Legal Prejudice 2 - Weather The Storms

Chapter 50

The production company had agreed to allowing Daniel and Allie an advance view of the programme, but only two hours before it was due to be broadcast at nine in the evening. The couple agreed with Zack to issue their statement earlier in the day, reasoning they would at least pre-empt the revelation about Allie losing the baby. Seven was a difficult time because of the children. Margie and Susan had both offered to come over so they could watch it as soon as a link arrived by E mail, but they decided it would be easier to just deal with bedtime then watch the programme, since there was nothing they could do regardless of how they felt about the content.

In the event they got Rose down in bed by seven thirty and Emmie was left to read for an extra few minutes. Allie told Dan her biggest fear was the impact on Emmie, since she was older and some of her classmates were almost certainly going to be aware from their parents that there was a TV programme about her family.

They sat down on the couch and connected the TV to their E mail so they could stream from the link they had been sent. Daniel held Allie tight and it began. Carrie herself didn't appear, and they didn't know if this was her choice or whether she'd been refused permission. Daniel couldn't help think it was to her benefit, because it concealed her irrational dislike of Allie and volatile personality. Her parents appeared and said plenty, their sorrowful faces bemoaning their daughter's unfair incarceration and the loss of contact with their adored grandchild. They showed photos of Carrie and Daniel's wedding. Allie had a pang seeing how beautiful Carrie looked. Tall, blonde and slim in a beautiful silk dress. But knowing Daniel so well she could detect he wasn't totally comfortable, his face held something back. The contrast with the look of pure happiness as he looked at a newborn Emmie in her mother's arms didn't pass Allie by. The programme followed the chronology of the events, so in the next segment they used the photographs taken at the American Bar Association dinner. What surprised Allie was that they had obtained grainy video footage of her singing karaoke and Michael lifting her from the stage. It transported her back to that night and without realising it tears ran down her face. The unexpected sight of Michael so alive released a renewed wave of grief. Daniel held her close and glancing at her paused the programme, "Hey, are you ok sweet girl?" Allie tried to choke it back, "I had no idea anyone had filmed that Dan. God, so long ago, I was out with Susan and the girls. Michael just turned up with John." Daniel kissed her and wiped her tears. Sighing she said, "Thanks, let's just carry on."

Stacie and Nicole were interviewed, focusing on justifying their accusations that Allie was not only dating Michael but also cultivating more than a friendly relationship with Daniel at work. They showed the photos they took of them embracing in Dan's office the day she came back from the UK, and sitting in the café across from the Court building, smiling, deep in conversation. They also talked about Allie engineering opportunities to watch Emmie. Stacie maintained that Carrie wanted to repair her marriage and Daniel had withdrawn support from his wife, knowing she was suffering with mental health problems, effectively she'd been abandoned. Michael was described in less than glowing terms, as a handsome but cruel guy who misused his power at work to satisfy his sexual needs, before callously dropping girls to move on to his next target.

The programme then moved on to the day of the shooting, replaying news footage from the scene, with Allie's blood on the sidewalk, clearly visible behind the crime tape and police vehicles. The report zoomed in on Daniel's blood soaked jacket, abandoned by Michael's car. Allie hid her face in Daniel's shoulder, it was footage she'd never seen before and he fast forwarded to get past the pictures and paused to check she was okay. This time he realised he had tears too as he was taken back to the moment he pressed his jacket against her trying to slow the blood loss as Michael held her and the life appeared to drain away. Allie felt haunted as she remembered how frightened she was in that moment. They clung to one another for a minute then squeezing her shoulders he clicked to continue.