"Stuff" Happens

To:

Sekre, Kolgrim, and WhinnieRichards, thank you for your reviews I'm glad you like it and I appreciate you reading it.


Chapter XII


Two days later—3rd day of trial……


“Dr. Mansfield,” Norris said to the middle aged blonde sitting on the witness stand. He was continuing with his questioning to the new psychiatrist his team found. “You had a chance to speak with my client, Max Garner, yesterday. What did you diagnose about him?”

“After deep considerations and various analyses, I can determine that Max was, in fact, temporarily insane.”

“Mhm. And you’re sure about this?”

The woman nodded slowly. “Yes. Very sure.”

The blonde man nodded. “No more questions, you honor.”

Judge Toller directed her eyes to the plaintiff’s table. “Mr. Daly, your witness.”

Harold Daly shook his head. “No questions.”

The red-head judge instructed Dr. Mansfield out the witness stand and asked Norris to call for his next witness. Back in one of the courthouse’s conference rooms—together with his legal team, Max, and Austin—their plan was too finish out the trial with Dr. Mansfield telling the jury Max was temporarily insane, give a good closing argument, and wait for the verdict. So Norris was caught off guard when Max grabbed his arm right before he was about to tell the judge they were done.

“Call me up there.” Max whispered.

Norris frowned. “What?”

“Put me on the stand.”

“Max, this is not in the plan.”

“I don’t care.”

“Look, we can’t risk—“

“Who’s life is at stake here, huh? It’s my ass on the line, Norris. Just put me up there and let me talk. If I bury myself,…….well that’s the chance I’ll have to take.”

Norris stared at the ex-soldier for a minute, rubbing his chin doubtfully.

“Ah, Mr. Hampton,” The judge started. “Are you and your client going to chit chat all day? We’d like to finish this trial today.”

“Do it.” Max whispered.


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


Austin, Laura, and Regina’s eyes grew two sizes larger when they heard Norris call Max to the stand. Over time, Max’s use of crutches had dwindled to hardly ever, since being incarcerated. He walked with ease to the stand in his shirt, tie, and slacks Austin brought for him to wear. “What are they doing?” Regina whispered.

Laura shook her blonde head. “Harold Daly is gonna butcher Max when it’s his turn. I can tell it by the smirk on his ugly face.”

When Regina saw Austin wearily close his eyes, she reached out and gently grabbed his hand. “Maybe Norris and Max have something planned that we don’t know about.”

“I hope so.” He replied.

“Daly is gonna try to get Max pissed off and make him say something he might regret.”

Regina eyed her lover. “You are not helping, Laura.”

“Sorry.”


***********


After being sworn in, Norris approached Max for a few questions. “Max tell us, how did you feel after finding out John Cutlis was the one who raped Austin?”

“How did I feel? Well I was already angry. Austin has been all I’ve had since we first met at the children’s home. He’s not just my lover, he’s my best friend, my confidant…..my family. He means more to me than air. He’s my heart, you know? And because of that, I’d never want to see anything bad happen to him. So when Austin was found beaten and raped on the side of the street by John Cutlis—“

“Objection your honor. There’s no need to bring up—“

Judge Toller waved at him. “Sit down Mr. Daly.”

“But your honor…”

“I said sit down.” She looked back to Max. “Continue.”

Norris prodded Max to continue. “Go on, Max. When you found out Austin was raped, what?”

Max’s eyes were focused down at his clenched hands before he lifted them, staring through the crowd of spectators to look at Austin. “My initial response was anger. I was so angry that someone could callously hurt the person I love like that. I had no clue who did it at the time, so we left the investigation to the police and my anger subsided for the time being.” The ex-soldier watched the tears silently form in his lover’s eyes and he looked away again. Talking about it again and seeing Austin’s tears only added fuel to a growing fire. Max could feel the anger returning. “But then we found out who did it and the anger came back. I find out that John Cutlis was the heartless son of a bitch that raped Austin. I also find out he practically paraded his assault like it was nothing. My eyes only saw red after that. I wanted him to hurt. I wanted him to hurt as much as he hurt Austin. I barely even remember coming into his house or talking with his wife. But I remember the confrontation we had in his study. That’s where he gloated about the attack and came out to me that he was my father and I was the reason behind all of this. He told me he never wanted me and was only out to make my life a living hell. Then we fought. My mind was so filled with rage by then, the ability to comprehend that what I wanted to do to John would be right or wrong was not in my thoughts. I didn’t see repercussions. I only saw that this needed to end.”

