Prosecuting Attorney

Watson testified about the search warrant for my house, how after thirty minutes corporal Cheryl Billings, one of the officers conducting the search, found the gun, called Detective Watson over, handled it with gloves on, and put it in an evidence bag as Detective Watson looked on. His testimony only took about twenty minutes. When Ralph got up to cross he had a camera remote in his hand for operating the projector for the large screen in the courtroom.

"Detective Watson what were you wearing the day of the search?" Ralph asked.

"Uh...I don't remember."

Ralph displayed a still photo taken outside my house with all sorts of cops around (taken from my front door camera) showing him in dark blue pants, a light blue long-sleeve shirt, a distinctive red and yellow tie, black dress shoes, and a tweed sport jacket that seemed bulky. "Is this a photo of you on the day of the search showing the clothes that you had on?"

"Uh...yes, it looks like it," Watson replied.

"I didn't ask you if it looks like it. Is this a photo showing your clothes the day of the search or not. If necessary we can call Corporal Billings or other officers to testify," Ralph snarled very unpleasantly.

"Uh...yes; that is what I was wearing the day of the search."

"How often do you wear that tie?"

"Not often -- actually it was a new tie and since it was a big day I thought I'd wear it," Watson responded.

"Were you ever in Mr. Worthington's house before the day of the search?"

After a pause, starting to get suspicious, Watson said "I don't remember."

"You don't remember? Are you friends with Mr. Worthington or were you friends with his former wife Ashley?"

"No."

"What possible reason could you have had for being in their house any other time aside from during the search?"

"I can't recall any."

"You were never in the Worthington residence except the day of the search, were you Detective Watson?" Ralph bellowed.

After another pause, Watson squirmed in his chair and said "No."

"Here is a video of someone taking a green toothbrush from Mr. Worthington's bathroom," Ralph immediately continued by showing a scene from my bathroom camera. "Is that you with your distinctive yellow and red tie Detective Watson?"

"I...I...I've never seen this video before," he uncomfortably blurted out.

"Probably not," Ralph chuckled. "Just answer the question."

After another delay: "Yes."

"Similarly, is this you taking a piece of red and white clothing from the laundry hamper in Mr. Worthington's laundry room?"

Yet another delay: "Yes."

"Is this you taking a gun from underneath your tweed jacket in Mr. Worthington's den, rubbing the green toothbrush bristles on it, then rubbing the red and white shirt on it, and then putting it in the top drawer of the cabinet next to the window in Mr. Worthington's den?"

A shocked Watson just stared at the screen as the video was replayed three times in succession. "I plead the 5th amendment," he choked out.

"Did you have an affair with Mr. Worthington's wife Ashley?"

Shell-shocked Watson mumbled so low that the court-reporter asked him to speak up. "I plead the 5th Amendment."

"Is this a video taken two weeks before the murder of you having sex with Ashley in one of Mr. Worthington's guest bedrooms?"

After the graphic display of the sex tape for about 15 seconds the Judge said "You can turn off that video now, Mr. Boston -- we get the picture. Answer the question Detective Watson."

Another mumbled "I plead the 5th Amendment."

"No further questions," Ralph beamed.

The entire courtroom was staring at Susanne as she slowly stood up. "Your honor can we have a recess?"

"You certainly do need one Ms. Carney. We'll re-convene in two hours," the judge said, and then banged her gavel. Every juror was either smiling or shaking their head.

Detective Benson was in the courtroom. I went up to him as asked "Are you arresting Watson now?"

He had a glazed look on his face but said "I don't have a warrant."

"But you have probable cause for at least tampering with evidence, if not murder," I shot back.

"Murder?" he gasped.

"Who the hell do you think killed Ashley and Sidley -- the guy who planted the murder weapon! Grow some balls Benson and arrest him!" I snarled.

To my surprise Benson nodded to the bailiff, and the two of them put Watson under arrest.

**************

As we were eating lunch Ralph got a call from Susanne. She wanted to meet. We expected her to say that she was dismissing the case. To our surprise instead she said "I talked with the DA and he said that we'd accept a plea of second degree manslaughter, only two years in jail."

