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Date Posted: 17:13:56 04/19/13 Fri
Author: fananicfan
Subject: Part 2 - The Truth Is Everything

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome back.


PART TWO

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2009

CONFERENCE ROOM
RLSO
SAN DIEGO, CA
0840 LOCAL - 1140 EASTERN

HARM'S POV

"Keep me appraised," I say in response to having just received an oral update on a case, a routine part of the Friday morning staff meeting agenda.

"I don't have any new cases to assign this morning, so if there's nothing else..." I pause to give someone the opportunity to speak up.

"Captain Rabb," Major Shelby says to get my attention.

"What is it, Major?" I ask.

"Sir, you didn't ask for an update on the Kane case."

"No, I didn't," I reply.

Putting myself on the case puts me in the loop of the defense, and though the prosecution shouldn't have anything to hide since my side is entitled to see all the evidence through the rules of discovery, I feel that asking the prosecution for an update when I'm privy to the details of the open case isn't a productive use of our time during the staff meeting.

"Just prior to our staff meeting, we presented Tiner with an offer that would resolve the matter by the end of the day. I bring it up here, Sir, only because I'm concerned that the lieutenant's lack of experience with this type of case may make it difficult for him to express to his client the importance of avoiding a trial, given the evidence that we have against her." Shelby pauses briefly before continuing, "I'm sure that you'd agree that having both parties reach an agreement would save time as well as money."

Though I haven't made an announcement that I've joined Tiner on this case, it's funny that this tidbit of information has failed to make it into the scuttlebutt around the office, but the news that our budget needs to be cut has been fodder for the rumor mill from practically the moment that I got the call from Krennick.

"First, Major, let me be clear that we will not settle cases for the sake of our budget. I will not allow finance to be a consideration when it comes to clearing cases. There's no price tag on finding the truth or in the pursuit of justice. Is everyone clear on that?"

After getting a "Yes, Sir," from the group, not quite in unison but close, I move on to the matter of the Kane case.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason why Shelby brought up speaking with Tiner about a deal was to throw him off or to embarrass him because this is his first major case, and the thought doesn't sit well with me.

"The Kane case didn't slip my mind, but I didn't feel the need to call a special meeting to announce it. Quite frankly, I thought the news would be out and travel faster than I could call a meeting, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Though it isn't standard procedure, when Commander Allen was unable or unwilling to handle the defense on the Kane case, I assigned myself to first chair, so I'm already up to speed on the case and saw no reason to use time during our meeting to get an update." My tone is curt, and though I mentioned Allen by name, I never broke eye contact with Major Shelby.

I continue in a softer tone but still maintain a tone of authority.

"Tiner did inform me of the terms of the plea agreement that you offered before we convened this morning. We'll be speaking to our client later today, and among our topics will be the deal that you've put on the table. Tiner or I will let you know what her answer is by the end of the day."

"Yes, Sir," Major Shelby acknowledges.

"If there's nothing else, we all have work to do," I say, bringing an end to our morning staff meeting.

MAJOR SHELBY'S POV
AS RABB LEAVES THE ROOM

There had been no formal announcement, just speculation by the some members of the senior staff, but during my brief and stinging exchange with Captain Rabb, he left no room for doubt. If this case goes to trial, Allen and I won't be going up against the inexperienced lieutenant alone but our CO, a seasoned and, by all accounts, a very formidable opponent, as well.

I feel that Allen and I are in a no-win situation. If we go to trial and lose, Rabb may question our abilities as attorneys, which will be reflected in our evaluations. If we win, the sting of being beaten by junior officers in court may cause a prejudicial slant to our marks, basically causing the same effect to our careers either way.

Allen and I need to pray that their client takes the deal.

PARKING LOT
VISTA ARMS APARTMENTS
NATIONAL CITY, CA
1050 LOCAL - 1350 EASTERN

TINER'S POV

I pulled into the parking lot five or six minutes ago and, so far, the only thing that the captain has done is look at crime scene photos, one after the other, again and again.

