Buried Lies

The early morning breeze brought cool air and the fresh scent of the spring flowers in bloom swayed with the wind. Kurt stood by the window looking closer at the known routine of the place he grew up. He smiled at the thought of how meager people’s minds are. “Fools”, he said.  A ring on the phone shrugged his face in its neutral state.

After the call, Kurt immediately put on his suit and went out of the house. With his tall, medium built body and fair looks, it would be hard not to notice his presence. A friendly face and gentlemanly behavior make him seem more like a Hollywood superstar than a lawyer. Entering his own office, he soon found his place comfortable. He began his work with a cup of coffee, and a bread. He set aside the pile of paper works and began to read the newspaper instead. Finding nothing new, Kurt began his day work.

The sun was in  the middle of the sky. Kurt felt the boredom creeping over him, and he diverted his attention outside his office. From the 8th floor, Kurt observed the view below: a busy street full of people walking, talking, shouting; cars honking... It was an endless noise and Kurt's eyes began to move here and there. His head turned dizzy and he gave a gasped. He looked away... Just then, he heard familiar footsteps approaching his office. He had to be prepared to let the unexpected stranger enter his office. With knocks on the door, the secretary, Ms. Julie entered his office. The talk straightly went into the point. “….. this case…..is going to be held this afternoon.” It was a one way conversation. After Miss Julie, Kurt shortly nodded as a sign of response. Kurt looked at the file and a couple of minutes later, he left his office. He needed to go to the court.

A series of killings shook the country recently. Seven cases of murder; victims lashed out on the left of the neck. It took months to capture the suspect -  Adrian Warstone; mid-thirties; tall with strong-built.

Kurt processed the details in his mind. A moment before Kurt opened the door, he thought, "They accused the wrong person."

Inside the courtroom, Kurt found his seat next to Adrian Warstone, his client. Kurt is a young lawyer, but he knew the ropes. Soon enough, the court was filled with juries and visitors, then the judges finally entered the court.

The petitioner started the trial, introducing the people inside the court.Then, the chief justice allowed Kurt to speak.

Kurt, standing firmly started advocating the defendant.

"Your Honour, the defendant, Adrian Warstone pleads not guilty. He was accused of things he has never done, in the falsity."

The defects of the evidences, and the reliability of witness' confession were questioned.

It would have been an easy case, but not around Prosecutor James Wilson. He is notorious as Human Rights advocate. Prosecutor Wilson presented the fingerprints of the defendant on the knife and records of CCTV camera. James seemed to make his side advantageous once more. As James continued about explaining the crimes of the defendant, with the pictures of victims, the defendant stayed still without a single word.

Session by session, the evidence got stronger and stronger against Adrian Warstone. The decision came out and Kurt failed to prove that Adrian Warstone was not guilty but succeeded in avoiding death sentence for him. The people inside the court started leaving slowly. Kurt remained in the court. He was processing his failure when a familiar voice sounded behind,

"Still here?", the man said.

Kurt slowly turned back to figure out the person. Kurt knew too well Prosecutor Wilson.  He never had any good words to say to him. Kurt gave him a glare and left. Not a word said...

"Are you running away again?" James said.

Kurt stopped walking.

"Just like you did before? You should take consequences for what you have done", James' voice filled the room.

Kurt was aghast, and almost instantly he was dragged into this pit of a bitter memory he had buried ten years ago.

It was the night of the prom. Kurt nervously fixed his bow tie and slightly touched his brushed up hair before he rang the doorbell in front of the Wilson’s. Mr. Thomas Wilson opened the door with a dull look and his eyes went straight to Kurt’s eyes as if he was measuring him. Before the intense look almost drowned Kurt, Cecilia came out behind his father. She kissed her father goodbye and hold Kurt’s hand dragging him to the car.

Kurt signaled a nod to Mr. Thomas Wilson and he said, “I’ll bring her home by 12 sir.”

Kurt almost tripped on his way to the car. Cecilia gave a smirk and Kurt’s face turned into a mashed tomato. Before he could even open the car door, Cecilia had already made her way in.

There was an awkward air in the car. Kurt had always been an antisocial, introverted nerd. Aside from his friend James Wilson, Cecilia’s brother, he never had any casual conversation with anyone in school. Kurt liked Cecilia since fifth grade. Being with her inside the car made him really sweat a lot and uncontrollably uneasy.

It would take thirty minutes to go to Huntsville High for the venue of the prom night. But Kurt couldn’t seem to break the ice between them.

“Let me drive” said Cecilia.

Kurt hit the brake a bit hard and they went into a stop.

