Ch. 4 iGo on Trial

For the two teens and one adult in the waiting area of Seattle Police Department, the ten minutes they were spending seemed to go too slowly. No one spoke, and the tension was so high you could almost see waves of it. Finally, Spencer was called to the front desk to recieve the ids. He wasted no time in getting up to get them. "It's time, guys," he informed the other two, who had relieved looks. Finally, they were going to see Sam. "Officer Brooks," the receptionist called. A young female officer quickly responded. "Yes," she replied. "Would you please escort these three to the visiting room, and then retrieve prisoner Samantha Puckett?"

"Sure thing," she cheerfully replied. "Where is the prisoner?" she asked. "Puckett's in holding cell 13-b," the receptionist replied. "Right this way gentlemen, and lady," she said. Officer Gaby Brooks had just begun her shift, and did not know of the night's events yet. She knew that there were two brutal murders earlier in the day and that there was a suspect, but she hadn't been told who. The group looked down, so she tried to cheer them up by joking. "So, you must be here to bail your friend out," she said with a laugh. "Somehow, I don't think it'll be as easy as bailing her out when you consider what she's charged with," Spencer sadly replied. This took young Officer Brooks by surprise, as she thought this would be a routine bail out.

"What's she charged with?" she cautiously asked. "They think she killed two people," Carly answered. "But we know for a fact that she didn't," Freddie added. The door opened up, and Carly, Freddie and Spencer walked into a windowless room with a table and four chairs. "I'll be just a few minutes," she said. Now she knew that she would need her handcuffs. It was standard procedure. She also didn't know what she might be dealing with, so it was common sense to handcuff the prisoner for transport. She reached holding cell 13-b to see a short blond girl and a tall brunette practicing fighting tecniques. It appeared that the shorter one was actually instructing, which seemed weird to her given the size difference.

"Which one of you is Samantha Puckett?" she asked, surprising both girls. "That would be me," the short blond replied. Officer Brooks was now doing a double take. This girl didn't have the attitude of a murderer. "Your friends are here," she informed Sam brightly. For the first time since Sam had been arrested at Carly's apartment, a ray of hope lit up her eyes. Spencer and Carly and Freddie were surely going to fix things. "Listen, I don't think you'll harm me," the officer began. "You got that right," Sam said happily. "But I was told what you were charged with, so I have to handcuff you." Sam had been expecting this. "You know, the last officer who said he was going to cuff me assaulted me with his nightstick," Sam replied. Now Officer Brooks really felt sorry for this girl. It had to be her ex boyfriend, Officer John Peters. He had been crazy when they were dating, and she ended the relationship when he assaulted her brother, thinking he was a potential rival.

"Don't worry about that," she told Sam. "I don't even have a nightstick on me." Sam relaxed a little. "So, would you like my hands in front or in back?" Sam asked as the officer entered the holding cell. "Front's fine," the officer said. Sam placed her hands forward, and soon after the cuffs were put in place, the two began the walk to the visiting room, where Sam's friends were patiently waiting. Sam limped a little, as the adrenaline from her earlier encounter with Officer Peters wore off. She began to feel intense pain in her lower back. They soon arrived at the visiting room.

"Oh my god, Sam," Carly began. Freddie had to hold her in place to keep her from bum rushing Sam. "Look," Carly asked Officer Brooks. "Can you please take these cuffs off of her? I mean, it's not like she's gonna run away." Officer Brooks sadly shook her head. "Sorry, I could lose my job," she replied. "It's cool," Sam said. The officer excused herself, content to wait outside. Sam hugged Carly so quickly she almost tackled the poor girl. It was at this time that Spencer noticed her limp. "Sam, why are you limping?" he asked. "Oh, that reminds me, can you and Freddie turn around real quick?" Freddie and Spencer were only too glad to comply, and Sam lifted the back of her shirt for Carly to see.

