Why Me?

Deeadra stood and walked towards the jury panel. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, The DA decided not to grace us with his presence today for a very good reason. He is not ill. He is only interested in cases where the outcome is certain. On day one he was fired up, believing that he was on a winner. But during the day his demeanour changed, the certainty was slipping from his grasp. By the end of the day, he came to the realisation that he had absolutely no chance of winning this case. The evidence, that he was so sure of, no longer stacked up, it had been disproven by the facts of the case. He has been accustomed to presenting evidence in such cases that was not challenged by the defence and in some cases innocent people have been sentenced to spend time in jail. The defendant in this case is innocent and because she is innocent we have decided to challenge the evidence presented by the District Attorney, evidence fabricated by the DA with the sole purpose being to convict an innocent officer who is grieving the loss of the man that she loved, the man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The defendant is innocent of these charges and your verdict must reflect that. There is another very good reason why the DA did not want to be in court today. The evidence that we have provided to the police identifies the DA as one of those who established this guns for hire operation. It was he who came up with the plan of having Sergeant Richard Reichert, a fine detective and member of this city's police force, murdered to cover up his crime. It was the DA who decided to implicate Sergeant Reichert's wife, herself a fine upstanding member of the police force, in this heinous crime. To end forever her career with the force and to also end the career of her father, a decorated Lieutenant in the police force. I, for one, cannot stand by and allow this to happen I would be remiss if I didn't urge you to return a verdict of not guilty."

As the trial approached its conclusion, the jury had just retired to consider its verdict, the Mayor was in a panic. He had just been informed that the police had applied for an arrest warrant for him and Rawlings. He called a press conference.

"My job is done." The Mayor stood before the crowded press gallery. "My administration, under my personal direction has achieved what we set out to achieve, the elimination of serious and violent crime in this city. The people of this city can walk in safety down any street, at any time day or night, in the knowledge that they will be protected by the finest and most dedicated police force in America!" He paused until the applause died down. "And in this, I take great pride. It was my vision when I took office and my vision has become reality."

"What are you going to do now?" The journalist from one of the cable news services beat the others to the obvious.

"I intend to take some time off to travel with my family and when I return I will write a book about the successes we have had with this Zero Tolerance program. I might even resign."

"Is it true that you already have a publishing deal signed?"

"Let us say that negotiations are well underway."

"How about a movie deal? If you get one, who do you see starring as yourself?"

"I'd like to say Brad Pitt but that would be stretched credibility a little too far. I don't know and I haven't given it a great deal of thought."

"There are rumours circulating that the DA is also considering retirement, can you confirm that?"

"You'll have to ask him. I believe that he will be making an announcement shortly. You should know by now that I've never been one to steal someone else's thunder."

The DA was clearing his desk. For him the wait was over, he was now free to do what he wanted, go where he wanted and be with whoever he wanted, and the one person he didn't want to be with at this moment was his wife.

For years she had been nagging him to give up his job and its associated stress and to devote some time at least to her. The nagging got to him in the end and he had made the decision that, what he was walking away from, included her.

His phone rang, he let the machine screen the call before picking up the receiver. "Hi Darling, are you packed?" He listened for the response. "You had better hurry, the limo will be there for you in ten minutes." Another pause. "Look you don't need much, a couple of bikinis, a couple of summer dresses, and your make-up, anything else you can buy when we get there." He was thinking to himself as hung up the phone that it was fortunate that she had her looks because, if she had to rely on her intelligence to survive, she would never have made it.

He left a note for the Assistant DA and pushed the trolley with his belongings down the corridor to the elevator, not long to go now and he'd be sunning himself on a beach in the Caribbean with a drink in one hand and his pneumatic but intellectually challenged companion in the other.