Outraged I yelled "You mean that the asshole Watson who killed my wife will only get two years?"

Having the decency to look embarrassed Susanne said "No, I'm offering you that plea deal, since we think that you probably had some relationship with Watson."

I lost it. I swore at her in such an angry tirade that she looked scared shitless and it was only because Ralph had the wherewithal and size to restrain me that I didn't get in her face (I never would have harmed her, but I was outwardly as angry as I ever was). As we stormed out of the conference room I yelled "Fuck you bitch!"

Ralph broke my anger when as he led me away he whispered "Does that mean you're not taking her to a Bon Jovi concert in NYC?"

I stared at him for a few seconds with my anger still festering, and then broke out into a laugh.

When we reconvened after the two hour delay the judge called the attorneys up to the lectern. They had an animated conversation. When Ralph returned I asked him what was up. He said "The judge assumed that Susanne would dismiss with prejudice. When she declined the judge reamed her out, but she wouldn't budge saying that the DA wanted her to continue."

I chuckled.

After Susanne called as her next witness the guy who she thought had told the detectives that Sidley had beaten me up giving me a motive to kill him she realized that everything was going to hell when on direct examination -- Ralph didn't have to even cross examine him -- he said "Detective Watson must have misunderstood me. I told him that although Sidley provoked the fight and hit Lucas first, Lucas cleaned his clock. Sidley ended up in the hospital overnight."

Then Susanne called the videographer for my alibi tape. After establishing that he was the official videographer for the police department in the city that my basketball clinic was being held she asked: "Have you reviewed the video you made of the event which is State's Exhibit 14?"

"Yes."

"Is it a complete video of the event?"

"Yes."

"Does it show that the defendant Mr. Worthington was only there until approximately 1:50 p. m.?"

"No, it shows that he was there until about 4:00 p. m., and actually even afterward he and I talked until about 4:30 when he left to drive the ninety miles back home."

"What?" the prosecutor said surprised. "I've reviewed the DVD and it stops at 1:50 and there's only static after that."

"You apparently didn't go past the static, which I have no idea how it got on your copy of the DVD. If you do you'll see that it continues until 4 o'clock."

Susanne gave the witness the remote; he fast forwarded through the static showing the rest of the video, and she stopped him once he fast forwarded to 3 o'clock, and then sat down.

Ralph had the witness fast forward to the end -- the DVD showing 4:01 p. m. then confirmed that the videographer saw me with his own eyes at the event from about 11:00 a. m. until 4:30 p. m.

With a hang dog look Susanne said "The prosecution rests."

Normally at this juncture the judge dismisses the jury while the defense makes a perfunctory motion for a directed verdict. The judge didn't bother with that. She asked "Mr. Boston do you have a motion?"

"Yes, Your Honor, I move for a directed verdict of not guilty."

"Granted," she said, banging her gavel. "Ms. Carney, see me in my chambers. The jury is dismissed with my thanks."

**************

The press was anxious for an interview afterward. On the courthouse steps Ralph first waxed on about how the prosecution had done me a terrible disservice and how he knew all along what the outcome would be and if the police and prosecution had been honest the case never would have been brought. He was slightly circumspect in what he said. I was not.

After Ralph talked I said that anyone who voted for the dishonest DA in the upcoming election was a fool, that Watson was the murderer, and that the police should investigate their own. I also said that I would be filing suit against the DA for false prosecution.

Another attorney in Ralph's firm filed the suit the very next day, naming both the DA and Susanne, who I considered a gutless twit, and also Detective Watson. The local media was all over the story. The DA and police chief were in hiding.

*************

Three days after the dismissal as I was finishing up at my charity for the day having just run an afterschool program for underprivileged girls and boys, a young woman approached me. I vaguely recognized her. "Mr. Worthington, I'm Shirley Williams," she said, extending her hand.

I shook it and then said "I think that I've seen you before but am having trouble placing you."

"Yes, although we were not introduced I was sitting in the conference room when you had your first plea negotiation with Ms. Carney, and I attended your trial."

Now it clicked. Although her dress was understated and she had what appeared to be intentionally ugly glasses on I had originally noticed that she was attractive, and seeing her now, standing up and facing me, she looked even better. "What was your relationship to my case?" I asked after holding on to her hand a little longer than was necessary or appropriate.

