The Second Trial: Discussions.

"So what can we do now? About my brother?" Frank sat down on the leather chair in Hector’s office.

Given Joe’s answer, which Frank knew was born out of depression, they had very little grounds on which to fight the case. The first trial was too rushed, everybody wanted revenge since it was the first homicide since the serial killings a while back. They had no time to prepare a good defense and Joe had to suffer for it.

It did not help that Joe, for the first time round, had actually ‘confessed’ with eyes pleading the jury not to show mercy but to dish out punishment. The horrifying ‘confession’ was thrown out because a psychiatrist had certified that Joe was not in the right state of mind- in such severe depression that he could no longer think clearly. However, he was still charged on grounds of mere circumstantial evidence.

That’s the problem with the Jury system. It’s judgmental. People don’t just throw a damn ‘confession’ out of the window. They remember it. It affects their decisions.

"We have to go ahead with Plan B." Hector blew wispy ghosts into air from his cigar. Frank covered his nose, unaccustomed to the fumes. Only after the ghosts softly caressed his face and dissipated into air, did Frank speak.

"Joe will never like Plan B. Joe had, in a way, convicted himself just so Plan B will never surfaced… I don’t like it one bit either." Frank was adamant. Prison life was extremely tough on Joe, but Plan B would sure destroy whatever was left of his brother in one swift stroke. And he had the sinking feeling that Joe would prefer prison to whatever Plan B would force him to admit.

Hector leaned forward, putting his cigar aside for a while. "Look. I like the both of you. I admire the bond of brotherhood between you and Joe. Your father and I go back a long way back and I’m not about to see one of his son in jail. If you will just let go of honor and integrity for a while and see that the time we have left is not very long…you’ll agree with me as well. Do you think prison life is very pretty? I know of someone who went inside and after two months, he committed suicide. It was proven later that he was innocent of the crimes he was accused of. Your brother might just as well be another one of those tragedies in the making. Even if you’re not going to go along with me, I’ll still do it."

"I don’t like this one bit." Frank repeated himself but not as convinced as before. He was no fool. He was not an innocent boy, sheltered from the horrors of the world. The cases he and Joe had taken on before had shown him much ugliness in the world. The internet was full of information on the darker side of prison "reformation" that Frank prayed everyday would not happen to his beloved brother.

But seeing Joe lying on the prison hospital bed sent fear coursing through my veins. In fear that one of those heinous realities had found its way into my little brother’s life. Prison riot was what was claimed. I’m so afraid it’s actually worse.

Much worse. I read statistics. 20% or more of prisoners suffered some form of violation. Such injustice in a place meant for justice, for reformation. Such cruel brutality- appalling animal instincts to prey and dominate, nothing remotely human about it at all.

Such a bane of the world.

And now I have to reclaim him. I will reclaim him.

"Frank, you’re on your way to becoming a lawyer in my firm, and I can see, an outstanding one. Sometimes, when we are faced with such a dilemma, we ask ourselves, is honor worth it if an innocent life is at stake? I’m giving you an insight now. Criminal law is not pretty. The court battles we face everyday can get downright dirty. There’s more at stake now- an innocent who’s your brother as well. What will you do?"

"I fought for justice, Hector. I seek the truth. I don’t like fabricating one just to…"

"It’s not the truth. It’s just reasonable doubt. And if you not thought of it as well, you would not have dug out those reports by hacking into the psychiatrist’s system." Hector slumped back on his chair. "I don’t like what I suggested either. It will very probably set Joe free. But I’ve seen the Vanessa girl. She’s a real sweetheart."

"She is." Frank tried to block Vanessa’s face out from his mind. If Vanessa knew what they would be doing, Vanessa would hurl curses down from heaven on the both of them.

Sorry Van, I have to do this for Joe. Please understand. Forgive me.

You love him too, don’t you?

"So how are we going to execute it?" Frank closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, his reluctance was extremely evident. "Without condemning her in the procedure?"

"We judge the jury’s expressions and maybe…if Joe perform well tomorrow, we may never need to use it, though it will be a big risk to take."

And if we do? How will Joe look at me? How will he look at himself? He may even…

This evil called Suicide never claims only one life. Never.

Because I’m watching it slowly claim my little brother. 