The Assistant DA sat in the courtroom with a sense of foreboding. He now understood why the DA had passed the baton to him. The trial had not gone well for him. He glanced over to the defence table at the person that he had hoped would be a springboard for his future prospects. It all hinged on the forensic evidence and whether the defence's challenge of it was successful. The defence had already shot the CCTV evidence down in flames, proven that the evidence of his hidden bank account had been falsified, creating flaws in the motivation factor of his case. Without opportunity and motivation, his case hinged on the means, and this did not look promising.

I sat at the defence table with Deeadra, and Kathy, we were calmer than we had been for some time and that calmness was based on the confidence that we felt that the jury would accept that the evidence against Kathy was both flawed and fabricated.

At the offices of Faber, Benson and Associates, Financial Services, Freddie Faber and Jack Benson were in conference. "We've done it!" Freddie said jubilantly. "We've managed to minimise our exposure to the sub-prime market by off-loading it to the Savings and Loans industry knowing that the government has guaranteed to bail S&Ls out if the market tanks. If and, when it goes down, these guys will have to wear it. It's amazing what greed mixed with a healthy dose of fear will encourage normally conservative people to do, and do you know what? When it does go down no one is going to implicate us because they are shit scared to. This is so sweet."

"We do have problem." Jack said.

"What problem, I see no problem, we've saved our asses from the mortgage market."

"The problem is our other business. I just got word that the police are all over it. They're planning raids on the Mayor and DA and it's only a matter of time before they link it to us."

"All rise." The jury filed into the courtroom and sat down. The clerk walked over to the jury foreperson and took from her an envelope which he handed to Judge Rontgen who opened it and read the verdict.

"Foreman of the jury, on the charge of murder in the first degree, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Not guilty."

"Is this the verdict of you all?"

"The verdict was unanimous."

"Kathryn Reichert, you have been found not guilty on the charge of murder. You are free to go."

Kathy kissed me and Deeadra, "Thank you guys so much, I don't know what I could have done without you."

I kissed Deeadra on the lips. "Thank you for your hard work and your faith in us. I think a celebration is called for, but first I'm going down to the station and hand in my resignation, this time I mean it."

"I'll come with you." Deeadra said, "And then I'm going to my office and do the same thing."

"And I'll go home and prepare for the best party that a third-generation American of Irish descent can put together, we all deserve the best party."

"Come in Ted." The captain had a room full of police officers. "You're just about to see the culmination of a long investigation which, without your help, and Rick's, we would never have managed to crack. Are you sure you don't want to join us?"

"No way, we are on our way to the biggest and best party and I intend to get totally stinking rotten drunk."

"Well we are on our way, be watching the evening news, it should be interesting."

Three groups of police moved on their targets at the same time.

"Mr Mayor, you are under arrest, you do not have to say anything but anything that you do say can be used as evidence in a court of law. Would you come this way please?"

"On what charge am I being arrested?"

"Perverting the course of justice will do for starters, there are many other offences that we will charge you with."

"I want my lawyer!" He was led from the building.

At Kennedy Airport the DA and his travel companion were standing at the electronic check-in when they were approached by uniformed police. "Gilbert Rawlings, you are under arrest."

"On what charge?"

"Perverting the course of justice."

"You'll never make that stick." He was read his rights and led away leaving a confused blond staring at her departing future.

Faber, Benson and Associates, Financial Services was in an uproar. Police were removing boxes of financial records from the offices, the Principals were under arrest and all funds were frozen. The employees were effectively without employment, without wages owed and without retirement benefits. In the days to come, they would come to realise that they were also without a future in the finance industry. They would find out that when a person is associated with a company that defrauds the big financial institutions, no matter how innocent that association was, that person would never find employment in that industry, ever again. The big boys resented getting their fingers burnt.

In the cab on the way to Deeadra's office, I was uncharacteristically silent. "What's bothering you?" Deeadra asked.

"I was just wondering what your plans are for the future."

"Well right now I'm handing in my resignation to the firm of conservative and politically correct lawyers that have condescended to employ me as a token African-American woman for the last five years, then I'm going with you to your place, I have a feeling that if your celebration goes the way of the traditional Irish party, you may be in need of a good lawyer. Failing that I intend to get very drunk with you."