I feel that I should be doing something, but I don't know what it is and I hate to ask because my questions are a glaring reminder that I don't have any experience with cases like this and that he may have made a mistake in putting me on this case.

"Tiner," Rabb says without looking up from the photo that he currently has on top of the stack.

"Yes, Sir?" comes out as a quick and nervous reply.

"Have you ever questioned a witness in this type of criminal case before?" he asks.

"No, Sir," I reply.

"Then let me tell you that a witness to a violent crime is often rattled by what they've seen, causing them to be on edge and easily jumping off topic to avoid talking about what they saw. Not every witness will be that way, but that's why, at least for a first interview, I start by asking them to just tell me what they remember. That's not to say that in a future interview or even later in the first interview, you may have to be a little more aggressive with your questioning, but being aggressive with a witness is usually not the best way to start. Of course, the exception to the soft, friendly approach is if there's reason to believe that the witness is withholding critical information intentionally or if the evidence that's been gathered suggests that it's highly likely that they aren't just a witness but involved in the actual committing of the crime in some way."

Captain Rabb continues, "You don't want a witness to feel like they're under attack by firing off question after question. So, whenever it's possible, try not to ask more than two questions in a row, and make sure that you pause between each question long enough to give them ample time to answer. Sometimes, if you let them mull over what you've asked, they'll add something that's helpful to your case. It also helps to keep them at ease, which makes for a more productive interview."

He's stopped talking, so I think that he's finished informing me about the way that he conducts an interview and why, when he starts to speak again.

"As far as today's witness goes, I think it's best if I take the lead. If you have any questions for Mr. Estes, save them until the end. I'll give you a chance to ask them, but I think it'll be better if he has only one of us asking him questions while he's telling his account of what happened," Captain Rabb adds before reaching for the handle to open the car door.

MR. ESTES APARTMENT
1106 LOCAL - 1406 EASTERN

Captain Rabb is acting very casual, as if we're here for a social visit and not as officers of the court on an investigation.

Even though we said no thank you to the offer by Mrs. Estes to get us refreshments, she's brought in a tray of coffee and cookies anyway.

"Thank you, Mildred," Mr. Estes says to his wife in much the same way that a CO says "that will be all" to let you know that you're no longer needed in the room.

"Mr. Estes, I'd like to start by having you tell me, in your own words, what you saw that night."

Captain Rabb's tone is calm and reassuring.

Mr. Estes, who'd been sitting rigidly on the edge of his seat, drops his shoulders and leans back in this chair to a more relaxed position.

"I was coming home from work late. It must have been eight-thirty...maybe it was closer to nine. When I stepped out of my car, I heard a woman yelling."

"Could you make out what she was saying?" Captain Rabb asks.

"No."

"Okay, you heard a woman yelling. What happened next?" Captain Rabb asks to get Mr. Estes to pick up where he left off.

"I'd gotten home so late that the lot was pretty full. I had to park at the end of building one, close to the street entrance. I was too far away to make out what her words were, but I could tell that she was yelling. I figured that it was nothing...just a couple having an argument. I got my things out of my car and started up the sidewalk towards my building. As I approached where building one ends, I saw two people, a man and a woman, in the dimly lit gap between where building one ends and my building, number two, begins."

"The long building to our left as we pulled in is building one, isn't it?" Captain Rabb asks.

"That's right, and you're in building number two now," Ms. Estes confirms.

"Once you saw the couple, did you hear either one of them say anything?" Captain Rabb asks.

"No" ....... "Wait, not right away, but towards the end I heard her say, "'You Bastard'," Mr. Estes replies.

"If it happened later, let's wait until we get there. Please continue from where you left off. You see a man and a woman. What happened next?"

"He turned his back to her like he was going to walk away. Then it looked like she hit him on the back, near the shoulder, but now I know that she didn't hit him. She stabbed him there."

"Mr. Estes, I know that it may be difficult, but please try to leave out what you know now and tell me just what you saw that night."

