Right now…That done now for the loft for a change of clothes and presto chango we are off to the hearing! The Doctor was heard to say as he busied himself with the mechanisms of the TARDIS.
Rick was just fascinated on all the activities going on in the control room. He was content to stand next to Kate watching how the Doctor controlled the craft.
"Ok here we are the Loft Bedroom. I say I think you should at least take a shower and shave." The Doctor said to Rick. "You want to be looking nice for the Senators."
They all exited the TARDIS and Kate headed toward the shower.
"Yeah Rick we should take a shower!" Kate saucily said.
"So I can wash your hair?" Rick looked at his girlfriend.
"If you wish" Kate said back.
"Right while you do whatever cleaning ritual you are going to do. I will want to watch more of those hilarious recreations of my life. Rick would you be so kind to show me how to work your machine?" The Doctor asked.
"Certainly Here is the remote and press this button her and you will have it start and stop." Rick showed.
"This button here?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes that button there is no worries I have it all cued up for you Doctor." Rick said.
"Right o" The Doctor said. "Now off with you…You have a shower to take."
Rick left the front room and entered the shower with Kate. They made most of their time in the shower. Finishing they emerged in fluffy towels then started to get dressed.
Emerging from the bedroom they could both see how the Doctor was so engrossed with the videos.
"By Crackie that was lords of good fun" the Doctor said as he spied both Kate and Rick ready for the Senators.
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"Oh I see you are ready now let's be off then?" The Doctor inquired.
Both of them nodded their heads in assent. They followed the Doctor who again manipulated the controls and the blue box appeared in a Storage closet.
"Ok this is the Senate Cloakroom through that door is the hallway which the Master at Arms will come out and announce your name." The Doctor directed.
"Are you not coming with us" Rick asked.
"Oh No I won't appear for several hours later." The Doctor stated.
"Several Hours?" The both said.
"Oh Yes there is such tedium of these proceedings." The Doctor said. "Now off with you…you need to speak with your lawyer for a few minutes."
Kate looked at Rick then they left the TARDIS and exited the room into the Hallway where Rick's lawyer was sitting.
"Hi Chris thanks for making it.' Rick said.
"What? How? Where did you come from?" Chris asked.
"From the Senate cloakroom but no matter what do you have for us to discuss?" Rick asked.
"Right" Chris said still confused but accepted they were in front of him. He then laid out how the proceedings would happen. "…You would be called and placed under oath. Then several Senators will be able to ask you questions after your opening statement. Any questions…?"
"No Chris you seemed to have covered all the bases." Rick said.
"Now remember you can confer with me at anytime." Chris said "I will be going in with you."
"I understand" Kate said.
"Oh this is being Televised and there will be lot's of press in the room just ignore them Ok?" Chris reassured knowing Kate despised the press.
At this point Kate and Rick were called by the Master at Arms.
They rose and follow the short squat man into the Senate's committee chambers.
They were sworn in and seated.
The Chairman a Senator Cruz from Tx was explaining the procedures.
"You are here to give testimony on our deliberations on the censure of Senator William Bracken from the US Senate. The findings can be expulsion and if that is the results the full weight of the US gov't will be used to bind him over for trial in all criminal matters. Do you understand this?" The Senator asked both Rick and Kate.
"Yes Your Honor." Said them both.
"Ok with that out of the way please proceed with your statement." The Senator ordered.
"Please state your name and occupation for the Committee?" The Senator asked.
Kate took the Microphone first.
I am Katherine Houghton Beckett Detective first Class for the New York Police Dept.
This is my statement.
"On the evening of 21st of January 2013 I receive a letter in the mail. In it was details of the murder of one Johanna Beckett my mother on 1/9/1999 It arrived via regular postal delivery." Kate said.
"It was addressed to my home address in 1999 which I no longer reside. I believe the US Postal service determined where I was and it finally arrive at my precinct. I read the letter carefully and took all precautions not to contaminate either the letter or the Envelope." Kate stated.
"I had CSU our forensic lab to give an opinion on the physical attributes of this possible evidence. The results of our labs are given to you." Kate stated.
All the senators rustled around their papers to see the copies of the results.
