Schizoid

:.Liar.:

Start the song in the media. It's Vic's acoustic version of Today I Saw The Whole World by Pierce The Veil.

Jenna checks the address on the house before stepping out, not wanting to be in the wrong place. It wouldn't be the first time; she thinks about when she was working a convenience store attempted murder case and had wound up knocking on some Navy veteran's door. After checking the accuracy of her navigation skills, she stepped out of her car onto the sidewalk in front of the estate. She shivers in the cold; really, she should have worn a thicker coat. She tugs the polyester farther down her arms making her way toward the door. She steels herself before knocking three times on the door. She shifts in the frigid air, waiting for the door to open. When she got no reply, she knocks again, jumping slightly when the door swings open suddenly. A young man with broad shoulders stands there, looking unhappy.

"I've already said that I'm not talking to police, okay?" he says aggressively.

"I'm not police, I'm - my name is Jenna Black. I'm a state defense attorney."

The 22 year old lets out a sigh of relief. "You - you're defending Tyler?" Jenna nods.

"Nice to meet you, Zack."

Tyler's younger brother smiles as his face flushes with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. Come in."

Jenna sat down on the couch, watching as Zack came to sit next to her. He looks a lot like Tyler, she noted. Their facial features were practically identical, although Zack had more of a muscular build than his older brother. "You don't think he did it," she states.

"I know what I heard..." Zack replied, shaking his head. "It was him, but it wasn't him. It wasn't him. He wouldn't have done that. It's just not something he would do on his own."

Jenna squints, cocking her head. "You think it was blackmail?" she asks, unsure.

Zack runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know. Have you spoken to him?" Jenna nods. "What did he say? I know you're probably not supposed to tell me, but plea-"

"Your brother's a liar, Zack," she states.

The man's eyebrows furrow, "How do you know?"

"I went to school with a major in law and a minor in behavioral analysis. Your brother is sweet and mild? Right? He tries to make everyone around him like him? He only sees the good in people?"

Zack nods furiously. "He's a little naive because of it, honestly. And I've only seen him genuinely angry, like... once."

The corners of the woman's mouth slowly pull into a smile. "Your brother didn't want any of this to happen. Someone made him do it. Do you believe that?"

"Yes."

"Good. So do I! And it's the truth. And I'm gonna prove it." She clapped her hands together. "So, tell me what happened that night."

Tyler's brother took in a deep breath. "Well," he started, "I was here. I've been renting this apartment for the past... six months? Anyways, I called my mom 'cause she hadn't talked to me that week. So we were on the phone when Tyler came over. And he was talking to my dad, I think. I'm assuming that they were in the living room because I could just barely hear them, and... they were laughing; my dad, I could hear him laughing, and then... bang. My mom and my brother, Jay, they were both screaming, you know? And I can hear Tyler crying; he's hysterical. He keeps on apologizing, and then there's another gunshot, and then my mom is asking him to stop, you know? She's confused and scared, and he's just like, 'I love you, and I'm so sorry, i'm so sorry', and..." Zack chokes up, unable to continue.

"I don't want to upset you," Jenna says quietly, "but I need to know if you heard what he said to Madison."

"No, I didn't. But I do know that she had apparently called the police already and told them what was happening."

The attorney sighs. "I doubt that they'll release the record of the conversation to me. Police never work with the defense that way."

"Do you think we have enough to prove that this wasn't entirely his fault?"

"Not yet," Jenna answers, "but we will. Soon. You just have to trust me and help me when I ask you to. You've been tremendous already."

The air hangs heavy with tense silence. Unanswered questions hang like loose shoestrings. Finally, Zack speaks. "People will hate me, won't they?"

"Some will," the woman replies after a moment of honest deliberation. "Some people will think you're conspiring with him, others will just call you insane. But some of them - and I mean a small amount of people - they'll understand that you have the unthinkable responsibility to both grieve your family and protect your brother."

"Thank you, Jenna. Seriously, you taking this case means more to me than you probably think. Nobody else would have tried like you're trying. No state lawyer would put in so much effort for someone like Tyler... a normal guy who went and did something horrible. Thanks for this, even if we lose. You're really trying. Thank you for trying."