TEN


"Griffin called around midnight, asked if I had anything I could sell him. So I went to the frat house and sold him some coke and molly." Rebecca leaned her body on her knees as she explained the night Lila Stangard was murdered. Annora moved her attention from the girl and onto Wes who stared intently at Rebecca.

Her mouth turned into a subtle frown as she glanced between the two. Turning her attention back to Rebecca she caught the next sentences she spoke. "Next thing I know, we're kissing. Um..." Rebecca stared at Wes seeing his expression falter at her words, looking away from the girl.

"We had just started, when Lila came in. Apparently, I texted her, which I have no memory of. I just remember Lila yelling, hitting me. Griffin pulled her off. I tried to find her to explain what happened and apologize, but I couldn't, until I got to the roof. Then I strangled her and stuffed her head n a water tank."

The others in the room scrunched up their faces turning their heads away from the girl. Rebecca then started to laugh, eyes moving from each person in the room. "Oh, my gosh. You guys are so gullible."

Annalise having enough of the joking manner, spoke up, "Rebecca, take this prep seriously or go to jail." With a smile still on her face she turned her eyes to Annalise. "Isn't it kind of your job to make sure that doesn't happen?" The look she gave Annalise didn't quite sit well with Annora and by Annalise's next words, her either.

"You slut, white-trash killer. You made Griffin strangle that girl on the roof. You liked watching her die because that's the piece of garbage you are! That's what everyone in the world is gonna say about you. You don't care, neither do I. I'm not the one that's gonna be beaten, raped, and violated in jail. That's on you. So, what happened the night of Friday, August the 29th? Start from the beginning!"

The two stared harshly at each other causing Wes to speak up and break the tension. "Maybe... Maybe we should take a break." Annalise turned giving Wes a look before she began to walk back to her office. "Five minutes, and then we'll start again."

Annora picked up her papers seeing the other interns beside Wes speaking by Annalise's office. As she began to walk over she heard Asher speaking. "They've got to be doing the nasty by now. Although, I-I can't picture the puppy that way." Annora clenched her eyes shit and walked away from the four, seeing no reason to engage in the conversation.

Her eyes flicked over to Wes seeing him speaking, very closely, with Rebecca. Annora looks between the two groups before settling on spending her five minutes in the kitchen. She had only been in there two minutes when the front door shut causing her to peek her head out, hearing voices as she did so.

"Turn on the news." Frank rushed into the study heading to Annalise's office. "What is it?" Bonnies looked at him questionably as his hand rested on the doorknob. "Sex is out of the bag." His eyes moved around the room before he could knock on the door.

"Where's Nora?" Bonnie looked into the hall seeing Annora's shadow walking towards the study. "She's coming this way." Frank accepted the answer as he knocked on Annalise's door just as Bonnie turned the news on.

Annora slowly walked into the room seeing everyone looking at the TV. Frank caught her eye she as he shined a smile her way. "That Rebecca Sutter and Griffin O'Reilly had sexual intercourse the big that Lila Stangard was murdered. There have been rumors of a relationship between the two codefendants before, but now an anonymous source is claiming it was Miss Sutter who initiated the physical relationship, as Mr O'Reilly has taken a vow of virginity."

Annalise's voice was low as she spoke, staring blankly at the TV. "Call the judge and get a hearing for a gag order." Bonnie glanced at her before walking away to do so. The man on the news added that Rebecca talked Griffin into killing his girlfriend.

Annalise moved her eyes over to Rebecca who had a look of shock on her face. "You still feel like making jokes now?"

"The prosecution had leaked gossip to the press in order to slut-shame my client and poison the jury pool." Wendy cut Annalise off, gritting her teeth, "That is an offensive accusation." She stood to continue but Annalise had only spoke louder. "For an immediate gag order."

"Mrs. Keating is speculating, Your Honor. She can make all the loud allegations she wants. My office had nothing to do with this leak." Annalise's mouth opened in disbelief as she took the newspaper in her hand. "'O'Reilly and Sutter had sexual intercourse while high on cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamines,' and that's a direct quote from the detective statement in discovery."

When she placed the paper down Wendy Parks held her arms out to her sides looking to the judge for her belief. "Which doesn't prove that my office was behind it. It could've just as easily been Mr. O'Reilly and his counsel." Jared nodded in his chair staying calm as ever.

"Right, because releasing information that paints my client a devout, born-again christian as a drug taking, sex crazed jock serves our case how?" He turned his head to Wendy however before he could say anything else, Annalise spoke up, "It doesn't matter who leaked it. Everyone knows that it's the woman who gets vilified in these scenarios. I mean, look at these articles,"

She brought up the newspaper showing Rebecca's mugshot. "It's my client's face smeared across the front page, not Mr. O'Reilly's." Wendy rolled her eyes placing her palms against the desk. "And that is my fault how? I don't have editorial control over the papers."

Judge Morrow stopped her from going any further, releasing a small sigh. "Enough grandstanding. However this information got out and this court is lol he investigating just that the public's appetite for this case could result in undue bias for the codefendants. Therefore, I'm granting the gag order. And from here on out, none of you or your clients speak to the press."

"Thank you, Your Honor."

Jared Keegan then began to pull out photos handing them to the judge along with Annalise and Wendy, with Judge Morrow's approval. "And discovered several overlooked red marks." At his words, Frank grew a bit tense in his seat. "On the side of Miss Stangard's neck. He'll testify that these marks are fingernail puncture wounds left by the murderer. Since my client is a quarterback and keeps his nails clipped short, he did not leave those marks."

Jared walked back to his seat while Annalise waved her hand as she held the paper in a 'explain further' method. "What is the motion, Your Honor?"

Annora sat next to Connor as Frank handed out autopsy reports for them to go through. However instead of handing one to Laurel he tossed it beside her. Annora glanced between the two, furrowing her brows.

"Try to come up with different repairers for the marks on Lila's neck. Insect bites, abrasion from the water tank, postmortem decay." Bonnie looked at all of the interns with her hands folded.

Michaela walked towards Bonnie with a smile on her face seeing an opportunity. "Is it okay if I take a couple hours off on Wednesday? I just got a call to come in and interview at Sterling & White."

Asher's eyes moved up from the paper to Micheala, giving her an odd look. "You're meeting at Sterling?" Connor turned around with a ridiculed look on his face. "Isn't it a little too early for summer associate interviews?" She looked around the room with a small bragging smirk on her lips. "I guess they start at the top of the class and work their way down."

Connor rolled his eyes as Michaela turned to face Bonnie once more who had a care less attitude. "Just be quick about it. It's all hands on deck here." Wes sighed, throwing his hands about. "Exactly. Shouldn't we all be working full time on this?"

Michaela grabbed a few files out of the box directing her words towards Wes. "Relax, Romeo. I'll be back in time to help out your girlfriend." Wes' voice grew louder as he glanced around the room in disbelief, eyes staying on someone for a little longer. "She's not my girl-" Michaela rolled her eyes, sitting herself beside Asher. "Yeah. Whatever you say."

- 1498 words -

*•*•*

if I skip a scene it's because my fingers hurt and it's a bit boring... sorry for the short comeback chapter I have some family things going on right now. I was too tired to go edit so sorry for any mistakes. next chapter will be better.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top