was ready to go at the time of the call" von Karma spoke with confidence.

"THERE IS NO NEED TO CONTINUE MEANINGLESS LINE OF QUESTIONING!!!" He shouted at Marvin his voice booming throught the courtroom.

"WHHHAT!? But I.." Marvin said in panic as saw his chance escaping.

The judge simply shook his head and frowned "I'm sorry Mr. Grossberg but I feel it's nessecary we continue on with the testimony"

"I arrived there at about 11:04pm and there I saw the defendant passed out and the victim only a few feet away."

"HOLD IT!"

"11:04? It took you 30 minutes to arrive at the crime scene? Even after you said you left immediatly? Why did it take so long?" Marvin asked Damon thinking he had a hole here.

"Oh well...you see there was alot of traffic that night due to the party down at the pool." Damon responded again twirling his hair

"I see...wait! What party?" Marvin asked not remembering any party on the 5th

"Apparently he is refering to the Midnight party swim that occured last week. " von Karma responded holding the sheet in his hand.

"Oh...hold on...that's it!" Marvin came to his realization for a plan of attack.

"OBJECTION!!!"

Marvin slammed a hand on his desk and sternly looked at Damon "Witness you claim that you were at the police station at 10:35 when you got the call?"

"That's right Bigburg!"

Marvin smiled and brought his hand across his chest and opened it "However...you also claimed that you were a volunteer at the Pool as a lifeguard which brings me to believe." He then shot his arm forward pointing at him

"THAT YOU WERE AT THE PARTY NOT AT THE STATION!!!"

And with that Damon was shot back in suprise "What? N-no"

"OBJECTION!!!"

von Karma slammed his hand on his ground "And what proof do you have of this? Despite the apparent fun that people have at parties why would he be there? Remembering that he was a volunteer and thus wouldn't be placed there on a night he had to do his job!"

The judge nodded "I agree with the prosecution. Why would he be at the party?"

Marvin smugly folded his arms and smiled "I have proof right here!"

"TAKE THAT!"

"The Parktown Pool Hours List? How does that fit in?" The Judge asked hoping for an explination

"Look around the bottom of the document. It specifies that the local band "Hobodou" would be playing. And the witness earlier claimed to be a fan of said band therefore."

"IT IS LIKELY HE SKIPPED WORK TO SEE THE BAND PREFORM!!!"

"WHAT!?" von Karma smashed his fist on his desk

"Well Officer Gant? Do you have an explination for this?" Marvin cackled under his breath evily.

"Actually I do!" Damon

"What?" Marvin face planted "But-but how?"

"You see while I am a fan of Hobodou, my work comes first and while I didn't want to I worked that night and listened to them at the station" Damon said with glee

"OBJECTION!!!"

Marvin placed his arm across his chest then slammed it on his desk. "Nice try Officer but that couldn't have been the case. You see, I you mentionned that they were unsigned and very small. And so I doubt they would already have an album out. Therefore..."

"YOU MUST HAVE BEEN THERE TO LISTEN TO THEM!!!

"..." Silence reigned the courtroom as Marvin felt that akward feeling again.

"Oh C'mon! My objection had ground didn't it? I remember that they haven't released an album yet so it was valid." Marvin adressed the court hating this feeling.

"Well...I guess...Officer Gant? Is this true? The Judge asked him

"Well I guess I've been found out, you see I wasn't listening to one of my beloved indie groups. Alas I was listening to one of those mainstream puppets. That's all they had at the station." Gant sniffled "My indie credibility is ruined."

"Well congrads Mr. Grossberg you have sucessfully proved nothing" Sarcastically pointed out von Karma "How about finding a contridiction that's a little more relevant next time huh?"

"OBJECTION!!!"

"I'm not finished yet! Officer Gant! You testified that when going to the home of the accused that you were backed up from traffic from the party but, at the time you were heading there the party would not have been over an so..."

