On the Edge of the Truth

"Could you turn your phone sideways? I want to make sure you get the shot."

"Sideways?"

"Yes. Landscape mode – horizontal. I want to get the background in. I want to show this in context. Do you have the sky and the mountains in the background?"

"Yes! What are you trying to do?"

"You'll see in a moment."

"Whatever you do, please be careful!"

"Don't worry. This is going to be cool."

"You talk as if you're going to jump off the cliff!"

"Ahh, yes! Now you've got it! Except it's only going to look like I'm jumping off a cliff. There's a ledge about six feet below this rock. So, when I jump, it will look like I went off the cliff."

"And if you miss the ledge?"

"Oh, that's not going to happen. There's plenty of room."

"Okay, if you say so."

"Ready, set, go!"

"And those were the last words he said."

"Thank you, Miss Markfield," said her lawyer.

"I'd like an opportunity for rebuttal, Your Honor," requested the prosecutor.

"Proceed."

"Thank you, Your Honor. Miss Markfield, you told the court the decedent was a notorious risk-taker. Do you care to elaborate?"

"Objection," stated the defender. "We've already established that my client's boyfriend engaged in prankish stunts."

"I merely want to shed some light onto Mr. Frye's behavior," retorted the prosecutor.

"Your Honor, with all due respect, the prosecution doesn't have any expertise in behavioral psychology."

"Maybe not," replied the judge. "But I would like to hear what she has to say. This better be worth the court's time, Mr. Chandler."

"Thank you, Your Honor. I promise to be brief."

"The defendant may answer the question."

Miss Markfield addressed the court. She explained that Mr. Frye's "prankish stunts" included motorcycle riding, rock climbing, and parasailing.

"Sounds like pretty normal behavior for a healthy, active young man," commented the prosecutor.

"Objection!"

"Sustained!"

"If anything, you've established that your boyfriend was quite an accomplished, athletic, safety-minded, capable individual. That's all I have, for now, Your Honor."

"Strike the prosecution's last comments from the record. The defendant may step down," declared the judge as he nodded to Miss Markfield.

Mr. Chandler interrupted the court with a request. "Your Honor, at this time, I ask the court's permission to allow me to submit two pieces of evidence."

"Why didn't you submit such evidence earlier?" scolded the judge.

"Due to technical difficulties, we were unable."

"Proceed."

"I ask the jury to direct their attention to the screen displaying a photo taken by the medical examiner of the decedent's left hand. Note the wounds on the top of the fingers. The next photo is a still shot from the video taken by the defendant. If we zoom in, we can see the decedent's left hand gripping the edge of the precipice."

"OBJECTION!"

"Overruled."

"I submit to the jury that the defendant stepped on Mr. Styles's hand as he attempted to climb up on the rock and pushed him forcibly and willfully over the cliff."

Story and Cover Illustration Copyright © 2022 by Michael DeFrancesco