"I'll try," he replies to the instruction.

"You say that you saw her hit him on the back. Is that correct?"

"Yes, like you might do if you come up behind someone you know at a party and you want them to turn around to talk to you, but she did it with her fist, not an open hand or just fingers like a tap," Mr. Estes answers.

"What happened next?" Captain Rabb asks, keeping the interview moving forward.

"He turned around to face her. Then her hand came up, and she hit him in the chest...twice. I wondered if I should call the police, but I thought to myself, this couple's spat is none of my business. I was about to walk away, but just before I took a step, she hit him in the chest again, and this time he went down, and she went to the ground after him, hitting him again. Then she yelled, "You Bastard" as she brought down her fist to hit him again. I'd seen enough. I yelled, "Lady, I'm calling the cops". Then, she got to her feet to run, and that's when I saw that she was clutching something in her hand and I knew that she hadn't been just punching him. It was while I got out my cell phone and dialed 9-1-1 that I saw the blood on his shirt and realized that she must have been holding a knife in her hand."

"Which way did she run?" Captain Rabb asks.

"Back between the two buildings, away from me on the sidewalk," he answers.

"So that I'm sure I understand, she ran between building number one and this building, number two, is that correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

Captain Rabb seems to think that the direction in which she ran is important enough that, for the first time since we sat down, he's making a note on his legal pad.

"Mr. Estes, I appreciate your patience with me. I have just a few more questions. You said that you could see that she was holding something in her hand, but you didn't know that it was a knife. Is that correct?" Rabb asks after lifting his head, taking his focus off his legal pad and putting it back on Mr. Estes.

"Yes, that's right."

"When you were giving the police a description of the suspect, you told them that the woman was five feet six or seven, probably about one hundred and thirty pounds, maybe less because the hoodie looked like it was too big for her, but you didn't include any physical characteristics such as eye color or complexion. If you were so close that you could see that she was clutching something in her hand, why couldn't you tell the police more about her appearance?"

"As I said, there isn't much light there, and she had the hood of the jacket up around her face so I couldn't see her face in the dim light.

What about her hands? Was she wearing gloves?"

"Now that you mention it. No, she wasn't wearing any gloves." He pauses. "Her skin was light in color."

"So it would be safe to say that, because you saw only her hands, you wouldn't be able to point her out in a courtroom," Rabb says, making it sound like a question, but apparently it wasn't because, after he made that statement, he asks, "Do you think that you'd recognize her voice if you heard it again?"

"She said only that one thing that I heard clearly, so I'm not sure if I'd recognize her voice if I heard it again....maybe though," Mr. Estes answers.

"Lieutenant," Rabb says to get my attention. "Do have any of questions for Mr. Estes?"

"No, Sir," I respond quickly.

"Thank you, Mr. Estes, for taking the time to meet with us. Before we leave, I want to ask if you have any questions for us."

"No, I don't think so....well, maybe one. What happens next? Will I have to tell the story again in court?" Mr. Estes asks.

"At this point, the local police have given jurisdiction of the case over to the military justice system, and we're still in the investigative stage. If the case does go to trial, you will be asked to appear and testify to what you saw that night."

I don't know if Captain Rabb's answer helped relieve any uneasiness about testifying or not, but it must have at least answered his question because he stands to show us out.

We've walked to the elevator in silence, but once the doors of the elevator close behind us, Captain Rabb asks, "So, what do you think of criminal investigations so far? Not as exciting as you thought, I'll bet."

"Not exciting, but interesting, Sir. Who do we talk to next?" I ask.

"We'll talk to our client later today, but right now, we're going to take a look at the parking lot and get to know this apartment complex better."

I have no idea what he means, but this case is the kind that he's known for solving, so I'm in no position to argue with his investigation style.

PARKING LOT
VISTA ARMS APARTMENTS

HARM'S POV

I saw the look on Tiner's face when I told him that I wanted to take a look at the parking lot. He doesn't realize that a check of every part of the case, including the location of the crime and the surrounding area is important to a thorough investigation.

