Chapter 12
Bob stood in front of the dresser in his room and smoothed down his suit, sighing. He did his best to avoid looking at himself, not wanting to see his hollow face, the dark circles under his eyes, the cheap jacket and trousers hanging off his thin frame.
Bob remained in front of the mirror, until he managed to gather the strength to walk away and go into the living room, looking around at his family.
Gloria and Al had arrived yesterday, and had slept in Gene's room, while Big Bob and Gayle had turned up that morning.
"I guess we should make a start," he said, when they had all just stared at him, not saying a word.
"Yeah." Linda stood up, adjusting her new black jacket. She walked over to Bob and put her hand in his. "We don't wanna be late; there could be traffic." Bending down to tug at her hem, she winced slightly as her sensible dress dug into her stomach. She'd had to go out and buy a new outfit; she tried squeezing into her old black dress, but it was not going to happen. Not without cutting off her blood supply. "Thanks for watchin' the kids, Gayle," she said, offering a small smile.
"It's no problem. Happy to do it," was all Gayle said.
They all exchanged awkward hugs and said their goodbyes before leaving Gayle with Gene and Tina. Linda tried not to look at herself in the mirror as they left; sometimes, she felt she could barely look at herself. She knew she must look awful in her too-tight dress, and it just felt strange to wear something other than a sweatshirt and joggers, after practically living in them for the past month or so. "So, kids, wanna play a game?" asked Gayle when the house had gone quiet.
"Sure," said Tina. "What do you wanna play?"
"Well, I didn't bring Gayle Force Winds because I feel like it's missing something, so I'm working on giving it a little extra oomph, you know? How about Monopoly?" she asked. At the kids' nod, she got the game, and set it up, grateful to keep her mind occupied. She just knew she couldn't bear to be in that courtroom.
As Tina selected her token; her good old trusty shoe, and Gene picked up the Battleship (or the Titanic, as he referred to it), and they set up the cards and money. This was going to be an interesting game; the three of them were terrible at maths. They were definitely going to need a calculator.
No matter how many times she played it, Tina could never quite wrap her head around Monopoly. She got confused over when she could buy property and put houses on them. Sometimes, they had to go all around the board once before they were allowed to buy, but other times, they just jumped right in.
The three of them got stuck in, and soon became engrossed in their own haphazard version of the game, doing their best to forget why they were playing.
Logan lifted his head from his hands at the sound of his cell opening. He looked up to see two policemen, and he stood, feeling sick.
"You ready?" said one of the officers, and Logan only stepped forward and left the cell. He walked down the hall, flanked by the officers, his eyes fixed to the ground, hearing nothing except the sound of their footsteps echoing down the stony corridor.
The police van was parked right next to the side door, and Logan was ushered into it, with the two officers climbing in after him. His cuffed hands rested on his lap, nails digging into his knees.
Logan did not look up as the van was driven through the streets, with the blaring siren of the motorcycle escorting them. The policemen did not speak to him; instead, they concerned themselves with looking out of the window at the crowd that were gathered when they finally arrived near the courthouse in Trenton.
He could hear noise outside, but there were too many voices for him to properly distinguish what was being said. It was like a group of angry bees.
A thud came at the side of the vehicle, and Logan about jumped out of his skin, looking around wildly.
"What was that?!" he asked, gripping his knees even tighter.
"Someone threw a rock," said one of the officers, peering through the little blacked-out window. He banged on the partition separating them from the driver. "Hey! Let's speed up now!"
Logan's eyes widened slightly as the van continued to drive, but he didn't dare look out of the window. "Speed up!" The policeman repeated, also looking out the window, looking slightly anxious.
"I can't!" came the faintly muffled voice of the driver. "There's too many people out there!"
Upon hearing that, Logan at last looked up and turned toward the window. There was a huge crowd lining the streets surrounding the van, with several policemen attempting to form a human chain in order to keep them back. He could see several reporters and cameras, filming the van, filming the crowd, giving their reports. Apart from them, everyone looked so angry, and Logan felt a little bit confused; he didn't realise that people were still so upset over Louise's death.
