Early Monday morning Felina was up by seven making sure her brother had a good breakfast before having the limo, provided by the hotel, take Felina and Xavier back to his campus just in time for his first class of the day. Felina also made sure to impress upon Xavier he should throw himself into his studies and lay low and out of the local pubs and clubs. She also obtained his banking account information making a deposit in a large sum of cash into his checking account, like all good sisters should. After her little trip to the bank, Felina was driven over to the local magistrates court where Norman was scheduled to appear before the judge for his Summary Hearing. Felina, dressed in a dark designer day suit with a short skirt, a fitted waist coat with gold Chanel buttons, felt nervous as she walked under her umbrella in the ever present London rain. There were handsome men dressed in three piece suits with their briefcases, she found several quite dashing, however, she was not on the prowl for flesh, no, not today. Felina's heart was as heavy as a tombstone as she walked up the grey stone steps up into the aged three story court house. People were milling out about in the long corridors as Felina made her way up to the galleries where the public went to gather to watch the outcome of the hearings and trials etc... Here Felina found a little spot off to the side which overlooked the judges bench, facing out over the courtroom. She gazed down at the crowded court room filled with barristers, solicitors, assistants dressed in red robes wearing white ornately curled wigs. Felina thought this a bit archaic, but this was England, land of pomp and circumstance, still she thought they all looked silly. However when the judge came out of his hidden chambers, and all in the court rose for him, whose robes were much more resplendent than the 'commom lawyers' Felina felt a strange power of charisma and regalness to the old man who looked like the elderly Sir Lawrence Oliver.
Felina watched mingled up on the balconies with the crowd, she noticed a few journalists and reporters gathered over to her right, she knew they had to be from the Sun, the Times, the News of the World, what have you. She felt a bit of revulsion for these viper writers, however, were it not for the stories Felina had read in the papers about Norman's terrible crime, Felina would have no information about Norman at all. Lost in thought, anxiously waiting for the bailiff to call out Norman's case on the docket, she watched as each criminal was brought up into the courtroom from a staircase directly under the old, oaken paneled room. Each man was brought up one by one in handcuffs, the charges against the individual would be read, a court date set in either the Magistrate Court or the Crown Court where more severe offences could be dealt the harshest penalties under law. There was a case, or two, that were dismissed for lack of evidence on the side of the prosecution, or lack of a witness who had not shown up to court to testify. It was about three quarters of an hour before Norman's case was called, due to a back log of cases. Then, that Monday morning, on a cold grey day at 11:37 a.m. the bailiff stood and said "Your honor the court will now hear case #19630327-48, one Norman Reginald Pierce has been accused of the crime of murder in the Death of one Theodore Maxwell McDowell, respectively" a hush fell over the crowd both in the galleries of spectators above, and down below in the courtroom as the doors from the stairway were opened and out stepped two police officers leading the prisoner up into the courtroom.
Felina heard a few whispers next to her saying 'look at the size of him', 'he's as big as a monster.' Norman towered over the officers and everyone in the court. Felina watched on baited breath as she beheld her friend handcuffed and defeated before the judge up in his witness box. Felina could see his face and look into Norman's eyes from afar, but of course he did not notice her standing up on the left side of the balcony over the judge's shoulder. No, his attention was clearly focused on the proceedings. Felina said a silent prayer for she was nervous for Norman, her heart racing so fast she felt surely it would burst. Felina felt so sad seeing Norman in custody, brought out like the creature from Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, chained and shackled before the leering townspeople. Felina knew her dear friend Norman was not a monster in any way shape or form, Felina's purse of mercy and pity would forever be full for Norman. He had killed a man with his own hand to protect her brother, to keep them both out of trouble and now here Norman stood before the judge, the court, God and everybody. He had come to answer for his crime, Felina was happy she could be there with Norman that day so that he would not be alone, even if he did not see her there, she was, and that was all that mattered. Felina quieted her mind and listened as the prosecution presented it's case, and what they said stunned her and the members of the gallery. "Your honor we ask the charge be reduced to the Crime of Manslaughter."
"On what grounds?"the handsome old judge said a bit confused.
"The prisoner has given his full confession, as I have here for your eminence." the lead prosecutor said handing a thick stack of papers 'the confession' to the bailiff.
The seasoned judge looked at the stack of papers, sighed, then turned his steel-blue eyes on Norman who looked as if someone had just walked over his grave. "Mr.Pierce, please do tell the court how you came to be inside the McDowell house that day?"
Once more a hush fell over everyone as the 'star' of the summary hearing began to speak.
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