Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Twelve Angry People ❯ Craving attention ( Chapter 4 )

CHAPTER FOUR

 

“Shall we continue…?” Joe asked.

 

Izzy stretched back in his seat, “No… I think we ought to take a break. Tai's in the bathroom, we ought to wait until he's out.”

 

The others all agreed, and did they ever need this break. Some went to he water-cooler for a quick drink to cool off. The air-conditioning still hadn't kicked in yet, and a lot of the guys began to take off their jackets, and loosen their ties. He ladies on the other hand just fanned themselves and rolled up their sleeves.

 

Izzy gave the exhibit gun, and the bullets back to the Bailiff as they were all through looking at it, and TK tried to apologize to Kari for yelling at her. “I didn't mean to get nasty, I'm just glad you're not turning crazy like the others.” All the wrong things to say, Kari didn't say a word.

 

Davis decided to head to the bathroom himself where he found Tai was combing his hair. “Boy, I never knew having short hair would be great to have.” he said.

 

His brother-in-law chuckled slightly before washing his hands and face. As he did, Tai couldn't help but question him again as to his voting. “What are you trying to get out of this anyways?”

 

“Nothing… maybe nothing, really...” Davis answered as he dried his face.

 

Tai rolled his eyes. “Look I don't see why the rest of us have to waste out time like this.” he said. “Look what if you just change your vote, and then you donate some money to the cause and you'll feel better. This kid is guilty, Davis… as plain as the nose on your face. If we don't wrap this up soon we're all going to get sore throats.”

 

“Maybe…” replied Davis. “But what difference does it make if you get it here or at the soccer game?”

 

Tai shrugged his shoulders. “Meh… I guess no difference.” and he went back outside.

 

Davis stood where he was in deep thought.

 

…

 

While in the ladies-room, Sora and Kari were prettying up their faces. “Boy TK's really getting hot-headed.” Sora said.

 

“Oh, you know how he is when it comes to evil.” said Kari. “Still doesn't give him any right to yell at everyone like that.”

 

Sora had to agree, she didn't like loud people either, but still… “We should've been done by now. Then I can get back to making your wedding gown.”

 

Kari smiled slightly, and blushed, “Sora… I'm just not sure if I can marry Davis knowing we're going to sentence a boy to his death. Even if he is guilty, I still don't think much of it.”

 

Sora tried to comfort Kari saying that it was their job, not to kill people, but protect the world from people who killed. “Think about it. Suppose Davis and Cody convince us all, and it turns out the kid did shot his dad's Digimon?”

 

She left the bathroom, but now Kari was standing there deep in thought.

 

Soon afterwards, everyone was back in jury room ready to resume. “Okay, let's get down to business.” Izzy said. “Who wants to star us off…?”

 

TK volunteered. “Okay, Davis… now listen to this.” he said calmly. “The old-man who lived next-door in the opposite apartment said her heard the boy yell out “I'm going to kill you.” A second later he heard a gunshot. Then he got up and ran to the door, and saw the kid running down the hall. Now, what do you make of that?”

 

 

“Well I was wondering how clearly the old-man could've heard the boy's voice through the walls.” said Davis.

 

TK shook his head, “He didn't hear it through the walls, the window was open and so was the one next-door. It was a hot night.”

 

Davis wasn't convinced, for he assumed that it wasn't easy to identify someone's voice particularly a shouting voice.

 

“I don't think so.” Izzy said. “Remember they identified the voice in court.”

 

“That's right…” added Yolei, “And don't forget the lady across the way, she looked right through the window, and shoot his father's Digimon. Are you satisfied?”

 

“No, I'm not.” snapped Davis.

 

Tai couldn't believe how stubborn Davis was acting, “This is like talking into a dead phone.”

 

Davis suddenly remembered something left out, and that was the six-car monorail. The lady across the way stated that she saw the killing happen between the last two cars of the train. That brought a question to Davis' mind, “Does anybody here have any idea how long--” he stopped when he noticed that Izzy, Mimi, TK and, Yolei were completely ignoring him and playing games with their paper and pencils.

 

Davis stomped over and wretched the papers away and the pencils “Hey!”

 

“What the--”

 

The others watched as he angrily crumpled the papers, and snapped the pencils. “Smarten up…!” he sneered. TK thought Davis had some nerve for doing that. “Who do you think you are…?” he growled, but Davis continued with what he was saying…

 

“Does anybody here have an idea how long it takes a monorail train going at medium-speed to pass a given point?”

