Excerpt from Sebastian Saidi’s Testimony
Excerpt from Sebastian Saidi’s Testimony
(Sebastian Saidi coughs.)
SS: Do you have the photos?
SS: Ah, yes. What a scandal. The photographers swore that the snapshots were from the day Antonia Hawtrey-Moore died. They were from the day after. The news came out the same day the police named her husband as the prime suspect in her murder.
(The young man whistles. The officer asks him to focus on the initial question. What happened on February 15?)
SS: That’s what I was getting at. This photograph…
First, the press thought that, just hours after his wife’s death, Larousse had decided to go out for dinner with a colleague.
Odd behaviour, to say the least. Then, someone revealed the identity of the “colleague.” The story took a new turn, but not in a different direction.
Larousse had met with a lawyer to represent him.
That’s how the press saw it. That’s how we saw it.
Saidi is a small firm… My uncle is a very private man.
Had Larousse asked him to be his lawyer in the case?
Sarah thought so. I had my doubts. But if that meeting had another purpose besides that, we couldn’t know.
André became Larousse’s lawyer on February 15.
Officer AM: Did André talk to you about the case?
SS: Of course, of course. I’m the heir to Saidi; I need to learn from him.
My uncle and Timotheo Larousse have been friends for years.
I had met Larousse years ago, once. I know he doubts Larousse’s innocence…
But isn’t that his job? To dig up each client’s dirty laundry and then hide it, hoping the judge never finds it?
The legal field is morally complex. I don’t know if Larousse is innocent or not; I don’t want to know.
What’s my conclusion, after seeing André’s defence?
Officer AM: What is it, Mr. Saidi?
SS: Timotheo Larousse is innocent of killing his wife. Someone killed Antonia Hawtrey-Moore, but there’s no doubt that it wasn’t her husband.
Officer AM: I understand that you are close to the Hawtrey-Moore family, though not to Larousse. Tell me, what would you think if you didn’t know your uncle’s defence? Would you still believe in his innocence?
(Sebastian Saidi smiles. It doesn’t last long. The expression fades from his face as if it had never been there.)
SS: No. I wouldn’t believe it. Nor would I believe he’s guilty. To be honest, I wouldn’t know what to believe. A lot of time has passed. No one has confessed. Do you have a suspect? Is that why you’re asking me these questions?
Officer AM: The case has not been resolved yet, Mr. Saidi. Your uncle’s trial is scheduled for next week, if I’m not mistaken. You’ll have to wait to hear the judge’s opinion, like everyone else. I’m afraid the rest of the information is confidential.