Judge, Jury, & Executioner

Chapter 5

Reaves had become bored with the defense attorney's opening statement. He kept going on and on about how Dominic, that was the accused name, was framed. Dominic had been found by the victim's body. Zoey Ferris, a twenty three year old college student, had been found stabbed in her dorm room. Twenty two times in the stomach gut area. The poor girl had bleed to death. Not to mention being alive while being stabbed.

Dominic had been dating her for a little over six months. According to the attorney, Dominic went to visit Zoey like he always did on Tuesday's. Which meant anyone would know he was coming. Depending on wether you believed the defense attorney or the prosecutor, depended on the events that happened.

If you believed the defense attorney, Dominic arrived at the room and was stricken with fear and pain. Running to help her he tried CPR, yelling for help, and even carried her outside to the street. The prosecutor painted a different story. He said that Dominic went to visit her, and that perhaps Zoey had decided to break up with him, sending him into a fit of rage.

While a majority of the facts would be made more clear throughout the trial, the defense attorney's opening statements were dull compared to that of his counterpart. Reaves recognized the prosecutor to be Greyson McNaughton. McNaughton had been the rising star in the District Attorney's office. People are saying he'll be the next District attorney in the next couple years.

It'd be a shame not to. The man could captivate an audience faster than any actor Reaves had seen. He seemed to look right at you when he spoke. And he never once had to look at notes and he only looked at the defendant to promote the guilt feeling. Pointing out Dominic's stone cold face. Or his expressionless eyes when McNaughton would talk about how Zoey was killed. The man had talent, and he knew how to use it.

It had been explained that since there wasn't a lot of media coverage and that none of the jurors seemed to have any idea of who the case was about until the trial started no one would be sequestered. Which meant they couldn't watch tv or read newspapers but they could go home and be with their families. Which Reaves was thankful for. He also couldn't directly discuss anything with Megan or Allison about the court proceedings.

"Court will resume tomorrow at nine o'clock." The judge said before slamming his gavel on his desk.

Reaves let out a relieved sigh and then followed the rest of the jurors out through their side entrance. He looked behind him briefly and saw Emily following the group as he was. They came to a hallway where there was a snack machine and everyone crowded around it. Reaves was famished, but he decided to wait until the snack machine was a little less crowded.

He felt someone brush by and saw Emily walk to the snack machine. The first couple of jurors walked away with their snacks heading for the door. Reaves folded his arms and sat down on a bench and waited. A group of some of the other jurors stood talking amongst themselves. Reaves eavesdropped on their conversation and heard them discussing Dominic.

Then. he saw Emily walking towards him holding two bags of chips.

"I wasn't sure which flavor you'd like so, I got plain Lay's potato chips." She said before handing him one of the bags.

"Well you'll be happy to know plain is my favorite flavor." Reaves said, before opening his bag.

He grabbed a handful and began eating.

"Sounds like it's going to be an interesting case." She said, trying to make small talk.

Reaves nodded and then added, "Makes me worry about my daughter. She's only sixteen but, for some reason every time I think of her being out in the world, alone. I'm terrified."

"You have a daughter?"

Reaves nodded and then asked if she had any kids. She answered no and he shoved more chips in his mouth.

"Is there a . . . a Mrs. Nate too?" She asked.

It was then he realized by mentioning Megan, he made it seem as if he was married.

"Not anymore. She passed away. What about you? Is there a Mr. Emily I should know about?" He joked.

"No, just me."

He smiled and then finished his chips. As he went to throw the trash away, she handed him her bag and he carried it over. The jurors who surrounded the snack machine before we're now standing around eating and getting ready to leave. Reaves dropped the trash into the trash can and he saw an inhaler inside. He hadn't seen one since he was little. His brother, Brayden, had asthma and would often have to use his inhaler whenever he had an attack. Which would typically occur whenever he was around dogs.

Reaves walked back to Emily and he sat down.

"Would you want to grab lunch sometime?" Emily asked, completely catching Reaves off guard.

Reaves shifted in his seat and leaned forward.

"Uh, yeah, sure. That'd- that'd be nice. Uh, maybe though, perhaps wait until after this trial thing. You know. I don't wanna get arrested or anything if it breaks any of the rules."

"Oh, yeah. You're right, I'm sorry. It's just, you seem really nice."

"Could you mention that to my sister?" He joked, hoping to make her feel less nervous. Which seemed to work.

It was then he heard the screaming come from the opposite side of the hallway. He jumped up to see a man collapsed on the floor. Reaves ran to his side and saw he wasn't breathing. Looking around he yelled for help and a few people ran over to help.

"Someone call nine one one, and look in his pockets for anything that might help his breathing." Reaves said before checking the man's pulse which was beginning to slow dramatically.

"Is anyone a doctor?" Someone yelled while looking around.

Reaves saw a couple police officers running towards them and then the person looking through the man's pockets shook his head at Reaves and then Reaves realized the man's pulse had stopped.

In fact, he had stopped breathing all together. One of the police officers, her name tag said Patricks, began CPR and the other politely pulled Reaves out of the way. He saw a wrapper on the ground and then he squatted down to look at it. It was a nut bar. The wrapper said it contained four different kinds of nuts.

Then Reaves remembered the inhaler from the trash can. He ran over and dug it out. Inside the trash was also an Epipen. Reaves grabbed it and then ran back to the officers.

"These were both in the trash. I saw them earlier. Could they be his?" Reaves asked.

One of the officers looked at the inhaler and then looked at the man's ID.

"Yeah, it's his. But I'm afraid it's too late. He's gone." Patricks said before standing up.

Reaves looked at the man, who had been alive only moments ago, and now he was motionless. His face a horrible pale and his lips light blue. He had suffocated to death. Reaves saw the prosecutor come running in and he looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"I want CSU and Detectives here now! No one leaves!" He yelled as he directed the officers to close down the courthouse.

Reaves looked over at Emily who was frozen in her seat. Looking back at the man, he remembered how picky Liam was about crime scenes. Reaves waved all the witnesses away from the body and had them stand against the wall. Or sit depending on how shaken they were from the man dying.

Reaves looked back at the body and then a sudden sick feeling overwhelmed him. Which Detectives is McNaughton bringing in?