The crowd were shouting and jeering, and another rock was hurled at them, causing Logan to jump once again. He leaned away from the window, his heart racing. What was going to happen if he walked free? It felt like there would be no place in America he would be safe.
The van drove carefully down the street, speeding up when it was safe to do so, but the roaring of the crowd did not dim.
They were driven down a little alley by the side of the courthouse, where two more officers waited by a closed door. As soon as the van door slid open, the officers quickly opened the side door.
When Logan stepped out, the angry shouts became louder and clearer.
"Murderer!"
"Bastard!"
"You filthy scum!"
He ducked his head as he was rushed into the building, only relaxing when he was deep within the building in a small room close to the courtroom.
The courtroom itself was large and airy, though it didn't feel that way, what with all the reporters and curious members of the public crammed inside.
Bob was sat at the Plaintiff's table, along with Jim Radcliffe, while Logan was sat at the table across from him, with his family's lawyer. Linda, the rest of his family, along with Teddy, were sat on the bench behind him, while Cynthia and Tom were sat behind their son.
Bob did everything in his power not to look to his left; when Logan had been lead inside the room, he'd been subjected to dark mutterings, along with evil glares, which were not restricted to the Belchers. Bob took a deep breath and clenched his fist under the table.
Soon enough, it was time to start and the clerk rose and faced them.
"Order in the court. All rise!" He waited until they had all done so, before continuing. "The Honourable Judge Winstead presiding."
Mr Winstead entered the room via a side door, and stepped behind the bench.
"You may be seated."
"The case of Bush versus Belcher, Your Honour."
"Thank you. Are all parties present?" Winstead asked after the jury had been sworn in, and he surveyed the room from behind his round glasses.
The Bushes lawyer, Ron Sheldon, rose from his seat.
"Your Honour, I am Attorney Ronald Sheldon, and I am acting on behalf of the accused, Logan Bush."
"And I am Jim Radcliffe, Your Honour; acting on behalf of Bob Belcher, and the Belcher family."
"Thank you," said Judge Winstead. "Logan Bush, please rise to hear the charges."
Logan did so, pale and shaking slightly. The clerk took a step forward.
"Logan Bush, you are charged with unlawful act manslaughter, harassment, attempted physical assault, and actual physical assault, and that on the 27th of February this year, you did unlawfully cause the death of Louise Belcher. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty," said Logan.
"Thank you," said the judge. "Ladies and gentlemen, you will need two principles for this case; proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and the presumption of innocence. Before we officially begin, I will tell you that the court has charged Logan Bush with one count of unlawful act manslaughter of a minor, two counts of attempted physical assault of a minor, one count of actual assault against a minor, and four counts of harassment against a minor.
"Before you can legally return a guilty verdict on the homicide, the court must prove the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt: First, the identity of Logan Bush as the offender; second, the time and place of the offence; third, that Logan Bush caused the death of Louise Belcher; fourth, that Logan Bush killed her unintentionally; and fifth, that Logan Bush intended to cause Louise Belcher serious harm. I now call upon the Defence to proceed with their case."
Already, Bob and Linda could tell that it was going to be a long, hard day. They knew this trial could go on for several days, but their lawyer had promised to tell them on which day Louise's autopsy photos were going to be shown, so that they could have the option of staying home.
The first witness to be called was Cynthia, and Linda couldn't help but feel glad to see her looking sick with nerves, though she still had an air of entitlement about her.
"Do you swear that the evidence you shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" asked Radcliffe.
"Yes," said Cynthia, resolutely looking anywhere but at the Belchers.
"State your name for the court, please."
"Cynthia Bush."
"Mrs Bush, please tell the court what happened on the evening of February 22nd?"