 

Mimi had an answered, “I'd say roughly about ten to twelve seconds.”

 

“Right…” replied Davis. “Now let's suppose that it does take ten seconds to pass a given point, preferable the open windows where the killing took place. Those tracks are so close to the window you can almost touch them if you reach out far enough. Now, has anybody any idea how noisy it can be when a train goes by?”

 

Sora raised her hand, “Well my fashion studio where I work is pretty close to the monorail line. I mean it's not that close but it passes by close enough that the noise can be unbearable.”

 

Some of the others began to get Davis' point. If the monorail going by at that distance was noisy, a monorail traveling so close by an open window had to be even worse. “You'd hardly be able to hear yourself think with all that noise.” Davis said.

 

“Yeah, yeah, you can't hear yourself think. So what…?” TK said.

 

Davis decided to try and put two pieces of the testimony together to see if they fit together. “First, the old-man is home next-door. He said he hear the boy yell “I'm going to kill you,” then a second later he heard a gunshot.”

 

“Now… according to the woman's testimony, she swore that she looked out of her bedroom window and saw the killing through the last two cars of the monorail. Now… since we agreed that it takes about ten seconds for a monorail to pass a given point, and the woman stated that she saw the killing through the last two cars… we can only assume that the gun was shot just as the train went by.”

 

“Which means that it must have been running by the old-man's a full ten seconds before the gun was shot… which means that according to the old man's testimony, hearing the kid yell, and the gun going off… he would had to have heard all these under all that noise. It's not possible he could've heard it clearly.”

 

TK didn't believe a word of it, that ridiculous of course he could've heard it. He heard the kid yell at the top of his lungs.”

 

“Even if he had, he couldn't have identified the voice with all that noise.” protested Davis.

 

TK shot up from his seat shouting, “You're talking about a matter of seconds! No one can be that accurate.”

 

“Well I don't think so…” Davis said. “I think that testimony that could put a boy to death should be made clear and as accurate as can be.”

 

Kari and Sora began to exchange words, “Gee, I don't think he could've heard it.” Kari said.

 

“Yeah… I don't think even I could hear it through all that noise...” added Sora.

 

TK couldn't believe everyone. “Oh, will you guys knock it off?” he groaned. “Even if the old-man lied why would he have lied, what could he hope gain from it…?”

 

Cody had an idea, “Perhaps… attention?”

 

TK clenched his fists, “Oh, that's real fine. You have more bright things to say, why don't save them for the evening news? They pay just as well!”

 

Sora was outraged by what her brother-in-law had just said. “What the heck are you talking to him like that for?” she snapped as she got up. “A guy who treats his friends like that really ought to be smacked in the face. You ought to show more respect.”

 

“If you mouth off like that once more… you're going to be eating those words.”

 

TK stared angrily at his sister-in-law, and sat back down. “Now Cody… you were saying something about the old-man seeking attention?” replied Sora. “Why would you think he'd do a thing like that?”

 

Cody explained how he used his grandfather's lessons of observation. Studying the human actions and appearance to determine what their true intentions may be. “I got a good look at him for a long time. I could even see a huge split under the shoulder of his jacket. Now that's a real fine way to attend court poorly dressed.”

 

“The way I see it… he was a very old-man, wearing a torn jacket. When he was called to the stand he walked very slowly, dragging his left leg, and using a cane. He was also trying to hide it because he was shamed. I think I know him better than anyone else here… he's a quiet, frightened old-man, who's never had a major accomplishment in his life. He's never had any recognition, or even his name mentioned in the news. No one knows him, and no one quotes him or seeks his advice after 75 years... Now that is pretty sad.”

 

“Wait a minute what are you talking about?” Tai asked. “You mean he'd lie like that just so people would give him some attention and make himself look important?”

 

 

“No…” replied Cody. “He wouldn't purposely lie, but maybe he thought he heard the words and compared the boy's face.”

 

Matt sniffed rudely. “That's most idiotic thing I've ever heard.” he grumbled as he rubbed his nose with his tissues. “How can you go on and make up a thing like that about some old-guy you don't even know yourself?”

 

A long moment of silence occurred, and Cody didn't know whether or not to feel great about what he said or embarrassed, but some of the others actually seemed to be convinced by what he said, but now they weren't sure how to vote…