"YOU MUST HAVE BEEN LEAVING THE PARTY AT THAT TIME"

"WHAT!!!?? YOU...!" Gant yelled as he heard Marvin's attack.

"OBJECTION!!!"

"Such an accusation does not give for other possibilities! It's possible that the traffic was caused by somthing else!"

"OBJECTION!!!"

"But the witness testified to it specifically caused by the party! From what I can tell Officer Gant was at the party all night and likely wasn't there until 12:30 and so didn't get the call until many hours later." Marvin confidently exclaimed

"Well Officer Gant? Am I right?" Marvin taunted with his arms crossed and his eyes looking down at him.

Damon shoke with rage as he knew the jig was up. He could tell now that the truth would come eventually and he was only digging his own grave. With a huge sigh he placed his hands on the stand looked down.

"Looks like I've been caught. Yes I was late arriving at the crime scene. a couple hours late." Damon spoke averting his eyes.

"WHAT!?!? You mean you were lying all along?" The Judge shouted in suprise and shock

'Uh yes your honour that's what we just figured out..." Marvin spoke with a sigh.

"Alright so uh...in that case do you mind giving us a well...you know...accurate testimony?" The Judge meekly asked Damon.

"Sure...as you wish..." Damon spoke again unhappily

WITNESS TESTIMONY

"The Truth"

"I was at the party until the very end of it at 12:00."

"I even stayed an extra hour to clean up and chat by the band"

"I took the squad car to the pool so I went back to the station to return it."

"When I got there I listened to a message that was left and headed there."

"I arrived at the house around 1:30 and that's where I saw the scene."

"After waking up Alfred and questionning him he was arressted and well here we are!"

"Alright so that concludes that, tell me would the defense like to cross examine this witness before he is sent away." The Judge asked Marvin also mentionning that Gant would be taken away due to his lies.

"I can't believe this! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PROSECUTE WHEN MY WITNESSES KEEP LYING LIKE THAT!!!" von Karma roared in frustration. He hated the idea of grouped together with a liar who pissed him off so very much.

"Okay now would the witness please restate their testimony?" Marvin requested

"Uh sure fine whatever..." Damon grimaced

"I was at the party until the very end of it at 12:00."

"I even stayed an extra hour to clean up and chat by the band"

"I took the squad car to the pool so I went back to the station to return it."

"When I got there I listened to a message that was left and headed there."

"I arrived at the house around 1:30 and that's where I saw the scene."

"HOLD IT!"

"What did you see when you arrived there?" Marvin asked suspiciously

"I saw the victim lying by a closet a few feet from the defendent with a bullet hole in her chest. The gun lay next to the defendent and was alos next to a broken beer bottle with it's contents all over the defendent and floor. The defendent was lying against a dresser that had a window right above it. There were broken shards of glass all around the room. From the looks of it the defendent got drunk and shot his wife." Damon finished talking and looked up a little

"Is that enough? Can I go now?" He meekly requested

The Judge nodded his head "Yes you can leave. The police will be talking to you soon."

von Karma remained quiet and calm as he spoke "Now the Prosecution asks Ms. Wendy Oldbag to the stand"

From there the doors opened and a high pitched giggle was heard as a young woman walked to the stand. She had soft curly golden blond hair and piercing deep blue eyes. She wore a fair amount of makeup and walked as if she was troting down the red carpet. She wore a fancy white dress and red high heeled shoes. Men and women alike found themselves drawn into this girl who looked like a Marlyn Monroe wannabe moviestar. On the defendents chair Alfred face planted in miesary.

"Great...she's the witness and the whole court his being run by young men. I'm doomed." He spoke to himself imagining the noose around his neck tightening.

END OF CHAPTER III

Author: Thanks for all the reviews I've gotten so far! I'm really happy people are at least giving this story a chance. I'm also sorry about the slow updates but this chapter was really hard to write.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW

- Drake DarkHunter