“You felt no control over your actions?” Norris asked.

The brunet shook his head. “No. None.”

“And do you think you deserve to be punished for the death of John Cutlis?”

Max looked his blonde lawyer square in the eye and replied, “No.”

Norris nodded. “No further questions, your honor.”

Judge Toller nodded, looking in the direction of Harold Daly. “Your witness, Mr. Daly.”

Nodding his head, the prosecutor stood from his chair and walked closer to the witness stand. Austin’s nerves were on edge. He hoped that Norris and Max had planned for him to take the witness stand, cause he knew Daly was gonna have a number of questions to ask him. Eyes focused solely on the trial, Austin rubbed his thumb over the gold ring on his left finger that Max had given him oh so long ago now. “He practically paraded his assault like it was nothing. I only saw red after that. I wanted him to hurt. I wanted him to hurt as much as he hurt Austin.” Daly quoted. “Quite strong words to be saying, wouldn’t you say Mr. Garner? I mean even today, months later from the murder, one can still hear the rage in your voice. Are you still angry, Max?”

“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?”

“So then I guess it would be silly to ask you if you feel remorse for what happened?”

“I regret it had to get this far. That people’s lives had to be affected.”

“But no regrets about killing John Cutlis?”

“…………No.”

Harold nodded his head. “You wanna know what I think, Mr. Garner? I think you weren’t temporarily insane when you killed the victim. I think you were totally in your right mind. You were pissed that he allegedly raped your lover and made your life hell and you set out to kill him. You left your home, grabbing a gun, with the intent to kill—if nothing else, the intent to shoot him. And you did it. You killed John Cutlis and you MEANT to kill him!”

“You don’t know anything! And that man was anything BUT a victim!” Austin could see Max’s body grow tense.

“Oh shit.” Regina whispered.

Stay calm, Max. Austin spoke in his head.

“You weren’t the one who was dealt shit all his life! You didn’t have the person you love get raped by your father who admits you should’ve never been born!....”

Norris jumped out his seat. “Objection, your honor! Mr. Daly is badgering my witness!” Judge Toller agreed and started to hit her mallet against her podium to calm the two men down—they weren’t listening.

“You’re right, I wasn’t! But you WERE, which gives you a motive!” Daly countered. “You wanted him dead!”

“You damn right, I wanted him dead! The bastard deserved to die for what he did!” The audience gasped and murmured and the judge repeatedly hit her podium to get the courtroom in order again.

“That’s enough! Mr. Daly, unless you’ve got another question to ask Mr. Garner, you’d better take your seat!”

Harold blew out frustrated air and adjusted his jacket. “I apologize, your honor. The prosecution rests.”

“Alright. You may step down now, Mr. Garner.” Max stepped off the witness stand and walked back to his seat. Norris gave the pissed off ex-soldier a look.

“Are you TRYING to go to jail? Because you just made it very possible.”

“………”

“Fine, don’t say anything.”

Judge Toller looked in Norris’ direction. “You may call your next witness, Mr. Hampton.”

Norris quickly stood up and said what he had planned on saying minutes ago. “The defense rests.”

“Very well. We will break for lunch and reconvene in one hour to hear both side’s closing arguments.” Hitting the podium, she left.

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

“You sure you don’t want to eat something?” Austin asked Max, offering his lover the other half of his Subway sub. He, Max, Regina, Laura, and Norris and his two legal partners were seated in the courthouse’s conference room eating lunch. Morale had dropped a few notches after Max’s bout with Daly and many began to wonder if they were gonna win this case. Closing argument was the last chance they had left to sway the jury in their favor, so Norris had to make sure his speech was perfect.

Max pressed his hands together in a steeple. “Na, I’m fine.”

Austin could sense the nervousness in his love’s eyes. He reached for the other’s hand and squeezed it. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Laura glanced over at her brother as he silently glanced down at his notebook making notes for his closing argument—his sub was untouched. “How’s it coming?” She asked.

