TWO

Many greeted Hazel as she strode down aisle after aisle of the bustling prosecutor's office. The news of the murder of the billionaire family practically made all the prosecutors busy gathering evidence. This morning Hazel also had the chance to see the news about the mayor shouting to the media that he wanted the killer of the billionaire family to be caught immediately. The public is now anxiously awaiting the judgment for the defendant which will be carried out tomorrow morning. Several colleagues who knew about tomorrow's trial specifically contacted her and asked her to give Calvin McAdam a proper sentence. Some even directly ordered him to be sentenced to death.

The door at the far end of the room was pulled violently from the inside. A tall man with a body that is not too bulky, came out of the room in a condition that could not be said to be fine. His slender body and sunken eyeballs gave off a terrifying gloom, like he was one of the unhappy male characters in a horror movie. Richmond, who was right next to Hazel, immediately gave a friendly greeting to Charless Roger who looked irritated while hissing curses that were not pleasant to hear.

"Charless, are you all right?"

"Of course not. Damn it!” cursed the man again without manners. Richmond reflexively turned to Hazel while giving her an understanding look.

"Calvin is in there?"

“Yeah, that bastard is with Rick. There's nothing he's done in these five hours other than to stand still and stare at all of us with murderous eyes."

“Don't want to answer during the interrogation session?” guessed Richmond, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably.

Hazel, who was next to Richmond listening to each conversation, frowned. Calvin's defiance would obviously make his case even more difficult. He could be subject to multiple layers of articles for all the legal cases that have dragged him so far. But the man's courage in making things difficult for any law enforcement officer could be an indication that something is wrong in this case.

“Even his hands were handcuffed, his face was also battered, but he kept silent. Rick is going crazy after this. Oh, Your Honor Hazel Hayes.”

For a long time struggling with his anger, Charless finally noticed Hazel next to Richmond. The cloudy face that had been on his face for a long time now slowly turned into a smile as he shook hands with Hazel.

"It's an honor to meet you," said Hazel, trying to be modest. Even though she was currently in a higher position than Charless, she didn't want to appear arrogant in front of the angry man.

"Me too. We'd better be less formal, Judge Hayes. Did you come here to meet that damn bastard?”

"That's how it is. I can't wait for all the reports on this case to be emailed to me. I have to see for myself how the investigation process goes, considering that many parties want this matter to be resolved fairly.”

“Then you can go inside and see for yourself how annoying that disgusting man is. Maybe we don't need the motive, just give him the death sentence tomorrow morning, Your Honor Hayes."

Hazel couldn't stop him from disliking Calvin. But his overly rude attitude made her a little uncomfortable. Here she stands as a neutral party. Human rights should still apply to Calvin, even though he is here as a defendant.

Tapping her chin a few times, Hazel then asked Charles who was just about to leave. "Sorry, before you go I want to ask you something."

“Please Your Honor.”

"Are you sure that Calvin is the culprit?"

"You doubt my credibility as a prosecutor, Your Honor Hayes?"

Hazel knew this was a risky question. That question must have offended the grumpy prosecutor because she openly doubted his analysis. But given that she had to be objective, she decided to put aside any cynicism she would receive from Charless Roger after this.

"I didn't mean to doubt you, Mr. Roger. I just want to make sure of that before I go in there. However Calvin so far has not said much to clarify his case. You know that as a defendant, Calvin still has the right to defend himself or to present someone as a witness at his trial tomorrow."

“There are no witnesses, no alibis, everything is clear. Calvin was that vicious killer. Well, I have answered your question Your Honor Hayes, now allow me to leave this damned place.”

Without saying a word, Hazel let Charless go with anger rising at the height of her question.

Meanwhile, Richmond just shrugged his shoulders at Charles, and then he pushed open the wooden door in front of him slowly as he ushered Hazel in. “Enjoy your time, Your Honor. Too bad I can't accompany you here."

“Oh it's fine, you can go to continue your other duties. Thanks for all the explanations, Mr. Shelters."

"My pleasure."

