There was a short recess (proposed by Bob) during which the court went to have lunch. The judge told everyone to be back in two hours, and then everyone split up.
Peter was taken out of the courtroom and Mike and Davy conversed for a few moments. Then, after Bob and Kimberly left the room, Nicole and Thomas came out of hiding.
"Mike, I don't get it," Davy was saying. "Why did you ask 'er all of those questions?"
"Well ya see Dave, it's to prove that she planned the whole thing," Mike explained. "If I can prove that she singled out Peter from the whole crowd, that makes her story all the more unbelievable. " Davy nodded, an understanding look on his face. Mike turned to his sister and nephew.
"Any sign of Micky yet?" he asked. Nicole shook her head. "I wonder where he could be," he wondered.
Thomas spoke up. "Uncle Mike?" he asked. Mike looked down. "Are we gonna go get lunch and talk to Dad now?" he asked. Mike grinned.
"Sure Tom," he replied. He took a few bucks out of his wallet and handed it to Davy. "Here ya go short stuff, go outside and get us a couple o' hot dogs, okay?" Davy grinned and ran outside to a nearby vendor to purchase the lunch while Mike and Nicole took Thomas to Peter.
"Peter, you're alright," Nicole yelled. She ran into the makeshift interrogation room where Peter was eating lunch at the table. The guards looked wary for a moment as she ran and threw herself into his arms.
He looked at her, confused for a moment, but embraced her eagerly. It had been some time since he'd held her before, and enjoyed the moment.
Mike and Thomas entered the room a moment later. Mike whispered a few words of assurances to the guards, and they left the room, agreeing to wait outside. Thomas, meanwhile, greeted his father the same way his mother had.
Davy arrived a few moments later with the requested hot dogs and a couple of sodas, and Nicole dragged Thomas (or was it vice versa) out of the room to eat so that Mike and Peter could be alone.
Mike sat across the table from Peter. "How you holdin' up, pal?" he asked, and Peter grinned, nodding to the sandwich they'd given him.
"Not exactly gourmet food, but it'll do," he replied, taking a bite. Mike nodded. "How do you think it's going so far, counsel?" Peter asked, semi-professionally with his mouth full.
"Not too bad. I've got some reasonable conspiracy thought in the mind of the jury with those last questions. Can you think of any other witnesses that Bob might call? Anyone that I can prepare for?"
Peter swallowed before answering this time. "Nope. Nobody. I mean, the witnesses are all mostly on our side. And mostly character witnesses," he added. "To prove I'm a good guy. But no proof. It all comes down to me against her. "
Mike nodded. He stood up, too agitated to sit any longer. "I know. This conspiracy idea is doubt, but not proof. Nothing that will clear you for sure. Right now your future is pretty unstable." He began to pace back and forth across the room.
Peter nervously took another bite of his sandwich and then downed a gulp of the coke they'd given him. "I know, Mike. I'm worried. I mean, what if I don't get off? What if we can't prove I'm innocent? What if I get sent away for life?" He was beginning to get hysterical. Mike walked back to the table and looked him in the eyes. He could see the tears almost starting to form in Peter's eyes.
"Peter, calm down, okay. You won't get sent away for life. They only do that if you murder someone. And you didn't do that. Try to relax, okay? We'll figure a way out of this." Peter nodded and wiped the not yet formed tears from his still-dry eyes. "Meanwhile, finish your sandwich. I'm gonna get a hot dog. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" Peter nodded again. "By the way, you haven't seen Micky, have you?" Peter shook his head. "Darn. I wonder where he is." Mike left the room to get a hot dog, leaving Peter with that thought.
When the court had reformed, and the audience had taken their seats again, Judge Centris asked Bob if he had any other witnesses. Bob replied that he did.
Bob stood up. "Your honor, for my second witness I call Mr. Douglas Hammond to the stand." There was a murmur in the courtroom. Mike turned to Peter, the look on his face asking the question. Peter just shook his head.
A tall, rather plump, nearly bald man in his mid forties stood up in the audience and walked to the front. He was dressed in a dark black suit with a navy blue tie. He appeared to Peter as one of those men who was a no-nonsense guy who disliked young people. Reminded him a bit of their landlord.
