The Music of Souls, page 20
“Yes,” she answered.
“Would Mr Peterson still be alive if he had received immediate attention that day?” he asked, making me nervous again. Maybe I should have helped him. Ms Leeman gave the question some thought, which made me feel more tense with every second that passed.
“That is a question I can’t answer accurately. If there had been a doctor at the scene immediately after he went into shock, there is a chance that he could be still alive. But considering that it always takes time until the ambulance arrives, it’s questionable,” she finally answered, making me feel somewhat relieved. I didn’t know how I would have reacted if she’d said yes.
“Would it have changed anything if Ms Stuarts or Ms Cole had given him first aid?” Mr Kennedy asked. He really wanted to put the blame on me, and even on Ms Stuarts, didn’t he? Of course it had been me stabbing him, but who in their right mind would try to save someone who had tried to kill them a second earlier?
“With fast and appropriate medical care, survival might have been possible. But I assume that neither Ms Cole nor Ms Stuarts have the necessary knowledge or had the necessary equipment to hand,” she said.
“What kind of equipment?” Mr Kennedy asked.
“A defibrillator,” she answered.
“But they could have applied chest compressions instead, is that correct?” Mr Kennedy asked. Now look who’d done his homework!
“Yes,” she said. She appeared so neutral throughout, I really couldn’t guess which side she was on. Probably neither. And anyway, to her I was just some stranger.
“You are saying that applying chest compressions could have improved the chances of survival. Is that correct?” he asked.
“Until the emergency crew arrived, yes. It could have been possible,” she answered.
“Okay. Was John Peterson fit and healthy prior to sustaining these injuries?” he asked.
“No,” she said. I looked at Mr Kennedy, who didn’t seem unduly perturbed. He probably already knew the answer to that question, too.
“What kinds of conditions did he have?” he asked.
“He had received a cardiac valve a few years ago. He was also prone to suffering from heart attacks,” she said. There was silence in the court for a moment.
“Anything else besides that?” he asked.
“No,” she answered.
“You said the wounds didn’t directly lead to his death. But they were a contributory factor in his death?” he asked.
“Yes, the blood loss was a factor. The scissors damaged some of his organs, but that damage wasn't the cause of his death,” she explained.
“Thank you, Ms Leeman, I have no further questions,” Mr Kennedy said.
“Does the defence have any questions?” the judge asked.
“No, Your Honour,” my father answered.
“The witness is excused. Are there any more witnesses?” the judge asked.
“No, your Honour, the People rest their case,” Mr Kennedy said. Finally, this was over. The judge looked over to my father.
“Is the defence ready with its case?” he asked him.
“Yes, Your Honour. I call the defendant,” my father said, and my heart stopped for a few seconds. He looked at me and raised his eyebrows in a questioning gesture when I hadn’t moved instantly. The bailiff came over to me and escorted me to the witness stand. Every step felt like there were tons of weight on my feet. Everyone was looking at me, judging me. It felt horrible.
I stood in the witness stand and stared at the wall in front of me, trying to black out everything else.
“Raise your right hand,” the clerk said, and my body moved on its own. Thank God, at least in this situation it wouldn’t leave me hanging.
“Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case now before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” he asked. His voice sounded really dull in my ears. Most likely because that ringing in my ears just made everything sound funny.
“I do,” I managed to choke out.
“Please state your name and spell your last name for the record,” he said.
“Avalynn Cole. C-O-L-E,” I said, happy that I could actually manage to spell my name without my brain shutting down.
“You may be seated,” he said, and I did. As soon as I had sat down and looked at my father, I felt something change in me. I was only focused on him and I felt a weird calmness.
“Ms Cole, where were you on May 10th at around 1 PM?” my father asked.
“I was at Puffy’s Tailor Shop,” I answered.
“What were you doing there?” he asked
“I was picking up costumes for my company,” I answered.
“Is picking up costumes a normal part of your job?” he asked.
“No, not usually,” I answered.
“Then why were you picking up the costumes on that day?” he asked.
“The person that usually picks them up had called in sick. Actually, most of the staff at the company were sick because of bad food poisoning,” I explained.
“How come so many people had food poisoning that day?” my father asked.
“There had been a celebration the day before and the shrimps were off,” I answered.
“You didn’t eat the shrimp?” my father asked.
“No, I didn’t attend the party,” I said.
“When you were in the store and Mr Peterson entered, how come he didn’t see you in the store as well?” my father asked.
“I recognised him from the incident before and hid behind one of the tables,” I said.
“Did you know that he was there to hurt Ms Stuarts?” he asked.
“No,” I said.
“Why didn’t you call the police when you realised that he was threatening her?” he asked.
“I wanted to call the police, but I’d left my phone in the car,” I explained, still feeling bad about that.
“Could you have left the store in order to call the police?” he asked.
“I could have tried to leave, but he would have seen me,” I answered.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because the door makes a sound whenever someone opens it. If I had opened the door, he would have seen me,” I said.
