Chapter 163: Chapter 163

Jason did not know how to start the court proceedings against Richmond because one of the prime witness which was Nancy was not yet fully recovered.

She could not be probed for obvious reasons.

And the more they allowed the case to linger, the worse for them.

He did not therefore know of they should start without her or not though he planned to get the best lawyer available whatever be the case and he knew that since Richmond had the support of his wife, even if superficially, he was going to get the best defence attorney as well.

When he discussed this with Alfred, he knew he was a good lawyer but he recommended someone he knew was better and more experienced than he was. He also advised that there was no need waiting for Nancy to recover her memory before they started the court proceedings before the case was overtaken by events and the evidence would not look or sound as real as it would now that it was still fresh.

Arrangements were made and the lawyer, Alfred recommended, Barrister Coleman Flitch, was contacted and after speaking with him, Jason was impressed and contracted him as their counsel.

Jason had already told Mrs. Potts to take great care of Nancy and not to get her pit of her sight.

Phoebe went to court with him and Alfred.

When the case was called, Rodney pleaded not guilty.

During the cross examination by the counsel for the defence, he was asked

'Mr. Richmond, Where were you on the night of December 28, 1999?'

'I was in a bar, with a friend of mine'.

'What bar could that be?'

'The Affluent Bar'

'You did not go near the True Love Hotel and Bar?'

'Never heard of it before!'

'What is the name of this friend of yours that you were with at this Affluent Bar with?'

'Maze Patterson'.

Maze was called to the stand and his testimony was not much different from that of Rodney.

Jason was seething where he was. Such nerve! Even after the police caught him red handed? He still wished to plead 'not guilty?'

'Can the owner or the bar attendant attest to your presence there that day?'

'If he were here he would remember me because I specially stuck around to speak to him because of the great service he rendered me'.

'Your honour, I wish to call John Ritz to the witness stand. He is the bar attendant of the Affluent Bar'. the lawyer said and at the nod from the judge, John was asked questions and he replied in favour of Rodney.

The counsel for the plaintiff was asked to present his case and he stood and read his introduction.

A harmless woman went out on a date with a young man and on their way home, was abducted by a man who had previously threatened her.

This man who is none other than Mr. Rodney Richmond had made her pregnant while pretending to love her and hiding his marital status from her.

When he learnt of the pregnancy, he asked her to terminate it but she refused and he abandoned her and she left the city for another in shame to give birth and raise her child alone when it finally comes forth.

Somehow or the other, Richmond finds out her whereabouts and suddenly wanted to claim paternal rights over the child and professes that he never stopped loving the mother but she refused because she could not bring herself to trust him anymore and had no more feelings for him.

He could not condole her rejection but put her through alot of torture while she was his captive and when the police finally caught he and his goons, there was a shootout and this pregnant harmless lady ended up being one of the Casualties with a bullet in the head.

She has since undergone surgery but is presently suffering from Total Amnesia.

She can remember nothing, not even her own name. We should be grateful that it was not worse than that though'.

The jury were filled with sympathy for the plight of this woman who had been so cruelly treated and even Mrs. Richmond felt for Nancy. He knew the kind of person her husband was.

'So, I'd like to call Me. Richmond back to the witness stand'.

Rodney went and after taking the oath again braced himself to answer the lawyers questions.

'Can you tell us your name?'

'Rodney Richmond'.

'Where do you reside?'

'Chelsea in London'.

'But you came all the way to Lake District?'

'The distance is not that much!' he said and many people in court laughed but we're asked to keep quiet.

'Let me rephrase the question, what brought you to Lake District?'

'I am a business man and I travel far and wide. I also have many associates I visit to discuss both personal and business related matters with'.

'Who exactly did you visit while you were here?'

'I have been asked that before'.

'Answer the question, Richmond', the judge barked.

'I had come to see Maze concerning a business deal I wanted him to help me secure'.

'You also used the opportunity to visit Mr. Jason Campbell, don't you?'

'We have a history. We are both business men and since I was in the vicinity, and it was a festive season, I decided to pay him a friendly visit and since we parted on less than friendly terms the last time we were together, I felt we could make up'.

'Did you see Nancy Jones there when you visited?'

'I did and I was glad that she had moved on with her life. She told me that she and Campbell were going to get married'.

'And this infuriated you, didn't it? Because you had actually seen them in a gossip column and hearing the confirmation that the lady you discarded was going to be given full rights as someone's wife, you decided you had to claim both your child and your ex mistress. You could not afford to lose to Campbell yet again, first in a business venture that left you both unfriendly and now in such a personal case, Is that not true?'

'Objection, my Lord. The counsel is making insinuations and delibrately preempting my client'.

'Objection sustained! The attorney should stop that line of questioning'.

'I was only trying to establish that Mr. Richmond had visited Mr. Campbell for reasons other than he is admitting but I shall rephrase the question'.

'Mr. Richmond, after seeing Miss Jones and hearing her good news, what happened next?'

'I congratulated them because I felt it was in order. And I felt pity for Campbell because Nancy had tried to ensnare me with her pregnancy when I was not the only one she was seeing at the time. In fact, she had seduced me for my money without regards for my marital status'.

Campbell stood but Chris who had travelled down to be with him as well as Alfred held him down.

'You'd better control yourself before you are charged for contempt of court'.

Jason sat still seething. How could this man speak of Nancy that way? Portraying her as a prostitute? A materialistic woman who could do anything for money.

He recalled when he had first met her and though her situation had been critical, she had not wanted charity from him but had wanted to work to earn her keep.

But he should have known that a criminal would always be a criminal no matter what.