The Commune

Untitled Part 9

                                                                                Conclusions Part 2

10am day four, George Morales asks to approach the bench. "I have called this witness to Court and he refuses to attend your Honour" he said passing simultaneous notes to Brooks and Crumb. "You are joking" said the amazed Prosecutor. "I am not so surprised" said Judge Brooks, "As I know where you are going. But do you know what you are doing and the consequences of being wrong? "Yes I do your Honour" answered Morales. "Very well" said Brooks calling for Police Chief O'Reilly who had attended each day to come to the bench. "Have this man brought to Court today" O'Reilly said nothing, taking the piece of paper he left the Courtroom.
Morales called Detective Chris Crossman to the stand, and he is sworn in. He began, "I have read both you and Detective Bouvard's written statements of what occurred on the 10th of July. I have also studied the reports you submitted to Chief O'Reilly and barring a Comma or Full stop in the wrong place they are word for word identical. Does that seem strange to you? "Not at all" answered Crossman confidently. "We discuss what has happened and write our reports" "Very well" continued Morales, "Can you tell me again what happened when you entered room 401 in particular relating to the alleged murder weapon? "As I have said" Crossman began, "I approached Officer Traynor who was slumped over the bed in floods of tears holding his gun in his left hand" "And where was Detective Bouvard at this time? asked Morales. "He was standing to the right of Logan Traynor" he answered. "But Logan Traynor is right handed" said Morales, "Wouldn't the gun be in his right hand" Crossman looked confused, "I may have reached across and taken it from his right hand, it all happened so quickly. I asked him to stand and Detective Bouvard handcuffed him" "What happened to the gun? asked Morales. "I passed it to Forensics for examination "He answered. "And can you then explain why there were no fingerprints on that weapon? asked Morales. "All three of us were very close together" he said, "It must have brushed against us and was cleaned" "Now the gun you handed to Forensics was indeed the murder weapon" said Morales, "I inspected it myself, but I could not find the digits LT-1 which would have been stamped in very small letters at the base of the handle to identify that it belonged to Officer Logan Traynor. I have in my hand the murder weapon brought to Court this morning marked Exhibit A. Can you identify this as the gun you retrieved from Logan Traynor? Crossman looked at the weapon through its cellophane packaging. "Yes that is the gun" he said. "But it is not" said Morales, "The gun you handed to Forensics as you have testified had indeed fired the bullets that killed Jane and Elijah Traynor but contained no fingerprints, and more importantly no cereal number linking it to Logan Traynor. But here in my hand is indeed Officer Traynor's weapon I am sure covered in his fingerprints and I can see from here his code number LT-1. Can you explain Detective how this weapon has magically appeared in the evidence box? "I have no idea, I have given my account in my statement" answered Crossman. "And as for Jane and Elijah Traynor in questioning you maintain that until entering room 401 on that fateful day you had never set eyes on either of them. Would this be true" asked Morales. "That would be correct" he answered. "Then the day Clerk Terry Rawlins would be lying" said Morales. "Mistaken" answered Crossman. At this time the Courtroom door opened and in came Mayor Andrew Forest. "Please take a seat" said Judge Brooks, "So good of you to join us" Morales dismissed Detective Crossman following the now regular, no questions from the Prosecution. He called Andrew Forest to the stand. "I hope you have good reason for this" he said after being sworn in. "I ask the questions Mr Foster and you answer truthfully" said Morales. "Is it true that you own and drive a 65 black Sedan with white walled tyres" "Many people do" answered Forest. "The question has a yes or no answer, what is yours? said Morales. "Ok, yes I do" was his answer. "And what if I told you that there are only four such vehicles registered in and around the City of Boulder. Two are driven only by women, one is permanently garaged, and the other is yours Mr Forest. I put it to you that you were the secret lover of Jane Traynor were you not, and I would if I were you think very carefully before you answer or you may look very stupid" "Objection" shouted Byron Crumb" "Sustained" said Judge Brooks, "No need for that Mr Morales, you know better" "I apologise" said Morales. "Yes I was" said Forest belatedly answering the question. "Ah" said Morales. "The only truthful statement we have heard in four days. Why did you seek her out at the Diner? "It was a chance meeting" said Forest. "So you would have this Court believe that the Mayor of our fair City frequents random Diner Parking Lots but never goes inside. Or is it more to the point Mayor Foster that you are the, F in BBF Engineering and Construction who have secured the contract to build the new ten lane Freeway between Boulder and Denver. And is it also true that the only thing preventing the breaking of ground is the Trailer Park known as the Church of Contradiction which stands on land privately owned by Elijah Traynor, and he refuses to sell. Now could it be a coincidence that you the Mayor of Boulder Colorado strike up an affair with his daughter-in-law? "I resent your implications and repeat it was a chance meeting" said Forest. "How do you know Detective Crossman? asked Morales. "I do not know the man personally" answered Forest. "Isn't it true" said Laya Raybourne, picking up the mantle, "That you were in College together, even playing in the same football team, (all Jocks together) and is it not also true that he subsequently married your younger sister Charlotte Foster, now deceased. I put it to you that Detective Chris Crossman is your Brother-in Law and a close friend" "This is true" answered Forest, now with his head bowed. "No further questions" said Raybourne. Judge Brooks adjourned proceedings to the following day when both Councils would make their closing statements to the Jury.