A Dance of Phoenixes || Wright & Evelyn
January 2, 12:35 PM Prosecutor's Lobby No. 3
This particular case was well on its way to driving Agent Phoenix up a wall. Every last shred of evidence suggested that the defendant in this particular incident was very much guilty. And yet she could not shake this nagging sensation of doubt. This was her work -- her efforts -- from the start. Instead of taking over a case mid-progress, she'd been on this one from the discovery of the body. Trusting her own expertise was what had her here in the first place, constantly moving from city to city, serving her brand of federal justice when all else seemed lost.
Now, the only one lost was her.
She'd been hovering in the prosecutor's lobby since the judge declared an end to today's proceedings. There would be more investigating, no doubt leading into a conclusive end to things tomorrow. The defendant was almost certainly destined for jail. Her testimony as this case's lead detective had made sure of that.
Once the door swung open, her eyes darted over. Who she was waiting for had finally made an appearance. Prosecutor Wright.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Wright." Her voice was hollow as she walked over to meet him. She'd testified early on, watching the rest of the proceedings from the gallery until just a couple minutes ago. "You did an excellent job today, all things considered." Biting her lip, she contemplated the consequences of her next statement. One finger came to nervously twirl a piece of her bright orange hair, her eye contact with the prosecutor breaking at once. "I'll be over at the crime scene if you need me."
The only possible reason she'd be at the crime scene again was to gather more evidence. Honestly, what they had on the defendant was strong enough. But she wanted to look for clues to another's guilt -- anything to help ebb that rush of doubt that continually washed over her. She'd never managed to jail the innocent before, and she certainly wasn't starting now.