"The results stated that the postmark was consistent with 1999 standards and the date was not tampered the Ink of both letter and Envelope was purchased in 1998 and was consistent with norms at that time. The paper was determined to be of 1999 stock. And further the signature seemed to be authentic. The conclusion was that both letter and envelope were from 1999. They also checked that the seal was unopened until 2013. So there was no way this could not be real. We had this tested by Mr. Castle at his expense by an independent lab confirming the original results." Kate said.
"The letter verified as real we took the words to be an eyewitness statement of fact of the murder of Johanna Beckett." Kate continued.
"On Feb 7th 2013 I saved the life of Senator Bracken. On the explosion all aspects of his clothing became evidence. I had the lab check for any organic residue. On his shoes especially since the letter referenced his shoes. The results came back inconclusive but for one DNA sample which was referenced to CODIS which is our DNA data base. It had a match but only a 50 % one to myself. I was told by our Chief Medical Examiner that if there was another sample which could be compared then 100% identity could be matched. Knowing this I contacted my father who had preserved several hairs of my mother giving this sample to the Lab techs using strict chain of custody it was tested. The results are on the page 5 of my report. It stated with 99.9997% certainty that the blood found on Senator William Bracken's Shoes were from my mother. Extensive testing also proved that the blood sample was formed in 1999." Kate finished.
Rick smiled at her and squeezed her hand.
The Senators were talking very loudly to one another.
"Order I say Order" Said the Chairman as he banged his gavel.
"These are damning evidence of being at the scene of a crime. Senator you wish to question the witness?" The Chairman asked.
"Yes I do." Bracken said.
"Go ahead the Chair recognizes the Senator from New York." The chairman acknowledged.
"You do not like me Detective do you?" The Senator said.
Kate conferred with Chris then answered.
"No I certainly do not like you but facts do not lie unlike you!" Kate said.
"Are you sure you have all the facts?" The senator smiled.
"I have fact enough to place you at the scene of crime." Kate glared back.
"Oh yes this elusive Doctor? Why has he not come forward? Let him come forward and give his eyewitness testimony! Why? He is not here is he? This letter was made up just to humiliate me because you hate me is that not right Detective?" Bracken said.
Kate was about to answer and there was a commotion on the floor. A Man in a Bow Tie and Tweed jacket appeared yelling.
"I am here I am here!" He said.
"Sgt bring that man forward." The Chairman ordered.
Kate secretly smiled. The Doctor gave her a wink as he stood in front of bench.
"Who are you sir?" The chairman asked.
"People call me the Doctor" the Doctor replied.
"Are you the one which sent the letter which the committee is looking at?" The Chairman asked.
"Yes I am." The Doctor replied.
"Well Doctor please sit down and give your testimony." The Chairman invited.
"Ok I am amateur photographer and I was on the night in question getting background shot for a documentary I was putting together. And I captured this man conversing with another man and I saw the blood on the dagger drop onto the first man's shoes as I described in the letter." The doctor said.
"So you are swearing that letter was written by you and mailed on the 1/12/99 as it was postmarked?" The Chairman asked.
"Yes I am the one who had done that." The Doctor said.
"Are you sure it was me? Eyewitness testimony is very invalid!" Bracken sneered.
"It was you alright I have proof." The Doctor said eyeing the Senator.
The crowd all buzzed in excitement.
"Kate would you please set up the video?" The Doctor asked.
The video equipment was brought in.
The Doctor asked "Kate would you place the video of the night in question in the machine?"
The video was of poor quality but it definitely showed the face of William Bracken.
"That could be faked." Bracken said.
Kate now stood and sent the forensics results on the tape. "It showed there was no tampering and the tape was consistent with 1999 tapes. The aging of the tape was checked and it was determined that this tape was bought on Christmas 1998." Kate said.
"Well done" the Doctor whispered.
"The Time stamp is also consistent of the police report where the ME determined the time of death." Kate said.
"That is a lie! I did not see anyone there! He and They are lying! I saw no one there no one I say" Bracken said.
"Order…! Order I say Order!" the Chairman banged on the gavel several times.
Kate smiled they had caught the Dragon.