The Defendant

by Chris Taylor

  With coffee in hand, she read the first page of her report again and sighed.

  “It’s a bit early in the morning to be looking so glum, isn’t it? Surely things aren’t as bad as that?”

  Doctor Rohan Wheeler’s teasing smile displayed his perfect white teeth. His brown eyes sparkled with humor. Josie couldn’t help but smile back at him.

  “Sorry, I’m just going over my report on Daniel Logan. His competency hearing begins today in the District Court. I’m squaring off with Blake Harton Jr. He’s been engaged on behalf of Daniel.”

  The doctor let out a whistle. “I’m impressed. Someone must have plenty of money. A barrister of Harton’s quality doesn’t come cheap.”

  “Yes. I’m not sure who’s footing the bill, but I’m pleased Daniel’s getting competent counsel. Besides, if the matter proceeds to trial, it will be heard in the Supreme Court.”

  “So, what’s happening today?”

  “I’ve been told by the prosecutor that I’ll be on the stand right after the investigating officers. My report’s instrumental to the prosecution’s argument that Daniel’s competent to stand trial.”

  Rohan compressed his lips and nodded. “Good luck with it. With Harton on the attack, you’re going to need it.”

  Josie grimaced and then took another sip of coffee. “Yes, I’m afraid you’re probably right.”

  “How about we meet at The Bullet later? You’ll probably need a stiff drink or two by the time you get through on the stand.”

  Josie nodded and smiled. “I’d hazard a guess that you’ll be right again, Doctor Wheeler.” Her thoughts landed fleetingly on Chase and the last time she’d been to The Bullet. She determinably pushed them away. “Sounds like a plan. Court finishes at four. What time can you get away?”

  * * *

  Chase stepped down from the witness box after undergoing a rigorous cross examination from Blake Harton Jr, of the evidence tendered in Chase’s statement. Relieved that it was over, he shot a glance in Daniel’s direction to gauge how the boy was faring. He sat in the dock and was flanked by two corrections officers. To Chase’s relief, he looked solemn, but composed.

  Chase took a seat near the prosecutor. Senior Sergeant John Wall was a veteran in the courtroom. Large in life and in stature, he’d been with the prosecutor’s office in Watervale for as long as Chase could remember. The man won more than he lost and he always played fair. Chase held John in high regard and was pleased to have him on his side.

  The judge asked the prosecutor to call his next witness and when Josie’s name sounded throughout the courtroom, Chase turned to look toward the door from where the witnesses entered.

  She was dressed in a smart, navy pin-stripe suit. The fitted jacket emphasized her curves and the skirt skimmed the top of her knees. Shapely calves were encased in navy stockings. She wore a pair of three-inch heels that only added to her above-average height.

  Her hair shone like burnished gold and had been pulled back and secured in a bun at the nape of her neck. After all these years, he still remembered what it felt like to free it from the constraints of her ponytail. Soft and silk-like, it would flow over his fingers, enveloping him in the sweet scent of her shampoo. His hands fisted at the memory, almost as if the silky strands were once again within his reach.

  Josie took her place in the witness stand and it was then that he noticed her pallor. There were dark circles beneath her eyes and her lips were taut with nerves. His heart went out to her. She wasn’t a cop. Unlike him, she wasn’t used to giving evidence. In fact, it was quite possible this was the first time she’d ever taken the stand. He compressed his lips and sympathized with the tension that held her body in its grip.

  John went through the motions and Josie’s report was tendered without objection, but it was far from over. Harton came to his feet and Chase watched Josie draw in a deep breath and let it out with a slight shudder. He understood her fear. Harton’s reputation for shredding the prosecution witnesses was legendary and despite what Chase had told her, Josie’s report was the only thing standing between Harton’s client being committed for trial and a defense application to the judge that there was no case to answer.

