Foul Is Fair

17 - State Your Truth

Victor's attorney spoke for what seemed like hours with occasional interruptions by the suspected murderous wife. Eventually, it was time for Eleanor's attorney to speak. I had wondered what could possibly defend her so, to say the least, I was intrigued.

"There is one murderer in this court room." the woman spoke in an eerie manner. "But I assure you, it isn't my client. A loving mother, friend of all."

Well, there was certainly a killer present. Of course, nobody knew it was me, which was laughable. You'd honestly think the fools in charge of law would know better than to trust an antisocial boyfriend - they ruled me out so swiftly!

"I have reason to believe Mr. Briggs is the person in question. He is a dangerous man, yet we trust him with the lives of many on a regular basis. He killed Adelaide." she stated.

A wild statement. Eleanor's attorney didn't seem as confident as Victor's... it was as if she doubted what she was saying. I think she knew there was no winning the case - it was too difficult to defend Eleanor.

"Victor Briggs is a doctor within the community. He has studied anatomy and the human body his whole life. Why is nobody picking up on this? Some fatal wounds were given by the attacker and, of course, Victor would know which veins to hit and all the correct places to aim for." the attorney exclaimed, adjusting her posture in a confident matter.

The doctor appeared to pull a face at the outrageous accusation, scanning his eyes across the court room in shock. He didn't laugh; he wanted to.

Now, I won't lie. Sitting there listening to Eleanor's attorney worked like a sedative, and by that? I mean it was putting me to sleep. For being an 'experienced lawyer' she wasn't really any good. Her points were basic with lack of evidence to bring to the table. In fact, I believe she was incriminating Eleanor even further by these unbelievable statements she was willing to blurt out. She was trying anything and everything she could to shift the blame from the journalist, however, it was apparent the whole room believed she was sick with shame.

The media coverage of this case was astonishing. Cameras flashed and shuttered almost every second; it was going to be plastered all over the internet. It was also going to be televised.

Let's be real, all we're really interested in is the statements. Hearing both attorneys bicker continuously isn't thrilling enough. The twists and turns keep our adrenaline flowing and activate a part of our brains that is normally not stimulated. Therefore, this leaves us with a strange euphoric feeling.

Byron Lewis, probably the most innocent and clueless man in this whole ordeal, was to speak first. Anxiously, he took a deep breath and prepared himself swiftly to speak. "Adelaide. She was my boss. I was her assistant," he began. "Though she had her spurts of anger and aggression, I have no reason to believe she was a despicable human being."

Well, she certainly was despicable. An absolute menace. She felt no remorse for anything or anyone. Somehow everything would be all about her. That's what we know as self-centred. If something didn't suit her, she'd rip you to pieces and discard your feelings. Make you feel worthless. Meaningless. Nothing but a small speck in the large abyss. But you tell yourself it's fine, you're just in love.

"Adelaide was a very hardworking woman. I mean, I don't recall her being even a minute late to work... in fact, she was always ridiculously early. Fashion was her thing. Fashion was her true passion in life and all she strived for was the upmost success. Undoubtably, she was extremely successful in every aspect." Byron explained so sweetly, smiling slightly in memory of his boss.

Now that I come to think of it, I may have let an eye roll slip. However, I'm hopeful that not a single camera managed to capture it.

"I sensed that something was wrong even the first time she didn't show up as it's extremely out of character for her; I just figured maybe she had took a day off to spend time with her boyfriend or her parents." he explained, scratching the back of his neck a scarlet red. "I- I don't really know what else to say. I just hadn't seen her at work for a long time and... well. That's all I really have to do with it."

Moving on to Daniel Larosse, Eleanor's side-lover.

"In all honesty, I don't understand why I'm here. I'll be truthful and tell you what happened though." he began, visibly irritated by his presence there. "We booked a night or two at The Jones Inn. That is all!"

Larosse's approach to his story did not amaze anybody. In fact, it seemed to label him with a thousand words of blame. Why was he so frustrated? Why wasn't he taking it seriously? I mean, to me, it's simple - he wasn't involved. It was a case of wrong place, wrong time... but of course, nobody else knew that. Just Daniel, Eleanor and I.

"Look, I didn't even know Eleanor had a husband." Daniel stated foolishly.

Now that was a lie. An unnecessary one, at that. Everyone knew Eleanor Briggs. Everyone knew Victor Briggs. Though Daniel was drowning himself in suspicion, I was sat quite content. Everything was working out just as I had dreamt it would. The perfect crime. I suppose foul is fair now and again. Perhaps it was the universe working on my side to help me get away with such a deed. A guide to getting away with murder.

After Daniel's statement, it only made the whole court room certain of his involvement with the death of the young woman. So by the time it came to Jacob Knight, everyone seemed to switch off, happy with the conclusion that Daniel and Eleanor were cold-blooded killers.

The outcome of this trial filled my body with the upmost comfort.

Eleanor Marie Briggs and Daniel Larosse were now named the murderers of Adelaide Briggs.