He isn't thinking like a criminal attorney.

I hope that it's just taking him some time to get in the right frame of mind and not that I was wrong about him ... that he doesn't have what it takes to be an attorney who defends and prosecutes major crimes.

Now I'm questioning my motives for assigning this case to him.

Did I want out from behind my desk so badly that I saw something in him that wasn't there just so I'd have a reason to get out into the field again?

I'll have to worry about my motives and his abilities later. Right now, we have a client to defend and we need to check out the crime scene a little closer.

"Let's put our briefcases in the car. The only things that we need right now are the crime scene photos and the diagram that the police made of the location of the victim and the witness."

"Yes, Sir," Tiner says as if he's eager to learn.

Maybe I wasn't wrong.

Moments later, we're standing near our car and looking at the diagram of the apartment complex lay out.

There are five building in all. Three are directly in front of us, and two run long ways down each side. From the air, they'd look like a block style 'U' shape. The open area between the side buildings and in front of the three buildings is the parking lot, with the street running in front of the lot, crossing the top of the 'U'.

"Building two is the one we just came out of, and building one is the building running down the side on our left. To the right of building two is building three, and to its right is building four. Building five is the building that runs long ways down the side to our right." I'm talking out loud and making sure that I have the layout down.

"Our client's apartment is in building four, isn't it?" I ask to make sure that I'm right.

"Yes, Sir, number 4214," Tiner replies quickly without having to look at his notes.

"According to our witness, the attacker ran between buildings one and two..." Captain Rabb begins.

"Do you think that whoever did it lives in one of those two buildings. That would explain why she ran back to the rear of the buildings," Tiner reasons.

"It would, but don't rush to a conclusion. Did you look between the two buildings when we came out?" I ask.

"No, Sir."

"If you had, you'd have seen that there's no fence back there, so the perpetrator could easily have reached the street by going around the rear of the building," I inform him.

"....But then how did the bloody hoodie and knife get into the dumpster behind building four?" he asks, but before I can answer, he adds, "...unless Chief Kane is guilty and she ran between the buildings and then behind them until she reached her building where she shed the blood-covered hoodie and dropped the knife into the dumpster before going up to her apartment... but why leave the clothes in the dumpster? Mr. Estes had said that he was calling the police, so why wouldn't she take the stuff up to her apartment where she could try to wash them or wait to dispose of them later after the police had left the area?"

He's starting to think of possible scenarios - think of questions that need to be answered to get to the truth.

I was right. He's got the makings of a fine criminal lawyer.

"Those are all very good questions, Lieutenant."

"So, I was wrong. Our client is guilty," Tiner says, sounding dejected.

"I didn't say that."

"So you think that she's innocent?" Tiner states like a question.

"I didn't say that either."

"Then I'm confused," Tiner states honestly.

"Tiner, there are some lawyers who put blinders on before starting their investigation. I'm not one of them. I want to investigate until I'm sure that I've uncovered the truth and can present a clear case to the court. Unfortunately, there are times when you've exhausted all possible leads and you still aren't sure that you have the truth, but you have to defend or prosecute to the best of your ability on the facts that you have been able to find. However, I don't want to leave a courtroom and not be able to say that I did everything that I could to get to the truth of what happened and that I represented the side that I was assigned to the best of my ability. I work that way because I believe that the truth is far more important than whether I win or lose in court. The truth is everything because, without it, justice cannot be truly served."

"I understand, Sir," Tiner says with a gleam in his eye, and I think that he really 'gets' my meaning.

"Sir, I know that we have the police diagram of the complex here showing the location of the attack and where the evidence was found, but shouldn't we take a look for ourselves, see what's back there? Maybe there's someplace back there where a person could hide until the police left or have a car waiting for them."

"I was about to suggest the same thing, Lieutenant, so let's have a look around. Then we'll grab some lunch before we go see our client."

