Thread: ugh

RE Lights in the North Nova's drabble The Truth. ---------- You were with Detective Conner on the night in question, Detective Chambers? We are were, we were partners. So yes yes, I was there. And could you please explain to the court what happened? It was the same question shed been asking herself for the past month. Valerie had been there, and she had seen everything. She knew she was supposed to tell the truth, but she also knew what telling the truth would mean for her partner. Detective Conner. David. David who had taken her under his wing when he didnt have to, who had shown how to transition from beat cop to detective, and then move from third shield to second. How to talk to a suspect, and how to talk to a victim. The man who had become her best friend because when you worked in the Special Victims Division keeping a lot of friends outside of the thin blue line was hard. She tried to clear her throat before answering, to clear out the heavy feeling in her chest, but she found her mouth far to dry for that. So instead she opened her mouth to speak, hating the way it felt when her lips peeled apart. The suspect- the The victim- Mr. Thompson. Yes, Mr. Thompson, She wouldnt let on, but she was grateful for the name. The man had been guilty, that much she knew, but she also knew she wasnt supposed to call a suspect a suspect when theyd been killed. They became a victim then, whatever crime they might have committed before. Had been released under his own recognizance so long as he stayed in the custody of his parents until his trial started. That night we saw him slip out of his house- You saw him slip out of his house. I- Yes. Detective Chambers, would you please be so kind to tell the court how it came to be that you had the opportunity to see Mr. Thompson slip out of his house. We were surveilling it. And this surveillance was authorized by your Captain? No. Your Lieutenant then? No. Surely then at least your Sergeant signed off on it? Her face flushed, she knew what the lawyer was getting at. No. We knew- Detective Conner and I- that he would break the terms of his bail, and considering what he had What he had been accused of, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him. We decided it would be a good idea? You are saying, then, that you and you partner decided together to follow Adrian Thompson? Yes. David had brought it up, and she had agreed. They had been there together, in the end. There was no use in dissecting the details of it. Her simple response had been enough to give the lawyer pause. She knew that they had expected her to throw David under the bus, IAB and the lawyers. They had told her in the interviews that her career was on the line. Shed never move up. Shed never make her first shield. Shed get busted down to traffic. She didnt care. It was funny to feel that way, after making the job her life for the last seven years, but she wouldnt offer up her partner as a sacrificial lamb. Even with what had happened. The lawyer had said something, and her face again burned brightly when she had to ask him to repeat his question. So when you and your partner saw Adrian Thompson leave his house, you both decided not to radio for backup? Or to let dispatch know what was going on? No. Why not? Valerie shrugged. We didnt think there would be a problem. You didnt think there would be a problem? No. So let me get this straight. You and your partner decide to place a suspect under surveillance, illegally by the way as it was never cleared with your superiors, because you are concerned about what he might do if left unsupervised. A man who was accused of was the violent rape and torture of six women. You had reason to believe that he would be armed and dangerous, and yet You and your partner didnt think there would be a problem. No. Again her mouth felt too dry to swallow, and she could feel her face still burning with embarrassment. Mistakes had been made she wished she could take them back But she couldnt. It was done now. I see. Before, when she was nervous on the stand, Valerie could always look to her partner for support, to David who would smile in that way that reminded her everything would be okay. But she couldnt now he sat at the defense table with his face completely blank. She had wanted so badly to talk to him, to ask for guidance. Hell, to ask about anything but she couldnt. When she had gone to his house his wife, Helen, had told her to leave. I just need to speak to him. Valerie had tears in her eyes, and she had been filled with an overwhelming sense of desperation. She had not seen or heard anything from her partner in two weeks, since the night that the shooting had happened. You cant. Helens face was calm, but traced with sadness. You know better, Val. The lawyers said She didnt hear the rest of Helens words her eyes had caught movement in the back of the house. Was that him? She wanted to call out but before she could Helen was closing the front door, and she was left standing alone on the porch in the bitterly cold wind that came with September. There wasnt anyone to look to, the only people in the room she recognized were members of Davids family, and a few other cops that she worked with. That David had been working with for the past twenty-five years And they certainly werent there to help or support her. The moment she had confessed that the shooting might not have been good she had become the enemy. And she was worse than a common criminal because she was one of them. She was stepping over the thin blue line. So, you saw Mr. Thompson slip out of his home. What happened next? We got out of the car to stop him. My Detective Conner identified himself, and before I could identify myself Mr. Thompson ran. He ran, in what direction? North, towards downtown. And how clear a view did you have of him? Pretty clear. She knew what was coming next, and again looked out into the courtroom for support. There was none. And did you see Mr. Thompson wielding any weapon? She paused, not wanting to give the answer she knew she must. No. Her voice was so quiet the lawyer had to ask her to repeat her response. No, I didnt see him with anything. You didnt see a knife or a gun Or anything that could be considered a weapon? No, not in his hands. You saw a weapon somewhere else? I- No. No I didnt. But that was the part of him I saw the most clearly. I see. And what happened next? We pursued the