Chapter 3

John's POV

I was preparing my client's defense thesis, carefully studying all the arguments that could be used in order to obtain his acquittal. This would be my first case with media coverage, and this was making me a little nervous, after all, the prosecution has a very big advantage, since it is easier to accuse than to defend. Lee Feldmann was a businessman and had been accused of murdering the banker Mason Zummack, but it was quite clear that behind this there was someone who wanted to frame him by false accusation, and I would not allow a wrongful conviction to land an innocent man in jail. I had obtained a revocation of his pre-trial detention, but he would be under house arrest until the day of the trial. I dropped the papers under the table for a few seconds and propped my elbows on it. I massaged my temples and let out a tired sigh, going over everything I had been told about the day of Mason's murder.

The crime had taken place in a place far from the city, where a party was being held that brought together several extremely successful businessmen. Everyone was questioned and nothing that I could use to my advantage was said, which only made me more and more nervous, because they found the murder weapon on the upholstery of my client's car. The cameras, which would have been extremely helpful, stopped working at the beginning of the event, only making what was already bad worse. The culprit was present that night and was one of the invited businessmen, and I was sure to catch him. I had been focused on this case from the moment I stepped into the office earlier today, right after dropping Helena off at college. The scene I witnessed this morning as I left the condominium was not any funnier, because the girl's situation was really pitiful. She was running in total disarray as the heavy rain fell and made her umbrella useless, her books slipped from her hand, and I could bet that her purse would fall to the ground at any moment. I assumed that Helena had missed the hour, which only confirmed my suspicion when I saw her sleepy face as she stared at me with a look of confusion on her face. Moved by what I saw, I offered her a ride, which, to my surprise, she was reluctant to accept. Her embarrassment was evident in the way she stared at the window and only broke her gaze to pick at her fingernails, clearly embarrassed to be there with me. I didn't condemn her, her attitude was entirely fitting considering that our socialization was somewhat limited. Cassie again unmasks her lunch with me, as today was the birthday of a friend of hers, who had planned a meeting at the same time. Although I felt frustrated, I said that everything was fine, and, when asked by my girlfriend about my being upset, I denied it. Including because it wouldn't do any good anyway. In the end, I ate lunch alone again and stayed in my living room all afternoon. 

Knocks on the door brought me out of my little reverie. I muttered a "come in" and Thompson's figure made itself present.

"Excuse me, Carter. I came to see if you wanted any assistance with the Lee Feldmann case. It must be hard to formulate something since it's his first major defense," he offered and although I was grateful for his willingness to help, I felt offended by the "must be hard". It wasn't easy, however, nothing I wasn't able to handle.

"Thank you, Thompson. That won't be necessary, I have everything under control around here." I smiled in thanks and politely declined.

"I remain at your disposal for any eventuality." I nodded and he withdrew without delay. I stared at the papers and read them again, ignoring the headache that insisted on bothering me.

22hrs15 min.

I left the office later than I had planned. Driving home mentally begging for a hot shower followed by my bed, having my shoulders stiff and a nagging feeling of heaviness taking over. Although I was exhausted by fatigue, a large part of me was vibrating for having managed to punctuate several important details in the thesis of the Feldmann case. I decided to schedule a meeting with my client in order to clarify what had not been clear in the previous conversations and to help him on how he should behave from then on until the day of his trial hearing. As soon as I arrived I found it strange that Bento did not come to meet me as he usually did when I parked the car, and looking around the house I saw him lying next to Helena, who was sitting on a wooden bench located on the small veranda of the modest house where she lived with her mother. A blanket was wrapped around her body and also covering my dog. She was reading something, running her highlighter over a few words. I remembered the day my mother broke the news that the two of them would be moving in, occupying what was once just a place I used for social gatherings with my friends in my early teens.

FLASHBACK

Friday night usually meant one thing: The usual get-togethers that always took place in the house behind mine. Bryan, me and a few other friends from high school got together to do what every teenager did: shit no good. We would decide who would come to my house in order to sneak beer from my dad's bar, and at that moment it was my turn. I was sneaking around the living room, until my mother just appeared out of nowhere, almost killing me from the heart.

"Where are you going, John?" he questioned with his suspicious look. I froze right there and took a deep breath, trying to find a suitable excuse.