  Knowing that the next few minutes she’d endure on the witness stand would be brutal, Chase braced himself for the onslaught. He stared at her until he caught her eye and did his best to convey his support. He offered her a smile of encouragement and was gratified when she responded with a tiny smile of her own. It was enough to leave him feeling lighter than he had since he’d left her the night before.

  Harton went in hard and fast, as Chase expected him to. Josie held her own against him and Chase couldn’t help but feel proud. Her responses to Harton’s questions were answered with cool and calm deliberation. Despite Harton’s best attempts, he couldn’t shake Josie from her professional opinion and belief that Daniel Logan had capacity to stand trial.

  It wasn’t as if Chase wanted to see Daniel go to jail. In fact, he’d personally seen to it that Daniel was afforded the best representation in the region, but as a police officer, he needed to see that the laws would be fairly applied, no matter the age of the defendant or the circumstances. Those factors were applicable when considering a sentence, not for determining guilt. It was an important distinction and one he wholeheartedly supported.

  It didn’t mean he was happy about it. There would be no winners here today. Whether or not Daniel was committed for trial, no one would leave the courtroom happy. The whole tragic situation was downright depressing and sad, but there was nothing left to do but to leave it in the hands of the justice system and hope that things turned out all right.

  * * *

  Daniel listened to his barrister pepper the woman on the stand with pointed questions. He should have been pleased she was getting a grilling. After all, without her evidence, the prosecution had no proof he’d known what he did was wrong.

  His barrister had already told him the interview he’d given to Josie that night in the police station would be inadmissible. He was twelve. Despite Josie’s presence, the interview should never have been conducted without a parent, guardian or lawyer present. He wondered if she knew that.

  She’d been nothing but kind to him, despite her role in the matter and it saddened him to hear the tension in her voice as she answered the raft of questions fired at her from his lawyer.

  Daniel understood the man was merely doing his job and he was beyond grateful for the lawyer’s presence. He’d lost count of the number of people who’d told him how lucky he was to have secured the services of a barrister with the standing of Blake Harton Jr.

  He had to admit, the man looked as impressive as he sounded. Way tall and broad shouldered, he stood strong and commanding at the bar table. He was bright eyed and clean shaven and his black gown was large and intimidating. He wore a cream-colored wig that should have looked weird but seemed to add to his air of authority.

  But no matter how many times Harton tried to rattle the woman on the stand, she remained calm and unruffled and her answers didn’t vary. In her opinion, the defendant (that was him) knew that what he was doing was wrong. He knew more than in merely a naughty sense that his actions were against the law. He’d taken courses on gun safety and had passed. Proper use of a firearm was part of that course. He appreciated that those who broke the law would be punished. He thought that this was only fair. He agreed that he’d shot Neil Whitcomb dead and he expressed no remorse for his actions.

  By the end of it, even Harton seemed to give up. With a soft sigh and a grimace, the lawyer advised the court he had no further questions of Josie and quietly regained his seat.

  Daniel stared at her. A brief spurt of anger flared to life and just as quickly died. It wasn’t her fault. She was only telling the truth. He was the reason they were all there. Everything came back to him: If he hadn’t woken and found the man, if he hadn’t gotten the gun. If he hadn’t blown the man’s head off and then admitted he was glad he did. That he’d do it
again to save his mom.

  It was all his fault, every last second of it. His family had been torn apart. His mother was dead. His father wanted to join her. He hadn’t been told in so many words, but it didn’t take a genius to work it out. He’d heard a whisper around the school yard that his dad had been found with a shotgun; that he was going to blow his head off. Now his dad was in a loony ward, too sick to even see them.

  Daniel ought to do everyone a favor and just turn the gun on himself. That’s how it went in the movies. The gunman always took it in the head. If it wasn’t the cops who got him, he made sure he did the job himself.

  Josie stood and made her way out of the witness box and he watched her measured descent. She glanced in his direction, but he looked away. He couldn’t give her the reassurance she no doubt sought from him. He had nothing to give anyone—not even himself.

