"State your name for the record."
"Sergeant Thomas Ryan."
"Sergeant Ryan, tell us of the events leading to the arrest of Jason
Tremayne for the murder of Terry Harrison."
*******
"Thank you, Sergeant Ryan. No more questions, Your Honor. Your
witness, Mr. Murdock."
"Thank you. Sergeant Ryan, you stated in your earlier testimony
that you first saw Jason Tremayne during your initial investigation at the
murder scene."
"Yes.
"But that's not true, is it Sergeant? You look puzzled, allow me to
refresh your memory by reading back that portion of the transcript.... Ah,
here it is. Mr. Tyler: When was the first time you saw the defendant, Jason
Tremayne?' You answered, quote, at the murder scene, end quote. Is this
correct?"
"Yes."
"You're lying, Sergeant. We both know that the first time you saw
Jason Tremayne was at a football practice during your freshman year at
Florida State University. Isn't that true?"
"Objection, Your Honor! Whether or not Sergeant Ryan first saw the
defendant at the murder scene, or at a forgotten football skirmish fifteen
years ago doesn't have any relevancy to this case."
"I beg to differ, Your Honor. It has a great deal of relevancy
which I can show the court if you'll allow me to continue."
"Very well, Mr. Murdock, you may proceed. Objection overruled."
"Thank you, Your Honor. Now, Sergeant Ryan, I asked you a question.
Please be good enough to answer it."
"The very first time I saw Jason Tremayne was in college."
"How old were you at the time?"
"Eighteen."
"And how old was Mr. Tremayne?"
"I don't know, twenty-one, twenty-two."
"So you were a freshman player. I believe the term is red shirt,'
is it not?"
"Yes."
"So you were a red shirt, and Mr. Tremayne was a senior, a star
player, if memory serves me correctly."
"Yes."
"Something very unusual happened between you and Mr. Tremayne on
that day, didn't it?"
"No. It was just an ordinary practice."
"An ordinary practice? A practice where a senior star player, a
player who had already been approached by several professional football
teams, gets knocked flat out by an eighteen-year-old kid fresh out of high
school. I'd hardly call that an ordinary practice, would you?"
"I knocked him down. We were playing on opposite sides in the
practice; that's what I was supposed to do."
"That must have made you feel pretty good. The new kid, taking down
the star player. Did it make you feel good, Sergeant?"
"I don't remember."
"You don't remember? If it had been me, a kid trying to make his
mark on the football squad, and I knocked down the team's star, I'd
remember. Are you sure, you don't recall that day?"
"Okay, maybe. Yeah, yeah I remember."
"Good. Do you also remember how Mr. Tremayne responded to your
accomplishment?"
"He didn't like it."
"He didn't like it. That's all? He didn't like it? How do you
know he didn't like it? Did he say, Tom, I didn't like what you did, and
I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't do that again?'"
"No."
"What did he do? What was his reaction?"
"He was angry."
"Angry. All right, how do you know he was angry?"
"He got into my face, said he'd take care of it later."
"And how did that make you feel?"
"I don't know, upset, I guess."
"Upset? Didn't it bother you that someone older, bigger, and with a
lot more connections on the team, said he'd, what were your words? Oh yes,
take care of it later'?"
"Yes, I suppose it did."
"And did he...take care of it later?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"A few weeks later, at another practice, he knocked me flat out."
"And that was the end of it?"
"No."
"What happened?"
"A few weeks after that, I was walking back to my dorm room after a
party. Tremayne stopped me."
"Stopped you? That's it? He just stopped you on your walk?"
"No. He-he attacked me, punched me, knocked me down."
"He knocked you down. Just once? He knocked you to the ground and
walked away?"
"No. He pulled me up and hit me again."
"How many times did he hit you?"
"I don't know."
"Twice, three times?"
"I don't know."
"Four times? Five? Did he hit you five times!?"
"I don't remember!"
"I believe you, Sergeant. Finally, I believe you, because medical
records from the FSU student clinic show that you were found, unconscious
and beaten, on the sidewalk between your dormitory and the one where the
party you attended that night was held.
"The records also show that you said you couldn't remember what
happened. That you'd tripped on the sidewalk and fallen. But that was
another lie, wasn't it? You knew exactly who attacked you. Why didn't you
name your attacker, Sergeant Ryan?"
"I-I don't know. I just didn't."
"I think you do know. You didn't name your attacker because you
knew that if you wanted to play football, you'd have to face Jason Tremayne
again. And you knew that if you didn't play football, you'd lose the full
athletic scholarship that allowed you to attend Florida State. Didn't you?"
