2nd December, 2018 (Three Years after the Murder).

04:00 PM.

It was no news that Detective McNeil never got over the Cooper case. They said it still haunted him – his every movement, his every gesture. They were right. After Alyson left town, Ian was a changed man. He never said a word about it, but he was scarred. He went on with his life, he paid attention, he respected his superiors. He was so loyal not even the chief had a bad word to say about him.

The previous week, he had been assigned to investigate a burglary – a woman’s money, thirty dollars in total, was stolen! It was not exciting, but he did it without complains. He tried to move on, and forget all about her.

But the pain was there; it was present every time he passed her bakery on the way to the mall. It was no longer a bakery, some douchebag had bought it and converted it to a café. Still, he felt a pang of sadness anytime he saw it. It was a reminder that he had lost her, and people went on with their normal lives, not noticing he had died inside.

Her house remained untouched. The grasses had long overgrown, and the building was badly maintained. She had refused to sell it, probably as a reminder of her past. The house was creepy, and little children told stories about it being haunted. The townsfolk generally avoided it, because of the tragedy that had happened. It was said to bring bad luck.

It had been years, but he had not communicated with her physically. He saw her in movies, sometimes. She played a supporting character in a movie about two years ago, and the audience took to her instantly. She was becoming a huge star and he was happy for her. He was elated that she finally put herself first for once. He wondered if she thought of him sometimes like he did about her.

He looked around his office – it was more spacious than the last one, a gift from the Mayor for minding his business. Sam Fields had gotten re-elected, and was aiming for Governor. It looked good for him. His son was a Junior at College, and his wife maintained her social status. They acted like Bethany never existed.

He smiled a little to himself. He had never let the case go. Bethany may have been long dead, but she lived in his heart. He had vowed to Alyson he’d get her justice, and that was exactly what he was doing. Over the years, he had acquired information about the Mayor’s shady dealings, and a huge chain of corruption within the police department.

She had been right. It was no use fighting the system while he was still at mercy to it. He planned to play the system, by using the information he had acquired in due time. He would blackmail, scheme, and manipulate his way back to the case. And when he was done, he would keep the evidence for future use. Being an upright cop got him nowhere anyway.

“Detective,” a female voice called and he looked up from his desk. He tried to stifle his surprise as he stared at Sherylyn. She looked older, more mature, more sophisticated. Her hair was permed and piled atop her head. She wore all black – from her top to her shiny shoes. She had on black eyeliner which made her look dangerous. Her accessories were obviously very expensive. There was no trace of the unsure, low self-esteemed teenager – in her place was a strong, confident woman.

“Sherylyn Ross,” he called out. He had never forgotten her name.

“I have detailed information about the murder of Bethany,” she said bluntly.

Ian tried to stifle his growing excitement, “Took you long enough,” he said while leaning back on his chair.

“First, I will need an iron-clad plea deal,” she said.

At Ian’s hesitation, she continued, “You don’t want to pass up on this. Trust me.”

“Now we’re talking,” Ian said, and for the first time in years, permitted himself a smile.

*****

23rd January, 2020 (Five Years after the Murder).

02:40 PM.

William looked at Vivian Glade with disgust. She definitely needed to get laid. What was her problem anyway? Everyone knew that the psychosis excuse was pure, unadulterated crap, but she was beginning to make it seem feasible. She was the best at her job, and the defendant was lucky to afford her paycheck. William was sure her services would cost a fortune.

He had to admit though, he liked the challenge. It had been a long time since he was genuinely worried about a case, and it made a nice change of pace. Vivian smiled evilly at him as she approached the witness stand. Maybe he would take her out for drinks when the case was concluded.

“Can you tell us your name?” Vivian asked.

“Dr. Pascal Gru.”

“What do you do?”

“I am a psychoanalyst.”

“For how long?”

“11 years.”

“This type of situation, with the momentary bout of psychosis, is it something you see a lot in your line of work?”

“Of course,” he affirmed.

“But it is rarely seen, yes?”

He shook his head, “On the contrary, it is quite common.”

“So what you’re telling the court, is that it is not impossible?” she asked.

“Of course not!”

“Okay then. Can you please tell us what psychosis as a condition is?”

“I’d be happy to. Psychosis is a mental condition characterized by an impaired relationship with reality. A person with psychosis may experience delusions or hallucinations which may lead to them hurting themselves or others.”

“So in a psychotic episode, if a person hurts another, do they do it on purpose?” Vivian asked.

Dr. Gru talked slowly, like he was addressing a child, “When one has a period of psychosis, they usually have difficulty understanding what is real and what is not. So no, they do not attack themselves or others on purpose.”

“Does psychosis run in families?” she asked.

“It does in fact run in families. You see, it can be passed through genes. People who have a family member with the condition can inherit it in turn. It is called genetic predisposition,” he explained.

Vivian looked around the court and said in a loud voice, “From the records we’ve received, one of the defendant’s aunts was diagnosed with the disorder. What is the likelihood it would have been passed to the defendant?”

“It is very likely,” Dr. Gru replied. William watched the jurors carefully. Some of them looked at the defendant briefly, and for the first time since the case started, a flicker of doubt crossed their expressions.

“Take a look at this courtroom. Have you seen anyone prior to when this case started?” Vivian asked.

“I have.”

“Who?”

“The defendant,” he replied.

“And why is that?”

“The defendant came into my office for a consult. All the symptoms indicated psychosis.”

“When was that?”

“About a year ago.”

“So you’re telling the court that the defendant has a medical diagnosis of psychosis?” Vivian asked.

“I am,” he affirmed.

“You are under oath, Dr. Gru.”

“Everything I am saying is accurate.”

“Your witness,” Vivian stated.

William walked to the stand.

“Dr. Gru, I found your explanation of what psychosis is very interesting. But there is no scientific test for psychosis yet, right?” he asked curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, there is no scientific test to show if someone has psychosis or not, except what they say they experience. Correct?”

“That’s… correct, but-,”

“If someone was driving drunk, for instance, there is a test to show the individual’s alcohol levels, but is there a scientific test for psychosis?”

“No, there is no test to positively diagnose psychosis,” Dr. Gru admitted.

William continued his questioning, “You made it known to us in this court that the defendant came to you about a year ago to complain about mental issues.”

‘That’s right.”

“What date specifically?”

“Not sure, but it was the middle of January.”

“It was January 14th, 2019, precisely,” William said helpfully.

“And by that time, were you aware that the defendant had already been accused of the murder of miss. Bethany Cooper?”

At Dr. Gru’s hesitation, William cajoled, “Answer the question, Dr.”

“I was,” he said in a low voice.

“Isn’t it odd that the time the defendant sought a medical diagnosis of the condition was the time there was a strong accusation of murder?”

“I don’t know if it was odd, I was just doing my job,” he replied. He loosened his tie, as he was beginning to sweat effusively.

William asked Dr. Gru loudly, “I need you to answer a final question for me. From the time the defendant sought your help which coincided with the time of the murder accusation, to the lack of concrete scientific evidence on the condition, is it possible that the defendant is lying about having psychosis?”

Everyone at court waited with bated breaths.

“Yes,” Dr. Gru admitted.

The court went for a short recess, and when it resumed, the next witness was called to the stand. It was the moment the court had been waiting for, that the world had been waiting for.

“I call the next witness to the stand. The defendant, Mr. Nathan Fields.”

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