"Holy cranapples, what happened?" Carly asked. "Oh, you're just gonna love this," Sam began. Carly snapped a picture with her phone and the boys turned around to see it. Freddie was outraged. "There was an old friend of our's in the holding cell." Carly was confused. "Who?" she asked. "Remember that Jocelyn girl from six months ago?" Sam asked. Carly and Freddie nodded. "She tried to start a fight with me," Sam continued. "If she did this, I'll find a way to get even," Carly angrily replied. "Chill, Carls," Sam said.

"She didn't do it, but after I whooped her ass again, an asshole cop came in to break us up. He hit me in the back with his nightstick." Carly gasped, and Freddie could barely contain himself. There was a very large bruise in the middle of Sam's back. Even Spencer was visibly angry, and that never happened. Carly suddenly remembered what had happened with Sam's mom, and she began to cry. "What's wrong? Carls, what's wrong?" Sam asked. Freddie and Spencer remained silent so as not to provoke Sam's anger. She glared at the boys.

"Someone better start talking," she said. "It's just we stopped at your house before we came here," Freddie began. "And," Sam demanded impatiently. "We told your mom you were arrested," Spencer continued. "And," Sam said, tapping her foot. "And she told us you weren't her daughter anymore." The answer came from Carly. Sam lost it. "What the hell do you mean!" she angrily yelled at Freddie. "Well, don't hurt me for telling you, but her exact words were 'I didn't give birth to a murderer!' ", Freddie said as slowly as possible. At this point, even Carly was glad that Sam was in handcuffs. That didn't stop her from doing damage. She walked to the wall and put her foot through it. Carly had calmed down as Sam began ranting. "I did everything for her!" she yelled. "When mom was sick, I took care of her. When she was hungry, I cooked. I even cleaned up after she brought drunk men home."

This was knowledge that only Carly was privy to. Carly never told Spencer, but some of the men Sam's mother brought home had actually hit on her. One couldn't take the hint, and Sam had ended up kicking him downstairs with a pair of steel toed boots. This, of course got her grounded, which by definition meant, "Stay at Carly's for a week." Sam let it go as Detective William Sharp entered.

"Miss Puckett, it's time to interrogate you," he said, acting all official. "Do you have a lawyer?" he asked. "I'm her lawyer," Spencer spoke up. "Huh?" all three kids in the room said in unison. "I've got three days of law school," he whispered to Sam. "For now, Spencer Shay is my lawyer," Sam replied. As he went to follow the detective and Sam to the interrogation room, he handed Carly a twenty dollar bill. "What's this for?" she asked confused. "Cab fare for you and Freddie to go home," Spencer replied. "No way," Freddie replied. "We're staying here," Carly said. Spencer rarely had to pull rank as Carly's guardian. But this was one of those times.

"Look, I don't know how long this is going to take, and you two have to be home before Freddie's mom notices and goes ape," he said. "Oh, yeah," Freddie said. It occured to him that his mom didn't even know Sam was arrested yet. He didn't want to deal with her finding out he'd been to a police station. "Call me if anything happens," Carly said as Officer Brooks led her and Freddie out. As they left the front door they heard a voice call, "Hey, wait up!" Carly turned to see Jocelyn come running up to meet them. "Look, Sam and I are friends now. If you guys need help, I'll be around."

"Okay," Carly said nervously. She remembered the last time she had been around this girl. "What did you even do to get arrested?" Freddie asked. "I got caught shoplifting for my first, last and only time," she answered. "My mom just bailed me out, and I'll be in court tomorrow." she continued. "Look, I know you guys don't trust me, but Sam told me what she was charged with, and I'll help you prove her innocence if you need." Carly decided to take a chance, and gave her her cell phone number. She took it and left, and Freddie and Carly hailed their taxi home.

"Miss Puckett, can you tell us where you were at 8:15 this morning?" Detective Sharp asked. "Certainly, detective. I was late for school this morning, so I stopped at my friend Carly's to borrow money." The detective was a little surprised. "Can anyone verify that?" he asked. "I can," Spencer said. "I gave her five dollars to get something to eat on her way to school." The questions continued, and the detective was shocked that she had an answer for each one of them. He kept quiet that forensics was going over the hair, shoe print, and knives they had recovered. "Would you be willing to provide us with a hair sample?" he asked. "If it proves my innocence, no problem," Sam said.