Hazel came in and waited for Richmond to close the wooden door tightly. The cold air from the air conditioner suddenly shook Hazel, who was now shivering from Rick's and Calvin McAdam's gaze. Overall the condition of the accused man was very bad. His face was covered in bruises, there were dry drops of blood around his temples and the corners of his lips. In addition, his hands were also handcuffed behind his body and positioned right behind the back of the chair, making it very difficult for the man to rebel. But Hazel couldn't blame the law enforcers for making Calvin this way either.

“Your Honor Hazel Hayes.”

Rick's gentle smile still looked the same as Rick's smile he usually gave her. But this time he looked much more tired and frustrated. Becoming a public attorney is not easy. Especially with a client as stubborn as Calvin McAdam.

"Hi, sorry if my arrival interrupts you."

"Absolutely not, have a seat."

Hazel mumbled a thank you as Rick pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Now she and the man named Calvin were very close. The two of them were only separated by a wide black table on top of which was only Rick's one red plastic folder.

"You're the one who's going to sentence me tomorrow?"

Those cynical words that were said as an opening greeting made Hazel's ears instantly itch. Although she didn't expect a warm greeting from the man, but at least she wanted to hear another greeting that was more polite and reasonable.

“Basically yes, I'm the one who will punish you, but technically I'm not the one who decides the punishment for you. You're the one who decides the punishment for you. Your uncooperative attitude will make your punishment even more layered.”

The man chuckled in Hazel's presence. A slight grin appeared on his face as he lowered his face slightly and only locked his gaze on Hazel. "You're one of my biggest fans, huh? You know I wasn't cooperative when we just met for the first time."

The man's sharp eyes pierced into his eyeballs. For something inexplicable, she felt her body tremble at the man's gaze.

A light touch on his shoulder made her stop her lips from moving in response to Calvin's words. This confrontation will continue as long as there is a third party that Calvin does not want. So before she turned to Calvin, she first spoke to Rick who was currently staring at her with a glazed look filled with frustration.

“Can you buy me a drink downstairs? Forty minutes ago I was busy chatting with Richmond to talk things over. Right now my throat feels dry.”

"Okay."

After Rick came out of the stuffy room, Hazel immediately turned to Calvin who was now grinning slyly behind his battered face.

"A weak man who doesn't budge on his ex-girlfriend huh?"

Turns out Charles was right. Calvin is a goddamn bastard who really tempts patience. But Hazel knew that it was just one of Calvin's tactics to mess with the other person's emotions.

"As far as I know Rick is a good man. He's a reliable lawyer. Especially to defend a damn man like you.” Hazel shrugged, and looked as though she was unfazed by Calvin's provocation. And a second later she continued, “Now is not the time to discuss my personal matters, Mr McAdam. Now it's time for us to talk about your problem."

“Yeah, that damn murder. You won't get anything from me other than a confession that I'm not their killer."

“I hear you refuse to be cooperative, but you don't want to be branded a murderer either. How strange."

The man's eyes flashed with anger. “I've said everything I know, but they keep forcing me to admit something I didn't do. Is that fair?”

“Fair or not, you can wait for it tomorrow. After all the evidence and also the witnesses spoke at the trial. What is your motive?”

"As far as I know you are the judge." Calvin narrowed his eyes scornfully at Hazel. "You're not a prosecutor or a detective. Why would you ask me such a question out of court?”

Hazel shrugged nonchalantly. “This is an extraordinary case that requires special handling, Mr McAdam. The people who were killed yesterday had great influence in this city. Meanwhile you are the only potential suspect in this case. Everyone wants you to be taken care of right away no matter what.”

"So that's why you all keep forcing me to admit to something I didn't do."

"Have you told your lawyer that yet?" Hazel asked sarcastically. Now she could feel the anger that Charless Roger had felt.

“Tsk, that stupid man is unfit to be a lawyer. I never asked him to accompany me in this case.”

Calvin's arrogance was disgusting to her. After all, this man was on the brink, but he still managed to relax, as if he had never done anything wrong.