"Me? Oh... I was looking for Mary. I wanted to know if the sandwiches were ready," I answered as naturally as possible, grateful for the sudden excuse I had just made up. My mother continued to stare at me puzzled, but seemed convinced. I held back from letting out a relieved sigh.

The sandwiches are in the kitchen," she said. - And Mary's already gone. I'd like to talk to you about that, by the way. I need you to move your stuff out of the house by the pool."

I looked at her outraged, not believing what she had just said.

"Why? What do you mean?" I questioned sullenly.

"Mary is having some problems, so I offered the pool house for her and her daughter to live in." she explained and that didn't lessen my outrage.

"And what does that have to do with me? Where am I going to have the meetings with my friends?"

"Don't talk like that, John." he scolded me with a harsh tone of voice and I shrugged my shoulders a little. When my mother got angry it was scary to anyone and I imagined it helped her a lot in her job. "You and your friends can do it somewhere else, I can't be without a cook. She had several problems to solve and was missing too much, this was the only way out, so I don't want to hear any more reluctance on your part." 

I sighed defeated, having no way to argue.

"I have until when to empty the house?"

"Until Sunday." I nodded dejectedly and went to break the news to the boys.

That weekend, Sunday to be exact, I met Helena. The younger girl with the embarrassed look on her face stared at me curiously and lowered her gaze every now and then, while I returned her gaze, but with a grump.

END OF FLASHBACK

I shook my head in denial, almost laughing at my selfishness back then and thanking him for my change in values. I moved a little closer until I was visible to my dog, who, as soon as he caught sight of me, raised his head with arched ears and began to wag his tail energetically, but did not get off the bench. I put my hands in my pants pockets and raised an eyebrow, not understanding.

I owned a traitor.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why did you get agitated..." Helena started to speak, but let the sentence die as she turned her attention away from the leaves and followed Benedict's gaze, bumping into me standing there.

"After me, you're the only one he obeys and is affectionate like that," I commented. She looked at the dog who was still wagging his tail happily, however, now lying down and relaxed with his head under his front paws.

"He's great company." she stroked behind his ears and smiled. I nodded in agreement.

"Bento, come!" I tapped my hand on my leg a few times to get his attention and get him to come to me. He looked at Helena and jumped up from the bench, walking toward me. Sometimes I thought this dog would start talking. "Good evening." I said, already turning away with Benedict following me.

"Good night," he replied in a soft voice.

I walked into the house and came across my mother in the living room, reading a book sitting in the armchair she usually stayed in.

"Hi, Mom." I deposited a kiss on her cheek and sat down on the couch in front of her.

"Hi, son. Did you just get here?" he asked, watching me over the book.

"Just now," I replied, throwing my head on the back of the couch and loosening the tie that seemed to want to suffocate me, "and you? Have you been home from the office long?"

"Yes, I got in a few hours ago."

"You're not trying too hard, right? The doctor gave clear orders for you to be as tired as possible," I warned her, referring to her recurrent fainting spells. 

"I'm fine, son. It would get worse being at home doing nothing. Now answer me this. What were you talking to Mary's daughter about?" I raised my head and looked at her uncomprehendingly. How had she seen it? I didn't care that she saw, I had nothing to hide, but getting my attention for something so trivial seemed very incoherent.

"I went to get Bento who was with her," I continued to stare at her, curious and a little uncertain about her sudden question.

"Hm. Since when do you guys talk?"

"Can't I at least have a normal acquaintance with someone who has lived here for years?" she put her book down, leaving it resting in her lap, and stared at me with narrowed eyes.

"I don't understand you, John. Why should I have any dealings with the cook's daughter?"

I straightened up on the couch, running my hands over my face in a sign of weariness.

"You gave me an education, Mistress Kyara. And her name is Helena," I warned seeing her expression twitch, appalled. "It's not like we're friends, I just don't see any reason not to be at least civil."

"You already know what I think, I won't wear myself out about it. Your father is coming back tomorrow, by the way."

"Fine." I got up and walked over to her, leaving a kiss on the top of her head, without an ounce of patience for her vanity. "I'm going to my room, I'm tired. Good night."

"Good night, son."

I walked into my room already removing my clothes, spotting Benedict lying at the foot of my bed.

"Now you want to be close to me, don't you, rascal?" I joked, passing by