***

Present 

"Mina, this is Frank and Maggie…" Callie introduced her boyfriend and his pesky sister to Mina, Vanessa’s petite, exquisite cousin who had relocated to America from Australia, Brisbane.

Mina’s father passed away in a tragic car accident 7 months ago, leaving her orphaned since her mother, Andrea’s younger sister, had died a good seventeen years ago because of a sudden heart attack. Andrea then persuaded her favorite niece to come stay with her and it was not until a month ago till all the arrangements were settled and now, Mina was officially an UB first year student in Social Sciences.

They had arranged to have dinner in Arachno before the restaurant turn into a semi-high class pub at night. The orange lights of the place warmed up the patrons very well indeed and there were lively conversations going on all over the place. Plush seats complimented beautifully crafted metal tables with frosted glass tops. Arachno, despite the spidery feel of its name- given perhaps to emphasize the slightly more chaotic crowd later on in the night, if there was ever such a case- actually offered a very cozy and relaxed ambience.

Yet it could not relax us. Only Maggie, who’s chirping away happily with Frank on a one-sided conversation. My boyfriend as usual is as quiet and pensive as he can get. I know he’s smart. But does he have to think so much?

"Hello. I know your brother knew Ness very well, in fact, they were very much in love." Her crystalline voice was just like her delicate features, fragile and precious. Her Asian heritage had done well to soften the prominent features of her Caucasian side to bring about a very exotic and beautiful mien. Callie was glad that Frank did not pay her more attention than what was acceptable though. If anything, Frank refused to even look into Mina’s eyes.

It’s not only Joe who’s ridden with guilt, it’s Frank as well. He did think of Plan B together with the lawyer. And now, in our little group of close friends, though we claim we understand, we are so shock that he could so callously caused wounds to cut deep into Andrea; so cruelly suggest the unthinkable.

But I do understand a little. It’s his duty to protect Joe. It’s his wish to do so. I wonder if he would sacrifice his integrity for me as well. If only they knew that it was no easy choice for him to make. He was out of wits, out of energy.

Running on empty everyday.

And I can only be here, knowing that no matter how dear I am to him, I’ll never be as precious to him as his bumbling, foolish kid brother.

"Mina! I’m Maggie!" Maggie’s shrill voice annoyed Callie for some reason. Maggie always annoyed Callie. She had a playful and yet haughty aura about her, no doubt nurtured from the exalted music boarding school for girls, LeBach School of Music, where she spent many years away from her family, only coming back for summer holidays.

Besides Callie, Maggie was also a constant bickering partner for Joe, having his impatience and none of his grace; all his playfulness and yet something more, something extremely lovable as well. It was a lovability which caused Callie to be a little jealous because it came with untainted innocence. Even after what happened to Joe, Maggie still had her innocence. Joe and Frank protected her the best they could from the evils of the world.

If only you know how much you’re hurting your brother, Joe. He’s not invincible you know.

"Hello." Mina smiled but her gaze was fixed on Frank, summing him up. Callie had promised Andrea she would show Mina around, but she had not told Andrea she would introduce Mina to Frank. Andrea hated Frank for what he said in court. And Andrea hated Joe, thinking that Joe had been the true perpetrator, no matter what the evidence said.

Callie could still remember how her gang had all visited Vanessa’s grave on her birthday a few months back. Joe was there with them, distanced from them. He watched them from afar, not able to step too close to the stone tablet having created a mental and spiritual barrier for himself.

Andrea arrived out of the blue and hell ensued.

"I want you away from my daughter’s resting place! You! You caused her death!" She slapped Joe who hung his head low.

"I’m sorry Andrea. I’m really sorry." Joe mumbled, his tone devoid of emotions, devoid of everything. Andrea glared angrily as Joe turned away from her and walked away with Frank hurrying behind, afraid that Joe would do something dumb.

Callie shuddered slightly as vivid memories flashed in her head. Andrea’s looks could kill Joe infinity times over, with enough hatred left to send him to the unquenchable crackling fires of hell.

"I was hoping to see Joe though. There are many things I want to ask him. Ness and me are real close. Like sisters…" Mina spoke, her collected voice trailed off to reveal the touching sadness at the tragic passing of her cousin.

