Chapter Three
POSITIVE READINGS
-- January --
As newlyweds, Christmas and New Years’ was a completely different experience for Matthew and Amy. Their family was excited for them – that was a given – but they didn’t expect the change of attitude they experienced. Their parents alike treated them more maturely, as though they were proper adults now – married, finally settling down. It was a bittersweet change.
As the inconsistent weather changes of December stabilised into the constant heat of January, a sense of excitement came over the new couple. Matthew was eager for news of Amy’s pregnancy, yet Amy was too nervous to take a pregnancy test, afraid of either possibility.
This stalemate lasted until the couple returned to work in mid-January.
Work was suddenly a bore to Amy – she wanted to be back home with Matthew, enjoying their freedom as a newlywed couple. She was bombarded with a case that had developed over the Christmas break – an uncle accused of murdering his nephew on Christmas Eve. The case was horrific, in explicit detail from the thorough police investigation, and all evidence pointed to the accused.
And it would be Amy’s task to defend a guilty man.
Mid-morning, Amy and her partner – Sarah – headed to the prison where their client was being held on remand. It was their task to interview the client for their own records, and to discuss the manner in which they would defend – if at all – the charges against him.
“Look, Sarah,” Amy said from the passenger seat of Sarah’s car as they drove to the prison, “he’s definitely guilty.”
Sarah held her finger in the air as though to silence Amy. “But remember our golden rule – innocent until proven guilty by the court.”
Amy ignored her. “I hate defending the guilty,” she mumbled.
Sarah laughed. “Then why are you a defence barrister? Go be a Queen’s Counsel if you don’t like it.”
Matthew had always believed it impossible for him to defend any criminal matter. He was a Queen’s Counsel, working on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the state. There had been many instances where Amy had had to defend a criminal matter against Matthew’s QC, and it had always put strain on their relationship. In the end, Matthew accepted a promotion that enabled him to work more so behind-the-scenes, organising criminal prosecutions rather than presenting them in court.
It was ironic, really, how Amy was a defence barrister. After her father’s untimely death – those who caused it were still yet to be prosecuted (if the police ever found them) – everyone expected her to join the Queen’s Counsel. But she’d found a strange passion for defence, and never looked to become a QC.
Amy and Sarah soon arrived at the prison, and after a strained interview with a man of incredibly physical strength – and intimidation – they reached a compromise of manslaughter – unintentional murder, in other words. A lesser charge with lesser penalties. They would argue manslaughter against the prosecution’s charge of murder. The prosecution wouldn’t be happy and the jury would probably become confused – the case was incredibly complex – and so the outcome was unclear at this stage.
“So…” Sarah began, in a tone that was completely unprofessional – all thoughts of the case before them had gone out the window, “how was the honeymoon?”
YOU ARE READING
Recovering Amy (Amy, #2)
Romance“You’re mine,” it told her in her dreams, “you don’t deserve happiness”. She would wake up screaming most nights, crying, begging for forgiveness that no one dared to offer her. She was sorry – she didn’t mean for anything quite so terrible to happe...
