I don't own Law & Order.
"We'll recess for lunch now," the judge announced, and Abbie stepped down from the witness stand and headed out of the courtroom.
"Ms. Carmichael, do you believe you'll be convicted?" a reporter demanded as she left the courtroom.
"No comment."
"What was it like testifying?" another reporter chimed in.
"Has this changed your views on the justice system?"
"Was it really self defense?"
"Do you think the jury will return a just verdict?"
"No comment," Abbie repeated again and again.
"Are you worried about being cross-examined?"
Finally, Abbie did answer, snapping, "Not if his questions are as idiotic as yours." She pushed past the reporters and made her way out of the courtroom.
"If you can handle Cutter as well as you did those reporters, you'll be fine," Jack said from behind her.
She didn't turn around to look at him, but answered, "I have to admit I feel a lot better now."
"I should have found someone for you to cut down before I put you on the stand."
"Jack…" she started to apologize for how badly she'd testified, or to explain it, but he interrupted.
"It's okay. You'll do better on cross, and I'll redirect you on the important points. Abbie?"
Finally she turned to look at him.
"Remember what you told me at the station that night? How you told me?"
She nodded.
"That's what you have to get across to the jury. On cross, just don't let Cutter put words in your mouth. Then I'll ask you why you killed him, and you'll need to show the jury that it really was self defense."
Abbie nodded, and said, "I want to be by myself right now, I'll see you back in court."
"Don't jump bail," Abbie hoped it was a joke.
About an hour later, Abbie was back on the witness stand, and the judge was reminding her that she was still under oath. And then the cross-examination began.
"Isn't it true that you hated Matt Bergstrom?" Cutter demanded.
"He brutally tortured and murdered people, who wouldn't hate him?"
"Your Honor, the witness's statement is nonresponsive and I move that it be stricken from the record," Cutter told the judge.
"Sustained. Ms. Carmichael, please answer the question you are asked."
"Didn't you hate Matt Bergstrom? Yes or no."
"Yes, because he-"
"Thank you," Cutter cut her off. "And isn't it true that you wanted to kill him?"
"I wanted him to stop murdering people."
"You wanted him to die, right?"
"I hoped he would be executed, yes."
"And you personally wanted to kill him, right?"
"No."
"Ms. Carmichael, didn't you say to Mr. Bergstrom that it was ironic that it would be a woman who would kill him?"
"It was ironic." As soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to slap herself, and she could feel Jack wince from across the courtroom.
"Isn't it true that this knife" he held up the so-called murder weapon "belongs to you?"
"Yes, he must have-"
"So the answer is yes. Isn't it true that you killed Matt Bergstrom?"
"Only in self defense."
"Your Honor, I move that the witness's answer be stricken as non-responsive."
"Sustained."
"Ms. Carmichael, did you kill Matt Bergstrom?"
"Yes, in-"
"Thank you. No further questions."
The cross-examination had been shorter than she'd expected- probably because he'd gotten exactly what he'd wanted.
"Redirect, Your Honor?" Jack requested.
"Go ahead."
"Ms. Carmichael, when you entered your house that evening, did you plan to kill Matt Bergstrom?"
"No, I had no idea he would be there."
"What happened when you realized he was there?"
"I'd just closed the door and suddenly he was there with his knife at my throat. I was so scared I couldn't even scream, at first, and he started telling me what he was… going to do to me, and I tried to fight back but he was stronger than me…"
"And then what happened?"
"He started to tie up my hands, and all I could think of was the crime scene photos I'd scene of what he'd done to his other…" She trailed off.
"Yes?"
"Of what he'd done to his other victims. I couldn't let that happen to me, so I jerked away and grabbed the knife and just… stabbed him with it. I didn't have any choice."
"Thank you. No further questions."
TBC
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