Her Australian drawl was no more noticeable than a speck of dust in the air. She spoke well, refuting all stereotypes that Asians could not master the English language or would have terrible accents. Mina put most native speakers to shame with her perfect diction.

But she’s native right? Australians speaks English…though the slang is a little different.

She don’t shame me though. I major in Journalism. My language is better than most.

Why am I getting jealous over her diction? Oh…it’s just as exquisite as her…Stop it, Cal. Frank’s not even looking at her.

And I really should not be jealous at all.

But he was now, anxiousness in his eyes as he thought of the questions that Mina said she wanted to ask Joe. Callie suddenly had an image in her mind that Frank probably thought those questions would be like bullets from a gun, drilling at intense speeds through Joe’s body. Though the thought was morbid, she thought graphically in a cartoon-like manner thus it was slightly hilarious. She giggled and Frank broke his gaze from Mina to frown at her.

She stopped immediately. Sometimes, Frank treated her too much like a little kid.

"Mina, what do you want to ask Joe?" Frank queried Mina, worry creeping into his usually calm tone.

"Nothing…just…I…" Mina lost her composure because Frank’s gaze was very intense and prohibiting. She stammered a little, like a child backed into a corner by a parent.

"Please…I know you’re hurting but so is Joe. It’s all he can think about everyday…if you’re going to ask him right out whatever you want to about Ness…. Mina, Vanessa’s cause of death is really not confirmed. We just went along with Plan B to get my brother out of hell. He’s still trying to get out of a hell he created for himself…don’t- and I mean it- don’t thwart our efforts." Frank’s pleas were so passionate that Mina’s ladylike decorum slipped.

Callie saw the young girl inside, so similar to all of them.

Another one with self-made defenses. The world has so many of your kind.

Whatever happened to openness?

Probably the world’s not safe for that.

"Joe is not responsible…he feels so guilty already…don’t push him too far." Frank added, still imploring Mina with his eyes.

Maggie backed up her brother by giving Mina a begging look as well. She was not as good an orator as Frank. She had no pretty words, no heartfelt way to convey her own worries.

Mina slumped backwards in the chair and pressed her lips together. And after an eternity, she gave the two siblings a re-assuring smile.

"I’m sorry. I’m too impulsive. I know the grief…I feel the grief. But Vanessa had sent me so many letters gushing about Joe, I just feel I have to see it for myself, judge for myself if what Andrea says is true. But I know your fears. I promise I will not do anything to hurt your brother. By the way, where is he?" Mina’s understanding words calmed Frank down a little and brought a happy smile to Maggie’s lips.

"He’s busy. He has a part-time job." Frank replied lamely, speaking the half-truth.

"Oh, he’s doing this gig at a place called Storm…I heard it’s a real…" Maggie, for some reason, warmed up to Mina pretty well, perhaps even held the strange girl in unexplainable awe. Mina eyes, so hauntingly similar to Vanessa’s, lighted up.

Frank noticed it, thus he interrupted his little sister.

"Maggie…pass me the salt." Frank did not really want the salt but Callie saw that his real message to Maggie was in his looks. Maggie heard it and clamped up immediately, passing Frank the salt which was only a few centimeters away from Frank’s hands.

An uncomfortable silence hung over them.

"So Mina, what are you majoring in?" Callie asked, trying to break the tension.

Mina smiled, more relaxed and friendly and Callie almost changed her initial opinion of her. Almost. It was almost true that it was in every girl’s genes to warm a little less quickly to gorgeous girls. Especially gorgeous girls themselves. But Maggie had no such problems, being an extremely amiable and welcoming girl.

"History. I’m doing a most interesting course called Intellectual History this semester besides others. I missed a good month. I hope I have very little to catch up on," was Mina’s innocent and yet, alarm-inducing answer.

Frank’s eyes immediately went into that anxious mode again. Callie laid a hand on her boyfriend’s shoulders to soothe his fears.

Joe can take care of himself. He’s big enough.

I hope you can take care of yourself too Frank. I may not always be here to hold on to you.

She felt her boyfriend stiffening a little but still mustering up a friendly smile. "No, you did not miss much. I’m taking that course. I can lend you the notes." Frank offered. Mina beamed back at him immediately.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you."

And Callie bristled, unexplainable jealousy coursed through her veins for a split second before she caught herself because she felt she no longer had the right to that feeling anymore.

