Chapter 19

Chapter 19

            I crutched myself into the giant room. It was filled with people, cops, Jurors, news casters, Davri. It was a long walk to the front of the room, with Katie and Red in front of me, we were escorted to the front passing by wooden benches and rows and rows of people. 6 windows lined each wall to our left and to our right. Below the windows there was one long singular bench. Bright shards of light fell through the windows and into the isle that I walked down. Up front there were two desks, a stand for the person who would speak, and a very large desk for the judge. At each side of the stand there was a flag, one American the other was the California state flag.

            I sat down at one of the tables and let the crutches fall to the floor with a clang. Casey a man sent from ‘Child’ protective services had bent over and picked them up and set them against the table. Casey had spent almost every second at our sides making sure we didn’t run again (As if, I couldn’t even walk).Very quickly, the room got louder and louder. Until a man called for everyone to stand in honor of the judge. I stood a few seconds after everyone else and sat a few seconds after everyone else.

            A man in a black robe stepped in, he was short and had a look of annoyance on his face. He slowly read the case files and asked each of the defendant and the prosecutor to say their case. The judge called Red up first.

            Red stood and walked up to the pulpit and sat down slouching backwards with his arms draped over the arms of the chair.

“Mr. Conway, this is a courtroom not your home.” The judge said impatiently. Red sat up.

            The defendant stood and walked to Red, “Mr. Conway when did you first find the map?”

“Brady found it in his brother’s apartment.”

“When?”

“I don’t know, about a month and a half ago.”

“Why wait so long to come?”

“We weren’t gonna go until Davri started stalking us.”

“Why did he do this?”

“How should I know? He wanted the map.”

“Excuse me.” the judge cut in, “Where is the said map?”

            The court crier left momentarily and came back and handed the map to the judge who unrolled it and set it down after studying it, “Proceed.”

“Nothing more to say, your honor.” He sat down and the persecutor stood up and took his place.

“You say that, that man there-he pointed to Davri-was stalking you?”

“Yes.”

“Why would he want the map so bad?”

“You know pretty much everything, there was money.”

“Nothing more to say your honor.” He sat down.

“Mr. Conway, you may take your seat.” The judge told him. Red stood up and came and sat back down, “Katie Kennedy.” The judge said.

Katie rose and sat in the pulpit. Her auburn hair glistened in the sunlight, a small strand pinned back if a black butterfly pin. She wore a black leather jacket and a white skirt. The defendant stood again.

“Ms. Kennedy, did you visit the house of Rickey Carmen?”

“What?”

“Did you or did you not visit the house of Rickey Carmen?”

“I abject your honor this material irrelevant.” The prosecutor said.

“Sustained.” The judge said.

“Did you see Nathaniel Davri shoot Scott Smith?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“How would I know what goes on in a mind like his?” Katie spat.

“Ms. Kennedy, please try to control yourself.” The judge said.

            Katie huffed, “He couldn’t handle an insult.”

“What did he say?”

“Davri said something about running and pictures and then Scott gave him an insult, I still don’t understand why Scott didn’t run, he could have.” Katie stopped talking.

            He didn’t want to run, I thought.

“What pictures?”

“I don’t know.”

“Nothing more your honor.”

“Prosecutor?” The judge said.

“No questions.”

“You may sit.” She told Katie. Katie rose and came down to the table where we sat.

“Brady Smith.” The judge said.

            I stood, grabbed my crutches and hobbled over to the stand. Coming to the steps up to the chair I jumped up them and sat in the chair, once again letting them fall to the floor.

“Defendant.” The judge said.

            He stood, “Mr. Smith, Where did you find the map?”

“Under my brother’s bed in his apartment.”

“Why did you go there?”

“To see him.”

“You loved your brother didn’t you?”

“Yes.” I gritted my teeth.

“How did he die?”

“Davri shot him.”

“Why?”

“You know this, he can’t take an insult.” Katie looked down and smiled slightly.

“You sure Davri shot him? Or was it self-inflicted?”

“Self-inflicted?” I clenched my shaking hands, “I’m very sure.”

“How are you that sure?”

“Because Scott never solved his problems by running! He was the best person I ever knew, he would never do anything like that.”

“Who shot you?”

“Davri.”

“Why?”

“He didn’t want me to run.”

“But you did?”

“Yeah, I’m not an idiot. Anyone would have run away.”

“One more thing, the police said that there were gold coins and tarnished green doubloons, how do you explain this?”

“Well, I think since no one could find where the map led to, pirates had killed the original bandits since only pirates use doubloons, they created the map and hid it here in California and then somehow the map was taken to Russia and everything got caught up.”

“Nothing more, for now.”

            The prosecutor stood and asked me questions. Then I was asked to sit down at my own seat. Others were asked to speak, Davri’s hired men, Camry, and finally Davri. He still spoke softly as if nothing were wrong.

“Coming to the last question, why did you shoot this boy’s only relative?”

            Davri smiled, “Like the kids said, I can’t take an insult.”

            I swore beneath my breath and cupped my face in my shaky hands. Never in my life had I met someone like him. His manipulative mind turned my world into a death trap. Where everywhere I turned he was there or I was alone, trapped inside the harsh boundaries of reality.

            Mountains of evidence piled up against Davri. He had been brought down by the coast guard after having been reported to be on the lookout for him. The coast guard had also found the sacks of gold on the boat, a scuba diver had found the gun in the water, the tare in his leather jacket matched the piece found in Arizona, the photo’s he had sent Scott, and Sesenta had even come forward telling her story of how he had tried to take us. All of it was too much to ignore. While the entire court listened, Davri just sat, and smiled.

            When the jury came back to the courtroom, it was unanimous, Davri was guilty of first degree murder, Second degree murder, attempted murder, and attempted kidnapping.

            After this was said the judge stood and left. As Davri walked past me in his handcuffs I stood in front of him, “I forgive you.”

“What?”

“I forgive you.”

“Why?”

“Scott would have wanted it that way.” I said.

            Davri pushed past me, his booze scent still thick in the air.

Author's Note

Do you think Brady should have forgiven Davri?