Hello Mr. E. Nigma

Innocent Till Proven Guilty Pt 1

 The judge's eyes seemed so cold, he had such and unwavering expression as if he were waiting for me to slip up. However, I won't let that happen, I can't. Once this trial is over, if I'm found innocent, I'll be able to rebuild my life. I'll be broken for a while and there will be rumors about me but... I'll figure it out. 

Maybe, I'll forget all about this one day, something I'll keep in the back of my mind. Still, forgetting him will be near impossible. How can I possibly put away these emotions? Just the thought of doing that hurts. Those times that we spent together, they were real. They were meaningful. He loved me and I him. Why must I be punished for that?

The lawyers make their opening statements and even I wasn't sure who's side to be on. On the one hand, I'm painted as a fugitive harbor that doesn't care for anyone but herself. But on the other, I'm a victim of circumstance. Neither is exactly true or false. I tried to explain to my lawyer everything that happened but he just told me that no one is going to vote me innocent if I say I fell in love with a criminal knowingly. After what happened to Doctor Harleen Quinzel no one would care for that story. So instead, we cut out me knowing about him being a criminal. I was just a poor girl who fell for a man, no more no less. Lying made me feel sick, these people around me made me feel sick. All eyes were on me, I was the talk of the town now and I probably would be for a while.

"The people call Carry Cooke to the stand." Even worse why do people that I care about have to be dragged into all of this. My hands clench together tightly, not for any fear of my own but for Carry. She may be a very charismatic person but put pressure on her and she's bound to get nervous. As I watch her make her way to the stand, I can already see evidence of her nervousness. Once she sits she makes brief eye contact with me to which I reply with a comforting nod to sooth her. "Miss Cooke, please tell the court what your relationship is to the accused."

This lawyer sure is a hard-ass, and she looks the part as well. I can't imagine how little she sleeps with the amount of cases she has on her hands. I remember reading about her once she took up the mantle as DA, she grew up in Gotham and was tired of how run down and disgraceful it had become. It was admirable but she has yet to do anything amazing for Gotham. It's hard to get a win when everyone you're up against is deemed criminally insane. So I can imagine that if she pins me on this it would benefit her immensely.

"She's my best friend. When we still worked together we didn't have much time for anything outside of work so we had to learn to make friends there." Carry answered while trying to appear as relaxed as possible.

"So you two are pretty close, tell me, do you two ever go out and have a night on the town? Maybe pick up a couple of guys to show ya'll a good time?" The DA asks charismaticly.  

"No, we never really had time for that. Like I said we were always very busy."

The DA nods in understanding, "So then if she never had time, how did she meet Edward Nygma?"

Carry looked at me nervously but quickly switched back to the woman before her, "Um, O-online."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Right, um, well technically she met him through the paper. She did little riddle columns and whoever got them all correct was rewarded. He would get them correct all the time and eventually began to contact her."

"Did it ever concern her that a stranger was suddenly contacting her?"

"Not really, maybe at first but she was more surprised than anything. I think she was flattered that someone enjoyed her work."

"One last question, Ms. Cooke, does the name Mr. E ring any bells for you?"

"Yes... that was the name Ed- I mean that was the name Mr. Nygma used as a alias."

The DA made a smirk that assumed victory like a cat who caught the canary and made a quick turn around to her desk. She took up several bags into her hands along with a newspaper and made her way to the jury. "Exhibits A through D," she spoke with confidence. "I trust that when you look at the signing at the bottom that you will notice they all have the same alias, Mr.E. This is a common name used by this particular patient at Arkham Asylum because when read it comes out to sound like the word mystery."

My attorney jolts up beside me, "Objection, your honor what is the point to all of this?"

The Judge looks down upon the DA, "I suggest you speed things up Mrs. Porter."

"I was just about to get there your honor." She returns her attention back to the jury. "Please take a look at the paper from a few months ago, just a while before Ms. Everhart stumbled into this relation ship with Edward Nyma. It reads as a known fact by the public that this alias is used by the Riddler numerous times." Murmurs spread throughout the room, all eye's looking towards me in judgement and disgust. "The people rest your honor."