"Yes, Sir," Tiner says with an eagerness that wasn't there earlier today.

ROBERTS HOME
MANASSAS, VA
1610 LOCAL - 1310 PACIFIC

MAC'S POV

I ring the bell and knock for good measure while Patty is resting happily on my hip.

I'm relieved to see Harriet as the door begins to open because I'm rattled.

HARRIET'S POV

"I'm sorry that I'm running late. Patty's appointment took longer than I expected. I think I asked the doctor too many questions, and then traffic was terrible on the way back."

"No problem," I say, opening the door wide to let Mac enter.

"Patty's appointment went well, didn't it?" I ask since the normally strong Marine exterior seems to have some cracks in it.

"I guess that depends on how you judge it," Mac begins, and I definitely have the feeling that she's off her game today as she enters my home.

"Patty is below average in weight, but not dangerously so, and she hits the bottom of the chart range in height, but he said that both of those could easily be explained by her prematurity. He also said that he wasn't worried because she'd had a nice spurt of growth since her last check up. However, he did fuss at me for being two weeks late in getting her six-months check up. He also lectured me about not putting expectations on her based on her sibling when I questioned him about why Patty isn't crawling yet when, at her age, Matthew was starting to crawl."

"Then you've had quite a day, haven't you? So, what do you say to a cup of tea and a few minutes to catch your breath?"

"Sounds wonderful..." Mac says with a sigh. "...but you're probably right in the middle of making dinner. I'll just round up my kids and get out of your way. Thanks again for watching them. I probably still wouldn't be home if I'd had to drop off and pick up children at the hospital daycare center."

"...Not to mention the extra time that it takes to get the little ones buckled into their seats properly," I add, completely able to relate to what she's saying.

MAC'S POV

"True, so very true," I agree, knowing that she's speaking from experience.

"As for dinner, it's only a casserole. The oven is doing all the work, and there's plenty, so please stay for dinner."

I know that look in Harriet's eyes, compassion, empathy and a determination that she will not take no for an answer.

"If you're sure that it won't be problem, I'd love to have tea with you and unwind a little, and not have to rush home to start dinner."

"Then I'll meet you in the kitchen after I check in on the children and let them know that you're here but that they're staying for dinner."

"Thank you, Harriet," I say with gratitude. Somehow words don't seem like enough to thank her, yet, between close friends like we are, I know that I didn't need to say anything at all. She understands.

KITCHEN
ROBERTS HOME
MINUTES LATER

Sipping tea while Patty sits in a highchair next to me snacking on Cheerios, I find that the tension and anxiety that was filling me when I arrived is starting to subside.

"Since piano practice was cancelled due to the holiday last week, and the week before that Mattie brought Abigail to her lesson, we haven't had a chance to talk recently. So, aside from your frustrating road trip to Bethesda today, how are things going?" Harriet asks.

"They're fine, Harriet," I answer.

"I'm sure it was great having Harm home last weekend."

"It was," I reply, feeling a warmth in my cheeks at the thought of my husband, or perhaps it's the fleeting images of him in varying stages of undress that flash through my mind that have me feeling flushed.

"It won't be much longer until we won't be able to sit here and have tea like this because you'll be in California," Harriet says with a mix of happiness and sadness.

I know that her emotions are a combination of being sad that once again the Navy is taking her dear friends away from the area, but she also knows that we'll all be happier living together in one place, and she's happy for us that soon we'll be doing just that, even if it's almost three thousand miles away from her and her family.

"That's true. Forty-two more days," I say, wondering why I decided that it was a good idea to let the kids keep those calendars. It's torture when Ty announces the new number every morning because it doesn't seem like the number is getting smaller, at least fast enough.

"Do you think that you'd reconsider moving to San Diego? I know the CO of the RLSO there. I could put in a good word for Bud, maybe get him a transfer," I say, smiling.

I know that she has her reasons for staying in the area, but it would be nice to have our long-time friends living close to us.