  His chest tightened with emotion and sudden tears burned behind his eyes. She cared about him and his brother. He knew she did. He wished he was whole enough to return the sentiment.

  A sob caught in the back of his throat. It had been so long since he felt he mattered to anyone. He missed his mom. God, how he missed her. It was like a heavy ache deep within him, penetrating to the depths of his soul and it wouldn’t go away. As if he’d just woken from a dream, he finally understood the permanency of it all—he’d never see her again.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Josie pushed back a strand of hair that had escaped her sensible bun and ordered a drink from the barman. The day had been long and trying and she was glad it was almost over. At least her time in the witness box had come to an end. She thought she’d done rather well under the circumstances even if the formidable Blake Harton Junior had left her feeling rattled. She hoped she’d managed to maintain an air of professional confidence on the stand, despite the fact she’d been shaking like the windows in a hurricane beneath her calm exterior.

  She’d wanted to go to Daniel straight afterward and reassure him her evidence hadn’t been a personal attack, but he’d turned away from her and his slight had eaten away at her courage.

  Chase had been in the courtroom. She’d been aware of him all day and had been more than relieved when the judge finally called an end to the proceedings. The questions she’d put to Chase the night before had been ignored. It was almost as if he didn’t have an explanation for his actions so long ago. Or if he did, he didn’t deem it worth sharing them a decade later.

  The thought made her angry and sad all at the same time and she was more determined than ever to forget all about Chase Barrington. Accepting an invitation from a young, good-looking doctor was just the thing she needed to put her past where it belonged.

  The heavy wooden door to The Bullet opened and Josie looked up and spied Rohan. He was dressed as she’d seen him earlier that morning, in a stylish suit and tie, but within moments of coming to a halt by her side near the bar, he disposed of the tie and loosened the top buttons of his shirt.

  “Ah, that feels better,” he grinned and tucked the tie into the pocket of his jacket. “What a day! I swear every young mother in Watervale had an infant sick with the flu. I should have gone home for a shower. I’m probably covered in germs.”

  Josie smiled and let her gaze wander over his physique. His broad shoulders tapered into narrow hips and his stomach appeared washboard flat beneath his shirt. His brown eyes sparkled with good humor and contrasted nicely with the dark blond of his hair. All in all, Doctor Wheeler was a very tidy package. She cursed silently under her breath when her body refused to react to his presence the way she wanted it to.

  Damn Chase Barrington. He was the reason she’d remained boyfriendless these past ten years. Despite her best efforts and a string of offers, she hadn’t found anyone she connected with like she had with Chase. And boy, had she tried. Even her younger sister Chanel had teased her about it when they shared an apartment together in Brisbane. It became a running joke between them about who Josie might date next. Most of them didn’t last long. It only took her a date, two at the most, to know it was never going to work. Just another thing she could blame on Chase.

  So, now she smiled and tried her hardest to find some kind of personal connection with the handsome doctor. He was smart and funny and about her age and there was nothing stopping her from encouraging his interest. And he was definitely interested.

  From the moment they’d met, he’d sent out an interested vibe and until now, she’d done her best to ignore it. Her heart was still hopelessly tangled up with Chase and her head was no better. It wasn’t fair to involve herself with someone else while she still yearned to be with another, but last night it had become more than clear it was time she got over Chase Barrington and moved on with her life. The fairy tale ending she’d dreamed of was never going to happen.

  “You look fine to me,” she answered and flashed him another smile. “What are you drinking?”

  “You’re buying, are you?”

  Josie shrugged and gave him a wink. “Think of it as my way of saying thank you for helping me forget such a trying day.”

  “How did it go?”

  Josie’s smile faded. “Okay, I guess. My evidence withstood the barrage from the defense. I think I came across as believable. Their psychologist takes the stand tomorrow. If the judge sides with me, Daniel will be committed to the Supreme Court to stand trial for murder.”