“Rick public attorney. If you don't appoint anyone to stand by you, Rick will automatically become your lawyer."

"Damn it!" Calvin answered, pushing his wheelchair back a few yards. Now the distance between them was getting further and more and more made Hazel feel the anger that Charless probably felt earlier too.

"Tomorrow you have to speak in court, or all the explanations presented by the witnesses will incriminate you even more."

She glared at Calvin who was now looking at her with the same sharpness. The distance that stretched between them seemed to cast a shadow of an electric current that was now stinging each other in the middle of the table.

"I don't trust them. Do you know where Zinny is?” He deliberately broke eye contact between them with a question that sounded irrelevant.

It was hard to believe that Hazel's presence had such an incredibly bad influence on him. It seems he is not immune to beautiful women as his friends often say. Especially if that woman has a very strong aura like Hazel. That woman was truly a threat to his current survival. The moment he let his guard down, he could have pulled her forward and kissed her lips hard. Didn't the woman know that her lips that often gave off cynicism were the wildest fantasies of men.

"A special witness shelter, along with the babysitter."

"Did you check it yourself?" Calvin asked curiously.

With a heavy sigh Hazel reached into her blazer pocket and pulled out a white cell phone to call Cassandra Wilory, who was in charge of the shelter.

“Cassie, it's me,” Hazel said after the young woman who used to be her high school classmate answered her call on the first ring.

While Hazel contacted Cassie, Calvin kept an eye on every move Hazel made in front of him. Even Hazel's eye movements didn't go unnoticed by him now grinning silently.

"I'm with Calvin McAdam now. This man wants to know if Zinny Duffal is currently in the witness protection building?”

"Right, Zinny Duffal is here."

Hazel deliberately turned her phone’s speaker up so Calvin could hear Cassie's voice clearly.

"What's the name of the babysitter with Zinny?"

Hazel was a little surprised to see Calvin being so serious about his question about Zinny. The man's focus was now only on the white cellphone that Hazel had deliberately placed in the middle of the table.

“Catherine Hawkins. But Zinny Duffal calls her Aunt Cathy."

"Right. Now I'm sure that Zinny is in a safe place." Calvin's gaze immediately turned to Hazel who was now grabbing her cell phone and activating normal dialing mode to talk to Cassie.

“Hazel, are you all right?”

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Even if I'm alone in this room with Calvin McAdam, he can't hurt me. He was handcuffed to the chair." Hazel told without trying to lower her voice.

"In that case, thank God. I was very surprised when it was the man himself who spoke to me earlier.”

“You don't have to worry Cass, he can't do anything here. How is Zinny Duffal doing there?”

"Well. So far she is not too worried about her family. She was so cheerful and didn't ask anything after her babysitter told her that her father, mother and two brothers were in heaven. Her children's minds don't understand the concept of death yet."

“I think that's a lot better than being traumatized,” Hazel commented, glancing at Calvin. Right now the man was still watching her movements, but this time it was much looser than before.

"Well, there's something I want to tell you."

"What? You seem very serious."

"It's about Zinny Duffal and Calvin McAdam's relationship."

From where she was sitting now Hazel could sense the uneasiness that Cassie was feeling. A few times Hazel heard rustling sounds that signaled that the woman was constantly moving in her seat.

"When I tried to ask her about Calvin, Zinny's eyes turned teary."

"Did Calvin abuse her?" asked Hazel suddenly turning panicked. If that man had the chance to do anything to Zinny, his charges at tomorrow's trial would be even more severe.

"No no, that's not it," Cassie said quickly. “Zinny cried seeing Calvin being beaten when they were found near the Aurora Bridge. When he first got here, she kept asking about Calvin, begging him not to hurt him. A six year old like Zinny definitely wouldn't manipulate her grief, Haz. In other words, the relationship between the girl and Calvin has been very harmonious."

“Alright, thanks for the information, Cass. Then I'll hang up the phone."