"It's tempting, but it isn't just about Bud's doctors anymore. It's my job. I wouldn't want to give that up. Then, there's the kids. They like their school, have friends..." Her voice trails off. I think it just hit her that I'm moving my family, and it may sound like she's criticizing my choice to transfer. "You have children now. You understand what I mean."

I'm not sure if her last sentence was a statement or a question.

"I understand," I comment to put her mind at ease that I don't blame her for wanting the stability of staying in one place.

I hope that she doesn't think less of me for not being like her and going where my husband's career takes him.

"Besides, you'll be back here before you know it," she states with certainty.

"You know something that I don't?" I ask curiously.

"No. It's just that Bud told me that Harm was almost selected as JAG when Cresswell retired, so it stands to reason that he's at the top of the list to be the next JAG once Krennick retires."

It's an idea that I hadn't given much thought to before now - how close Harm could be to becoming the next Judge Advocate General.

"You could have a point, Harriet." I pause briefly. "I've never met Krennick, but from what I've heard, she isn't going to be retiring any time soon, and then there's the current Deputy JAG ready to take her place," I state after taking a moment to think about the possibility.

"She is pretty gung-ho, but Bud says that she seems to be off her game lately. Not that she isn't on top of things, because he says that she's still running a tight ship, but that she's different in a way that reminds him of those months before the admiral announced his retirement."

BRIG
32nd STREET NAVAL BASE
SAN DIEGO, CA
1400 LOCAL - 1700 EASTERN

HARM'S POV

I walk in behind Tiner, and the expression on the thirty-something women's face changes immediately to one of fear before we've said anything.

She stumbles as she tries to get to her feet.

"No need for that." I motion at her attempt to stand in the presence of a high-ranking officer, even though she isn't in uniform.

She drops back into her chair.

"You remember Lieutenant Tiner. I'm Captain Rabb. Commander Allen has been reassigned, and I've been assigned to take his place."

"Is there a reason why the commander was replaced by a captain. Am I in more trouble...did Gabe...Master Chief Hollenbeck die?" she asks timidly.

Her question explains the look of fear that transformed her features when I walked in the room.

"The change in rank of your lead counsel has nothing to do with the severity of the charges. I was simply the one available to take over for the commander."

"Is Master Chief Hollenbeck going to be okay?" our client asks.

"Though he's currently in a medically induced coma, his doctors seem fairly certain that he'll make a full recovery."

I see her let out a breath of relief.

"I know that the commander and the lieutenant have spoken with you once, so I'm going to be asking you questions that I'm sure that you've been asked multiple times already, but I want to make sure that I have all the information possible in order to give you my advice about the deal that the prosecution is offering that we'll be discussing when we've finished going over the basics of your case."

I get a simple nod of consent.

I'd briefed Tiner on how I planned to speak with our client over lunch so that he wouldn't be surprised if my tone wasn't as friendly with our client as it had been with our witness earlier today, and that he wasn't to take the change in my demeanor as anything other than a style of interviewing, not on whether I believed her to be guilty or innocent.

"Chief, I want you to start by telling me how you know Master Chief Hollenbeck."

"We met aboard the Connie. That's the Constellation, Sir," she begins. "He was part of the ship's company, and I was with an air wing assigned to the Connie for deployment."

"What air wing?" I ask out of curiosity more than a need to know.

"HC-4," she replies.

"Helicopter squadron," I counter.

"Yes, Sir. H-60's."

Uninterested in talking about helicopters, I ask, "You met, and it immediately became a romantic relationship?"

"I wouldn't call it romantic, but we did have a relationship."

"When did it start?"

"We'd been deployed for a few weeks when he sat down next to me one afternoon in the mess hall. We talked. We met for lunches a few more times over the next couple of weeks...before anything happened between us. He was a nice guy. Six months is a long time to be away from family and friends. You get lonely."

Her last few lines seemed to be interjected more as an expression of remorse.

"Did he tell you that he was married?" I ask.

