Free Only the Truth by Pat Brown

Counselor?"
    "Well, Your Honor, where the hell is the defense going with this happy
trot down memory lane?"
    The judge looked over at Mr. Green. "Counselor?"
    "Your Honor, the prosecution has opened up the door by bringing this
witness in to testify about the relationship between Mr. Doe and Ms. Wiggington . I allowed without objection to let the witness
describe an alleged fight that occurred between the two of them on the premises
of his motel. It should be clear to the court that the entire purpose of the
prosecution in bringing this particular witness to the stand is to establish
motive for the later killing of Mr. Doe by the defendant. I am only trying to
assist in establishing that motive."
    A smile played on the judge's lips for a moment and then he told Mr. Green
to proceed.
    Mr. Green turned back to the witness.
    "Mr. Dawson, uh, sorry, Mr. Clemens, you were describing your time with
Mr. Doe in his room. You were saying he dumped the contents of his duffel bag
on the floor of the room in your presence."
    "Yeah, he did, but you know, he did it like he didn't even realize I
was still standing there."
    "Can you describe the contents of the bag?"
    Mr. Clemens shrugged.
    "Well, it was a lot of clothing like you would expect. That's
all."
    "Did you see anything other than clothing?"
    "Nope."
    "Just clothing."
    "Yep. Then he started rattling on about the
government not paying his disability and I left him alone."
    Mr. Green stroked his chin and reviewed what Mr. Clemens had told him.
    "So, Mr. Doe gave you fifty dollars for the room of the seventy-five he
had. How many days passed before you saw him with Ms. Wiggington ?"
    "I guess it would be that weekend. He came in on a Wednesday. So, probably three or four."
    "So I guess he would have had to spend some of that money on food
before the weekend came?"
    "Objection! Asking the
witness for a conclusion."
    "Sustained."
    Mr. Green nodded.
    "Just one last question, Mr. Clemens. When you
saw Ms. Wiggington slapping Mr. Doe on the head in
the hallway and run away, did you see her with any money in her hands or any
other article of value?"
    "No, sir."
    "Thank you, Mr. Clemens." He looked at the judge. "I'm
finished with this witness."
    Mr. Dawson stood up. "One question."
    The judge nodded.
    "Did you check her pockets, Mr. Clemens?" The courtroom laughed.
    Mr. Clemens shook his head. "No, sir, she didn't give me the
opportunity!"
    "No further questions."
     
    ********************
     
    When I got to the lunch table, Mr. Green was smiling. I felt angry that he
was feeling so good after what that next group of men said about Charlene.
    "They said she was a criminal, Mr. Green. They said she was a thief and
a blackmailer and she'd tried to hurt them. They made her look worse than just
a whore."
    "Yeah, Billy Ray, they did that. But, that wasn't the important part of
what happened in there today. It was what Mr. Clemens said about Mr. Doe that
mattered."
    I didn't understand. "He said Charlene beat up Mr. Doe."
    Mr. Green actually put down his coffee and laughed.
    "Yeah, he did, but what did Charlene get so mad at Mr. Doe for?"
    I shrugged. "Seemed to me like he didn't have no money left to pay her for what she gave him."
    Mr. Green clapped me on the shoulder.
    "You getting pretty smart there, Billy Ray."
    I didn't see how I was smart.
    "Do you remember Mr. Dawson trying to say how Charlene was ripping off
them men and how Mr. Doe probably came out to the Glen to get whatever she took
from him back?"
    I remembered.
    "Do you see how all those men he brought called her a thief so we could
believe she robbed Mr. Doe, too?"
    I could see that.
    "Now what the hell do you think Charlene could have taken from that old
man at the Lighthouse Motel if all he had was a few
dollars left and a bag of rags?"
    "I dunno ."
    "Exactly, Billy Ray. We all dunno and we sure dunno why he
would travel all that distance to the Glen to get back the nothing she could
have taken off of him."
    One other thing