Chasing Innocence | ✓

27 | day one

Day one of trial.

Sitting beside Davina as David cross examines Zara Phillips, I try to remain calm. I'd rather not look like an over eager intern, but it's how I'm feeling.

I take in the jury as they listen intently to the evidence. The judge sits with a stoic expression waiting for Zara to answer each question.

Of course I'd sat in on court cases before, but nothing like this. Nothing like a murder trial.
I'd never in set foot in a Supreme Court.

Davina sits beside me in a fitted black suit. Her patent heels are crossed at the ankle as she braces her hands against the heavy wooden table.

I'm almost wearing an identical outfit, save for the flat shoes I'd chosen over heels. My brown hair is also slicked back in a tight pony tail. I wish more than ever that I'd let it out, so I could hide behind it as I continuously peek to my side at Brax.

He hasn't moved in the hour we've already been here. He's been crossed examined and under pressure, he was good. He'd clearly gone over the questions and refined his answers with David prior to today.

He catches me looking now and I look away quickly, staring straight ahead at Zara Phillips.

"Miss Phillips, walk me through your decision to tape Mr Patridge's voice on your phone," David says, waving his hand around as he paces before her in the witness box.

She gulps, her dark eyes darting towards us as she finds Braxton. I feel him move beside me, his fist squeezing closed and open. I dart my hand out suddenly, placating him. The heat of his skin burns from his hand as I feel his knuckles underneath my palm.

"I was at my best friends house. Sofía Williams. Braxton's sister," she clears her throat. "Everyone was drinking and when I came out of Sofía's room to grab us some drinks I'd seen Braxton by the sink. He was angry that I'd come to the party, so—"

"Angry? Why do you feel Mr Patridge was angry?" David continues.

She looks down at her hands, dark hair flaying out around her shoulders and hiding her embarrassment momentarily. "Um, well...I'd wanted to go out with him and he'd turned me away. He thought I'd come to ask him again that night which annoyed him."

"That seems like a silly thing to be angry about," David cocks his head. "Would it be more likely that you were continuously propositioning Braxton to the point that he'd had to leave home every time you arrived?"

"Objection—" the prosecution begin.

"Overruled," the judge calls.

Zara glares at David, barely suppressing an eye roll. "I wasn't propositioning him. I'd asked him once if he would like to sleep with me and he said no. I have enough self respect to move on. He isn't all that, even if he wants to think so."

"Objection, how is this relevant to the case?" The prosecution tries.

"Sustained. Please move on."

David nods, straightening his suit. "So, you say Braxton was angry the night you taped him. Tell me about your conversation."

"He went to leave, but I— grabbed his arm and told him that I knew he was after my cousin— Dylan. Casey Williams had just been badly beaten and Dylan was about to come out of hospital after someone had put him in a coma, so I knew what was about to go down.

"Braxton told me he wasn't going to go after Dylan but I didn't believe him. I reached into my pocket and— and maybe I wanted him to get angrier, but that was because I needed a confession."

"Hmm," David nods. "So, it seems that you needed to make sure someone looked guilty, is that right?"

"Uh, correct," she nods.

"Why would that be?" David cocks his head.

"Because I knew my cousin could be in danger."

"Because you knew your cousin to be in danger? How could you be sure of that, Miss Phillips?"

She narrows her eyes, digging her hands in the podium. "Because my cousin had... done a lot of things that affected other people. It made sense that he'd have a target on his back once he was out of hospital."

"So you felt the need to obtain a confession from someone for a crime that hadn't even been committed yet?"

"It was to protect my cousin," she urges.

David begins to pace again, causing Zara to startle. She may not be lying, but her story is becoming less convincing.

"Are you sure it wasn't to protect yourself, Miss Phillips? Maybe because you felt the need to harm your cousin and frame someone else for the crime?"

"Objection! Hearsay!" The prosecution growl.

The judge ignores the comment, allowing Zara to answer the question.

"No," she says sternly. "Dylan may not have been a perfect person, but he looked after me. He was the father figure I never had. I just—" her chin begins to wobble as she clears her throat. "I just wanted to protect him. I would never hurt him."

David turns towards the jury for a moment, watching for a reaction I'm sure, before turning back to Zara. "Did you tape other people too? Make them confess to hating Mr Bryor? After all, you admitted yourself that the list of people is quite extensive."

She wipes her damp cheeks, shaking her head. "I didn't need to. I knew that if something happened, the person responsible would be in the Patridge family. Braxton has the worst temper, so he was easy to rile up in admitting his hatred for my cousin."

David folds his hands behind his back. "You seem pretty set on the fact that Braxton did this."

"As I said, he hated my cousin," she glares. "He had all the reason to murder him."

"So it has nothing to do with the fact you love him and he doesn't feel the same?"

She suddenly stands, slamming her hands into the wood. "No, for fucks sake! Is that all you think this is? That I'm just a dumb teenager with a crush? This has nothing to do with my feelings! I hate Braxton because he murdered my cousin. Case closed."

David smiles softly, nodding his head. "You seem quite emotional when I bring up the fact you like Braxton. Almost...agitated by the idea."

She doesn't respond, unsure about where the question is hidden within his statement.

"No further questions, Your Honour," David nods, straightening his suit as he walks back towards our bench.

I watch Zara as her eyes grow glassy. She bites her lip, coming down from the witness box as she passes the jury.

I wonder what she's thinking right now. It's clear that a part of her wants Brax to be guilty because he turned her away, but I know she also wants to find the person responsible for her cousin's murder.

She just really hopes it's Brax.

I realise suddenly that my hand still rests against Braxton's hand and I pull it away quickly, reaching for the cup of water on the table.

"Great start," Davina whispers. "It's looking good for us."

I watch Brax for a reaction but he's focused on the judge. If it weren't for the uneven motion of his breath, I wouldn't even notice that he's nervous at all.