Law of Love

34

Walking up to court on the 7th, Lindsey had to suppress a groan when he saw Jimmy Iovine sitting on the steps. It had in fact been super awkward at home during the case that even Lily was picking up on it, and he felt guilty about it but the only time he'd get some sleep is if he went and slept in the guestroom after Stevie had gone to bed. 

"Mr. Buckingham, Jimmy Iovine The new deputy DA." 

"I know. How are you?" Lindsey takes his hand.

"Still a little wet behind the ears but I'm getting there. Stevie's been great." 

"Well, it's almost time to go...So I'll see you in there." Lindsey sighs. 

***

Stevie had Lieutenant Scott, the man was just as old as them but he was still great at his job, on the stand. 

"Yes, this is the murder weapon it has my initials on it." He hands Stevie the gun. 

"Would you tell the court where it was found." 

"We found it in the trunk of Vanessa Doucette's car." 

"Thank You nothing further." 

"Cross Examine?" The judge asks

"Thank you, Um...may I just?" He asks motioning for the gun and Stevie hands it to him, quite coldly.

"Ugh, that's a very nice gun Lieutenant. Who owns it?"

"We weren't able to determine that it's unregistered." 

"Did you find any fingerprints on it?" 

"No, sir."

"45, it's pretty heavy, unwieldy. Let me ask you something, in your experience as an officer of the law, how often have you known a woman to use a 45 caliber gun to commit murder?" 

Stevie stands up ready to fight. They have no clue why they're mad at each other but they are. 

"OBJECTION! IMPROPER OPINION, LACK OF FOUNDATION, IRRELEVANCY, CALLS FOR SEXIST STEREOTYPES!" 

"I WAS MERELY TRYING TO ASCERTAIN WHAT IS USUALLY INVOLVED IN CASES OF HIGH CALIBER WEAPONRY." 

"Not everyone shares your obvious enthusiasm for the usual counselor," Stevie growls.

"I submit there are some acts committed by some circumstances that give some people the right to examine them under the somewhat general classification as something usual." Lindsey retorts

"And I submit that making those assumptions, in this case, calls for a sexist stereotype." Stevie hisses. 

"What about sexist common sense." Lindsey spits the judge bangs the gavel to grab their attention. 

"Counsel, remember me. I am the person you address your arguments too, not each other. The peoples objection is sustained." The judge states. 

Stevie looks at Lindsey with a triumphant smirk and they move on. Lindsey finishes questioning Lieutant Scott and Stevie calls her next witness. 

"Let the record show that the witness has identified the defendant." 

"Ms. John are you sure it was the defendant you saw entering the decedents home on the night of the murder?" 

"As everyone knows I am a reporter. My job is observing and recognizing people. There's no doubt in my mind. Ms. Doucette was the person I saw."

"Thank you. Nothing further."

"Mr. Buckingham?" The judge asks. 

"Uh Ms. John, you just testified that the reason you went to see Mr. WIlliam in person that night is because he refused to answer any of your phone calls is that right?" Lindsey asks not standing up from his chair.

"That's right." 

"Well Mr. William's phone bills have been entered into evidence in this court and this phone bill covers the three weeks before his death. You recognize that number right there."He gets up and hands it do her.

"Yes, it's the number at the station where I work."

"But you said he never returned any of your calls." 

"He must've been calling someone else." 

"Your receptionist says otherwise. She's prepared to testify that prior to his death she put through several calls to you from Mr. Williams. She said that she put through one call to you from him the day he was murdered. Is that true?" 

"Yes." 

"You and he had agreed to meet at his house that night. He was expecting you he had put on water to boil you must have told him you drank tea." 

"You're making this sound like I had something to do with his death." 

"I can make a case for that." 

"I didn't kill him." 

"Why did you lie?"

"Because..." She pauses. 

"Your meeting with him was a persona, wasn't it? He wanted to talk to you that night because in doing his research for his book on the Doucette's he had found out something about you. Had to do with a man didn't it, that you had been seeing a few years before. A man who could exert a certain influence on the TV station where he worked to give you your own show. A man who's family owned that station. Married also. ANd his name is..." 

"Objection relevancy." 

"Overruled, this is Bias and motive." 

"Thank you, his name is..." 

"Joseph Doucette. But that doesn't mean I killed Mr. William's." 

"But are you sure this doesn't all tie together somehow. This man was going to expose your affair to the world." 

"No. No. That doesn't change the fact that the woman I saw that night was Vanessa Doucette." 

"Oh, he's the obvious one to frame." 

"She walked up to the door, she knocked, she opened the door and she went in. That's the truth I swear it." 

"Mr. Buckingam?" 

"Your honor, if it pleases the court. I'd like to take a recess to confer with my client." 

"Well, since it is the end of the day we'll reconvene tomorrow morning at 10 Thank you council." He gives in.

***

Back at Lindsey's office, he sighs as the pair sit down. 

"I have two daughters. I've been married twice. I know when a woman is lying when she's telling the truth, and when she's terrified. You did it you killed him. The doorbell, it doesn't work anyone going up to his house would ring the bell, but the killer knocked because they knew the doorbell didn't work. My wife was right. Steven Williams' book was going to deliver the dirt alright. It wasn't the Doucette's dirt. It was yours.  So you killed him." 

"Your job is to defend me no matter what Isn't it." She spits.