"Yes."
"So you kept quiet. You never said a word about what happened, and
you played out the year. Jason Tremayne graduated and you became the star
player on the team. Tremayne went on to a pro career and you believed that
you'd be next to follow him, didn't you?"
"I guess."
"You guess. All right, Sergeant, I'll let that one pass. Tremayne
went on to become a professional football player with the Chicago Bears. He
achieved money and fame, and later became a successful forensics lawyer.
But you didn't. What happened, Sergeant? How did you wind up on the Palm
Beach Police Force instead of at the Super Bowl?"
"I got hurt. Tore out my shoulder."
"And that was the end of your dream of playing pro football?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, that must have been a very difficult time for you."
"Yes, yes it was."
"Still, you seem to have recovered well. You're in excellent
physical shape, as evidenced by your attack on Mr. Tremayne at the air strip."
"I didn't attack him. He resisted arrest."
"Really? Were there any witnesses to see your alleged arrest attempt."
"My partner was with me."
"Your partner, Sergeant St. John, testified earlier that she dropped
you off at Mr. Tremayne's airplane and immediately left you to pursue Mr.
Benton in his car. She was not present when you confronted my client. By
the time Sergeant St. John returned to you, Mr. Tremayne was unconscious on
the tarmac and you were standing over him. Isn't that right?"
"Yes. He attacked me"
"So you say, Sergeant."
"Yes, I say."
"Still, you seem to have recovered well. You're in excellent
physical shape, as evidenced by your attack on Mr. Tremayne at the air strip."
"I didn't attack him. He resisted arrest."
"Really? Were there any witnesses to see your alleged arrest attempt."
"My partner was with me."
"Your partner, Sergeant St. John, testified earlier that she dropped
you off at Mr. Tremayne's airplane and immediately left you to pursue Mr.
Benton in his car. She was not present when you confronted my client. By
the time Sergeant St. John returned to you, Mr. Tremayne was unconscious on
the tarmac and you were standing over him. Isn't that right?"
"Yes. He attacked me"
"So you say, Sergeant."
"Yes, I say."
"Well this trial isn't about your word, Sergeant. This trial is
about facts, proof, solid evidence, and I haven't seen any so far."
"All the evidence points to Jason Tremayne as Mr. Harrisons killer."
"What evidence, Sergeant?"
"The witnesses-"
"What witnesses? The Bentons? Their testimony was speculative at
best, just as much as yours."
"Jason Tremayne lied about not seeing Roy Benton before the murder.
He was living in Benton's house at the time."
"How do you know he lied, Sergeant?"
"My partner told me that when she had dinner with Tremayne he said
he was unaware that Roy Benton was living in Palm beach."
"That's right, Sergeant, your partner, Cassandra St. John, a very
attractive woman, I might add, had a dinner date with Mr. Tremayne."
"It wasn't a date. They met in a restaurant."
"How do you know that, Sergeant Ryan."
"Sergeant St. John told me the next day."
"Yes, she told you about her dinner with Jason Tremayne and you flew
into a rage."
"No."
"No? You didn't argue with her about her date? You didn't, and I
quote several witnesses here, Sergeant, say that you "didn't give a rat's
ass" about who she was dating? Do you deny saying that Sergeant?"
"Objection, Your Honor! There's no point in this."
"Your Honor, please, allow me to continue and I'll show you exactly
what my point is."
"Very well, Mr. Murdock, I'll give you a little more time. But get
to your point soon, or the next time Mr. Taylor objects, I'll allow his
objection. You're over ruled this time, Mr. Taylor."
"Thank you, Your Honor. Now, Sergeant Ryan, I believe I'd just
asked you a question: Do you deny arguing with your partner about her dinner
date with my client."
"No."
"What's your relationship with your partner?"
"I don't understand."
"Let me rephrase, then. Sergeant St. John is a very attractive
woman. You two work very closely together. Are you lovers?"
"No."
"But you were."
"That was a long time ago."
"Perhaps, but the fact remains that you and Sergeant St. John were
lovers. In fact, you were more than just lovers, you were husband and wife,
isn't that true?"
"Yes."
"But the marriage didn't last very long, did it?"
"No."
"So, just to make certain I have the chronology straight, you and
Sergeant St. John were partners for a few years, then you became lovers, and
then you married. Is this correct so far?"
"Yes."
"But the marriage didn't last and neither did the partnership. Why
is that?"
"The department forbids married couples from working together."
"I see. So the breakup of your police partnership wasn't your idea."
"No."
"So, your marriage broke up, and your partnership had already been
dissolved, so then how did you come to be working together on this case?"
