Chasing Innocence | ✓

28 | worrying signs

Day two of trial goes a little differently.

I'd gone home hopeful. We all had. Maybe we'd reacted too soon.

The prosecution are cross-examining Brax in the witness box. He's wearing an identical suit to yesterday, dressed in black pants and a suit jacket. His tie is slightly crooked, despite Sof trying her best to fix it earlier today.

He looks effortlessly calm, but I know better. There are small signs now that highlight his nerves. His hard gaze flicks around the room. His hands fist and then relax.

I turn my head to the side, finding majority of the Patridge-Williams family in my periphery. Marco matches Brax's stern gaze, but I note the fear in Xav and Sof. Casey and their mother aren't here today. Brax had forbid it.

"Mr Patridge," the prosecution calls causing me to turn back to the scene unfolding. "What possessed you to stand over the corpse of Mr Bryor, yet you swear you did not kill him?"

Davina places a hand over mine. I realise I'd been nervously tapping my nails against the wood. I apologise quietly, placing them back in my lap.

"As I've said," Brax's voice booms, echoing across the room. "I heard arguing after I'd left. When I went back to see what was going on, I found Dylan. He was dead."

"What possessed you to go back?" the prosecution ask. "Why didn't you just ignore the sound and leave?"

"Blatant curiosity, I guess. I knew whoever was arguing, was arguing with Dylan. Wanted to know who else didn't like the guy."

"So you openly admit that you didn't like Mr Bryor?"

I hear Sof's worried voice behind me being placated by Marco. I don't turn around, afraid they'll see my own expression.

"A lot of people didn't like him," Brax answers. "He was a drug dealer with a thirst for violence."

"You alleged that Mr Bryor was responsible for placing your brother, Casey Williams, in the hospital. His injuries were quite severe. Enough to warrant a retaliation?"

"Of course," Brax deadpans and I stiffen. "But I never did. I promised my brother."

The man paces the room, much like David did yesterday, only I felt less on edge than I do right now. "Yet Mr Bryor ended up in hospital so soon after. And, to this day, no one has been found responsible for the act. Seems like a terrible coincidence, don't you think?"

Brax barely suppresses a scoff. "Everyone in fuc— in Mountford knows who Dylan was. No one liked him. Anyone could have put in that hospital."

"Hmm. Yet you were the one found standing over his body. Again, seems like a terrible coincidence—"

"We could base this entire case off coincidences," Brax snaps. "Anyone could have killed him. Everyone had a motive."

"But not everyone was at the diner that night," the man continues. "Just you. The man who's mother owed thousands of money in drug debt, who's brother was put in the hospital and you, found standing over the body."

"I—"

"No more questions, Your Honour."

"It's becoming a shit show in there."

Xavier paces the hallway, gritting his teeth. Marco is leaning back against the wall watching his brother pacing in twisted amusement.

Sof is seated next to me, clasping my hand silently. Brax is leaning against the wall opposite us, watching the scene unfold. "We expected this," he says.

Our eyes meet and I hold his stare. I want to know what he's feeling right now. I've learnt his mannerisms but when he's standing so still, it becomes increasingly harder to know him at all.

"It's day fucking two, Brax, and they're eating you alive," Xavier growls. "Imagine what's going to happen tomorrow. And the next day and—"

"Would you shut up?" Sof snaps suddenly, standing up. She stares at Xavier with a hard glare and I'm reminded of the girl I first met.

"You're not making this any easier," she says. "As you said, it's only day two. Plenty of time to change the jury's mind."

"Get real, Sofía," Xavier grits his teeth. "This isn't a television show. The jury isn't going to listen to Brax tell a sob story and change their mind. This is real life."

"I'm aware," she growls. "You don't need to treat me like I'm a child."

"You are a child," he retorts. "You have no idea—"

"I'm sick of this!" Sof shouts and I stand, grasping her shoulder. She shrugs me off. "No one respects me in this family. Fuck all of you."

She storms passed us, slamming her hands against the doors as she walks outside. A few people throw her dirty looks but she ignores them, even holding her middle finger up at a few.

"She says she's not a child, yet she storms out like a two-year-old," Xavier grumbles.

"Just leave it," Brax rakes a hand across his face.

"We need to act," Xavier nods along to himself, like he's already forming a plan within his own mind.

"The last place you should be talking about that is here," I seethe, folding my hands across my chest.

Xavier glares at me before sighing. "I'm whispering, detective. No one is gonna here us."

"You're making a scene," I remark. "You need to relax. Sof is right. It's only day two."

I hear Davina before I see her; her patent heels clicking against the hardwood flooring. She strides around the corner, long black hair swinging as she approaches us. She's holding a folder under her arm, hard eyes meeting mine.

"We expected this," she says, mirroring Brax's words from earlier. "Cross-examination is always the worst part. They can't surprise us with much else."

Xavier moves back against the wall to stand with Marco. He hasn't calmed down, but at least he's stopped creating a draft.

"All of you next to act as a united front. The prosecution will thrive off your nerves if you let them. I need all of you to act like nothing has happened. Do you understand?"

She waits until everyone responds before she's satisfied to walk back into court, waiting for us to follow.

I can't wait for today to be over. It's clear that we are all thinking the same thing.