As Cynthia recalled being visited by two policemen on the day in question, Jim Radcliffe placed his hands behind his back and listened intently, nodding every so often. He kept his face professionally neutral, but every so often, his brows would furrow with interest.
"... and so we went down there to apologise to her. I know Logan felt bad about what he did."
"Thank you, Mrs Bush," said Radcliffe. "Would you mind telling the jury what you said when the two policemen visited your home that evening?"
When Cynthia looked lost, he continued. "Mrs Bush, you are stated to have said, 'whatever she's done, it doesn't involve my boy', did you not?"
"Did I? I can't really remember." Cynthia looked a bit flustered. Radcliffe merely returned to his table and opened his briefcase. Rummaging through it, he pulled out a sheet of paper.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is the statement that Seymour's Bay officers Brian Phillips and Derek Kent took on the 22nd of February. Upon asking Mrs Bush if her son had seen Miss Belcher that day, she replied, and I quote: 'So? Whatever she's done, it doesn't involve my boy.'"
"Well, I only said that because... well, I thought she was trying to get him in trouble."
"You thought a nine-year-old child was trying to get your then fifteen-year-old son in trouble with the police? Is that what you're saying, Mrs Bush?"
"They've never liked each other. I thought it was something she'd do."
"You are quoted as implying that Louise deliberately jumped into the well."
When she heard that, Cynthia only nodded; it was no good trying to lie. They knew everything. Radcliffe returned his attention to his paper. "'That's ridiculous. Logan wouldn't do something like that. That awful child is telling lies again.' 'Wait, you don't believe he meant to do this, do you?' 'Well, yes, fine, he may have given her a little push, but that doesn't mean it's his fault that she fell in the well. I'm sure she did this deliberately.'" He surveyed her over the top of the paper. "These are direct quotes given by Mrs Bush upon hearing that her son had pushed a child into a well."
"It was an accident, though!" Cynthia protested. "I'm not saying he should have pushed her, but he didn't know the well was there."
"An accident?" Radcliffe repeated. He took a few steps back, and then walked over to the left side of the room where he pulled down a canvas screen. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I would like to present to you Exhibit A." Pressing a button on a small remote, he merely stepped aside and let the video play.
It showed an empty Wharf Park, a few oak trees in the distance, the date and time visible in the top corner. Soon enough, Louise came into view, small and slightly grainy, and Bob and Linda had to look away. Louise looked carefree enough; she was meandering, wandering off the path, her gaze flitting between the ground and ahead of her. When she came a bit closer to where the camera was, she stopped and looked to her left. There was no sound, but she was clearly speaking, and not long after, Logan came into view. He could soon be seen walking right up to her, and blocking her way, followed by him moving even closer to her, forcing the little girl to back away. And then, he pushed her, his hands shoving her right in the chest. Louise could be seen staggering backwards before quite literally disappearing into the Earth.
"If he knew about the well, he wouldn't have pushed her." Cynthia repeated, her voice wobbling slightly.
"Mrs Bush, why did your son approach Miss Belcher that evening? By your own account, they did not like one another, so why would he intentionally walk up to someone he didn't like?"
Cynthia didn't answer, and Radcliffe leaned forward. "Mrs Bush, please answer the question; why did your son approach Louise Belcher that day?"
"Because he wanted to do a wrestling move on her!" said Cynthia, seeing the jury exchange glances out of the corner of her eye, writing in their notebooks.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this brings us to the attempted assaults the accused has been charged with," Radcliffe reminded the jury. "Now, Mrs Bush, please describe for us, in your own words, every interaction your son had with Miss Belcher that lead up to that day."
While Cynthia spoke truthfully, the jury took notes while the public shook their heads and muttered almost silently. She spoke honestly of Logan stealing Louise's hat, of him intimidating her and her siblings, of how he tricked her into leaving her home and chased her through town, and of how he tried to hit her in the face with ice-hardened snowballs. She was red in the face by the time she had finished.