"I am an intern who had just graduated law school and was observing. My internship will be over next week. Ms. Carney was too embarrassed to come see you herself so she asked me to come to talk to you," Shirley continued.

"Let's go to my office," I smiled, making small talk with her as we went the couple hundred yards to my office building from the recreation center where I had conducted the after school program.

When we entered my office I offered her a seat. She looked around. "Your office is much nicer and neater than I was expecting," she said.

"Sorry to disappoint you," I smiled.

She smiled back then continued. "Everyone on the prosecution team is chagrined at the lapses in judgment that occurred during your case, but are puzzled about the static gap in the DVD you gave as your alibi."

"They are puzzled, are they?" I smiled again.

"Also, Ms. Carney, and everyone else involved, really want to apologize for everything. If things had been investigated more thoroughly the case would have been dismissed before trial."

"Do they," I smiled again.

After a pause Shirley said "You're not going to make this easy are you?"

"Why should I?" I smiled again.

Shirley sighed. "Also, Ms. Carney wants to know what she can do to get you to drop your suit against her."

After a long pause I asked "Why are you here instead of her?"

"I think that after your tirade against her the final day of trial she's afraid of you."

"Why was she such a gutless twit before I went off on her? She should have stood up to the DA and dismissed the case immediately after Watson's testimony."

"She realizes that now and sincerely apologizes."

"Let me ask you some questions. Obviously you don't have to answer them, but if you don't you can get up and leave without any comment from me. Understood?"

"Yes," she apprehensively responded.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty six."

"Are those glasses fake?"

"Yes."

"Why do you wear them?"

"To discourage guys from hitting on me."

"Are you in a present romantic relationship?"

"No."

"Are you heterosexual?"

"Yes."

"What are your plans after your internship is over at the end of next week?"

"I hope to be offered a job in the prosecutor's office but if not I'll get a job at a local law firm since I like this area. I already have two possible opportunities."

"What are you doing Saturday night?"

"I don't have any present plans. Maybe my female roommate and I will go to a club."

"What's your personal cellphone number?"

"xxx-xxx-xxxx."

All of my questions, and all of her answers, were delivered completely deadpan, with no emotion or facial expressions by either of us.

After a long pause I said "Tell Ms. Carney that if you're offered a job in the prosecutor's office that I'll drop the suit against her. Tell her to tell the DA if he makes a sincere public apology, Watson is indicted for my former wife's murder not just his present tampering charge, and if you are offered a job at the prosecutor's office that I'll dismiss the case against him."

Shirley actually grinned. "Are you teasing me?"

I stoically replied, "Absolutely not. In fact let me put it in writing."

I went on my computer, drafted up what I had just said, printed it out, and signed and dated it. At the bottom I wrote "Otherwise I'll see you in court."

I handed Shirley the paper. She looked it over, smiled, and said "Thank you Mr. Worthington," and offered her hand.

As I shook her hand I said "You're welcome Ms. Williams."

When I looked out my window and saw her exiting my building I called her cellphone. She pulled it out of a pocket on the side of her purse, looked at the caller ID, and smiled as she answered it. "Shirley Williams."

"Hi, Ms. Williams," I said, "Lucas Worthington her."

"You mean the Lucas Worthington that I just met with?" she inquired with a lilt in her voice.

"The one in the same; I understand that you don't have any firm plans for Saturday night and wonder if you'd like to have dinner with me and got to see The Mousetrap at Artist's Playhouse -- it's the longest running play in history."

Out my window I saw her smile broadly. After a delay she said "Yes I would, Mr. Worthington. Do you want me to meet you at a restaurant?"

"No, if you don't mind please text your address and I'll pick you up at 6:15 Saturday night."

"I'll do that," she said, still smiling. After she terminated the call I saw her working on her smartphone and once she returned it to her purse I heard a beep on my cellphone giving her my address with a smile emoji following it.

