Words by The Jury Panel
Art by Zoe Elektra
Content Warning: Cross examination during a murder trial. Description of a crime scene. Mentions of Death
No body yes crime
“The court is now in session,” the tipstaff murmurs. Tima nods at Romi who continues to chew through a whole pack of mint. They bow as the judge assumes her seat. On Romi’s left, John’s lawyer, Salazar, shuffles through his papers, his solicitor wheeling in more files.
Romi turns and meets John’s eyes, shut all the way back in the dock. The judge is putting on the finishing touches of the facts before the court. She lifts one brow, cut by the glass he wielded on the night, and rises, bowing to the judge before swearing an oath not to commit perjury. Tima leads the examination-in-chief, clarifying basic information. The public gallery thumps with heavy footsteps, the winding staircase creaking as a dead woman emerges through, shawl and glasses perched on a powdered nose. She waves at Romi from the witness box then disappears amongst the crowd.
Tima begins. “How long have you known Julia for?”
“On-and-off, since we were girls. Twelve, thirteen.”
“You’re the same age,” Tima surmises.
“The party, where it happened –” she forces out.
Tima clarifies. “When the alleged murder occurred.”
“ – was to celebrate Lia’s 38th.” Romi continues smoothly.
“Twelve to thirty-eight,” Tima calculates. “Twenty-six years.”
“On-and-off,” she corrects. “There were gaps in between. I didn’t see her after we finished uni and she bounced off to Italy. But we reconnected as soon as she got back – she introduced me to John and I spoke at her wedding. She invited me to every birthday party. I’ve always gone – there is a gallery in Hearthstone that has photos of us. Twelve to now.”
“Did she tell you why the party was held at Knife’s Edge instead of her usual residence, Hearthstone?”
“All parties are forbidden at Hearthstone – gives Lia headaches. I will always wonder why – it’s a wonderful location. But Edge was selected. And so, I went.”
“Can you run through what you were doing that day?”
This is the easy part.
“The invitation said the orchestra will start playing at 7PM, but I was there with Lia’s brother, Frankie, around 4:30. Frankie had the cake and I was bringing flowers – we left them downstairs, got a drink. John came down to say hi around 5PM. He left to change maybe five, ten minutes after. Lia came down at 6, dressed up, hair wet and no makeup. She kissed us hello. Flounced back upstairs to finish up. Frankie and I stayed together until 7:30 until we split up – he regrouped with Dominic, his and Julia’s oldest brother, and I went to find her.”
She pauses, making eye contact with the jury panel. One woman nods at her encouragingly.
“John was at the banquet hall to greet the musicians, but there was no Lia. I asked around, amassed a little search party – some went to the garden, some fanned out to the neighbourhood – I went with the Velatti’s driver, Bastian, to scour the lower floors, the basement. Those that didn’t want to help enjoyed the festivities. The party went on for another hour and John disappeared with his partner – which was when Bastian and I went upstairs to Lia’s room. Whilst on the stairs, there was yelling and sounds of struggle. We rushed upstairs – the clock said nine. John was in Lia’s room, blood all over himself, the room a mess. I asked him where she was and he couldn’t answer. Bastian rang the police and I stayed with John until he was taken away.”
She is reading from her affidavit; this suggests arrogance, a blatant fault to attack. John’s barrister rises, bows to the jury and the judge, then leaves the bar table.
“Miss Hong,” Salazar, QC, demurs. “You are here as our first witness. No one should have seen what you experienced – for that, I thank you. I wanted to clarify a few points in your testimony. It is clear you were close with the deceased. There is a wall of your photos in her home. You have an outstanding invitation to every milestone celebration. You are familiar with her family and my client, Mr Velatti. You are trusted within your community and your workplace. How would you describe the relationship between Mr and Mrs Velatti?”
Romi exhales, breath stuttering. “She loved – will never be able to love anyone else like she did John. I cannot speak intimately about John – we are friendly, but distanced. Reading the coroner’s report, I couldn’t agree more. John was – had always been a good husband. He’s great with her family, he’s good to his employees. There was no way he could’ve done this.”
She had spoken on behalf of her friend but also spoke in favour of the killer. She was fair. Romi had left the determination of guilt and criminal culpability up to the capable hands of the law and the court.
“Miss Hong, your affidavit and oral submission held that you stayed with my client until law enforcement arrived. Your testimony corroborated very serious allegations against my client. My client maintained in his interview that,” a pause in his eloquent questioning. “You were the perpetrator who pushed Mrs Velatti out her bedroom window.”
“Lia’s bedroom is at the top floor of Edge’s five-storey house,” she raises. “If I had pushed her, Lia would’ve fallen to her death and smashed her brain out. Then we would have a body and I would be in the dock. Counsel,” she leans towards the wandering barrister, “I was also examined by forensics when the police arrived. I wish that Lia was here with us, or that she made some sort of mark on me. But she hasn’t, and I will have to live with that.”
Salazar ploughs on. “You seem happy to shift the blame onto my client despite maintaining that you have genial feelings for him. Could you clarify why there is this split in your narrative?”
“We stayed in the room that night, me and him. Between then and now, if the truth of the night changes for him, I cannot in good conscience construct a different truth to fit his. I love and respect John, but I also love Lia. I cannot lie to either. Counsel, please,” a hitch of breath, “I have lost someone I loved since I was young. Lia lost her life. All I can ask is that justice is served and we can move on with the rest of our lives.”
Salazar continues to argue along the common law principle of corpus delicti, that the literal body of the crime had not been identified, therefore a crime cannot be established beyond reasonable doubt. But the heartless law is no contest to the heartfelt submission, that the jury settles into a majority-only decision.
Romi stays until Bastian completes his testimony, with less fanfare. The court adjourns for the jury and judge to consider the submissions. Tima passes her a look, and Romi is free to walk out of the courthouse. Bastian splits up on his own way, not before wishing her well on her holiday.
A ghost falls into steps beside her and she offers her elbow automatically. Outside, the sun is blinding and the shadows freezing.
“There’s a new law – no body, no parole,” Romi comments idly.
“The poor thing, tangled up in this murder business,” the woman on her arm bemoans. “How unfortunate that there is no corpse to examine, no victim to interrogate.”
“Yes, how strange,” Romi murmurs, as they blend into the crowd.
Up above their heads, the headline detailing the findings of the Velatti suspected murder case. Julia Velatti, the deceased, in her living likeness, is plastered all over LED screens. The woman below in the crowd could pass as her sister, some lost relative, or maybe a macabre lookalike.