“Come on Kurt. Let me try” pleaded Cecilia

Kurt looked at Cecilia for a while. She wore this tantalizing smile that seemed to hypnotize him. Kurt smiled and changed seat with Cecilia.

The car moved like a desert snake, unsteady. Cecilia was laughing hard while Kurt’s shaky hands slightly touched the wheel. It was a funny experience until…

“Screeeeeeeech!”  

The car sounded like it made a hit. Kurt and Cecilia’s eyes turned big as they were sure they hit something. They hurriedly went down and saw a bleeding woman on the road. It took a while before the woman took face, but it came as a surprise, a big one when Cecilia recognized the bleeding woman as her mother.

“Mom? Mom? Wake up mom!” Cecilia cried hysterically.

Kurt’s legs felt weak and he was processing the reality of what just happened. It took a while for Kurt to snap out, and immediately he asked Cecilia to help him carry the woman in the car and bring her to the hospital.

Dead on arrival. Time of death: 9:45 P.M.

The rain soon started to wet the ground, It rained as if the sky was sad as well. The happiest day that was supposed to last as the best memory turned into the worst nightmare.

Cecilia had never been the same after the incident. She took the accident too heavily on her shoulders and she cried every night and refused to eat all. Soon enough the guilt crept all over her and consumed her. She could not forgive herself for what happened. Just a week after the funeral of Mrs. Wilson, Cecilia overdosed herself and she was found dead on her bed with a letter beside her. James cried in grief and he couldn’t help but feel great anger at Kurt ever since. James couldn't help but blame James for living a normal life while he lost his mother and sister.

Ten years was not enough  to mend a broken soul. Kurt felt a piercing pain on his chest as if there is a knife on it slowly getting in, painfully. He barely moved his lips, in lack of  utterance of what to say. Kurt knew so well how James felt, and he himself agreed to this. He deserved part of the blame for letting Cecilia drive that night. He knew he did something wrong and he lived with this his entire life. The feeling of guilt lurks inside Kurt and there was never a day when he did not regret it. Kurt knew more than to fight with James, he only gave him a look and he immediately went towards the door to avoid the confrontation.

James look at Kurt as he left the courtroom. “Poor Kurt…” James said. His sad, almost crying face turned into a sinister smile. “Fool! Fool! Fool!” he kept repeating in his mind.  

It was the night before the prom, two shadows were reflected from the light talking as quietly as grave.

The low voice spoke “ The insurance is enough to live 10 years lavishly.”

Then a soft voice replied “ Are you sure this will be successful?”

“Don’t drop a mice inside the soup. It is perfect, no one on Earth will know the truth, even the moon on this bright sky,” the low voice shouted.

He started to giggle “ Or you are scared just like a little sweet girl.”

“ Don’t talk to me that way. It disgusts me out.”

“ We are finally ready to give the final shot tomorrow. Just remember that you need to be ready to abandon before being abandoned. Even if it is our mother”

The girl looked at the eyes of guy, then left the room.

The guy murmured “ Yeah.. you always need to be ready to leave, Cecilia.”

Then he reflected himself in the mirror,  “ This is going to be a masterpiece in my life. You will enjoy luxurious life with that money, James.”

The night of the prom has arrived. James couldn’t be as excited as now. The time had finally arrived to fulfill his dream. He couldn’t stop himself from staring at the clock tick-tocking.

Cecilia followed the plan accordingly, after witnessing her mother from the distance, she asked Kurt to change the seat with her. She pressed the pedal hard and the car sped up hitting the person to her death. The drama was perfectly plotted.

Until...

“James I can’t take it anymore. She is in my mind… when I’m awake… when I’m asleep” Cecilia said with agitated voice. Her hand is shaking and her body is rattling.  

James calmed her and gave her a medicine for her depression. Cecilia took the medicine and lied down, but she felt giddy; her body twitched in a disturbing manner; bubbles started to come out of her mouth… her legs moved in an irregular rhythm, kicking everywhere; her body looked as if she was being pulled up and down. Then a twitch… and Cecilia was left lifeless, her eyes looking dull with tears.

James saw every bit of this torment happen. His face remained neutral, emotionless. He went near Cecilia and put a letter beside her. Cecilia, for James, would only cause trouble. He would have let her live if she did not become so emotional about what happened. Before she became a problem, he had to stop her. She was weak. But James had no guilt. Not for his mother. Not for Cecilia. Why would he? They were not his real family anyway. With the two of the hindrance to his life dead, James would be the sole heir.

James walked his way to the car in  good mood. No one knows~ And no one will ever know~