by John Bowers
“Wait a minute. Do you have any evidence to support any of this?”
Godney stared at him, confused.
“Uh, no, your Honor. That is the whole purpose of this hearing, to uncover evidence.”
“Good! I’m glad we’re on the same page. Then don’t go running on about ‘proving’ stuff for which you have no evidence. If you’re trying to uncover evidence, then say that you’re trying to uncover evidence. Let’s keep the record straight and avoid confusion later on.”
“I apologize, your Honor. I, uh…okay.” He turned back to his table and picked up a stack of papers. “In the, uh… Okay, sorry. The Federation will attempt to pr—uh, uncover evidence that Marshal Walker may have acted overzealously when he killed the following individuals—”
“Stop. Are you going to stand there and rattle off all the names of people that Marshal Walker killed?”
“I was going to read it into the record, yes, sir.”
“Skip it. I’m sure those names will be revealed as we move along. Do you have a witness? Call your first witness.”
Godney’s face began to flame, not from embarrassment, but anger. He slapped the papers down on his desk and turned his head toward the gallery.
“The Federation calls as its first witness, Ted Strong.”
Nick’s eyebrows flew up. So did Gabbard’s. She leaned toward him, questions in her eyes. He shook his head.
“Objection.” Gabbard was on her feet. “Ted Strong is not on the witness list that was provided to the defense by the U.F. Attorney.”
Godney looked surprised. He bent over his table and whispered something to Victoria Cross, who shook her head. Godney stood up straight.
“I’m sorry, your Honor, that must be an oversight. The first witness list we provided was incomplete. I thought it had been updated, but apparently I was wrong.”
Moore looked at Gabbard, silently inviting her to continue.
“Then I object to Mr. Strong’s testimony, your Honor. We didn’t know he was coming so we are not prepared to cross-examine.”
“Mr. Godney?”
“Your Honor, Ted Strong came all the way from Sirius 1 to be here today. His testimony is central to the first killing we are going to examine. Surely he didn’t make that trip, at Federation taxpayers’ expense, for nothing.”
Moore leaned across the bench and peered at Geraldine Gabbard.
“Ms. Gabbard, if we push Mr. Strong’s testimony back a couple of days, will that give you time to prepare?”
Gabbard hesitated, but the offer seemed reasonable and she couldn’t really object. She heaved a sigh.
“Yes, your Honor, that would be a great help. Thank you.”
“Very well. Mr. Godney, send Mr. Strong back to his hotel, or give him a chit to enjoy an expensive meal on the River Walk, and call your next witness. He can testify tomorrow or the next day.”
Gabbard was still on her feet. “Your Honor, can you direct the plaintiff to provide me with a fresh witness list? A complete one, this time?”
Before Moore even ruled, Victoria Cross stood and crossed the six feet to the defense table, handing Gabbard a new witness list. Briefly, almost unconsciously, her eyes flickered up to meet Nick’s, but she looked away quickly. When she sat down at her table again, her face was glowing red.
***
“The Federation calls John Colwell, United Federation Marshal, retired.”
Nick shifted in his chair. Colwell had been on the original witness list, so this was no surprise. What Nick didn’t know was how Colwell would testify. They hadn’t exactly been friends.
John Colwell was fifty-nine; he had a lean, leathery look about him, like an old cowboy or day laborer. He entered the courtroom and strode to the witness chair, his body stiff. As he was sworn in, he glanced at Nick’s table and made eye contact. Nick smiled grimly and Colwell lifted one eyebrow. After taking the oath, he sat down.
“State your name and occupation for the record.”
“John Colwell, retired.”
“And where do you reside?”
“Lancalpha, Alpha Centauri 2.”
The bailiff walked away and Godney approached the witness chair. He favored Colwell with a beaming smile.
“Marshal Colwell, thank you for being here today.”
Colwell only nodded.
“Marshal Colwell, you said you are retired, is that right?”
“Yes. For two years now.”
“Before you retired, what was your occupation?”
“I was a U.F. Marshal.”
“I see. And where were you posted as a U.F. Marshal?”
“Lots of places. Mars, Terra, Alpha Centauri 2—”
“Where were you posted in 0442?”
“I was on Sirius 1.”
“And how long were you posted there?”
“Nearly twenty years. Once I got there, I didn’t leave until retirement.”
“And why was that? Don’t U.F. Marshals get shuffled about every couple of years?”
“Yes, they do, but I was posted in the Outback, a really desolate part of the planet. Nobody else wanted it, and I got tired of space travel, so I volunteered to stay on.”
“Very good.” Godney consulted a sheet of paper in his hand. “When you were posted in the Outback, did you have a partner?”
“Part of the time, yes.”
“And what was his name?”
“Marshal Steve Baker.”
“Thank you. And how long was Marshal Baker there?”
“About eighteen years. He met a Sirian woman and got married. He didn’t really want to leave, so London let us both stay. It saved them the trouble of replacing us from time to time.”
“Marshal Colwell, where is Marshal Baker now?”
Colwell had been answering freely, but now he grimaced. “He’s dead.”
“How did Marshal Baker come to be dead?”