Calvin continued to watch Hazel's movements without exception. The woman who had been seen on the screen several times was not at all foreign to him. He knew more or less who Hazel Hayes was. He would be the most stupid man in the country if he didn't know Hazel Hayes. If on the screen Hazel always looks shining with a graceful face full of authority, when in front of him Hazel looks more than that. Her charisma is not the kind to be underestimated. The look on her face that looks gentle that radiates more than just gentleness. The woman is tough. And she would definitely go out of her way to get him to talk.

"The girl is safe. You don't have to worry."

"Then our business is done. See you tomorrow at your court, Your Honor Hayes. What time will the trial start?” Calvin looked so casual and disrespectful. The look in his eyes that seemed to be condescending, really wanted to make Hazel throw her fist between his cheekbones that were covered with purplish bruises.

"Nine o'clock, main court room on the first floor."

"I hope tomorrow's show is fun."

“Why did you take Zinny to the Aurora Bridge?” asked Hazel sharply. She thought it was time she put an end to all the bullshit Calvin was throwing at her. And the man had to give an explanation immediately if he didn't want the death penalty to be imposed on him tomorrow morning.

“What do you think, Your Honor Hazel Hayes? I'm sure your bright brain can find the right answer."

"Stop messing with me!"

The black table shook a few moments after Hazel hit it hard. But even though Hazel's anger was on the horizon, Calvin was still the same, acting as if he was innocent in the murder of the billionaire family.

"I'm not messing with you, Judge Hayes. You see how I'm going to end up?"

“Death,” Hazel hissed dangerously. She felt like she would have stepped on Calvin if the table hadn't been a barrier between her and the evil man.

"Maybe," Calvin replied casually. “But I won't let death come to me so easily. I brought Zinny to the Aurora Bridge because I needed to keep the girl away from the bloodthirsty psychopath who was killing her family.”

“If you feel innocent, tell me who the real killer of the Duffal family is.”

"I do not know. I can't find out as long as you guys keep me here."

Hazel almost felt like she was going crazy if she kept talking to Calvin like this. She'd been here thirty minutes to at least get some important information on the murder. But just like the rest of the investigative team, she also got nothing. A fact that Cassie said about Zinny and Calvin's closeness she couldn't take as important information. A girl of Zinny's age, of course, can be close to anyone she often sees at her house. What's more, according to investigators' reports, Calvin had been working at the house for the past year and a half. It is very possible that there is a strong familial bond between the driver and the employer's child.

Hazel couldn't seem to hold the man down anymore. She was tired, and she was crazy too. So she better go home and prepare for tomorrow.

At the same time, the door behind her opened. Rick came over with two cups of coffee in his hands smiling slightly brightly at his ex-girlfriend.

"I think I'll be going home."

"Your coffee."

"Oh, thank you. But I'm not thirsty anymore."

With a sharp glare right at Calvin, Hazel placed the coffee on the table while signaling Calvin to drink it.

“Your client needs coffee more than I do. See you at the trial, Rick."

She quickly grabbed her hand bag, then walked away through the open door. Calvin, who saw the judge left, could only smile crookedly while looking at Rick's face, which was now showing disappointment.

"She's good, but not wise enough." Calvin said, glancing at the coffee cup on the table. "Or if you want to be kind to your sickening client, please bring me the coffee."

“Damn bastard!” Rick cursed softly. Now he is caught up in a ridiculous case involving a lunatic like Calvin. His patience is at stake here. And he wasn't sure he could stay on that bastard's side until the case was resolved.

"Time to go back to the cell, Mr. McAdams."

After Rick's hasty departure, a group of men in police uniforms burst into the room, and began to violently pull Calvin from his chair. But before leaving, Calvin stopped to take the coffee off the table. Unfortunately a burly policeman behind him pushed his thigh violently first causing the coffee to spill on the table as his body violently hit the edge of the table.

"Shit! I swear I'll kill you when I'm free."

The cops laughed at each other at Calvin's anger. They blatantly mocked Calvin and immediately pulled the chain around his wrist like he was pulling a doberman.

“Just pray that God will still give you a long life to kill me. Now go! You troubled us all day long.”