  Rohan’s lips compressed and he nodded in understanding. The sympathy in his eyes nearly undid her. He stepped closer and squeezed her arm in a show of comfort. “It couldn’t have been easy for you.”

  The gentle understanding in his voice, coupled with the comforting pressure from his fingers filled her with emotion. Tears burned behind her eyes. As if sensing her precarious emotional state, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. She rested her head against his well-muscled chest and breathed out on a heavy sigh.

  * * *

  Chase pushed open the door to The Bullet and headed straight for the bar. After a day in court giving evidence and watching Josie do the same, he needed a drink. Halfway across the room he spied her and came to a sudden halt.

  She was pressed up against the doctor—Rohan something-or-other—who shared her office space. Some of her hair had come loose and hung in soft waves down her back. Her face was turned away and buried against Rohan’s shirt. Chase watched as she shuddered and saw Rohan tighten his hold.

  Surprise followed by disbelief and anger surged through him. It was an emotion that was totally uncalled for. He had no claim on her. He’d made it clear last night that he had no intention of taking up where they’d left off. She was a free agent, free to see whoever she pleased. That she’d taken refuge in the arms of the doctor was none of Chase’s business.

  So why was he feeling so jealous? And jealousy, it was. He was man enough to own up to the fact that the sight of her in another man’s arms was enough to drive him crazy. He wanted her and loved her, but he had to let her go. It was for the best. Wasn’t it? Right now, he didn’t know.

  He walked toward them with his face on fire—from want, from need, from despair. He was almost upon them when he spun on his heel and headed in the opposite direction. He needed to get as far away from them as he could get.

  He glanced over his shoulder and was relieved to see they hadn’t noticed him. He pulled up a seat at the far end of the bar. With several other patrons between them, he hoped she wouldn’t see him. The bartender appeared and Chase quickly ordered a beer. A moment later, the drink arrived and he gulped greedily from the glass. Making short work of it, he promptly ordered another.

  “Hi, there handsome. Would you care to buy a lady a drink?”

  Chase lifted his head and stared at the stranger who’d spoken. It was only a little past five on a Tuesday afternoon, but already the woman was done up for a night on the town. Her reddish dark hair was piled high on her head and her full lips were bright with red lipstick. The rest of her makeup had also been applied with
a heavy hand.

  She wasn’t unattractive and her smile was downright nice, but the last thing Chase needed was the company of another woman. He blinked and tried to come up with a suitable way to decline the bold invitation in her eyes. Taking his silence for encouragement, she reached out and ran her hand along the inside of his thigh. His muscles bunched involuntarily. He moved her hand away and her face fell.

  “I-I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I-I’ve had a rough day and I’m far from good company. You might want to spend your time and energies elsewhere.”

  Her mouth tightened and her eyes narrowed, but she slid off the stool without another word and moved further down the bar away from him. His gaze once again snagged on Josie, who had separated herself from the doctor. She stood close enough that it was obvious they were together, but at least he no longer had his arms around her.

  While Chase watched, Josie took a call on her phone. She turned away from Rohan toward Chase and his heart leaped into his throat. Spinning on the barstool, he turned his back on her and prayed she hadn’t spotted him. He wasn’t ready to deal with her face to face with the knowledge that she was in the bar with another man.

  His irrational emotions weren’t fair to either of them, but they were out of his control. Right now, all he wanted to do was drown his sorrows in another glass or two and do his best to forget all about Josie Munro.

  * * *

  Josie checked the Caller ID on her phone and then glanced back at Rohan. “I’m really sorry, but I have to take this.” Turning away from him, she answered the call.

  “Hi, Belinda. How are things?”

  “Josie, I’m glad I caught you. I’ve been having difficulty placing the Logan boys. I contacted a relative this morning, but she still hasn’t arrived in town. I-I’d take them home with me, but I really don’t have any room. I live in a one-bedroom apartment. I’m not sure how it would work.”