"What I'm trying to find out is if there is any place for me in your future plans."

"By place do you mean professional or personal?"

"Professional, I think that we worked well together and if you start your own law business you would need an experienced investigator. I don't dare hope that there could be any chance on a personal level."

"And why not? Don't you find me attractive?"

"Of course I do, who wouldn't. But look at me, I'm old, overweight, unfit, a candidate for a heart attack, I drink too much and I'm hardly handsome."

"What are you talking about? You're not much older than me, you're not all that overweight and you are fit enough. Because of your opinion of yourself, you're not going to ask me to marry you?"

"Yes."

"Well, then I guess it's all up to me. Ted Kenneally, will you marry me?"

"Shit Deeadra, you can't be serious!"

"Just answer the question!" She said in her best Attorney voice.

"Well, yes I will." I would have said more but my attempts at speech were hindered by Deeadra's mouth firmly clamped on mine, right up until the cab pulled up outside her office building.

Kathy let out a squeal of delight, I had just announced the decision that I, and Deeadra, had arrived at earlier. "This calls for a drink. I knew that you two would get together, you're so right for each other."

"Will you shut up and pour, a man could die of thirst here." I had my arm around Deeadra's waist and I turned my head to kiss her. "Are you sure that you want to get involved in a family where the children are so disobedient?"

"Get this through your head right now mister, I'm a lawyer, and I believe a very good one at that, and if you are trying to worm your way out of this marriage after I have proposed it, I'm going to sue your ass so hard that you'll beg for mercy. And I have a witness to back me up, don't I Kathy?"

"You're outnumbered Pop, I'd give in to the inevitable if I were you."

"I know when I'm beaten." I picked Deeadra up in my arms and spun her around the room.

"I think I'll leave you two to it," Kathy said, I'm going to make sure I have a job to go to and then I'm going home. I know when I'm intruding."

"Stay," Deeadra told her. "This celebration is for you, not us."

Kathy had a job to return to along with the respect of her fellow officers, a couple of whom were very friendly. I got the impression that she may not be a widow for long.

Deeadra and I found two adjoining offices. There was a shared lunchroom that we used often, not so much to eat, but a convenient place for a kiss and cuddle when we weren't busy.

The sign on her window read 'Deeadra Jackson & Associates, Attorneys at Law'. She didn't have an associate just yet. Mine simply read 'Kenneally Investigations'. By the end of our third month, we had each built up a steady clientele, enough for both of us to be considering hiring staff.

A major change happened around that time. Kathy decided on a quantum shift in her work life. She now provides clerical support for Deeadra and me while she works her way through Law School. While she had dated a couple of fellow cops she decided that the stress of being a cop's wife or even girlfriend was not doing her mental health the world of good. She discussed her future plans with us and it was Deeadra that suggested the career change.

I had been thinking seriously about inviting Kathy to join me. My relationship with Deeadra is progressing nicely to the point that I no longer smoke, I drink less and I make love more.

Eighteen months later and a major shakeup occurred. I came back from a job to find a sign-writer hard at work on Deeadra's window. He had removed the name 'Jackson' and had begun to replace it with 'Kenneally'.

"What's happening, why the change?"

"I think that now is a good time to publicly acknowledge our marital situation, now that you have made an honest woman of me, and the result of which is beginning to show."

"No, you're kidding?"

"Nope, I am pregnant, don't worry, I'm not too old."

"What about me, aren't I too old?"

"No."

"Prepare yourself for more." Kathy said.

"There's more?"

"Yes. I too am pregnant. I've been dating Simon for a year now and we, you know.... The upshot is that I'm pregnant. We've discussed it, but we're not rushing into marriage just yet."

Two years ago I had often asked myself 'why me? Why are all of these bad things are happening to me?'

I now ask myself; 'Why not me? Why should I miss out on life's good fortune?'