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| New York Minute, Chapter 3
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I walked into the DA's office, Jessica was standing by her window staring out over the cityscape as she always did when she was thinking. She's was an incredible woman. Dispite what some people knew, or thought they knew, Jessica and I went way back. We'd gone to highschool and college together. She was a detective at first, but found herself drawn more and more towards law, and she became a lawyer. She shot up through the ranks fairly quickly to become NYC's DA.
She turned around as I came in and she frowned. "You're sure about this?"
I nodded. "Completely. Analysis has been cross checked by three different sources. They're ALL placebos."
Jessica nodded, and there was a knock at the door. In walked a man. He was tall, and portly. Quite old by the looks of it. He had a pair of pince-nez glasses perached on the end of his nose and wore a excellently tailored black suit and a maroon tie. The prosecuting attourney, Whinchester Charleston the IV. Somewhat of an excentric, but, all in all, a nice guy.
Extremely well taught, he had studied at Oxford in England, and it had been he who reccomended Jessica to the DA's position. Though he himself could have filled it, he preferred "being on the battlefield, in the thick of it, getting dirt under his nails and generally being a nuisence to any and all involved in superfluous criminal activities and their ilk." As he liked to say.
He smiled at me past his bushy, grey moustache and proffered a hand. "Jason old bean. Quite good to see you. I understand you've made quite the gaff infront of the defence attourney eh? Well no matter, I'll sort it out." He chortled and I shook my head. For an insane, old Brit, he really was a good man.
"Actually," Jessica began, interrupting any further speech from either of us. "Thats what I called you in for, Winchester. There's been a change in plans."
His eyebrow arched and he grinned. His duty wasn't to us, wasn't to the court, or, indeed, to the state. Winchester lived for two things only. The truth and the excentricities of each and every individual case he prosecuted. "I'm certain I like where this is going, Josephine, do go on." I shook my head again. For some reason, he was forever calling Jessica "Josephine."
"It seems that Mrs. Smith may not have been entirely....responsible or indeed, even in control of her actions the night that Emma Smith was killed."
He folded his hands behind his back. "I notice you use the word killed, and not murdered."
Jessica nodded. "Correct. At least, not murdered by Mrs. Smith. I should let Jason continue from here."
I sighed and slouched back in one of Jessica's high-backed leather. "Correct or no: The judge has ordered Mrs. Smith to under go mental examination?"
Winchester sat down opposite me and crossed his legs, "Correct. She was found to suffer from accute PTSD. Or, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Coupled with severe OCD, and clinical depression. The combination of which has registered her as being unfit for living on her own without the assistance of medication. And, given the ammount of time she's now been off the medication and the loss of her husband and child she is now clinically insane."
I frowned. "Thats what I thought. In a way, I'm glad this happened. It would have looked bad if I'd have come out for the death penalty for this woman. Regardless, she HAD been taking medication. And had been in therapy."
Winchester's eyebrow arched. "Come again?" I took the file off of Jessica's desk and handed it to him. He opened it gingerly and scanned the pages. "This is accurate?" he asked.
"Confirmed by 3 additonal sources outside of the crime lab. Yes." Jessica said.
"i thought I was explaining the issue?" I asked. She smiled and gestured. "What she said." I stated and pointed at her. "Needless to say, she was set up. But the question is by whom? I can think of three leads off the top of my head at the moment, and none are very promising."
Winchester nodded. "You're thinking of her husband, who is dead. Which prevents questioning. Her doctor. Which means we would have to get her to waive doctor/patient confidentiality. Which is difficult giver her current state of mind. And, of course, her therapist. Which presents us with the same problem."
I blinked, flabbergasted. "Correct. I want to offer Mrs. Smith clemancy in exchange for any and all information she can give us, and waive the Doctor/Patient issue. And, I think I have an idea now that I've spoken with you. I read Harry's will. And, should either he and his wife die or become incapable of independant living, Mrs. Smith's sister Alex, would become executer of the estate. SHE can waive the confidentiality issue."
Charleston the IV nodded. "I shall make a call and get you the information you need, detective. Rest assureed. May I take the file?" I nodded and he stood and left.
Jessica looked at me. "Now...we wait." |
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Posted by mjwb on 2008-03-31 15:50:00 | Rating: | Views: 33
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