"Yes, I knew ... not at first, though. He told me after we'd been together a couple of times, but I ... we never intended for it to be more than a deployment fling, so we kept seeing each other...not that we were together every night. It was just when the loneliness would set in for one of us that we'd find a place to be alone."

"Then you got back from deployment and what happened?" I ask.

"We'd said our goodbyes the night before the ship pulled into port at North Island, and I hadn't seen or heard from him in the month since we'd returned from deployment. Then, two weeks ago, he showed up at my squadron looking for me. He told me that his wife had left him and that he needed a place to stay for a few days to clear his head. I didn't think that it was a good idea, but he said that she'd found out about us, not who I was but that he'd been having an affair while he'd been deployed. I felt partly responsible for the break up of his marriage, so I agreed that he could stay with me for a few days. He stayed for three nights on my couch, and then he told me that he appreciated my kindness and that he was going to talk to his wife about doing whatever he had to do to save his marriage."

"Did you see or speak to him between the last night that he stayed with you and the night that he was stabbed?"

"I didn't see him, but he called a few days later - on that Friday - and said that his marriage was over. She wouldn't take him back this time. He asked if he could come over. I told him no. He said that he needed a friend. 'I'm so lonely,' he said. I don't know why that line got to me. I guess because it's why we'd gotten together in the first place. I could really understand how he was feeling. He sounded like he'd been drinking, so I told him that I'd come to pick him up, and I did pick him up at a bar and took him back to my place to sleep it off, but ..." Her voice trials off.

"The two of you..." It's always hard to know what to say to finish that sentence in a case like this because she's made no secret that sex but not love was part of their relationship, yet it seems so crass of me to say 'screwed' in mixed company.

"Yes, Sir, we had sex that night, and he spent the weekend with me ... and we talked, or at least I did. I told him that he needed to stay away from me and give his wife some time to cool off. Maybe once she'd had time to get over being hurt by him, they could work it out. Besides, I didn't want to be the other woman. Then I didn't see him again until he showed up at my door the night that he was stabbed, but I didn't do it," she answers.

"Did you and Master Chief Hollenbeck have a fight the night that he was stabbed?" I ask.

"I wouldn't call it a fight because it wasn't physical, but we did have an argument."

"Why were you arguing?"

"He knocked on my door. It was after 2000, but I'm not sure of the exact time. When I answered the door, he said that we needed to talk. I told him that I'd said all I had to say the last time that he'd been there and that he needed to leave. He pushed past me. I told him to leave again. He told me to hear him out and then he'd leave if I still wanted him to. I agreed, but for some reason, I didn't feel safe with him, so I kept the door of my apartment open and stayed right there by it, clutching the knob and ready to bolt if necessary."

"Did he threaten you in any way that night or at any time prior to that night?"

"No, there was just something about him that made me uncomfortable, and that uneasiness is what made me cautious," she replies.

"After he barged in, what did he say to you?"

"He said that he'd done a lot of thinking since we'd talked last and he knew that he couldn't go back to his wife because he didn't love her anymore. He said that he was in love with me ... that all he needed to be happy was me, and he knew that I felt the same way about him."

She stops for a moment to gather her thoughts before proceeding.

"I told him that I'd heard what he had to say and that he needed to leave. It was then that he started to get loud. He said that I'd been leading him on for months. I told him that I didn't know what he was talking about, that I'd been honest with him from the start and that I wasn't interested in a relationship with him. He called me a whore. I was so angry that I yelled 'get out', and he left mumbling, calling me more names, but he left. I slammed the door, locked and dead-bolted it. I was angry, but I didn't go chasing after him and stab him. I went to the kitchen, poured myself a shot or two of vodka and downed it. Then I went to my bedroom, turned the radio on loudly enough that I could hear it in the bathroom and went to take a hot bath."

"When did you learn that Master Chief Hollenbeck had been stabbed?"

"It wasn't until the police knocked on my door to question me the next evening that I knew that he'd been stabbed and where it had happened, but it wasn't me. I didn't do it. I don't love him, but I do care about him. Why would I want to hurt or kill him?"

