Assassin at Greenbelt 4

Sibling Rivalry V: Nina's Testimony

Judge Monsod asked, "Is the defense ready for this case?"

Attorney Peña affirmed so.

Judge Monsod ordered, "Bring in the first witness from the defense side,"

Nina was sworn in by the court interpreter and then her lawyer did a direct examination of her.

"Please state your name and personal circumstances." Attorney Peña began.

"I am Nina Williams, 47 years old, of Irish ancestry, and I am currently an undercover agent."

"How did you meet the man named Godwyn I— L—?"

"I met him on May 7th this year in Greenbelt 4."

"How was he involved in your mission?"

"I tasked him to become a spy to a clandestine laboratory in Angeles City, Pampanga."

"How did you involve him in your mission in the first place?"

"I offered him the said job while he stayed with me in a hotel room in Ascott Makati."

"So, he accepted your offer?"

"Yes, your Honor."

"Then, please tell the Court what happened after he accepted your offer."

Nina told her version of the events thus, "After he accepted my offer, I went out of the hotel at around 10:50 AM so I can stroll around the malls around Makati, especially Greenbelt 4 and 5 while he stayed inside the hotel room. After that, I had lunch at Greenbelt 4 and I went back to my room in Ascott Hotel. Room 637 to be exact. When I went back to my hotel room at 12:45 PM, all I saw were bedsheets neatly done, hotel collectibles gone, and no one else in the room but me."

"After that?"

"Godwyn was gone."

With Attorney Peña not knowing what to ask, he remained silent. Then, Attorney Tan was tense, eager to bolt out of his seat to turn Nina over to the justice system.

"No more questions from the defense?" Judge Monsod asked.

"No more question from the defense, your Honor."

Then, Attorney Tan cross-examined Nina. Knowing that Nina can stay cool (or cold, even), he tested her by walking around the space fronting the judges table.

Attorney Tan began calmly, "Was Godwyn with you on the morning of May 28th?"

Nina replied, coldly and calmly, "Yes, your Honor."

"On the morning of May 28, Godwyn accepted your offer voluntarily, is that right?" while walking around.

"Yes, your Honor."

"Did you coerce him in any way to accept your offer?" That question should make Nina stumble in responding.

"No, your Honor."

"You gave him rewards for joining your mission, right?"

"Yes, your Honor."

"What were the rewards that you offered him?"

"One of them is, 'my body', your Honor."

A few of the members of the court audience whispered speculations to each other.

Kuya Robert, a 28-year-old, whispered to his friend, "Pare, parehas silang nakakahiya! (Both of them should be ashamed of themselves here!)"

Kuya Robert's friend went, "Ikaw, parang alam mo ang nangyari sa kanila ah? Malakas ang kutob kong iyong Britong babae ang may kasalanan nito eh! (You, it's like you know what happened to them, ah? I have a strong hunch that the British woman was at fault!)"

Nina barely cracked under the pressure of cross-examination, even if Attorney Tan asked embarrassing questions.

"I see. On the evening of May 27th, you ate dinner with him at Din Tai Fung in Greenbelt 4, is that right?"

"Yes, your Honor."

"You gave him a chewing gum on the evening that you were together, yes?"

"Yes, your Honor."

Then, Attorney Tan ramped up the tension of the questioning by asking in a pressuring tone. "Were you aware that the gum contained sodium pentothal?"

"No, your Honor."

"Do you even know what the gum contained apart from the gum itself?"

"No, your Honor."

Nina remained calm, answering questions in her cold, candid manner. Her voice was icy, sending a chilling message to the prosecution lawyer that she did no crime.

"Do you even know the effects of sodium thiopental?" Attorney Tan asked, pressuring Nina to admit her crime.

Attorney Peña shouted "Objection, your Honor! Irrelevant question and argumentative!"

Judge Monsod sustained the objection.

"You were not able to see the complainant in the afternoon of May 28th, correct?"

"Yes, your Honor."

Then came a few seconds of silence, with Attorney Tan running out of questions.

"No more questions from the prosecution?" Judge Monsod asked.

"No more questions, your Honor."

After the ordeal of being put on the witness stand, Nina was asked to go back to the table allotted for the defense.

"The defense rests its case," Attorney Peña concluded, then he sat down on the table allotted for the defense. Nina and Attorney Peña went looked at each other, with Nina feeling tense even if her face looked cold and calm. With her lawyer sensing her tension, he gave her an assuring look as if to say, "Let's hope for the best here, Nina."

Then the court set the schedule for imposing the verdict on Nina, with the court clerk asking the defense side, "Defense, when will you prefer to schedule the final judgment?"

Attorney Peña replied, "Your Honor, we pray that the final judgment be scheduled on December 7 at 9:00 AM."

The court clerk asked us, from the prosecution side, "Are you available at this schedule, prosecution?"

Attorney Peña replied firmly on our behalf, "Yes, your Honor."

Then Judge Monsod requested, "Please be seated."

Then the court clerk handed papers for both prosecution (that is, our) side and the defense side. Upon reading that thin pile of paper, I asked Attorney Tan what this paper was.

He whispered, "The papers that we are being asked to sign right now are for the evidence. If we know that they are true and relevant, we sign them. Because we trust that the pieces of evidence we presented on our side are true to the best we know, we sign that paper. Me first..." then he signed the court papers first. He whispered again, "Godwyn, pagka-pirma mo, ipasa mo itong papel sa kaliwa mo, kay Lemuel, ha? (Godwyn, after signing, pass this paper to Lemuel, OK?)"

I whispered back, "Opo, Attorney. (Yes, Attorney)."