Mansion of Dolls (Complete)

Chapter 03 (Rewrite/Edited)

In the end, Taryn told Stephanie some of the events of the trial. Not all of it is due to it still being ongoing. Talking about how Roy was killed by a kid waving a gun around, that kid in question was a fifteen-year-old who is the son of a man her mother had been trying to get for many crimes alongside the police force for several years with no luck.

The man in question was Mathew Markson, and like any snake in the grass, he knew how to avoid being caught red-handed. Extortion, perjury, theft, he did that and more.

The bastard even went so far as to show up at Roy's funeral, all the while mocking Taryn's parents, calling into question if her mother's nickname was still something used anymore. Which it was, people feared being caught with her as prosecution whenever they broke the law.

The Iron Law.

That was what everyone called Olivia Mira Erin Fortier. A nickname her mother rather disliked for how pompous and egotistical it made her sound when she was just doing her job.

Taryn knew the reason for it; her mother was a sheer force to be reckoned with when it came to the law, practically won every trial she worked for the Crown. With one of the few exceptions being anything revolving around Mathew.

Taryn's mother had been barred from working the case. Olivia also held a close connection with the deceased, they all had. So, they got someone else to take the case, but as it stood, the trial itself didn't seem to be going all that well. At least as far as Taryn knew. For she was only a civilian, and even though her parents had such jobs, even she was still privy to bits of information.

But also, that of the somewhat seedy lawyer who was representing Mathew's son, Alex. A kid who, at the time, clearly needed some form of medication as though he looked to be dealing with a mental breakdown. Even now, Taryn didn't know anything about the kid, even though he was the one who pulled the trigger, she still couldn't help but feel sorry for him. But such thoughts didn't last long while she was on the stand dealing with his lawyer.

The lawyer would go off-topic and dig into Taryn's personal life, every chance he took. Poking and prodding with needless questions, painting a picture of her and how she always seemed to be dealing with death in her life, finding dead bodies or just being around those who dealt with it. Bringing up the line.

"You're constantly surrounded by death, aren't you, Miss Lowell?"

It was true, in a sense, holding an almost double meaning to her. But how that lawyer said those things made her feel sick. He sounded as though she enjoyed it, being around that kind of thing. It wasn't who she was, but no one seemed to care.

"Jesus..." Stephanie muttered when Taryn was done. "That's... Jesus on toast, that's a lot to take in. No wonder you've been stressed."

"I've been through worse..." but Taryn chose not to elaborate on it.

"I'm surprised you didn't punt the jackoff to the moon for saying all of that."

Taryn laughed, clearly picturing it in her mind. "God, I wish I could, or at least watch someone else do it. I'm sure even Isaac wanted to have that lawyer barred for his conduct. But I think that's already been handled. The son I mentioned who shot Roy, Alex? He fired the man, hired a new one offered by the defence attorney's office. And he seems to no longer want to be in contact with his father."

Stephanie frowned. "Why?"

Taryn shrugged. "No idea, I'd probably know more, but I'm kind of on the other side of the world. I asked both my Mom and the lawyer that's working the trial if I was needed, but they both said I was okay to go. And so here I am."