Nothing Personal (Camren)

Objection, your honor.

"An M1911." I nod and notice someone out of the corner of my eye stiffen. I turned my head and realized that it was Dinah who tensed up after hearing the name of the gun.

"No further questions,  your honor." I take my seat and notice Austin giving me a dirty look.

"You're doing great, Camila." Lauren whispers to me. "And you look pretty fucking great doing it." She says as she subtly rubs my upper thigh. This is so not the right time to be turned on.

Austin’s next witness was the 911 dispatch operator. He asked her a series of questions that explained Dinah’s emergency call. The operator explained that Dinah called because she heard the gunshots and was scared for her safety. She also stated that Dinah seemed very shaken and nervous, causing her voice to crack numerous times. With that testimony, Austin brought out a recording of the operator’s conversation with Dinah. Then it was my turn to question her.

“Can you please repeat to me how Dinah’s voice sounded during the call?”

“She sounded very nervous and shaken. It was to the point where her voice even cracked.” The operator said simply.

“No further questions.” I saw Dinah watching me out of the corner of my eye.

Austin then asked Dinah to approach the stand. He asked her about a what she saw before the crime occurred.

“All I saw was Regan walking into the apartment  before I hear the gun shots.”

“Did you hear the gun shots right after she walked in?” Austin asked.

“No,” she shook her head, “I heard them a little while after she walked in.”

“So the murderer must’ve already been inside of the apartment by the time she got home, correct?”

“Objection,” I stood, “calls for speculation.”

“Sustained.”

“Let me rephrase the question,” Austin started again, “Did you see anyone else enter the apartment aside from Regan?”

“No.”

“No further questions your honor.” He says with a smile.

“Hello Dinah,” I greeted her kindly. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” she shrugged her shoulders and avoided my eye contact. “You are Lauren and Regan’s neighbor, correct? Meaning that you live almost directly beside them?” Dinah nodded. “I’m sorry bout would it be alright if you say that out loud for the jury to hear?”

“Yes.” She forced out.

“So it would take less than five minutes to walk from your place to theirs, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Ms. Hansen, what was your relationship with Regan and Lauren?” Dinah visibly tensed. “Ms. Hansen?”

“We were neighbors.” She said in a monotone voice.

“Only neighbors? And nothing more?” Dinah shook her head. “So to clarify you and Regan were just friends, correct?” I put emphasis on the word friends. Dinah nodded and I turned to give Lauren a smile. “Were you aware of Regan’s affair?”

“What?” She tried to avoid the question but I could see right through her facade. We were barely halfway through with her testimony and she was already sweating bullets.

As a defense attorney, I have no obligation to turn in any of the evidence that I find. I walked over to the table and held up a DVD that had the video of Regan and Dinah at the restaurant. “This DVD contains very important video footage that I believe is relevant to this case. But you can be the judge of that.” I lace the DVD into the player located at the front of the courtroom. The room was silent as we all watched the video of Dinah and Regan shamelessly flirting with each other. Towards the end of the video, it showed the two sharing a kiss over the table. I stopped the video and saw the look of panic that washed over Austin’s face. He was searching through his papers to find something that would make him look like less of an idiot. Once again, the courtroom was filled with whispers and gasps after the video ended. “So Ms. Hansen, you and Regan were just friends?” I asked her again.

“Objection-” Austin wasn’t able to finish his sentence.

“Overruled. Sit down Mr. Mahone.” Judge Iglesias interrupted him.

“Thank you, your honor.” I gave her a kind smile which she returned. “Ms. Hansen, may I remind you that you took an oath saying that you will speak of nothing but the truth, correct?”

“I know.” Dinah said quietly.

“Good. Now I will ask you again, where you and Regan just friends?” Dinah stared into my eyes for a moment, begging me not to do this to her. She subtly shook her head. “Can you please say that outloud, Ms. Hansen.”

“No, we weren’t.” She said sassily. A collective gasp was heard throughout the room before everyone went completely silent.

“Are you saying that you were Regan’s mistress? That you were her other woman? That you purposefully stabbed Lauren in the back?”

“Objection, compound question.” Austin stood. The judge acknowledged him for once and shot me a warning look.

“My apologies, your honor.” I turned back to Dinah. I knew that I wasn’t going to get any answers to my previous questions, “No further questions.” Lauren gave me smile when I reached my seat.

The entire courtroom watched as Dinah shamefully returned to her seat with her head hanging down.