**************

Between the Tuesday that Shirley met with me and the time that I picked her up on Saturday I had paid for and received a complete report on her from a PI. I didn't want another gold digger like Ashley and I had felt a connection with Shirley that intrigued me the short time that we had talked. It turns out that she had a fairly messy divorce her first year of law school when her husband cheated on her, had gotten great grades in law school, did charity work part time, and had every indication of being an upstanding citizen who grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood with well-respected parents (a doctor and artist) and two older brothers (a business owner and a doctor).

When I picked Shirley up she looked great, understated but classy clothing, light makeup, her hair done in an attractive manner, and no fake glasses. I asked to meet her roommate before we left. I chatted up the roommate and gave her two tickets to a concert at a local venue for the next weekend. That seemed to impress both her and Shirley.

The dinner with Shirley was the most bizarre one of my life. After some small talk on the way to the restaurant -- the one with the best value in our city, at least in my opinion -- we had only been seated a minute when she said "We don't really need to exchange basic information about each other, do we Lucas? I mean I already know almost every pertinent fact about your background from the police and prosecutor's office investigation of you leading up to your trial and I'm sure that you had experienced people do a deep dive on me. Why don't we just get to what makes us tick, what makes us happy, what our goals are in life, important stuff like that not where we went to school, how many kids in our families, etc."

I was surprised -- but not as much as I would have thought. "OK -- you first; what are your short term and long term goals in life," I grinned.

The background investigation I had done on Shirley combined with the exchange of information during our 101 minute long dinner meant that I knew her as about as well as anyone else in my life. We had to skip dessert to get to the show on time, but since we both had stated that we weren't big dessert eaters anyway, that was no big deal.

The Mousetrap is an Agatha Christie comedic murder mystery with a twist at the end. Neither of us had ever seen it before -- we both liked it and thought that the two plus hours we spent watching it was well worth it. It was about quarter to eleven when the play let out. Shirley had gotten progressively more comfortable with body contact as the night went on, and I was appreciating both her body and personality more and more as the night progressed. When we got to my car I asked "Do you want to go to a club or do something else -- the night is still young for we late twenties."

She stared into my eyes like a cobra might either its prey or a mongoose -- I couldn't tell which -- for the longest time before she answered. Her answer -- really a question -- was the most surprising part of a surprising evening. After a deep sigh she asked "Have you ever fucked on a first date?"

It took me a while to get my head around her question, but I didn't ask her to repeat it. My measured response was "No; why do you ask?"

"Well we know each other as well as people who have been dating every weekend for several months. About the only thing we don't know about each other is how compatible we are between the sheets; or on a kitchen table; or in a swimming pool; or -- well, you get the idea. I have a strong sexual attraction to you. If you have one toward me, let's make this a night of firsts for both of us," she stoically said -- then followed it up with a big grin.

I moved close to her, took her in my arms, and gave her a series of short kisses of increasing passion. The last one wasn't short -- it lasted a good two minutes and cemented in my mind that she was a great kisser and a very warm human being. When we broke that kiss I asked "Would you like to see my etchings?"

She laughed and said "Lead on!"

*************

Only stupid people immediately go into an intense relationship after having just gotten rid of a cheating spouse, Shirley by divorce, me by murder. Apparently Shirley and I are idiots.

When we got to my house our sexual encounter was not frantic. We didn't rip each other's clothes off. Instead we stood face-to-face staring into each other's eyes. By this time I had determined that I really liked Shirley's personality -- and her body. Every part of her body that could be determined when she was clothed looked perfect. Except for her butt nothing was oversized, and nothing was undersized. Since I like big firm butts I was thrilled.

Shirley slowly and methodically removed my shirt by feel alone since her eyes were directly on mine. When she shrugged it off I decided to say what was in my mind. "I want to fuck you on the kitchen table."

Without missing a beat she replied "Bent over it or laying on top of it with my legs spread?"

"The latter."

"You need to do the work," she snickered.

I planted a kiss on her and lifted up her sculptured thighs so that her legs were straddling my torso and without breaking the kiss, although banging into a few walls because I kept my eyes basically closed, I carried her to the kitchen. Fortunately the only items on the table were documents and a few pieces of stainless eating utensils -- nothing breakable -- because I swept them off the table with one hand. I then placed her butt on the table and broke my kiss.