Status: This story is a part of the Build a Story by Water Elephant.
Death on White Oak Road
Justice's Pair of Silver Bracelets
A few weeks later…
The court looked like the one on television. The courtroom was the exact same brown and had the exact same number of people in the audience. There was a podium for the defendant and the prosecutor. And there was the seat that the judge sat in.
On the day of the trial of the case of the death of Steve Hunter, the pews held many people. There was the family and friends of the defendant. They occupied the first to rows of the courtroom of the right side. Evelyn sat on the left side of the courtroom with her boyfriend, Detective Alex Miller. All of her father’s friends sat on the left side, also taking up the first two rows, with Evelyn and Alex
“There he is!” one of Steve Hunter’s friend shouted, “There is Charles Walters!”
The defendant, at last, appeared into the courtroom. He wore the clothes that any person would wear in court. His blonde hair was neat and there was no sign of any facial hair on his face. As Evelyn and the rest of the court looked at him, Charles seemed a little scared. His blue eyes were filled with guilt. He trembled like crazy. It seemed like he could not help it. Charles Walters approached his stand along with his lawyer. The prosecutor were on the other side of them.
It took about a half an hour to get through oaths, opening statements, and other things the court had to do before they got people on the stand. Detective Alex was the first to be summoned, recalling the evidence from the crime scenes. Evelyn was next to tell her story from her father’s party. Charles Walters approach and sat in the stand. His lawyer did the first examination. The prosecutor started the cross examination.
“Mr. Walters, would you kindly explain where were you at on the day of the death of Steven Hunter?” the prosecutor said.
“I was at his birthday party. I was one of his employees for his company," Charles said.
"Did you know anyone there in person."
"No. I was just there."
"Were you welcomed to this party?"
"No, I heard about the party from the other employees. I wanted to show Mr. Hunter my gratitude."
The prosecutor took a few moments to absorb all this information. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he asked the next question.
"Were you mad at Mr. Hunter for anything?"
"No, not at all. This man gave me so much just by giving me this job."
"Is that so?" the prosecutor asked, "Do you know a Sharon Jones?"
Charles looked stun to see her name come up in the conversation. Evelyn seen that this case was going to go downhill for him here.
“Yes,” he answered, “We were a couple for about one year.”
“And how did you break up? Relationships issues? Personal issue?”
“No, work issues. A few days after our one year relationship celebration, we broke up.”
The prosecutor smiled a little smile. “How come?”
“That day, the company had downsized. Many workers were laid off. Sharon was one of those workers,” Charles started, “When I came home that day, we had a gentle discussion that became a fight. I don’t know how it even started.”
“And you blame this on the owner of the company. Why not the person that was responsible for the downsized, even though it still isn’t justified.”
Alex wrapped his arms around Evelyn. Evelyn embraced him. She knew that this case was about over.
“I…I…,” Charles stammered. Then he broke out into a sob, “He could have prevent this! The savior who saved me became the person who broke me. He was the one who destroyed the relationship with Sharon and me!”
The prosecutor sat down in his chair. “No further questions.” Charles continued to cry until he finally moved from the stand.
“Court now in recess,” the judge said as she banged her gavel.
Evelyn and Alex stood outside the door of the courtroom. They were talking about the case for a while before going onto a different conversation about when Evelyn was moving in and when Steve Hunter’s funeral was.
“How are you going to pay for it. I could help you,” Alex said.
“When I inherit my father’s fortune, I will use some of the money toward it,” Evelyn replied.
Alex heart stopped. “I though you have rugged individualism? You’re going to accept money you didn’t earn?”
“Yes, after all these years of hard work, I do deserve it.”
Alex stared at Evelyn. Her words just repeated over and over, again.
Alex began to open his mouth, but the trial was about to resume. Once the jury made their decision, they had announced it. Charles Walters had a nice pair of Justice’s silver bracelets and walked out the court with the bailiff.
The court looked like the one on television. The courtroom was the exact same brown and had the exact same number of people in the audience. There was a podium for the defendant and the prosecutor. And there was the seat that the judge sat in.
On the day of the trial of the case of the death of Steve Hunter, the pews held many people. There was the family and friends of the defendant. They occupied the first to rows of the courtroom of the right side. Evelyn sat on the left side of the courtroom with her boyfriend, Detective Alex Miller. All of her father’s friends sat on the left side, also taking up the first two rows, with Evelyn and Alex
“There he is!” one of Steve Hunter’s friend shouted, “There is Charles Walters!”
The defendant, at last, appeared into the courtroom. He wore the clothes that any person would wear in court. His blonde hair was neat and there was no sign of any facial hair on his face. As Evelyn and the rest of the court looked at him, Charles seemed a little scared. His blue eyes were filled with guilt. He trembled like crazy. It seemed like he could not help it. Charles Walters approached his stand along with his lawyer. The prosecutor were on the other side of them.
It took about a half an hour to get through oaths, opening statements, and other things the court had to do before they got people on the stand. Detective Alex was the first to be summoned, recalling the evidence from the crime scenes. Evelyn was next to tell her story from her father’s party. Charles Walters approach and sat in the stand. His lawyer did the first examination. The prosecutor started the cross examination.
“Mr. Walters, would you kindly explain where were you at on the day of the death of Steven Hunter?” the prosecutor said.
“I was at his birthday party. I was one of his employees for his company," Charles said.
"Did you know anyone there in person."
"No. I was just there."
"Were you welcomed to this party?"
"No, I heard about the party from the other employees. I wanted to show Mr. Hunter my gratitude."
The prosecutor took a few moments to absorb all this information. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he asked the next question.
"Were you mad at Mr. Hunter for anything?"
"No, not at all. This man gave me so much just by giving me this job."
"Is that so?" the prosecutor asked, "Do you know a Sharon Jones?"
Charles looked stun to see her name come up in the conversation. Evelyn seen that this case was going to go downhill for him here.
“Yes,” he answered, “We were a couple for about one year.”
“And how did you break up? Relationships issues? Personal issue?”
“No, work issues. A few days after our one year relationship celebration, we broke up.”
The prosecutor smiled a little smile. “How come?”
“That day, the company had downsized. Many workers were laid off. Sharon was one of those workers,” Charles started, “When I came home that day, we had a gentle discussion that became a fight. I don’t know how it even started.”
“And you blame this on the owner of the company. Why not the person that was responsible for the downsized, even though it still isn’t justified.”
Alex wrapped his arms around Evelyn. Evelyn embraced him. She knew that this case was about over.
“I…I…,” Charles stammered. Then he broke out into a sob, “He could have prevent this! The savior who saved me became the person who broke me. He was the one who destroyed the relationship with Sharon and me!”
The prosecutor sat down in his chair. “No further questions.” Charles continued to cry until he finally moved from the stand.
“Court now in recess,” the judge said as she banged her gavel.
Evelyn and Alex stood outside the door of the courtroom. They were talking about the case for a while before going onto a different conversation about when Evelyn was moving in and when Steve Hunter’s funeral was.
“How are you going to pay for it. I could help you,” Alex said.
“When I inherit my father’s fortune, I will use some of the money toward it,” Evelyn replied.
Alex heart stopped. “I though you have rugged individualism? You’re going to accept money you didn’t earn?”
“Yes, after all these years of hard work, I do deserve it.”
Alex stared at Evelyn. Her words just repeated over and over, again.
Alex began to open his mouth, but the trial was about to resume. Once the jury made their decision, they had announced it. Charles Walters had a nice pair of Justice’s silver bracelets and walked out the court with the bailiff.