Back To The Beginning (Andy Barber)

4 - Secrets

Present day

I sit perched on the desk, directly across from Andy.

He still doesn't look at me, just stares into his water or the tabletop like he has done as we started going over everything.

So far we've established that things were fine between himself and Laurie before the Rifkin murder - that Jake was thriving at school. Just your typical suburban family.

Part of me wonders whether he'll make a play and mention us. Why? Purely because I'm probably seen as the enemy to him now.

"Andy..."

My voice brings him back from something. I could see he was just staring. Thinking.

Was it about us? About when we first began what we did?

I know he and Laurie had problems prior to the murder that he's leaving out. He knows full well that I know. I was the one riding out the anger he felt after one of their arguments in the back of his car. But I don't correct him, as much as I want to. Otherwise everything will come out for sure.

He's protecting me...

Now his eyes look back up and find me. I consult my notes, doing what he taught me best. To be calm, collected, and to the point.

"So let's get back to before the murder trial, did you ever notice anything between Laurie and Jacob? Any concerns she brought to you regarding him?"

"He's a good kid, you know that Miss Canavan".

The way he looks at me now? He's hostile again. "I've said it before and I'll say it again - before everything was fine, Laurie and Jake? They were fine, we were fine!" He emphasises the words of importance to me very clearly.

Now I look at him, knowing I could possibly turn this around to work in my favour and to finally make him perhaps see that his wife really did intend this. The evidence is clear enough, but for Andy? It's not. He's still clinging to the last shards of a shattered family that he's got left.

"You said 'before'". I now state, "but you haven't mentioned after?" 

Andy doesn't look at me, nor does he say anything either. "So what about right before the murder through to the crash? What was life like for your family then?"

"You should know, you were there for the most part". He mutters.

"Andy". The firm tone is out of me. I learnt from the best after all. "I may know what it was like, just as my mother and all the other attorneys who were working the case - but the grand jury doesn't, hence why we've called you here".

I rest one leg over the other, glance at the jury briefly and then back to him again. He looks tired, broken. This is not the Andy that I know. The whole ordeal has all but killed him too.

My voice softens. "Let's take a break. Clear our minds. When we come back we can start over from when the murder occurred and go from there". 

I nod to my mother who gives me a nod and small smile back. Even she can see that by now Andy is burnt out and needs a break.

We rise and the jury leave, then we disperse to take a half hour break. Just enough time for Andy to get his head together, and for me to think about the affair that was doomed from the start. I'd always knew that he would never leave her, but you never stop hoping that perhaps there would be a chance.