“He was killed.”
“Thank you. And how was he killed?”
“He took a laser shot in the stomach.”
Godney stood evenly on both feet, as if setting the courtroom up for some dramatic revelation. He eyed Colwell closely.
“Marshal Colwell, do you know who killed Marshal Baker?”
“Yes.”
Godney waited, nodding, but Colwell had answered the question. He gazed back at the little attorney with stony eyes.
“Uh, Marshal Colwell…can you tell the Court who killed Steve Baker?”
Colwell nodded. For a moment he didn’t speak, then, reluctantly, glanced in Nick’s direction.
“Marshal Nick Walker,” he said.
“Thank you.” Godney smiled at the judge. “Nothing further at this time, your Honor. Reserve the right to redirect.”
“Granted.” Moore popped another chocolate. “Ms. Gabbard?”
Geraldine Gabbard stood and walked around the end of the defense table. She had no notes in her hands. Instead, she crossed her arms as if she found the whole exercise boring.
“Marshal Colwell, were you present when Marshal Baker was killed?”
“No, Ma’am, I was not.”
“You didn’t actually witness the killing?”
“No, Ma’am.”
“You told this Court that Marshal Nick Walker killed your partner. Is that right?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“If you weren’t there…if you didn’t actually see the killing, then how do you know who was the killer?”
Colwell’s eyes shifted from Gabbard to Nick and back again. He seemed uncomfortable.
“There were witnesses.”
“I see. Who were these witnesses? Can you name them for us?”
“Yes, Ma’am. One was a man named Ted Strong.”
“Ted Strong witnessed the killing?”
“That’s what he told me, yes, Ma’am.”
“Who else?”
“Strong’s office girl, Yolanda.”
“Does Yolanda have a last name?”
“Uh, yes,
Ma’am, I’m sure she does, but I don’t remember it. It happened three years ago.”
“Were there other witnesses?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I think there were six or seven serf girls—uh, I mean, Spanic girls. They saw it.”
“Do you know their names?”
“No, Ma’am, I never got to interview them.”
“If you didn’t interview them, then how do you know they saw the shooting?”
“Marshal Walker told me they were there.”
“Objection!” Godney was on his feet. “Move to strike. If Marshal Colwell did not interview these alleged witnesses, and has only Marshal Walker’s word that they were present, it constitutes hearsay.”
“How do you figure that, counselor?”
“By the very nature of this proceeding, Marshal Walker’s testimony is suspect.”
“That hasn’t been established yet.”
“I submit, your Honor, that until these proceedings are closed, the fact is established de facto.”
Moore puffed his cheeks with impatience.
“Mr. Godney, I assume you would like to get Marshal Walker on the stand before this is all over, am I right?”
“I would hope he avails himself of the opportunity to answer the allegations, yes.”
“What are you going to do then, strike everything he says as hearsay?”
“What?” Godney frowned as he tried to wrap his mind around the question.
“Objection overruled. If, by some chance, it is later established that Marshal Walker’s testimony is suspect, the record can be amended to strike everything he ever said in his life.” Moore glanced at Gabbard. “Proceed.”
Godney sat down, still looking confused. Gabbard turned to the witness again.
“Aside from Ted Strong, his office girl Yolanda, and the six or seven Spanic girls Marshal Walker told you about, were there any other witnesses to the shooting?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“And who was that?”
Colwell nodded at Nick. “Marshal Walker.”
“Thank you.” Gabbard turned and strolled across the room. “Marshal Colwell, when you interviewed Ted Strong about the shooting, what did he have to say?”
“Objection. Hearsay.” Godney rose. “When Mr. Strong gets his chance on the stand, he can testify to that himself.”
Gabbard spun toward him. “Good! Then we can compare his testimony with what Marshal Colwell remembers. If it matches, then we should have a pretty good idea of what happened.”
Moore nodded. “She’s right, counselor. Overruled.”
“Marshal Colwell, what did Ted Strong tell you about the shooting? How did it go down?”
Colwell drew a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“I don’t have my notes anymore, or my report, but as best I can recall, he claimed that Walker gunned Steve down without cause.”
“‘Gunned him down’? Are those his exact words?”
“Yes, Ma’am, as near as I can remember. It was three years ago.”
“So, according to Ted Strong, Nick Walker just walked up to Steve Baker and shot him dead?”
“No, Ma’am, not exactly like that. According to Ted, Steve thought Nick was kidnapping the girls and tried to stop him.”
“And that’s when Marshal Walker shot him?”
“According to Ted, yes, Ma’am.”
“Were there any words spoken? According to Ted?”
“He said that Steve ordered Walker to release the girls, and then Walker just drew and fired.”
“Marshal Colwell, does it make any sense to you that Marshal Baker, upon seeing Marshal Walker with the girls, would automatically assume that another U.F. Marshal was kidnapping them?”
“Objection!”
“Withdrawn. Marshal Colwell, you worked with Steve Baker for, what, twenty years?”
“Close enough.”
“Did he seem like a level-headed fellow to you?”
“Sure. You got to keep your head in that job. He was as good as any.”
