ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟛𝟟 #2
I quietly sat beside him, pulling my own notebook from my bag. My fingers trembled just enough that I had to steady them against the tabletop before uncapping my pen.
A loud metallic buzz echoed somewhere beyond the hallway, then heavy boots against polished concrete.
My stomach twisted.
Judge Johnson calmly adjusted his glasses. "Remember."
I looked at him.
"Listen more than you speak."
I nodded. "I think I know that already."
"No, you don't." His eyes remained on the doorway.
Before I could ask what the hell he meant, the door opened. Two correctional officers entered first, then Justin Deyes.
For one terrifying second I didn't recognize him. He looked older. Like, completely worn out. His prison uniform hung loosely from his frame.
His beard had grown out slightly.
Dark circles rested beneath tired eyes that seemed to scan every inch of the room before finally landing on me
His entire body froze. Mines did too. His expression changed so quickly it almost made my head hurt.
He looked back toward Judge Johnson. "What..."
His voice came out rough. "What is she doing here?"
No one answered immediately. Justin's eyes returned to me.
"I thought it was just you." Justin said.
Judge Johnson folded his hands together. "It was."
"So why is she here?" Justin frowned.
"Because I asked her to be." Judge Johnson answered calmly.
Justin laughed uncontrollably. We both had to wait for him to cool down from his fit of giggles. "You're kidding."
"I'm not."
"No," He looked directly at the judge. "I agreed to meet with you."
His eyes shifted toward me again.
"Not this bitch."
I lowered my gaze. I couldn't blame him.
Judge Johnson remained composed. "Mr. Deyes..."
Justin shook his head.
"No," He pointed toward me. "She stood ten feet away while they sentenced me."
His voice cracked just enough for him to stop speaking altogether. He swallowed hard.
"And now she's just here?"
"I understand why you're angry." I forced myself to meet his eyes.
"Oh, you think you understand?" His eyebrows lifted. He laughed again.
"Sorry to break it to you, Dixie West, but you don't. I've spent years staring at concrete walls because of that courtroom."
His eyes never left mine. "And all of a sudden you want to interview me?"
Every instinct inside me wanted to defend myself. To explain and say I was only doing my job.
But I remembered Judge Johnson's words.
Listen more than you speak.
So I did.
Judge Johnson finally leaned forward. "Mr. Deyes, I wouldn't have brought Ms. West if I didn't believe she needed to hear this."
Justin didn't even look at him. He was starting to scare me with his immense eye contact.
"I don't care what she needs. I care what you need."
That finally earned the judge his attention.
Judge Johnson continued. "I've spent the last several weeks reviewing your case. I've uncovered inconsistencies, and I've begun questioning conclusions that, quite frankly, I should've questioned months ago."
Justin stared at him, his face unreadable. It was just blank.
"I believe Ms. West deserves to hear everything."
Justin scoffed.
"Iff mistakes were made," Judge Johnson paused. "Then everyone involved has to face them."
Justin slowly looked back at me. "You really think I'm going to help you?"
My mouth finally opened.
"I don't expect you to. I don't expect forgiveness or for you to like me."
"That's good, because I don't." A tiny laugh escaped him.
I nodded. "I know."
"I came because..." I hesitated.
No legal wording sounded right. No sentence fit.
"If there did happen to be a mistake in your trial, then I owe you the truth."
Justin studied me for several long seconds. I almost started wondering if he was simply going to stand up and leave.
He slowly pulled out the metal chair, the legs scraped loudly across the concrete.
He sat and folded his hands together.
"So," He leaned back. "You wanted to hear my side."
His eyes briefly flicked toward mine. "You should've asked before you helped bury me."
That felt like a punch straight to the face. Judge Johnson quietly opened the first file.
Justin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Let's start there."
~
It was a good thing Justin Deyes had started talking about an hour in. Though every time, there would be parts he didn't explain, so that would take a little longer too.
I was halfway through my sixth legal pad. It was genuinely the most productivity I've had in days. It was a darn good thing Justin Deyes had finally started cooperating.
It hadn't happened all at once, though. The first hour had mostly consisted of silence, followed by one-word answers, then corrections.
But eventually something changed in him. Maybe Judge Johnson had earned his trust or he'd simply grown tired of carrying everything alone.
Either way, he started talking. My wrist ached, and my fingers were stained faintly blue from my pen.
Judge Johnson had pages spread across the table. Every few minutes, one of us would slide another document across to Justin.
Sometimes he'd shake his head, and other times he'd circle something. He'd stare at a name for nearly a full minute before quietly saying, "No."
"This statement." Judge Johnson tapped one of the witness interviews.
"The prosecution argued you left the convenience store immediately after purchasing the drink."
"I didn't." Justin barely glanced at it.
"You stayed?" I chimed in.
"I stayed."
"For how long?"
"I don't know."
"Estimate." Judge Johnson said, pushing his glasses a little further on his face.
Justin leaned back. "Ten minutes."
I immediately looked up. "Ten?"
"I waited outside." He nodded.
"Why?"
"My phone died."
I froze. Judge Johnson looked over at me.
I was already flipping pages.
"Phone records." I muttered more to myself than anyone else.
"We never subpoenaed..." My stomach twisted.
What? No.
Surely we had. Didn't we?
I found the old discovery list. There were cell records, cell tower pings, financial records, store receipts.
But no charging records.
Judge Johnson quietly reached over. "I noticed that too."
"They never asked." Justin watched both of us.
I looked up, a bit of disbelief on my face. "Your phone really died?"
"Would've been nice if somebody checked." He shrugged.
That was totally aimed at me.
He really knew how to hit a nerve. Seriously, where did the shy, nervous Justin Deyes go?
Still, I kept my calm.
Judge Johnson scribbled another note. "What happened after your phone died?"
"I borrowed a charger."
"From who?" he asked.
"I don't know his name."
"Perhaps an employee?"
Justin shook his head. "Customer."
My pen immediately stopped moving. "Customer? You never mentioned that."
"No one asked." Justin rubbed his forehead, shrugging again.
Another witness that had somehow vanished before trial even began. I quickly underlined the sentence three times.
"Find the surveillance list." Judge Johnson nodded toward me.