***

Maggie stepped out of her cubicle before Mina, having visited the restroom together with her. She had seen how Mina’s eyes sparkled when she mentioned Joe’s workplace. Maggie had badly wanted to go take a look at the warehouse pub that seemed so forbidding to an unescorted girl. Joe had warned her many times, not so much with gory stories but with his deadly eyes, never to step into the place, but Maggie was bursting with curiosity. She knew many philosophical students of UB frequent that pub and a handful of them were classified as the weirdoes in UB. That made the place interesting already to her. She wanted so badly to just enter and soak up the atmosphere and partake in the drinking from the cup of angst.

I’m a musician…I need to see the darker side of life as well…to bring passion into the more somber pieces of course.

Who am I kidding? I’m just a curious cat. Maybe about to skin myself.

The restroom was empty save her and Mina, the odd girl who was made all the more unique because of her heritage. Maggie had taken an instant liking to Mina, who was her age, a year younger than Joe at 18. Maggie lacked friends in Bayport and she had hoped Mina would be one to her. And maybe, if all went well, she would have a best friend and a boyfriend- a candidate she was still actively searching for, though she already had a crush on someone prohibited to her by Joe- by the time she completed her direct Masters in Music Studies.

She heard a flushing sound. Mina stepped out of the cubicle, walked towards the basin and washed her hands.

"What’s this Storm place that you were talking about before Frank stopped you?" Mina inquired, eying Maggie inquisitively. Maggie wanted so much to just spill the beans because it was in her nature to be not able to keep any secrets.

"Hmm…no where…"

"Oh Maggie…I won’t tell Frank…is it some hip trendy pub? I like Arachno but it’s a little too mature for me. I’m ready to leave anytime." Mina sounded more like her age then, her voice missing that enigmatic, serious tone.

Maggie was ready to bolt as well. She never liked Arachno. She felt it was way too adult for her. She wanted fun, loud music, not jazz which the law and medicine students in UB all seemed to be so hooked on.

And Frank as well. He had such an unthinkable passion for jazz.

Me and Joe used to question his choice in music all the time.

But Joe hardly does any questioning with me nowadays. I do miss him so much. He’s so far away from us.

"Hmm…."

"Maggie…let’s like check it out, shall we?" Mina gave her a conspiratorial look and Maggie’s temptation won over. Joe’s warnings were far, far behind in her excitement to explore that gloomy part of UB student’s usual hangouts.

"We have to keep it quiet and secret…" Maggie began, feeling like she was spelling out an oxymoron. Secrets and Maggie did not go well together, being always at odds with each other. "Because Frank will sure kick up a big fuss."

"You have my word." Mina winked mischievously and Maggie’s heart was pounding with exhilaration. It was like boarding school again when she and her old chums would sneak out at night to explore the seedier side of California, where LeBach was established.

Once, she and a few girls almost got into trouble and that was why they were more careful with where they explored ever since. It was the first time that Maggie realized the world was actually a very dangerous place.

And yet, she still could not heed the warning signs well.

She opened the door to find Callie right outside and fear gripped her for a while. Had Callie heard the conversation that had transpired? She knew Callie did not approve of her but she hoped desperately that if Callie heard, Callie would not rat on her.

"He..hello." Maggie stuttered from fear of being caught. Mina smiled that mysterious smile at Callie. Callie smiled back, but there was not much mirth.

"I’m going to use the bathroom. Frank had picked up the bill and he’s waiting for you two outside."

"Maggie’s bringing me around town some more. I don’t think we’ll be joining you guys." Mina informed Callie. Informed, because Mina had this tone that said no matter what Callie thought, Mina would go ahead with her plans anyway.

"Frank and me can show you around…"

"There isn’t a need. Just tell Frank we’re off. Thanks and bye." Mina grabbed Maggie’s hands and they disappeared from Callie’s sight. Maggie almost laughed when she saw the pissed off look on Callie.

***

Callie felt a cramp in her stomach and had to visit the ladies room immediately. She overheard Mina and Maggie’s plans but she had the urgent need to clear her bowels and could not give chase to the two young girls.

She would inform Frank the moment she got out, having a gut feeling that something would be terribly wrong. Women’s intuition. It hardly failed her.

Or maybe it’s just stomach cramps from PMS.