Guilty Until Proven Innocent

“I didn’t kill her.”

         “Tell that to the judge, kid.” The police officer said and shoved her into the back of the police car. Funny, when she was younger, she had always wondered what it was like in the back of a police car, but now sitting in one she wondered why she ever cared.

         Holly tried to move her arms, but the handcuffs prevented most of her movements. How had she gone from being a college student with excellent grades and a loving boyfriend, almost fiancé, to being accused of a murder she had not committed.

         She was silent as the police officer drove her to jail. Having the right to remain silent and what not. As she rode, she pondered on what would happen next. Surely once she spoke to a judge or police chief or someone, they would understand that this was all a misunderstanding.

         However, that wasn’t what happened. No indeed. Upon arriving at the jail, the police officer ushered her straight into a jail cell!

         “Wait, Officer, please you must hear me out. I am innocent.” She pressed her hands and face to the suspiciously sticky bars.

         He scoffed at her and turned away. “That’s what they all say, kid. The judge will decide if you are guilty or not, but I wouldn’t hold out much hope in your favor. It seems mighty convenient that your friend died, but you escaped unscathed.”

         To hear it being told, she realized that yes, her story did sound suspicious, but it was still the truth. The police officer locked the cell door and then walked away, even whistling a tune as if everything was alright.

         Holly glared at the man’s back, wishing that her look could have singed his uniform. But alas, wishing did nothing for her.

         She sat in the cell for several hours before someone came. She looked up. Finally. They clearly saw their error and were surely coming to make amends. But the person standing there was not someone coming to release her, but instead it was her father.

         She stood up and rushed to the bars. “Oh, Father, it is so horrible in here. I tried to explain the situation and the misunderstanding to them, but they would not listen. I hope you are here to help defend my innocence.”

         “Defend your innocence? What innocence? Here I thought that I had a good daughter. Straight A’s, a solid relationship, a good job, but then I learn that you murder Mya. I should have known that having a good child was too good to be true. Your brother has been a gambler for years, and now you, my little angel, are a murderer.”

         She pulled away from the bars in surprise. “What? Father, you cannot mean that? I have never so much as lifted a finger against anyone. I did not even fight with my brother when we were children. So how can you believe I am a murderer. And a murderer of my best friend, at that. You have to be kidding me.” She felt angry tears course down her face.

         Her father shook his head. “And now, anger issues. On top of murdering your best friend. What has gotten into my sweet child? What did your mother and I do wrong? This will surely break her tender heart. Both of her children, ruined.” He sighed and walked away.

         She shouted after him, “I didn’t kill her! She was my best friend! I’m innocent!” But he did not hear her words. Nor did he look back.

         She crumpled to the floor and cried all her pent-up tears. Tears for Mya, and for herself, and for her own father not believing her.

         “Holly! Holly!” She looked up and met the eyes of her boyfriend. The love of her life. But she wished she hadn’t made eye contact, for what she saw there was fear. Fear of her?

         She swiped a hand across her face. “You have to believe me, Jordan, I didn’t kill her. She was my best friend.”

         “Oh, I know the truth.”

         She turned back to him with hope in her eyes. “You do? Oh, thank you Jordan. My own father could not even see my inn-”

         “No.” He shook his head. “What I see is that you saw that she liked me and decided to get rid of her. Even though I told you that you have all my love. Well, you had.”

         She shook her head. “Jordan, please you have to believe me. I didn’t kill her. She was my best friend. I knew she liked you, but she never acted on her feelings. I wasn’t angry with her and never, ever would have killed her. You have to see that. When have you ever known me to be anything but honest?”

         He raked a hand through that dark hair of his that she loved. “I, well never, but that was you then. I don’t know what kind of person you are now, but you are not someone I want to love anymore.”

         She watched him go, but didn’t try to stop him. What was the use, he, just like her father would not believe her.

         An hour later, at least that how much time she assumed had passed, another visitor came. This time, however, she didn’t bother to look up. What did it matter who came? No one believed a word she said.

         “Get up!” The person ordered.

         Holly looked up then. This person was not someone she knew. She looked at the man. He was tall with a slight frame. He wore a brown suit and a pair of round glasses. His look and demeanor both spoke of impatience. She pushed her hair out of her face. “Who are you?”

         The man rolled his eyes. “I thought your father would have told you, but he hired me to be your lawyer.”

         She stood up. “Does that mean my father now believes I am innocent?”

         He shook his head. “To be honest, kid,” she cringed at being called kid for the second time that day, “no one, and I mean no one, believes that you. But your father wants me to do whatever it takes to ensure that you get the least amount of jail time.” He looked her over and appeared to find her lacking. “Though I don’t know how much I could on that end. You should be happy if you don’t have jail time for life. Your case will happen in two weeks. I shall compile all I need during that time and you,” Again, he gave her a onceover. “You focus on being as nice as you can and hope, or pray, that the judge will have compassion on you.”

***

         Two weeks later, Holly stood in the center of the court, the judge’s seat in front of her and the jury behind her. She wore new clothes brought begrudgingly by her father and her hair was combed and pulled back into a low ponytail. Her hands shook and her legs felt like they might follow suit.

         She heard a conversation behind her and grew more hopeless with the words.

         “I cannot believe a lawyer from Stanford would waste their time helping a murderer.”

         “Her father must have spent quite a lot of money getting him.”

         “I cannot believe that a college student with good grades and a loving boyfriend would murder someone. But that goes to show that you think you know someone and then they turn out to be a murderer. It’s shameful.”

         The judge came in just then, ending the conversation and speeding up Holly’s shaking.”

         The typical court things were said and done and then the judge looked at Holly. “Tell me what happened.”

         She took a fortifying breath and then told the story. “Me and my best friend Mya were returning to campus after studying at a coffee shop. She had a class coming up, so we decided to take a different route. We went down a street that was really quiet, but we were so focused on getting her to class in time that we did not think anything of it.” She swallowed. “After a moment, we heard the sound of running behind us. We tried to move out of the way, hoping whoever it was would just run by us, but they didn’t. They grabbed us both from behind and pulled us in and alleyway. I was so scared, thinking I was going to be killed. We both tried to scream, but they covered our mouths. Then I was forced to watch at they killed my best friend.”

         She shivered and had to take a moment to collect herself before she was ready to continue. “I thought they were just torturing me and then they would kill me next.” Tears blurred her vision.

         Her lawyer whispered through clenched teeth, “keep yourself together.”

         The judge glared at her lawyer. “Continue.”

         “I heard them talking. One said, ‘Forget the other one. We got the one we came for.’ They argue for a bit, but the there was a noise, like someone else was coming and then they ran away, leaving me there. By the time, I got over my shock and crawled over to Mya, she was already dead. The person who made the noise walked by and saw everything and called the police. I passed out and did not come to until the police came.” She stopped talking and then looked at the judge.

         The judge stared at her; his expression bland. “You mean to tell me your friend was killed but you got away unscathed.”

         She nodded. “Yes, as hard as it may be to believe.”

         The judge raised up his gravel. “I have made up my mind.”

         Her lawyer spoke up. “Permission to speak, Your Honor.”

         “Permission denied. Holly Jackson, I hereby declare you-”

         “Wait…”