Chapter 172: Chapter 172

Dr. Parker Ratfield was called to the witness stand by Hoberman and he attested to the fact the he was Mr.Ratfield and that he was not in thee hospital that day but overseas.

'I was told though of the scene of a huge man having my lab coat on and trying to take the lives of the patients at the hospital. We have increased security since then. I was glad though when they told me that he had been apprehended'.

They did not feel it was ideal asking him further questions.

Hoberman was called the hospital staffs that were present one after the other to give their testimonies.

'This large man you talked about, is he anywhere in court today?'

After looking around, they all pointed to Maze where he was sitting beside Rodney.

'Thank you no more questions. Your witness' Mr. Cobberson.

Cobberson asked a few questions that led no where and the staff were asked to leave the box.

'After the first attempt on their lives failed', Hoberman started in summary of his briefing. 'Jason Campbell decided to lay a trap for Maze ND he fell into it. He was wise to employ the services of one Mr. Samuel Park or so, who came trying to removed the tube supplying oxygen to Miss Jones but found to his disappointment that it was a trap and that it was Campbell and not Jones that was there on the bed pretending to be Jones.

He realised that Maze must be somewhere around and like we heard from the staff at the hospital who helped him set the trap, they overheard this Samuel talking to Maze where Maze confessed to everything including taking the life support from Jones and that he was sure she had already breathed her last.

We were able to make him to tell us where Maze was and he did and that was how he was apprehended.

Before you say Maze is not Richmond, he is his goon and works for him. He must have got his permission to act the way he did to avoid there being anyone to testify against him in court. Once no one is there to testify against him, the case would die a natural death, which was their plans.

There is a video recording Mr. Campbell made with his phone when he thought they were not going to come out of the ordeal alive in the lodging house. He made a video of all the people involved in their trials.

I wish to present this to the court, your Honour'.

Cobberson looked at Richmond. Nobody had told him anything about a recording. Rodney shrugged to show that even he was not aware of it.

The judge nodded and asked the clerk to play it and it was the faces of Richmond and his goons all wielding guns and asking Jason and Nancy to come out if they did not want to lose their lives.

Hoberman wanted to continue speaking when they heard a sharp cry at the back of the courtroom.

All eyes turned to look at the source of such a disturbance and it was Nancy Jones. She was holding her head. Jason rushed to her side, wondering why she had come to court that day again. Hope it was not Phoebe again but he was surprised to see Mrs. Potts and when he looked at her questioningly, she just smiled and nodded.

Jason could not make out what she meant except that it must be something good if it made Potts smile.

Nancy spoke up. 'Your honour, I have fresh evidence I wish to present on court today!'

Everyone was perplexed. Jason did not want her testimony distrupting the progress Hoberman had made but Cobberson felt that it was a welcomed development.

Nancy was welcomed one more time to the witness box.

Mr. Cobberson made her take the oath and asked her to tell the court the new evidence that she had found out.

He was sure that Phoebe had told her something devastating to say again that day and it would help their case.

'Your honour, I remember that I was here about two days ago to give my testimony. But at that time, truth be told, I had not regained my memory. I was fed what I said that day and it was by no other than Phoebe Walkman'.

Cobberson was shocked at what he was hearing.

'Miss Jones, have you been pressured into saying this now? If you have been threatened, tell us so we can go e you the protection that you need, you do not have to withdraw or contradict your testimony', Cobberson said trying to sow founts in the hearts of those listening to her.

'I was not threatened but it is clearer to me then because you had brought me to court to give a false testimony but while in court, due to all I was hearing, I stayed having memory flashes. You will recall, I s reamed in court that day and because I was still confused and didn't know what to make of the flashes, I told you it was a headache. The flashes continued and now, I have fully recovered my memory and I can recall all that happened.

She told the court about her dinner date with Alfred which was to make Jason mad and how he decided to come with them. She described her adoption and all that transpired in the Lodge. How she managed to escape, the first time.

Cobberson tried to shut her up but the judge ordered him to sit so that the lady could speak.

Nancy told how in a bid to run from them when they found her bidding place in the bushes she had come out and that was when Jason was passing by and came to her rescue but was threatened not to come closer else she would be shot.

She narrated how they were taken back to the lodge and how they managed to escape and how she lost all sense of the danger they were in when she saw Jason bleeding profusely and tried to beckon on any police officer so that he could be take to the hospital for urgent attention. 'And that is the last thing I recall. But from what I had heard in this courtroom, that must have been when I got the shot on my head and lost consciousness but I wonder what could have been done to make a doctor of such reputable standing as Dr. Pork farmer to lie in a court of law knowing that his practice could be endangered?'

Everyone in the court nodded approval and looked at Richmond and his lawyer.

Cobberson had never been as embarrassed as he was but he kept holding his head high.

If he had known this was what this girl had in mind, he would not have allowed her take the stand. Now they would want to question the doctor and he doubted that he would be able to stay quiet this time.