Seeking for Your Forgiveness

Chapter 32. Detective Marianne

“……”

Paul did not say anything. Today was not the only day he acted that way. He hasn’t said anything since he was taken into custody. The frightened boy crawled back into a hole.

“Prosecutor Hindenburg, please show the defendant a minimum amount of courtesy.”

Michael’s brows furrowed subtly at Kristoff’s remark. Then, he pulled the corners of his mouth and put up a relaxed face.

“I will. I’m going to ask you again. Where did you dispose of the weapon which you used to kill the murdered Nina Keller?”

“……”

Paul was simply trembling in his spot, he didn’t answer again this time. Michael turned his eyes to the judge. His voice was overflowing with confidence as Michael gained his momentum.

“Sororicide is a heinous crime that disrupts social order. Even if the criminal is less intelligent than their age, they are supposed to have known about the horrific nature in this heinous action. Your Honor, someone’s life is a noble value that can’t ever be exchanged for anything. Paul Keller’s behavior is an antisocial crime that is unacceptable regardless of any reason, therefore he must be isolated from society forever.”

The courtroom felt as if it had been flooded by cold water. People couldn’t conceal the horror lacing their expressions as they saw the boy’s pale face. As if he was a demon in a human mask.

The headline of today’s newspaper came to their minds.

[Identity of the vicious killer, 12-year-old Paul Keller. Who is he?]

“The defendant, please propose your argument.”

Kristoff slowly got up from his seat after the judge gave him the room. Nonetheless, the hushed court became even quieter than before.

He was a man with a strong presence whenever and wherever he was, and he also knew how to draw the attention of people around him.

Kristoff didn’t move hastily. Standing in just the right posture, he waited until people’s maximum attention directed to him. Then, he turned to look at the judge.

“Your Honor.”

His voice was loud. His was also stable and had confidence in it. People listened to his voice.

“I’d like to have Mary Keller, Paul’s mother, as the witness.”

“I approve.”

The judge nodded, and she came to the witness podium while being guided by the court clerk. Kristoff, who waited until she was brought into the testimony stand and faced her.

Mary, who lost her daughter and was on the verge of losing her son as well, managed to hold back her tears. She didn’t look at Paul. If she saw his young son now, she would have fallen apart.

“Mrs. Mary Keller. Please grant me permission to ask you several questions. Would that be fine?”

“Yes.”

Mrs. Keller stared at him with determined eyes. There was trust towards Kristoff as well as determination in that gaze.

Kristoff stared at her in a relaxed manner. Although he was in an unfavorable situation, he didn’t show any sign of impatience. People paid attention to what he was going to say.

“Can you tell me about what you saw on that day?”

Gulp, Marry visibly swallowed. She clenched her fist under the table.

“You just have to tell what you saw as it was.”

“Yes.”

Mary slowly opened her mouth while staring at a spot in the air.

“When I came back to the house, the inside was eerily quiet. I shouted Nina and Paul’s names. However, no one answered. I felt it was strange. Normally, both of them would run and make a fuss…… Then, I discovered Nina’s body in the living room.”

Mary could barely continue even though she was on the verge of tears. People didn’t take their eyes off her.

“Paul was standing beside Nina’s body while looking down at her. At that moment…… I realized something wrong must have happened. I asked Paul about what happened, but he didn’t answer my question. As everyone knows……. Paul is a bit different from ordinary kids. That’s why he probably didn’t know what he had done.”

The audience roared. It was a murmur that the murder could not be justified. Mary hurriedly opened her mouth. The audience were agitated. Their murmurs were about how the murderer couldn’t be excused for his actions regardless of anything that they could do for him.”

“Perhaps, it was an accident. Paul is different from ordinary kids, but he is not that wicked to kill anyone. No, he’s nicer than anyone else and innocent. However, regardless of what I say about how it could be an accident, the officer wouldn’t believe me and Paul will go to jail. I lost Nina, and I couldn’t bear to lose Paul as well. That’s why I…… I moved the carpet in the living room and placed it under the stairs. To make it look like it was an accident.”

Someone let out a groan that seemed to have been held back for a while. She admitted to being guilty of damaging the crime scene. The audience turned their eyes to Kristoff. Her statement put Kristoff even further in disadvantage.

Why did he admit her as a witness?

Those who didn’t know about Kristoff’s intentions only swallowed with difficulty. The journalists wrote even faster each second in their notebooks.

There was only one person who didn’t seem surprised.

Michael Hindenburg.

What are you up to, Kristoff?

Michael stared at Kristoff with a sharp gaze, as if trying to dig into his schemes.

“All right. We can go into more detail about that day.”

Kristoff continued to ask Mary questions. It wasn’t the sort of question that served the purpose to turn things around. It was just repeating the story that everyone knew.

Was he stalling for time? Why?

Michael frowned. Nonetheless, he had no idea what Kristoff was up to.

Then, he heard the door of the courtroom open. Kristoff continued to ask questions leisurely, he only glanced and averted his eyes swiftly. Marianne and Nicholas were entering the courtroom.

