The Fangs

Chapter 2 - Justifiable Homicide

When the sun rose, I had to stick myself out of my warm bed. Hour after my eyes opened, I found myself wearing the uniform I used to dream when I was in college.

Contented on how I looked like, the food I ordered came. “Here’s your order, Ma’am.”

After I thanked and accepted my orders, the delivery guy left with a smile. It wasn’t healthy to order outside or to buy food chain’s foods but I’m running late, I need to be on the courtroom hours before the trial.

I’m eating my usual food since a week ago when the prosecutor called me.

“You ready to talk to me?” he asked without delay.

I bite the last piece of burger and answered him coldly. “Yeah.”

As I hang up the call, I took my keys beside my laptop. When the garage faced me, I picked my only car to travel.

It was hard living on my own, I had to do things that matters without help. And the person who cared for me the most, was now cold beneath the ground.

I was ashamed about the action I decided, Denisse was now gone because of that. I was careless and the laws became my mindset that day. Thinking that I’m not deserving, Denisse was betrayed by her best friend and I’m at fault.

The snow still covers and blind the ways, traveling unlike summer became hard and unsatisfying to experience.

Without minding my assigned destination, I took a left turn to be on the station where I work. Reaching the station didn’t spend such time. As I parked, I took the paper bag out of my car and proceed to my office.

“Good morning, Chief De’mea.”

I just ignored my co-worker’s greeting and proceed to what’s planned. I took the candle out of the paper bag, light it up and placed where Denisse committed her sin.

After my target agenda, I went to the courtroom to talk to the assigned prosecutor.

“How are things going?” I asked with a pokered face.

He sighed. “I told you to listen on my explanations two days ago, right?”

“This case is getting nowhere! The accused committed suicide, what will be the outcome of this trial to begin with?!” Irritated, I burst without thinking.

My best friend died and they’re still playing games, the family of the victim is getting nowhere to be found, they are searching nothing to begin with.

“Your co-workers mentioned that after Denisse died, you’re one week on leave without getting things according to the rights,” he stared at me. “Just how spaced are you?”

“I just can’t take things, I don’t want to catch up because it will brought me on regrets.” A single tear flowed on my cheeks, for the second time. “I am at fault, I’m not deserving to be called as her best frie__”

I was cut on my words when the prosecutor I’m talking to slapped me on my cheeks. “She’s alive for Pete’s sake! You did this to her and all you can do is to cry?!”

The reality hit me, for weeks that I’ve been sleeping on the news, I didn’t get updated on what’s going on. I’m blaming myself on this, I was the most stup*d person to ever exist for not clearing things up.

“She’s alive,” he said and glared at me with shame. “The bullet hit her in a fatal way, she’s in coma and once she wakes up, she’ll be in jail for lifetime. How could you do this to my sister?”

When I heard his words, the guilt on me upgraded on something big and terrifying.

“You’re so into fear, I knew you’re one of a hell genius. But you didn’t get the glimpse of common sense on the mess you fueled in. If the accused is dead, there’s no way that there will be a trial and now, we have.”

“They will put me on the witness stand. I’ll be on the witness stand for testimony,” I confessed.

“Of course you did, you’re eager to send my sister in jail when you found things out. Can’t blame you for that, you’re a puppet of laws,” he said like we’re friends for decades. “Don’t worry, we have something big to show. My sister may be in jail when she wakes up, but we, who LOVES her will not let those things to happen. Shame on you.”

He left a big wound, he made me realize the things I feared. I am careless, I always act on my instinct without feeling the essence of understanding. Since that day, I proclaimed that I did the wrong thing and with this, I need to slow down things.

I need to help my best friend with my own strength. I have something to tell that might be for good. If there’s a way to fix, I need parts to lie.

When the trial started, the hall was filled with related personnel, from bailiff, prosecutors, family, judge and attorney that will represent the accused, a proxy since Denisse is in coma.

“You’re the one who delivered the accused on the station, right?” the prosecutor of the complainant asked me, his eyes smells like there’s a plan that he needs to take.

“Yes.”

“So you saw what happened?”

“I didn’t,” I answered to let things easy. “But the accused told me what happened, I also saw the victim’s body with the accused on the scene.”

“But she has her reason,” I said. The prosecutor stared at me, his expression is asking. “It wasn’t a murder.”

People on the court started focusing, some are whispering on their seatmate while on the other hand, the defendant’s family stared at me with angry eyes, they don’t know what’s happening.

“It wasn’t a murder?” the prosecutor asked. “You know you’re on the witness stand to testify that the accused murdered the victim, you know it’s against the law to lie, Miss.”

“I am telling the truth.” I can see the prosecutor I’m talking to ranged in silent anger. “It was a justifiable homicide.”

“WHAT?!” With the same timing, Denisse’s assigned prosecutor and the victim’s family rose on their seats to react.

As not the only witness, the prosecutor delivered his summary out of disbelief on his chosen witness to first testify. “T-The defense rests.”

“Would the prosecution like to cross-examine?”

The prosecutor I talked to hours ago rose from his seat. “We will, your Honor.”

He smiled at me. “So you’re on the plead and stand that what happened was a justifiable homicide, right?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like to prove your reasons?”

I nodded and silently grabbed a single phone on my pocket. “It was the accused’s phone. It will prove my words.”

The other side’s prosecutor suddenly got up from his seat. “YOUR HONOR! The agenda is not related on the case and the witness is showing unknown evidence!”

“Your Honor, the witness has a thing that may have a big relation on this case. What the witness has is something that will prove her allegations.”

“Objection overruled, please continue.”

And with the Honor’s approval, I showed the clip where the complainant was harassing Denisse’s daughter, where the complainant was making his s****l move.

One day after Denisse’s death, I thought I’m wrong on many parts. Instead of blaming myself on the first day, I commanded Ben to clean the crime scene in case something unexpected happened.

Ben didn’t asked a question and he chose to be silent, he’s the one who gave me Denisse’s phone and hours ago, I cut some parts, enough to show the victim’s harassment.

“On that night, the accused found out this clip. She rushed on her house and killed the victim to protect her daughter,” I said with lies, to show that Denisse killed her husband on the exact scene and not a product of her anger, to lead into a justifiable homicide.

“No one can blame the accused because her daughter was a product of r**e,” I confessed on the whole crowd.

“Your Honor, the victim attempted a r**e on the accused’s daughter. Since the accused was a former victim herself, it’s a full act to protect. She just did what’s right to protect her daughter and that will prove that this case is not a murder, but a justifiable homicide.”

I had to spice things, I had to add up details because if Denisse will be sentenced on justifiable homicide, she’ll be acquitted of all charges.

As I looked on the other prosecutor, he’s smirking like he has his own ace on this case, my heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, a slam on the door attracted our attentions.

He’s a guy on his 20’s, a policeman under my command. Looking back on what happened on that day, his gun killed my best friend.

With his cold face, the prosecutor of the victim laugh in a small manner. He guided the late comer and vowed on the judge.

“Your Honor, he will be the next witness.”

With my confusion, I didn’t know how he is related on this case. As I saw his eyes, it’s staring on me without expression.

He suddenly pointed his index finger on my position. “That witness,” he paused and smiled for the first time. “Is telling lies.”