James 1:26
Monday 17th December: "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth . . ."
Sean Hartnett was nervous. That much was clear. Beads of sweat pricked his forehead. Lawyer Fieldson could almost smell the fear and it delighted him. This was his kind of case. Empowering.
"You are the husband of the defendant - Mrs Patricia Hartnett?"
"Trish is my wife. Yes."
"You and Mrs Hartnett were having difficulties in your marriage?"
"Objection!" The Assistant District Attorney got to his feet. "Relevancy. Mr Hartnett is not on trial here."
"Your Honor, the state contends that my client is guilty, in large part, because she had a motive for killing Bob Young and no alibi. I intend to show that she is not the only person that meets those criteria."
The judge nodded his aquiescence. "Overruled. The witness is instructed to answer the question."
"We had been."
"But not anymore?"
"No, we are reconciled. We're back together."
Lawyer Fieldson pushed his advantage. "Is it even remotely conceivable that Mrs Hartnett could have travelled to Bradley International Airport in Hartford and hired a Hummer and kept and stored the vehicle without your knowledge?"
The Assistant D.A. wasn't having that. "Objection. Calls for an opinion from the witness."
"Sustained."
"Have you on any occasion seen your wife in possession of a Hummer?"
"No."
"What was your wife's relationship with Mr Robert Young?"
"She had none."
"And with the late Mrs Mary Young?"
"She knew her slightly. They had no relationship."
"Indeed there is nothing particular to connect you and your wife with the Youngs. On the other hand there were those who would have been glad to implicate your wife in this murder."
"Objection. That's conjecture."
The judge frowned. "Keep your opinions for the summation Mr Fieldson. Objection sustained."
"Thank you, Your Honor. No further questions."
The Assistant D.A. was taking a leaf out of Fieldson's book. He was in no hurry. He got slowly to his feet.
"You and your wife were reconciled after Mr Young's murder?"
"Well yes, but . . ."
"But at the time of Mr Young's death you were absent from the house and could not provide your wife with an alibi."
"That's true but . . ."
The Assistant D.A. allowed himself the slightest of smiles. "Indeed your wife did have a motive to kill Mr Robert Young, did she not?"
"Objection."
"Sustained."
"Though your wife may have had no relationship with Mrs Young, you were once the late Mrs Mary Young's lover, were you not?"
The hush in the court was total. Sean Hartnett looked confused. "I don't know what you mean . . ."
"Careful Mr Hartnett. We can produce evidence to support this allegation. Don't be tempted to perjure yourself."
"We were friends."
"That may be so. But you were Mrs Mary Young's lover?"
Sean Hartnett said something but he was too soft spoken to be heard in the near silent courtroom.
"Speak up please."
"Yes."
"Yes, you were Mrs Mary Young's lover?"
"Yes. But that wouldn't mean Trish had a reason to kill Mr Young."
"Really? Not even if Mr Young had discovered the nature of this relationship of yours and was about to cause trouble over his wife's death?"
"Objection."
"Overruled. I want to see where this is going."
"No it's impossible." Sean Hartnett was clearly distressed.
"Why, Mr Hartnett? It seems more than possible to me."
"No it wasn't her."
"There is no one else who could have committed this crime is there Mr Hartnett?"
"Objection."
"Overruled. Go on."
"There is no one else."
"There is."
"Really. Whom, precisely do you suggest?"
"I must object Your Honor."
"Overruled. Please continue Mr. Fieldson."
Which Fieldson did, almost snarling his repeated question. "Whom?"
Sean Hartnett's face was in his hands. He looked up, his eyes red, not with tears but with anger. "Trish had nothing to do with it," he said. "I killed him."
No comments:
Post a Comment