Page 67 of Jon's Helter Skelter Cold Case

“It’s actually our argument in a nutshell, Your Honor. We have many witnesses and proof that the evidence isn’t what it appears. We argue that my client was wrongfully convicted and ask his case be dismissed and he be compensated for wrongful incarceration.”

“I see.” Kauffman nodded approvingly—she hated the long-winded idiots. “Defense?”

The defense attorney was a young one, not someone I recognized, but he looked like he’d just passed the bar last week. Even his leather shoes were extra new and shiny. He stood to answer.

“The state maintains that the evidence produced in the original trial speaks for itself, Your Honor. Defense rests.”

Then he sat back down.

We all kind of just stared. Uhh…was that it? Brevity was all well and good but… Saysomething, man, and make it seem like you mean it. Unless he hated Solomon too and this was revenge? Because it was a beautiful way to do it.

Kauffman stared at him another second before clearing her throat. “Well. All right. Counselor, you may call your first witness.”

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Craig stood again, and even though the man’s back was to me, I could feel his grin. Oh no. Here we go. “We would like to call Jonathan Bane to the stand.”

Jon went up, was sworn in, then took his seat in the witness box. He was a veteran, having many cases where he’d been an official witness, so he wasn’t nervous.

“Mr. Bane, for the record, you are a very powerful psychic Reader, are you not?”

“I am.”

“You’ve testified in many, many cases as to what you read from people. Is that also correct?”

“Also correct.”

“On the day of your meeting with Mr. Evans, can you tell me what happened?”

“I was at the prison assisting with parole hearings with my apprentice when we first saw Mr. Evans.”

“Who’s your apprentice?” Craig had to ask this to get it on public record.

“Abigail Moore.”

Kauffman interrupted again. “Sorry, sorry, this is the first I’m hearing of this. Jon? You have an apprentice?”

He turned to answer her. “I do! She’s in the audience now, actually. Wave, Abby.”

Abby waved, a little shyly.

“She’s as capable of reading people as I am. She’ll be apprenticed to me until she finishes high school, and then look out, world. In fact, it was she who spotted Dwayne Evans first and brought him to my attention. She was very confused because his aura is so pure, so bright, she couldn’t see any hint of a crime in his history. Certainly nothing that would explain why he was in a max security prison to begin with.”

Kauffman’s eyes narrowed. “Moore. Mr. Moore, any relation?”

“My daughter,” Craig admitted freely. “I took this case for her sake after she told me what she saw. I have no doubt in either her eyes or Jon’s.”

“Ah-ha. The case is becoming clearer. Continue, Counselor.”

“Yes, ma’am. Jon, you said you looked at Mr. Evans after she brought him to your attention. What followed?”

“We arranged an immediate interview with him to hear his side of the story. I detected no lies when he explained what happened. In fact, his aura is so pure, I’m not actually sure he’s even had thoughts of revenge. I know for a fact this man didn’t murder anyone.”

I heard some murmuring from the crowd. With this having been a nationally televised case, the appeal was getting just as much attention, and it was standing room only for some of the reporters. It was why I had saved Gonzalez a seat to begin with. I loved having all these people here for many reasons, but one of them was these guys were old hats at reporting on cases like these. They all knew Jon. When he said this man was innocent, that meant golden headlines for them.

“Thank you, Mr. Bane. Plaintiff rests.”

“Defense?” Kauffman prompted.

The young attorney stood and approached the witness box. “Mr. Bane, I’m aware of your reputation, but I’ve never met you before today. I must ask. Are you ever wrong?”

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