suspect. I see. So you chased after the man who you were watching illegally, even though you saw no weapon on his person? He was breaking the law. Her face coloured once more, He wasnt supposed to be out without one of his parents. How convenient that you were there to catch him. Objection! It was the first thing the Defense had said during their conversation, and Valerie couldnt stop her eyes from being drawn to the table that David sat at. Withdrawn. Before the judge had time to respond, the prosecution was withdrawing, but Valerie knew it was pointless. It was one of those things that would stay with the jury, even if they were commanded to forget it. The lawyer would pace for a moment or two before continuing. So you pursued him. Yes. And then? They were getting down to it now. She caught sight of Helen then, and somehow the look on her face was more heartbreaking than Davids blank and detached stare. Helen would have looked as devoid of emotion as her husband if it werent for the tears that stained her cheeks. Valerie wondered how much David had told her. The truth? What he wanted to be the truth? Hell, what he thought was the truth? She didnt even know that, so it was impossible to say. Unbidden, the thoughts of last Christmas came to her, the fifth she had spent with Davids family. She had been alone for the last five years, after her mother died. She thought David had invited her out of pity, but his family made her feel quite welcome. He had two daughters and a son, and there were always a litany of other relatives around. She would arrive at noon and not leave until well after midnight, helping with both the cooking and the cleanup. It was the least she could do. It became a tradition, and this year when they opened gifts after dinner Helen had done something quite touching. The woman Valerie thought of as her second mother had given her a small and neatly wrapped package, and had intently watched her open it. Inside was a silver pendant a little larger than a nickel which was obviously quite old attached to a new looking silver chain. It depicted Saint Michael with a sword raised above his head fighting a prone form on the ground. It was inscribed with the Saints name on the top, the words Protect us on the bottom, and her own name on the back. It was my mothers, Helen explained. She was a cops wife from a long line of them, and Valerie didnt have the words to explain how much the small gift meant to her. I had them put your name on it, in the mall. Id like you to have it because youre family now, Valerie. And if youre safe, you can watch Davids back out there But she hadnt been doing that on the night in question, had she? Thats how things got into such a mess She hadnt been fast enough. Valerie had worn the necklace today, as if it would somehow help her. And then, during the pursuit, I fell behind. I tripped on a curb after about four blocks, and I told Detective Connor to continue his pursuit. How long would you say you were down? I dont know. Not long, they only got about a block ahead of me when I was running again, and after about the seventh block I saw them go into the alley. The alley leading off of 86th street? Yes. I almost ran past but I head I heard shouting and I turned. Who was shouting? Im not sure. All I knew was that I heard it. I see. And what happened next? I could see two people standing at the end of the alley, by the brick wall that ran through it. One was standing, and the other was kneeling with his arms raised. It was Detective Conner and the suspect Mr. Thompson. A ripple of noise went through the courtroom, and the judge called for order. The prosecution, however, was undeterred and Valerie could feel tears forming in her eyes and threatening to spill over. And was the suspect holding a gun? Im not sure. You arent sure? You are aware that Detective Conner testified that he was? Yes. Is your eyesight poor? No. How far were they from you? About About fifteen feet. And yet you couldnt see if Mr. Thompson was holding a gun, even though his arms were raised? I It was one of her first days as a detective, and she had just been partnered with David. They were sitting in the car, having just interviewed a suspect in his home. If If something is in the grey area, how do you deal with that? There isnt really a grey area in this job, kid. Sometimes there is. I know the difference between right and wrong but sometimes Sometimes I wonder. Her partner snorted, he had always been a cynical man. When it gets down to the wire, youll always know what to do. You have good instincts, Chambers, cop instincts. Trust yourself. Well they were here and she didnt know. She was always supposed to tell the truth, to protect justice and balance the scales between right and wrong. Valerie knew that Thompson didnt have a gun if he did his arms wouldnt have been raised like that. He was a man who didnt like to be cornered, and thats exactly what he had been. It had been Thompson that was shouting, alternating between pleading and screaming for them to fuck off. David had said nothing, and before she could say anything he had fired two shots, and then Thompson had been dead. Valerie had heard a scream, and at first she had absurdly thought it had come from her own mouth, but when she turned she saw a group of teenage girls standing at the end of the alley. As if in slow motion, they had scattered, and she turned back to David who now stood facing her with a grim look tracing his features. He had said nothing, and they stood in silence as they waited for backup to arrive. But if she said that it meant David was done. He would loose everything, his job, his pension, and most likely his freedom. It had been murder, and he would do time. She thought that might kill him. Detective Chambers, was he or was he not holding a weapon? The lawyers voice was loud and his face triumphant. He knew he had played his trump card. Valerie could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. I She knew she had to answer but she couldnt. Her tongue felt hot and heavy in her mouth, some useless appendage that couldnt work to form the words that must come. Detective Chambers, you must answer the question! Yes, but how? With the truth, in accordance with the law she had sworn to protect, or with the lie that would protect her partner. A good man had killed a bad one there would be no victories here for either side. Detective Chambers!