"Yes," she nodded, when asked if Logan had ever acted like this towards other people. Then came more statements; from girls at school, all of whom had accused him of bullying them. She didn't know why she was so surprised upon hearing the statements from her old friends, revealing how Logan had taunted and tormented their children, and Cynthia had done nothing to control or discipline him.
These revelations certainly didn't paint Cynthia or Logan in the best light. Louise ending up in the well may have been an accident, but that was the only action of Logan's that was an accident.
"So, Mrs Bush, your son has a history of bullying and mistreating girls, especially girls that are younger or smaller than him, and this did not concern you in any way?"
"It's just school yard teasing. Logan's always been boisterous, even with his friends."
"I see. And does Logan ever trip his friends, push them off swings, steal sentimental items of clothing from them? Has Logan ever made his friends cry?"
Cynthia squirmed, clasping her hands together.
"No." She lowered her head as more muttering arose.
"Order! Order!" Judge Winstead banged his gavel and the voices died down. "Please continue."
"Mrs Bush, do you believe there is a link between the mistreatment of Miss Belcher by your son and her death? Let's not forget that Logan admitted he approached Louise that evening wanting to do that wrestling move on her, and he said he pushed her because he was angry. He also admitted that if Louise had not fallen into the well, he would have carried on hurting her. Now, I ask you again, in your mind, is there a link between Logan's treatment of Louise and her death?"
"I don't know. I don't think there is; I don't think Logan's to blame for this." When Cynthia finished, there were audible gasps throughout the room, and she kept her gaze fixed on Radcliffe, who gestured for her to continue. "I'm not saying what he did was right, and I don't agree with what he wanted to do, but she only fell in the well because it hadn't been covered."
It seemed the more Cynthia spoke, the more she made herself and Logan look bad. If any of the jury members had any sympathy for her, it quickly disappeared as she continued to talk. Bob had to do everything he could to restrain himself. He kept his eyes glued to the table, not trusting what he would do if he looked at her.
Linda was the same; she kept glancing from the judge to the jury; anything to avoid looking at Cynthia. They were all getting sick of hearing her deflect the blame onto everyone else, and for the first time, they heard of how her house had been repeatedly vandalised. Bob and Linda (and the rest of the family, admittedly) only shrugged. So what if her perfect house had bricks hurled through the windows? Windows could be rebuilt. It wasn't that Bob and Linda condoned those actions, but they couldn't find it in themselves feel sorry for her.
After Cynthia, Fire Chief James Richards, and one of Logan's school teachers had been questioned, they were done for the day.
The Belchers were exhausted; listening to all those testimonies had been draining, and Bob didn't think his legs would hold his weight when he stood. Luckily, they did and he turned to face his family. None of them had the strength to speak and so they remained there, determinedly not looking at Cynthia, Tom, and Logan, when Radcliffe approached them.
"So, I've been talking with the clerk and the judge, and I found out that, tomorrow, Mr Mort Kindler and Dr Steven Cabell are going to give evidence. Also, they're going to show the photos of Louise tomorrow, so you can choose to stay at home if you want."
"We'll stay at home," said Bob almost instantly, knowing that everyone else would agree with him. None of them wanted to see that.
"That's no problem. As I'll be here, I'll be sure to keep you updated."
"Okay. Thanks. And," Bob finally looked at Radcliffe, "please make sure they lock him up."
"I'll do my best," he assured them.
They exchanged their goodbyes, and Bob, the family, and Teddy left the courthouse, ignoring the crowds and the reporters, and returned to their home.
~ X ~
And another chapter done.
I know there are many inconsistencies in the courtroom scenes, and I will admit to taking more than a few liberties. But that's the beauty of fan fiction; I can make whatever I want happen :)
Regarding the scene where the police van holding Logan is attacked, it may seem a little dramatic, but I've seen it happen in real life. Not personally, but I can remember watching a news story when I was really little, and seeing the exact same thing happen.
What did you think? I'd love to know.