"The prosecution's theory is that he wanted to break things off with you that night and that you were angry when he said that he wasn't going to leave his wife to be with you."

"That isn't what happened, but even if it had, do they really think that I'd try to kill a guy for dumping me?"

"I don't know if they truly believe it, but that's what they're going to use to convince the jury if this case goes to trial, which brings us to the deal that the prosecution is offering you."

I go over the deal that Major Shelby put on the table this morning, along with my recommendation that, if she's been completely truthful with me, she shouldn't take the deal because there's still one witness who could clear her of the charges that no one has been able to get a statement from yet - the victim.

"I've told you the absolute truth. I don't want to take the deal. I'm innocent."

"Then we'll inform the prosecution of your decision," I reply before Tiner and I stand to leave.

"We'll keep you informed of our progress," I say as we stand at the door, waiting for the guard to open it to let us out.

OUTSIDE THE BRIG

"Tiner, I want you to check on Master Chief Hollenbeck's current condition. I also want you to find out some things about Mrs. Hollenbeck."

"Like her height and weight to see if she fits Mr. Estes description at all?"

Yes, he's definitely starting to think like a criminal trial attorney.

"That, and I want to know if she's been visiting her husband in the hospital. Also, get their home address because I think that our next interview needs to be with the victim's wife. Find out if she works outside the home as well, because I'd like to speak with her tomorrow."

"Not tonight, Sir?" Tiner asks, sounding disappointed.

"Though I admire your enthusiasm, Lieutenant, it'll take some time to get the information that I've asked for, and even if you do get the information together quickly, we don't want to inconvenience Mrs. Hollenbeck by knocking on her door in the middle of dinner. Besides, I have a few command responsibilities to take care of while you gather the information that I've asked for. We'll meet tomorrow to discuss your findings. Since tomorrow is Saturday, sleep in. We'll meet in my office at 1000 to go over the information that you've gathered and review the interviews that we did today. Then we'll take it from there."

"Yes, Sir."

"Tiner, you'll find that you won't have a lot of free time when your cases go to trial. Every night you'll be going over your notes from the testimony that day, sometimes second guessing your strategy, writing motions and a lot of other things. So, if you decide to continue in your career with the higher-profile criminal cases like this one...be home with your wife when you can."

"Yes, Sir."

With that, we get into the car to head back to the RLSO to go about our individual tasks, which for me includes not missing my set time to call home and say good night to my children.

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Replies:

[> pure excellence - as always! -- Nettie, 19:13:00 04/19/13 Fri [1]


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[> Getting much more interesting. Amazing chapter. Can't wait for more. -- Beth, 20:19:53 04/19/13 Fri [1]


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[> I am so glad you have another chapter to the story. My Monday was an incredibly bad day at work and I was overjoyed to see you had started another story. Thank you so much. -- Debbi, 22:32:56 04/19/13 Fri [1]


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[> Harm, as always, is jumping right into the fray, good chapter, getting intersting! -- JoyZ, 23:52:29 04/19/13 Fri [1]


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[> Amazing chapter, really interesting. I've always loved the mentoring side of Harm, and you evoke it so well. -- Dee, 06:57:16 04/20/13 Sat [1]


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[> great chapter looking forward to more -- Bev uk, 09:15:51 04/20/13 Sat [1]


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[> Great chapter! -- cd, 13:00:52 04/20/13 Sat [1]


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[> My hubby took me away for a mini vacation and I was so happy to find fananicfan back and with her perfect Rabb family series. Thank you so much and I am loving Part 45. -- Can Sheshe, 17:22:08 04/22/13 Mon [1]


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[> So happy to see this when I returned from my West Coast jaunt at Midnight last night -- was too tired to comment, but went to bed with a big smile. Hoping baby Patty will flourish as most premies do. She was so wanted. -- carramor, 21:20:03 04/26/13 Fri [1]


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