A piece of her hair was cut and put in an evidence bag, to be sent to the forensics lab. After this the detective left the two alone. "Listen kiddo," Spencer said softly. "There's a good chance this could go to trial. So I'm going to go tomorrow and hire you a real lawyer to represent you if it does." Sam almost burst in to tears. "You would do that for me? But how, lawyers are expensive." "Look, I have a savings account from the money I make from my sculptures. There's almost $50,000 in it." Sam didn't fight the tears anymore. She hugged Spencer so tightly he had to remind her he still needed to breathe. "How will I pay you back?" she asked, after the tears subsided. "Don't worry about it," Spencer said. "As far as I'm concerned, you're my second little sister." Another ray of hope shined in her currently dreary situation.

The next two weeks were a nightmare for everybody involved. The dna test on Sam's hair matched the one found on Gibby's body, which gave the state enough evidence to indict her for his murder. She had not been allowed to post bail, no matter how much her and Spencer and even Carly and Freddie tried to convince the judge that she wouldn't run. Spencer had hired her a high cost lawyer, but she told him he was co counsel. She wouldn't accept the lawyer if he didn't agree. Principal Franklin had to end school early because Ridgeway was considered a crime scene

June 20th, 2010

"All rise!" the bailif yelled. A twenty-five year old judge entered the court room and took her seat at the bench. "You may be seated," she said. "What do we have today?" she asked. "This is case number 315, the State of Washington vs. Samantha Puckett." The judge agknowledged this. "And does the defendant wish to enter a plea at this time?" Tim Shivers had started his own practice a year ago. It was his first high profile case, and he had tried to advise his client to try to plea bargain. He knew what the prosecution had on her, and he was also aware that they intended to pursue the death penalty if she were found guilty. "Your honor, my client pleads not guilty," he answered with some hesitation. Until he caught Freddie glaring at him in the audience. He had tried to get Sam to plea bargain to the point that Freddie told him if it was brought up again he'd make him wish he were never born.

He remembered the lawyer in charge of the prosecution offered him life in prison with the possibility of parole in ten years if she pled guilty. When he told her the state was looking to sentence her to death, she just shrugged and said, "Best of luck to them." He was brought back to reality when he heard the head prosecutor begin his oppening statement. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," he slyly began. "There are two sides to this case that you are going to hear. There is the fabricated side about a girl going to school. And there is the truth that on the morning of May 15, 2010, Samantha Puckett did willfully and vicously murder one Charles Cornelius Gibson." Sam bit her tongue.

She remembered that when she was indicted, she had an encounter with Tasha, Gibby's girlfriend. She knew from Gibby that Sam picked on him, and it angered her that she may have been responsible for his death. "How could you?" she had demanded after slapping Sam across the face. They were still in the court house, and officers moved quickly to restrain her. Carly had been at Sam's side, and wanted to beat the crap out of her, but didn't. Sam looked away sadly, a whelt forming on her face. Her expression read something like "What if it's true?"

She snapped back to the present as the prosecutor continued. "There is also sufficeint evidence that later that morning, she also stabbed one Valerie Marie Greene several times in the back with a hunting knife. What you must remember is that you are looking at a girl who is a self admitting bully. Charles Gibson was just one of her targets. It will also show that she had a long standing grudge with Valerie Greene. Now the facts are that just because she appears to be an innocent sixteen year old, she is in truth a sociopathic killer. You must do your duty, and when found guilty, she must face the ultimate punishment!"

Elsewhere in Seattle, two ski masked individuals were watching the trial with great interest. "Everything is going according to plan," the male said with a laugh. "Thank you very much, Melanie," the female said. "We couldn't set your sister up without you." Tied to a chair, with a gag in her mouth, Melanie Puckett watched her sister's trial in tears. Would Sam ever forgive her?