Well, here's the presentation of the final witness. I really hope you like it. Please review!
Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Dumon got to his feet. "The defense would like to call Rio Kastle to the stand." Rising from the shadows where she had remained for the past hour, Rio Kastle stepped forward and mounted the witness stand. Her face was impassive.
"Miss Kastle, please raise your right hand. Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Anna boomed in her bailiff's voice.
"I do."
"Please take a seat, Miss Kastle." Rio sat down with queenly grace before sweeping the room with an icy glare. Her brother was on trial, and everyone in this room was beneath her notice for participating in this farce.
"Miss Kastle," Dumon began, "What happened on the evening of November 6, from your perspective?"
"Well, I was at home, waiting for my brother- Reginald Kastle- to come home from his walk around town. He came running in about 5:35. In a rush, he told me what had happened. He said that Tori had begged him to sleep with her. He had panicked- naturally- and run. He had even forgotten his jacket at her house. I was shocked, just as he had been. Tori had always been a sweet girl when we attended Heartland Academy together. Reginald was worried that he hadn't done the right thing- that maybe he should have stayed and reasoned with Tori. I told him that he had every right to run with what she was presenting him with. Eventually we decided, together, not to worry about it anymore. We were just finishing dinner- at 7:10- when the police arrived."
"Your honor," Dumon said, selecting a paper from the defendant's bench. "I would like permission to read these excerpts from the police report concerning this case to verify Miss Kastle's story."
"Bring the paper here for analysis," Judge Kay said. "Mr. Francis, you are allowed to investigate it as well." The two lawyers approached the Judge's seat. Dumon handed the paper to Judge Kay, who scrutinized it for a long moment.
"It looks valid to me," he said after a moment. "Mr. Francis?"
Caswell took the paper and read over it carefully. Just one issue would make the report excluded evidence. Finally, though, Caswell gave a long sigh and returned the paper to Dumon. "It's legit."
"You may read from it, Mr. Kastle," Judge Kay said. Then, addressing the court, he announced, "The report is valid," before banging his gavel down.
Dumon turned towards the Jury and read, "We arrived at the victim's residence at 6:07. The victim was calm, but showing signs of previous hysteria. After questioning her, we decided there was valid cause for a warrant. We obtained a signed warrant for the arrest of Mr. Reginald Kastle at 6: 37. We drove to the house of the suspect and found him having just finished the evening meal. It was then 7:09."
Dumon returned the paper to the defendant's bench. "Now, Miss Kastle, are you familiar with the area in which the defendant lives."
"Yes."
"Now, considering the fact that your brother left the defendant's house at 5:17, according to his testimony, and that he 'didn't stop running until I got home,' and that, according to you, he arrived at your house at 5:35, would you say it's likely that he left the house of Tori Meadows around 5:17, meaning that it took him about 20 minutes, running, to reach your house?"
"Yes, I would say it's very believable."
"Thank you, Miss Kastle." Dumon said, before turning towards the jury. "Now, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is a common known fact that a young man in good health, such as Mr. Kastle is-"
"Objection!" cried Caswell, standing. "What proof do we have that Reginald Kastle is in good health?"
"Your honor?" Dumon asked, addressing Judge Kay.
"Answer as you will, Mr. Kastle."
"Very well. Mr. Francis, according to your own client's testimony, my client attacked her, knocked her to the ground, and managed to tear her clothes considerably forcefully. If he was not in good health, how could he have managed these feats without exhausting himself?"
Judge Kay looked over his glasses at Caswell. "Does that suffice, Mr. Francis?"
Scowling, Caswell took his seat. "It does, your Honor."
"Very well. Please continue, Mr. Kastle."
"So, looking at any map of Heartland City, it will be easy to decipher that Tori Meadow's residence and Reginald Kastle's residences are about two and a half miles apart miles apart, accounting for all the twists and turns a person would have to take. Therefore, if Mr. Kastle was running at 5 miles per hour, it would have taken him approximately 20 minutes to reach his own house."
Taking a deep breath- having said all of that in one breath, Dumon turned back to Rio. "No further questions."
Judge Kay looked over at Caswell. "Cross-examination?"
"No, thank you, your honor."
"You may step down, Miss Kastle."
Rio descended from the witness stand like a queen and strode back to her seat. As she did so, Caswell looked over at Dumon with narrowed eyes. Whatever you're planning, I'm going to stop you in your tracks.