“Let me ask you this—if you had seen Marshal Walker taking six or seven girls from Ted Strong’s property, would you have assumed it was a kidnapping in progress?”
“Objection, speculation.”
“I don’t think so,” Gabbard retorted. “I think the Marshal knows his own mind.”
“Overruled. You may answer the question.”
“No, Ma’am, I wouldn’t. But—”
“Yes?”
“Well, to keep the record straight, Steve had never met Marshal Walker. I only met him that morning myself.”
“So he didn’t know that Walker was a U.F. Marshal?”
“Well…he probably did, if he saw his badge.”
“You said you met Walker earlier that day. Was he wearing his badge then?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“So, if Walker was wearing his badge when Baker confronted him, it seems likely that he knew he was dealing with another lawman?”
“Objection! Speculation.”
“Oh, stop it, counselor! Let’s get through this.”
“Your Honor—”
“Noted! Ms. Gabbard, please continue.”
Gabbard turned away from the Federation table to hide her smile. She glanced at Colwell.
“Do you need the question repeated?”
“No, Ma’am, I got it. It seems likely to me.”
“So under what circumstances, according to your years of experience, can you imagine that Marshal Baker would automatically assume that Marshal Walker was kidnapping the girls?”
“I can think of a couple. If the girls were protesting or trying to get away, or if some third party had reported it as a kidnapping…then he might get that idea.”
“Thank you. Now, when you interviewed Yolanda, did her account of the killing coincide with that of Ted Strong?”
“No, Ma’am. Not even close.”
“What did Yolanda tell you?”
“She said that Baker drew first. She was aware that words were exchanged, but she was too far away to hear. According to her statement, Baker actually fired his weapon at one of the cars Walker was using. That’s how it started.”
“And what happened after that?”
“She said they seemed to be arguing. Baker ordered Walker to drop his weapon, which he did; they argued some more, then Walker picked up his weapon again. At that point, Baker fired into the dirt but Walker picked it up anyway and holstered it.”
“How did the killing take place?”
“One of the girls had got into one of the hovercars. She sounded the horn, and when she did, Steve turned toward the car. While he was distracted, Walker drew and fired.”
Gabbard turned and paced in the other direction.
“Thank you. Marshal Colwell, which story do you find to be more credible?”
“Objection. Speculation.”
“Yolanda’s,” Colwell said.
“Objection! Move to strike.”
Moore scowled and scrubbed his head. He turned to the witness.
“In the future, Marshal, when someone shouts ‘objection’, you should hold your answer until we resolve it.”
“Sorry, your Honor. I haven’t done this in a long time.”
“I understand. Now, Mr. Godney, as to your first objection—overruled. As to your second objection—overruled. Marshal Colwell, you may now answer the question.”
Nick slid a hand over his face to hide his grin. He was starting to like this judge.
“I think Yolanda’s story made a lot more sense,” Colwell told Geraldine Gabbard.
“And why is that?”
“Because it matches what Walker told me the next day.”
“Is there any possibility they got their story straight before you talked to them?”
“It’s possible. I didn’t get Walker’s side of it until the next day, and it took me another day to locate Yolanda.”
“Locate her? Why? Was she lost?”
“Yes, Ma’am.
Turns out, Ted Strong had her hid away so she couldn’t tell me her story.”
“He hid her away? Do you mean he kidnapped her?”
“No, Ma’am, not exactly. Ted Strong owned her. Yolanda was his slave.”
Chapter 12
“Redirect, Mr. Godney?”
“Yes, your Honor. Thank you.”
Brian Godney scooted around the front of his table and stood in the middle of the courtroom. He smiled at John Colwell and Colwell stared back at him.
“Marshal Colwell, you were on Sirius for close to twenty years.”
“That’s right.”
“You were a U.F. Marshal all that time?”
“I was.”
“During those two decades, how many men did you kill?”
Colwell frowned. “None.”
“How many women?”
“None.”
“How many children?”
“None.”
“In almost twenty years as a United Federation Marshal on Sirius 1, you never killed a single human being?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It wasn’t necessary.”
“No one ever threatened you? No one ever challenged you?”
“Sure they did. Plenty of times.”
“Did anyone ever hold you at gunpoint? Assault you? Take a shot at you?”
“Now and then, yes. The Outback is a primitive environment. Only the toughest men want to live there. Conflict is a way of life.”
“So let me get this straight…” Godney was practically grinning with glee. “In twenty years as a U.F. Marshal in the Sirian Outback, people threatened you, assaulted you, held guns on you, took shots at you, and you never killed a single one of them?”
“That’s correct.”
“What about Marshal Baker? How many people did he kill?”
“None that I know of.”
“He was there almost as long as you were, but he never killed anybody?”
“I don’t believe he ever did.”
Godney took a deep, satisfying breath.
“Marshal Colwell, at the time Nick Walker killed Marshal Steve Baker, how long had Walker been on Sirius?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
“Ten years?”
“No.”
“Five years?”
Colwell scowled. “No.”
“One year?”
Colwell ran a hand across his mouth. “Maybe a week.”
“A week!”