Mr. Hammond took the stand and, after questioned, stated his name for the court and his address as 15 Riverside Drive. It was then Peter realized who he must be. Kimberly's house had been 16 Riverside Drive. He must live nest to her.
Bob began his questioning. "Mr. Hammond, do you know a woman named Kimberly Spears?" Mr. Hammond nodded. "And how do you know her?"
"She lives next door to me," Mr. Hammond replied.
"Can you describe what you heard the day in question?" Bob asked. Mr. Hammond nodded.
"Certainly. I was in my living room, reading the newspaper. It was warm outside, so I had the windows in the room open. "
"And what did you hear?" Bob asked.
"Noises coming from the house next door," Mr. Hammond replied.
"What sort of noises?"
"Well, at first there were yells, " Mr. Hammond recalled. "But then the yells seemed to be painful."
"What sort of yells were they?" Bob asked. "Who was yelling them?"
"Well, they sounded like cries of pain. From a woman." There was a gasp from the audience. "She seemed to be yelling things like 'no', and 'stop'," Mr. Hammond replied.
"And how did you react, Mr. Hammond?"
"Well, the yells stopped soon after they began. I heard the front door slam. Then I heard a car drive away. A few hours later, I heard the police at the house and I went over to see what was going on."
"I see," Bob replied. He appeared to be thinking for a moment. "Thank you Mr. Hammond," he said. Turning to the judge he said: "No further questions, your honor."
The judge nodded and turned to Mike.
"Sir, if I could have a moment to consult with the defendant?" Mike asked, casting a look at Peter. The judge considered this for a moment and then nodded.
"Make it quick," he replied.
Mike turned to Peter. "What's going on here?" he whispered. "You didn't tell me anything about this guy!"
Peter shrugged. "I don't know, Mike, I swear, I didn't know he was going to call this guy. "
"Did at any point either of you yell?" Mike asked, getting frustrated.
"No, Mike," Peter replied. "I swear. You gotta believe me Mike, you're my lawyer!" Mike just turned away and stood up.
"Thank you your honor," he replied civily, and turned to the witness, stepping away from the table.
"Mr.-Hammond, is it?" he asked. Mr. Hammond nodded. "You say you were sitting in your living room when you heard the yells coming from next door?"
"Yes, that's right," Mr. Hammond replied.
"I see. And how exactly did you react?" Mike asked. Mr. Hammond hesitated for a second. "You said you went over to the house when the police came, is that right?"
"Yes. I-"
"I see. And when did the police come?"
"Around six."
"Around six. So it was a few hours later, right?"
"Well, yeah-"
"I see. So what did you do during those few hours? Did you go over and assist the girl?"
"No. I-"
"A woman next door to you is yelling and you don't go over and see what's going on?"
"Well I thought-"
"You thought? You thought what? They were having a little 'fun'? That you wouldn't get involved?"
"Well-"
"Mr. Hammond, how long have you known your neighbor?"
"Well, she moved in about six months ago."
"I see. And did you ever talk to her before hand?"
"Well-"
"Well?"
"Once or twice." "Once or twice? I see. And how about her lawyer? Did you ever meet him before the incident in question?"
"Well-"
"Yes or no, Mr. Hammond. Did you meet him before hand?"
"Yes, I did."
"You did. And when was this?"
"About a month ago."
"And what was the occasion of this meeting?"
"He came over to her house and then they came over to mine."
"I see. And why did they come to your house?"
Silence.
"What did you talk about?"
Mr. Hammond looked at the floor.
"Mr. Hammond, please answer the question," Judge Centris ordered.
"What did you talk about?" Mike repeated.
Mr. Hammond hesitated a moment. "They asked me if I knew of a man in the area named Peter Tork," he replied.
"And did you?"
"No. I had never heard of him," Mr. Hammond replied.
"Why did they want to know about this man?"
"I'm not sure. I think they said that they wanted to visit him," Mr. Hammond replied after a moment. "They said that they knew him from before and they wanted to see him. "
"Did they say why?"
"No. Only that they wanted to do some catching up," Mr. Hammond replied. Mike nodded. He was silent for a moment.
"Thank you Mr. Hammond. No more questions." He sat down.