“It’s coming.”

“Will it get us a win?”

Norris looked up and watched as the entire group stared at him. “Honestly, I don’t know. Putting you on the stand, Max, might’ve turned out to be a bad idea.”

“But we still have a good chance?” Austin asked.

“Yes, we still have a good chance. I just hope I remember to say all the right things.”

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

“……Max Garner is a threat to society.” Daly continued in his closing speech. “Due to his history that Dr. Bowman had stated, this young man has pent up rage that is detrimental to everyone in his path. When he found out who raped his lover, he left his home to see John Cutlis with all the intentions of killing him. Call it avenging his hurt lover, call it whatever you’d like………but the fact is Max Garner committed murder. And murder of any kind should NOT go unpunished.” He took his seat and Judge Toller signaled for Norris to make his final speech.

The blonde stood from his seat and approached the jury. “I’m not going to sugarcoat what happened that afternoon, okay? Max Garner murdered a man, absolutely. But his reason overlooks the crime. Mr. Daly didn’t show you the bigger picture. John Cutlis harassed and later raped the person he holds dearest to his heart. Regardless of Max’s less than perfect past, that itself is enough to make someone go off. Imagine how would you feel, if the male or female in your life—son, daughter, niece, nephew, husband, or wife—was being terrorized at their workplace. Was being threatened to perform sexual acts with a man or risk losing their job. Was brutally raped in a dark, dank, alley……And there you sat feeling helpless for months. Everyday, you had to watch your loved one suffer and fall deeper and deeper into depression. Everyday, you saw the tears, the sadness, and the hurt in their wounded eyes. But then you find out who the attacker was and see that he doesn’t regret what he did, but he embraces it—gloats about it to your face and speaks about doing it again. All you want for you and your loved one is peace and a mere portion of happiness, but this man promises to keep terrorizing…..What do you do?” Norris took his seat.

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

Austin blindly reached for Regina’s hand and squeezed it once they saw the jury come back in to deliver their verdict. Judge Toller spoke first. “Would the defendant please rise.” Max, Norris, and his legal team stood to their feet. Though he didn’t show it, Max was very nervous. Just the thought of going away again from Austin for who knows how long—possibly forever—made his heart beat a bit faster. Norris did his best in justifying his killing John Cutlis, but it was still murder and would the jury lock him away because of that? Or worse, give him the death penalty? As the judge continued, he ducked his head down. “Have you made your verdict?”

A man in his thirties stood, a folded piece of paper was in his hands. “Yes, we have, your honor.”

“What say you then?”

He opened the paper and read. “In the case of Max Garner vs. The State, we find the defendant not guilty of second degree murder.” Overwhelmed, Max placed his hands over his face and offered up a prayer of thanks to whomever was listening. Norris happily hugged his legal team then grabbed Max.

“Very well.” The judge said. “You are free to go.”

Norris smiled happily at Max. “You’re going home, man. Congratulations.”

The ex-soldier lifted his head, showing a few misty tears in his eyes, and hugged his lawyer. “Thank you, Norris.”

“You’re welcome. You’ve just been given a second chance, so go live your life, eh?”

Max smiled as they broke away. “Alright.” Turning behind him, he looked for Austin and saw the brunette sliding through the cheering audience of people. Shaking a few hands of people he didn’t know that were congratulating him, Max made his way to meet his lover halfway.

Austin wrapped his arms around his lover tightly and kissed him not caring who was watching. “I’m so glad you’re coming home.”

“So am I. The thought of spending the rest of my days in a prison cell was starting to make me feel sick.”

They smiled looking at Regina and Laura as they tried to get through the crowd of people gathered around. But the entire courtroom went silent when they heard a shrill, “NO!” The crowd of people seemed to part and the two lovers were able to see the voice came from a small, slightly plump, blonde woman who looked drained with the dark circles under her red, teary eyes and lack of make-up. It was Cutlis’ wife. “You’re a murderer! A murderer! You killed my husband, you bastard! You don’t deserve to live!” She raised a gun in the air and pointed it in Max and Austin’s direction. She fired.


.......Okay, so this isn't exactly the end like I promised. I sure can't leave you hanging right here, can I? :-) But seriously, the final chapter--the epilogue--will be next.