Kristoff pulled one lip. Their eyes met as she moved quietly. Marianne nodded subtly, which was barely visible. Kristoff tugged one corner of his lips up.

“You may retreat, Mrs. Keller. Your Honor.”

He turned from Mrs. Keller to the judge. However, there was not a hint of respect in his expression. Indeed, who would such a perfect man like him pay respect to?

Marianne somehow held back her chuckle while looking at him. At first glance, she wondered if Kristoff’s gaze landed on her cheek.

“I’ll be requesting for Mr. Sevan Klein, the witness on the prosecutor’s side, as a witness to be questioned by the defendant.”

He saw a man sitting among the audience after he turned his back slowly. Michael frowned at an ominous premonition.

The judge asked with an unwilling look.

“Is he a necessary witness?”

He also seemed to think that Kristoff was stalling for time. The audience’s thoughts weren’t much different.

They were recalling Sevan Klein’s statement, who had taken the position of the prosecutor’s witness. Regardless of how they thought about it, Paul was at a disadvantage.

Why did he request for Klein on the witness stand? Did Kristoff give up the trial and mark this as his first defeat?

They had a clear view about the direction of the trial. The scale has tilted to one side. He seemed to have no cards that would be turned over.

“Yes, Your Honor.”

Kristoff’s voice was full of confidence. It was very much like the Kristoff everyone knows, unperturbed under any kinds of circumstances.

Kristoff Schneider, the owner of a cold-hearted and cool-headed personality.

Yes, that was Kristoff. She had seen a lot of unexpected things from him lately, which made her forget about that for a while. Marianne sat in the empty seat and looked at him.

Marianne had never seen Kristoff doing his work. That was because she thought visiting the court would mean interfering with his work. She thought it was her role to keep her position by his side and quietly committed herself to fulfill her role as a supportive wife.

However, Kristoff appeared even more marvelous and cool when standing tall in the middle of the courtroom. It was enough to make her heart pound again.

If she knew this, she would have gone as a part of the audience regardless of what people had to say.

While Marianne regretted her actions in the past, the judge nodded reluctantly. This was because the audience and reporters’ attention and also Kristoff’s background as the grandson of Marquis Schneider couldn’t be overlooked.

“Prosecutor Hindenburg, will you accept the lawyer questioning your witness?”
 

“Yes, Your Honor.”

Michael didn’t know what Kristoff was up to. However, he was sure about Sevan Klein being a witness in his favor.

“I grant permission.”

When the judge’s permission was granted, Kristoff casted his eyes on Klein. He stood up timidly after the judge granted their permission once again.

The court clerk led him to the witness stand.

“Mr. Sevan Klein. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Kristoff greeted him in a friendly manner as if he was the friend Kristoff had met up with yesterday. Marianne looked at him with a surprised gaze. She felt as if she just discovered a side she had neve seen several times today.

“Yes.”

Sevan nodded while hiding his surprised thoughts. The fact that the man he met a few days ago was Kristoff Schneider made him feel slightly intimidated. He rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants.

“When you testified to the prosecutor a while ago, didn’t you say that you heard Paul and Nina fighting on the day Nina’s body was discovered? Can you tell me about it again?”

“Again……”

He swallowed with difficulty as he turned to the prosecutor. Michael rose from his seat with a frown.

“Your Honor, Mr. Sevan Klein’s testimony has been heard by everyone here. Attorney Kristoff clearly intends to stall because the situation is unfavorable to him here.”

“He said I’m intending to stall.”

Kristoff looked at the judge after murmuring to himself quietly.

“This question is necessary.”

“I approve.”

Michael didn’t even hide his disapproval upon the judge’s indecisive attitude. He sat down again after that.

Michael knew that Kristoff was not an easygoing type-of-man. The thing that was deemed to be unfavorable at the moment must be a stepping stone for later.

He shouldn’t have accepted the request for the witness earlier.

Anxiety surged in, but it was too late. Michael looked ahead with a stiff expression. Marianne was visible at the end of his gaze. She couldn’t take her eyes off Kristoff.

D*mn.

Michael clenched his fist under the desk.

“Yes, I mean……”

Sevan Klein, who was looking around, opened his mouth again. On the day of the incident, he said that he heard Nina and Paul fighting, and soon after he reiterated that Paul ran out with a frightened expression. People’s faces were sour as the story wasn’t new to them.

Kristoff said in a relaxed voice.

“To sum up the witness’ words, Nina and Paul had argued in their backyard. After a while, he saw Paul running out of the backyard with a frightened expression.”

“That’s correct.”

Kristoff turned around slowly. He looked at the audience, not the witness. More specifically, to Marianne who was in the front row.

“Detective Marianne.”

“…Yes.”

Marianne, who was called by him, rose from her seat. People’s eyes were all directed on her. Marianne suddenly felt her throat had become dry. She felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her mouth.

She wondered if Kristoff had to work under such tension every time and had to handle such a burden by himself.

She looked at him with her blue eyes. Kristoff, whose eyes met hers, nodded so subtly that she was the only one who could see that. As if reassuring her it would be fine.

“This is an unregistered witness!”