“You could have fled to call for help regardless though. Why didn’t you?” he asked. Was he trying to make me question my decisions now? I was sure that wasn’t his task as my attorney!
“I was scared that he would hurt Ms Stuarts,” I answered.
“So instead of saving your own life, you decided to risk yours in order to help Ms Stuarts. A stranger,” he concluded.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Even though you knew the man and you knew that he was dangerous?” he asked.
“Yes,” I answered again. I must have been stupid, acting like some kind of superhero.
“That doesn’t seem like the action of a murderer to me,” he said.
“I didn’t want to kill him, I just wanted him to leave us alone! He wouldn’t leave, he looked at us as if we were prey and he wouldn’t mind killing us right there!” I said, almost jumping from my seat. I was breathing heavily while I stared at my father. I felt trapped.
“Alright Ms Cole, please calm down,” my father said. He had a weird smirk on his lips for a second. I was not sure that anyone else saw it, but I did.
“I am sorry,” I said, because I thought that was the appropriate thing to say in court.
“Ms Cole, why didn’t you help Mr Peterson when he was struggling?” he asked. I almost felt like choking now, why would he put me through this?
“I couldn’t move. I couldn’t hear anything; my ears were ringing.” I tried to explain it, but it sounded like an excuse even to me.
“You were in shock,” he stated.
“Yes,” I said and nodded.
“Did you realise that Mr Peterson was suffering a sudden cardiac arrest?” my father asked.
“No, I didn’t realise that,” I answered.
“Thank you, Ms Cole. I have no further questions and no other witnesses, Your Honour,” my father said. I was staring blankly at my hands, feeling like the life had just drained out of me. I didn’t even notice when the bailiff gently tugged at me and guided me back to my seat. I was done with this. I felt exposed and trampled on. What had I done wrong in my life to feel like this?
“Does the defence rest?” the Judge said now, and my father stood up.
“Yes, Your Honour,” he answered. When he sat down again, he patted my hand, but this time it didn’t have the intended comforting effect. I wondered if anything would ever comfort me again.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, now that you have heard all of the evidence, and the arguments of counsel, it is my duty to give you the instructions of the court concerning the law which governs this case.
It is your duty as jurors to follow the law as I shall state it to you, and to apply that law to the facts as you find them from the evidence presented in court,” the judge began to instruct the jury, but he was talking so much I couldn’t even keep up with it anymore. I was staring at him, seeing his mouth move, but I couldn’t understand anything he was saying anymore. The air in the room was stuffy and all the people in the room made my head explode. Now that I knew I didn’t have anything to say anymore, my body and mind were starting to shut down. He was still talking after what felt like hours and I still couldn’t make sense of what he said.
“Yes, Your Honour,” I heard my father say next to me, which brought me back to the room.
Mr Kennedy stood up and I felt that I had missed something important while I had been somewhere else with my thoughts. But I decided that I didn’t care, because there was nothing at all that I could do at this point anyway.
“Your Honour, and Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury. The defendant, Ms Cole, has admitted that she was at Puffy’s Tailor Shop on May 10th, where she stabbed Mr Peterson twice. Even though he was still alive after he got stabbed by the defendant, she didn’t attend to his injuries or do whatever she could to help him survive. The defendant used unreasonable force against Mr Peterson, as she even actively approached him to stab him a second time. Based on the evidence, you must find the defendant guilty.” He sat down. His last word was crashing through my head like a tornado. Was I guilty? Did the jury think I was a murderer?
My father stood up and cleared his throat. “Your Honour, Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury: Ms Cole was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She didn’t plan to hurt someone that day and she didn’t plan to see someone die. She didn’t carry a weapon. She didn’t even have a phone on her. She just wanted to pick up some costumes for her company when Mr Peterson hurt Ms Stuarts and even strangled her. She did all she could to save the store owner’s life and her own. Ms Cole has never been a violent person before, she doesn’t have a police record and has never been involved in a fight. And look at her, does this person look like someone who would murder someone or let someone die on purpose? The prosecution accused her of not helping the man survive, but she was in shock. She had never stabbed anyone before, and she clearly was and still is traumatised. She acted in self-defence and instead of just saving herself, she also saved Ms Stuarts from possible danger, therefore you must find Avalynn Cole not guilty,” my father said and sat down. I didn’t know what came over me, but I grabbed his hand under the table and held it tightly. I needed to hold on to someone so I wouldn’t fall apart.
“The jury will now take their time to decide on their verdict,” the judge said, and the jury members got up to exit the court. The people in the room started to talk quietly to each other while I was still sitting there, holding my father’s hand. He didn’t react, but he didn’t pull back, either. I didn’t care whether he felt uncomfortable or not and I also didn’t care what everyone else in the room was thinking. I just needed this now and I was happy that he wasn’t talking to me. I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to form even one sentence at this point.
It took a while before the jury came back into the room and settled down again.
“Will the jury foreperson please stand?” the judge asked. The woman on the far right stood up.
“Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?” he asked.
“Yes, Your Honour,” she answered.
The clerk got up, took the piece of paper the woman gave him and handed it to the judge. He read it silently and nodded, before handing it back to the clerk.
“Please stand,” he said and waited until everyone had stood up. I struggled to my feet and reluctantly let go of my father’s hand.
“The jury finds the defendant not guilty,” he said, and just as if someone had pulled a plug from my tear ducts, I started bawling right there in the middle of the courtroom. And my father of all people didn’t hesitate to pull me into a tight hug.
It was over. Finally.
Chapter 17
“I told you everything would be fine,” Andrew said after we left the courtroom. I was still on the shaky side but overflowing with happiness. I didn’t reply, I just nodded. He could have that victory if he wanted, but to me it had been nerve-wracking until the very last second.
My father appeared behind us with my mother tagging along.
“So, now that’s settled,” he said. He looked somewhat tired and exhausted. I hadn’t expected him to be even the slightest bit tired out, but it looked like he was. I had never seen him at work, so I wouldn’t know anyway.
“Thank you,” I told him, and I truly meant it, with all my heart. The things that had happened might still be lingering in the back of my mind, but his support in this case was welding us back together, at least a little bit.
“It’s great that all the hard work paid off,” he said.
“I can’t begin to imagine what you did to make this work,” I replied. I didn’t know how a lawyer worked and I had no idea how much work he had put in. But if he was stating it like this, I supposed he had truly worked hard on it.
“Let’s just all be happy that it was over and done with in one trial. This is my job after all,” he said.
“I am happy it all worked out fine for you,” my mother said and smiled. She looked a bit nervous though.
“You feeling okay?” I asked her, and she nodded.
“We just have to go and pick up Adrian now. We let him stay with a babysitter and I am not used to that,” she said. I tried not to let that upset me. My parents never had a problem leaving me alone at home when I was still a child. But maybe her motherly instincts just needed a bit of time to reactivate or even to activate.
“Alright,” I told her.
“We will see you soon. Don’t get involved with the media too much, just ignore them,” my father said, patting my shoulder before leaving the building with my mother. They pushed their way through the crowd of journalists again, as if it didn’t even bother them.
“Just ignore them, he said,” I muttered to myself and stared anxiously at the crowd by the main exit.
“I spoke to a friend who works here. There is another exit, if you would rather use that,” Ryan proposed, and I shook my head.
“I have nothing to hide,” I said and straightened my back. “Let’s go.”
We walked straight through the crowd and I dodged the questions they fired at me as best as I could and tried to smile all the way to the car. The journalists weren’t as aggressive as they’d been when we’d entered, but that could be because the case had ended in my favour. Nothing too interesting to write about.
“We should go and eat something,” Sebastian said after we arrived at their house again. Laura came running down the stairs the moment we walked into the house, looking at us expectantly. Andrew signed her what looked like a short sentence to me, and she smiled. It was an honest smile; I could see as much. Especially with all the fake ones she’d thrown me these past weeks.
“I am happy for you,” she said to me.
“Thank you,” I signed to her, it was the one thing I’d asked them to teach me. It probably came out a bit weird, but she looked really happy about it, almost appreciative. I wanted to give something back to her, since I’d barged into her life and made things difficult for her as well.
“I know one restaurant that we could go to. Not too crowded and rather cosy,” Ryan said, and I nodded. I was fine with doing whatever today, I just was so relieved that the ordeal was over.
I took a shower before we left and tried to put on some decent looking clothes, without looking too fancy and over the top.
Ryan was right, the restaurant wasn’t crowded, and it felt cosy. I was happy about the lack of people, at least not so many melodies crashing into my head. Ryan probably also preferred places like this, considering he could see the lies of everyone around us. Andrew and Laura looked like a happy couple and for the first time I, too, felt happy for them. Maybe it was because my life wouldn’t end behind prison bars now and I was feeling less dark altogether.
We chose a table in the back and settled down.
“They have one of the best burgers ever,” Ryan said, looking a lot more enthusiastic than usual.
“I will have a burger then,” I said and closed the menu.
The waitress took our orders and we started to talk about random subjects, I even tried my best to involve Laura in the conversation. It was easier than I’d expected, I guessed I’d just never really wanted to try before. I’d wanted to keep her away from me rather than include her. Maybe her fakeness towards me wasn’t because she really was a fake person, but because I’d pushed her to be like that.
I decided to stop pondering about it though, I just wanted to enjoy the evening.
“You were right, Ryan,” I said with my mouth full, having had a bite of the burger. He nodded in approval, his mouth also full.
Then, right in the middle of dinner I almost choked on my food.
“What’s wrong?” Sebastian asked, immediately looking ready fly into action.
“It’s just that someone I know has just come in,” I said, almost in a whisper, and that person was coming over to our table.
“Now look who's here,” Rose said. She sounded bored and a bit like those bitchy girls in high school who had nothing better to do than to educate you about your bad style of clothing.
