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Ch. 3- Julia Found Guilty
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“This is a waste of time.” Lei ignores him. But Bryan continues.
“Why the hell are we doing this? We know he’s guilty.” Bryan shakes his head. Lei has to respond to this. “That’s the point. We ‘don’t’ know that he’s guilty. Where has it been proven?”
Bryan turns to face him. “All the evidence, Lei. The evidence.”
They stop behind a long line of cars at a red light. Lei turns to face Bryan. “Sure there’s ‘evidence’, Bryan. But did you eve stop to think that he’s telling the truth? What if there really is a tape? What’re you going to do then. Still argue he’s guilty?”
“There’s no way that he’s innocent. You know that.” Bryan looks out the window.
“Everyone has their opinion. But it’s not up to us to decide that he’s guilty.” Lei faces forward. “Damn!” He hits the steering wheel with both hands. “Stuck at the light again. Dumb as$ red car.”
Bryan acts as if he didn’t hear him. “You only feel that way because you know him.”
Lei grits his teeth and face him. “I don’t feel that way because I know him. I know Julia. She has good judgment.”
“Whatever. I still say that he’s guilty.” Bryan shrugs.
“About time.” Lei pushes the gas.
“I’m going to check the cabinet.” Lei heads to the cabinet. He opens it then turns back to Bryan. “What’re you going to do?”
“I’m going to do nothing. But stay right here.” Bryan leans against the wall with arms crossed.
Lei shrugs and turns back to his task. He moves some items around and place some on the sink. He bends down farther to the second shelf where he finally gets to about 20 boxes of Avon facial cleansers. He reaches behind to the last one that’s upside down.
“Well it’s 20 minutes till 12. We should go inside, people will be showing up soon.” They get up and leave for the court room. The first person she sees is Miharu on the left and Kazuya and Steve on the right.
They see some people have already shown up, including Julia; sitting in her same seat. Christie can’t put her finger on it, but it’s something about Julia that she can’t stand. That’s why she sent the Detectives to Julia’s home. She just hopes they find the tape.
Back at the Fox residence: Lei picks the box up and what’s inside falls in the cabinet. He reaches for it. It’s what it’s supposed to be. A small clear tape with ‘Steve’s Programming’ in red marker.
Bryan comes up behind the squatted Lei.
“I’ll be damned. It really is a tape.” Lei turns around and sees the shocked expression on Bryan. He watches it change to a less believing one.
Lei stands up. “We need to get back now.”
Bryan steps out the way. “What if Steve made this himself.”
“He couldn’t have, Bryan. He knew we’d find it and bring it to court and that we’re going to play it for the court to hear. He wouldn’t purposely mess his self up. It’s common sense.” They head to the front door.
“Lee.” Lee comes over to her desk. “It’s 12:11. Everyone’s here. The Detectives are late. I give them 5 more minutes.” Lee nods and walks back to take his place.
“Court will be in session in 5 minutes.” Christie announces.
2 minutes later, Lei and Bryan step through the doors. Before Christie says anything, they Lei speaks.
“We’re sorry, Your Honor. But we got stuck in traffic on the way there.” He pulls the tape from his pants pocket. “We found the tape.” They walk to stand in front of Christie. She reaches out and takes it.
We hear voices say ‘There really was a tape’, and, ‘I don’t believe it.’ Christie doesn’t even tell them to be quiet. She’s too shocked that it really was a tape. She looks past Lei to Julia. Julia’s face is expressionless.
“Court is now in session.” She looks back to Lee. “Bring the tape recorder in. Everyone here is going to hear this.” Lee nods and leaves. Christie looks to Miharu, who looks very much shocked. Lee comes back.
“Come to the front, Defense.” Kazuya looks to Steve, then he heads to Christie.
“Yes, Your Honor?”
“Take this tape. It’s obviously part of your defense.” She hands it to him. Kazuya faces the court with the tape in hand.
“This, everyone will prove Steve is innocent.” He holds the tape in the air. His eyes meet Julia.
Kazuya puts the tape in the recorder. There’s static, then we hear Julia’s voice say ‘At midnight Thursday, I want you to kill her…. She always was a b!tch.” More static, then ‘And you won’t remember anything once you’ve killed Nina and come home. It’ll be like it never happened. But make sure you don’t leave any evidence. We wouldn’t want you caught, would we? No, we wouldn’t, Steve. You’re a sweetie.’ Then the tape ends. All is quiet.
Steve stands up. “I can’t believe this. Julia, how could you! I loved you!”
Julia stands up, not in the least bit shocked. “You know why I did it? Ha. I was ‘doing’ Nina.” She turns toward the court. “She said she hadn’t decided who would get it.” She shakes her head. “For a raise. Can you believe it? For a raise.
Nina wouldn’t give me the raise, otherwise. Then, when she did give the raise….. after 2 months with her, she gives the raise to this other b!tch named Jennifer. How dare she? Then I find out ‘Jennifer’ didn’t even do her. Hows that? So I decided then to prepare Steve. For 3 weeks.”
Christie looked shocked. Julia’s expression went from angry to crazy. “My plan for Nina to be killed worked out. No matter how long you put me in jail, Nina will still be dead.” She laughs, leaning back. It’s a long and crazy laugh.
Without being told, the police that stand by, handcuffed Julia and started for the door.
Steve hollers. “I can’t believe you, Julia. You used me!” Julia turned around. “I was the one too blinded to see ‘you’ for what you really were!”
She smiles. “It’s about time you got some back bone, Steve.” They turn her around and disappear behind the court room doors.
Steve gets a letter from the Warden of the jail Julia was sent to.
We regret to inform you,
that earlier this week on Wednesday the 8th, Julia Chang was found gutted in her cell at 7 in the morning. We’re not sure if it was suicide or murder.
Again, we’re sorry for your loss.
Warden Carlyle
He was quiet. Just thinking about how earlier that week, the people around him said that if she got killed, she’d have gotten what she deserved. Then he read the letter again, but this time he cried. For the woman he’d loved enough to want to spend the rest of his life with.