"Our Captain reassigned us as partners about a year ago."
"And since that time, your relationship has been strictly professional?"
"Yes."
"You've never made any sexual advances toward Sergeant St. John
during that time? Or she to you?.... You seem to be having trouble
answering my question, Sergeant. Never mind, you don't have to. Let's get
back to Mr. Tremayne, after all, that is why we're all here today.
"Several of your colleagues at the police station have stated that
you were very angry with Sergeant St. John after she told you about her
dinner with Jason Tremayne. Is this true?"
"I was angry, but not-"
"Just answer my question, Sergeant, yes or no."
"Yes."
"You were angry because Jason Tremayne, a man you've hated since you
were eighteen years old, made a pass a the woman you want."
"No."
"The woman you still consider yours!"
"No."
"You were so angry that my client, your bitter rival, made a pass at
your ex-wife, that you trumped up this murder charge as an excuse to get
Jason Tremayne out of your life once and for all!"
"No!"
"Objection, Your Honor! Mr. Murdock is badgering the witness!
Sergeant Ryan isn't on trial here!"
"Sustained. I warned you, Mr. Murdock."
"I'm sorry, Your Honor.... Let's get back to the events at the air
strip, Sergeant. You said that Mr. Tremayne resisted arrest."
"Yes."
"That he struck the first blow."
"Yes."
"Sergeant Ryan, Sergeant St, John said that by the time she had
turned around after detaining Roy Benton, she saw you strike Mr. Tremayne
repeatedly, and finally knock him to the ground where he lay unconscious for
a period of several minutes. Is this true?"
"I don't know what Sergeant St, John saw."
"All right, let me rephrase that. When Sergeant St. John joined you
at my client's airplane, Mr. Tremayne was already unconscious on the ground.
Is this true?"
"Yes."
"Sergeant, if you were going to arrest my client for the alleged
murder of Terry Harrison, why didn't you have your gun drawn? Isn't that
standard procedure for approaching a dangerous felon?"
"I had my gun."
"Yes, no one denies that you had your gun, but it remained in your
holster. It remained there because you wanted to fight Jason Tremayne. You
wanted him to attack you so that you could add one more false accusation to
all the others."
"No, that's not true, he-"
"You wanted an excuse to beat him senseless just like he did to you
all those years ago. You wanted revenge, Sergeant!"
"No!"
"Revenge against a man who humiliated you when you were a boy and
continued to humiliate you to this day!"
"No!"
"This trial isn't about finding a killer. This trial is about
getting even!"
"No!"
"Then where's your proof, Sergeant Ryan? Where's the incontestable,
irrefutable evidence that my client is guilty? You can't answer that, can
you? Because you know as well as I do that all of your so-called evidence
is hearsay. You don't have one piece of real proof that my client is the
man who committed this crime.
"We're all here today because you hate Jason Tremanyne. We're all
here today because you wanted revenge for what he allegedly did to you all
those years ago. We're all here today because you've nursed a grudge for
fifteen years and you finally saw your chance to get even with a man you
hate! A man you hate because he has everything that you don't. Everything
that you were supposed to have. Isn't that the truth, Sergeant?!
"Never mind, don't bother answering that. No more questions, your
honor."
*******
"Tom."
"Not now, Cass."
"I'm sorry."
"For what? Because I fucked up and now Tremayne's gonna walk?"
"You didn't fuck up. You played it by the book."
"Yeah, and where did that get me? A killer's going free and I.A.
wants my ass."
"You know they won't find anything. You'll be cleared."
"Somehow, that just doesn't matter much any more."
"It does to me."
"Why? Why Cassy? Why do you care when I don't?"
"Because I can't let that bastard win. And that's what'll happen if
you give in to this. You're the best damn cop I know, Tom Ryan. You're the
only damn cop I trust. And if you let Tremayne beat you now, then we all
lose. Everyone you've helped over the years, all the killers you put away,
all of it gone to hell because of a slimeball like Jason Tremayne? You can't let that happen, Tom."
"So how do I stop it?"
"You go on. Yes, Tremayne will probably walk. He's a sports hero,
he's rich, he's charming, and he's got the best defense team that money can
buy. But that won't change anything. He's guilty. We know it. The
Bentons know it. And he knows it, too. Sooner or later, every evil thing
that Tremayne's done is gonna catch up with him. And then he's going to be
the one who's afraid."
"Yeah. I guess you're right. Thanks, Cass."
"Of course I'm right. I'm the smart one."
"Oh yeah? If you're so smart, how come you divorced me?"
"Don't go there, Ryan, don't go there."
The end