Samurai Deeper Kyo Fan Fiction ❯ Wicked Ground ❯ The Prosecution pt. 2 ( Chapter 12 )

Yuya's questioning of Benitora Tokugawa had gone better than she had ever hoped. Not that she needed much to sway the jury; after all, he'd already given her the upper hand by how he answered Hotaru's questions.

 

Neither Hotaru nor the victim looked pleased. Tokugawa's face was ruddy and a vein in his temple was pulsing, ugly and purple and protruding. Yuya shuddered, turning to look back at Benitora. He had gotten the looks out of the family gene pool; that was for sure. The personality, too.

 

“Do you remember what happened after Mr. Tokugawa pulled the knife?” Yuya concluded. She already knew his answer. She'd read the police reports a dozen times. But the jury hadn't.

 

“No, ma'am,” he replied, smiling slightly. “I passed out shortly after.”

 

Yuya nodded, looking over at the judge. “No further questions, Your Honor.”

 

Migeira nodded before looking at Benitora. “You may step down now. Does the Prosecution have any other witness to call to the stand?”

 

“Yes, Your Honor. We would like to call Gregor Maslow, the victim's boss.” Hotaru shot a triumphant grin Yuya's way. He knew he had her cornered here. Maslow was a sharp one, and very slick; most Americans were.

 

Maslow came up to the witness stand and was sworn in. He sat, looking very elegant in his suit and tie, hair slicked back. He smiled serenely, answering every question that was thrown at him by Hotaru. It was almost too simple for him. “Yes, I was Tokugawa-san's boss. Yes, we were on good terms. We went drinking once in a while. Yes, I think Tokugawa-san was a good, wholesome man with good values and even better intentions. No, I do not think that Tokugawa-san is in the wrong; I think Mibu-san is. He must have said something to irritate my employee. Either that, or he threatened him.”

 

Yuya glanced over at the jury and noticed that they were beginning to sway again. That was the problem with a group of people. It's crowd mentality; once one person thinks something, they all decide to follow along with it. In this case, someone thought that Maslow would be the better to agree with; after all, he was a successful businessman. What reason did he have for lying?

 

Kyo seemed to notice this, too. His head seemed to rise in defiance, thought, and he had a small, unfriendly smirk on his face.

 

“No more questions, Your Honor,” Hotaru murmured, turning his back to the witness and going to sit beside his client. He smiled over at Yuya, who returned the gesture. All the while she was smiling, she was suppressing the urge to flip him off. Prick, she thought, climbing to her feet when Migeira called her name.

 

“Hello again, Mr. Maslow,” Yuya said cheerfully; or as cheerfully as she could muster. She was having trouble with looking this slug in the eyes.

 

“Miss Shiina. You look as lovely as ever,” he complimented.

 

Yuya smiled, but chose to ignore his comment otherwise. “You and I spoke four days ago, I believe it was. At that time, you told me all of the things you have just finished telling the jury. But,” she added, beginning to pace. It was a bad habit most lawyers formed; pacing, in order to make sure the jury's eyes remained on you. “But, Mr. Maslow, you also slipped up. If I recall correctly, you said something rather interesting… along the lines of `Mr. Tokugawa loved his drink and his women… maybe too much.' Do you remember making this comment?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Maslow scowled. “No, Miss Shiina, I do not. Are you quite sure it is not once of your client's fabrications?”

 

“Now, now, Mr. Maslow,” Yuya quipped, “lets us not get too defensive. My client has said nothing of the kind. Would you like me to refresh your memory, Mr. Maslow? Because I have a tape recording of our entire conversation sitting in my bag if you would like to hear it.” Her eyes roved to Migeira. “Does Your Honor see fit to allow me to play the aforesaid tape?”

 

Migeira hid his smile, turning his eyes to the jury. “I will here the tape. Will the jury allow for the tape to be played?”

 

There was a murmur of discussion, and finally the senior jury member stood. “We will hear the tape.”

 

Yuya retrieve the tape recorder, turning the volume up and placing it in front of a microphone. She had already set the tape to begin at the right spot, having a feeling that she would have to result to desperate measures when it came to Maslow.

 

Maslow's voice crackled over the microphone. “Yes, I suppose so. We've gone out for a few drinks.”

Yuya: “Where do you go? For these drinks.”

Maslow: “Here and there. Mostly small, hole-in-the-wall places. Iridescent, I think the place is called. We frequent that a bit.”

Yuya: “Is that all, only drinks? How is Mr. Tokugawa's behavior during these times? Does he ever get drunk?”

Maslow: “Well, I must admit, Miss Shiina, Kada is one who enjoys his women and his liquor. Maybe a bit too much. He would get drunk, sure, but can you honestly hold that against him?”

Yuya: “It all depends on how you look at it, Mr. Maslow.”

 

There was a stinging silence. Yuya shut off the tape recorder, eyeing Maslow. He was glowering. She smiled pleasantly at him. “Now, do you remember our conversation now, or must I play the entire thing?”

 

“I remember it,” Maslow growled.

 

“No need to snap, Mr. Maslow,” Migeira interrupted, sounding amused. “Just answer the questions.”

 

Yuya spared a small smile to the judge before saying, “Now, with that statement, I think that maybe, just maybe, you know something about Mr. Maslow you aren't telling us. You've sung his praises on high. Now tell us his all-too-human characteristics, will you?”

 

“Tokugawa-san was a good man,” was all Maslow said.

 

“Mr. Maslow, please try to be cooperative. According to your own words, Mr. Maslow liked women, yes? Would you say that he liked them enough that, when he found one to his liking, he would stop at no ends to have her?”

 

“Of course not,” Maslow muttered, seeming aggravated. “He was a good man.”

 

“You yourself must admit that Mr. Tokugawa pulled a knife on Mr. Mibu. A good, honest man would not do such, now would he?”

 

“I am sure your client provoked him!” Maslow proclaimed loudly. He was becoming red in the face.

 

“Mr. Maslow, a good, honest man would not be carrying such a large knife to begin with.”

 

Everything went silent. The ball seemed to have been thrown back into Yuya's court. She turned her sad smile to Migeira. “No more questions, Your Honor. I would like the jury to think on what I have said…”

 

As she took her place beside Kyo, she noticed the sketch artist in the corner furiously scribbling on his tablet. She wondered which of her features they would exaggerate this time; in her last court trial, it had been her breasts that were enlarged drastically. In the one before that, it had been her lips.

 

“Does the Prosecution have any other witnesses to call to the stand?” Migeira was asking.

 

“No, Your Honor… we do not.”

 

“This trial will be dismissed and will adjourn tomorrow morning at nine-o-clock. Please be prompt.”

 

Yuya glanced over at Kyo; he refused to look at her. “Kyo,” she murmured softly. “What's wrong?”

 

Kyo said nothing. He watched as the judge walked out and everyone stood awkwardly. Within moments, he was led out in handcuffs.