The Lions Den

Chapter Thirteen: When the Gazelle Feels the Pressure of Claws

Kashera

I was at peak frustration as I scanned over the obviously incomplete documents for what felt like the millionth time. No matter how many times I rearranged the factors, something about the file was not adding up in terms of its relation to Matteo. I was sitting in my office pondering over files and evidence that I had at my disposal in relation to Matteo's case for the first time in a few days. The better part of my week had been spent in court trying to finish out two other cases that I had previously been assigned to. I was dead tired, but I was obsessed with my goal of finishing out my cases and week strong. One of the cases had settled, resulting in another win for me, and it seemed my last case would finish with the judge ruling in favor of my client. In that regard all was well. It was, of course, Matteo's case that was driving me up a wall.

I'd managed to get my hands on some files and evidence earlier in the week. I was able to cross examine them with information I'd gotten from Matteo himself (with strong support that was actually useable in court), and the times and references were not adding up. Some of the witness reports were claiming to have ties with Matteo and his family, but Matteo and Clementine had sworn to me to not know anything about the claims being made. In addition to that, there were discrepancies in the placement of Matteo during the times of some of those reports.

As I'd come to find out, Matteo had been out of the state of Georgia and in and out of the country all-together for quite a bit of time. That time not only overlapped with the assault charge, but even a bit with the implications of the murder charge. That was where I got frustratingly stuck because any clarity I could get, I'd have to get from the police and that was the last place that I wanted to show my face. However, what I wanted to do versus what I needed to do were two different things. I sighed putting my head in my hands to collect myself for a moment before I got up and gathered what I'd need and left out of the office. Brooklyn was at lunch and I grabbed a sticky note and wrote her note about my whereabouts before I left out of the office and down to my car.

This week had been particularly challenging not just in terms of work, but my personal life as well. With my being so caught up with cases, I really didn't have time to see anybody at all. I only saw my best friend because she worked with me every day. My brother was only talking to me sparingly, and I knew that despite his complicated sense of understanding he was not too happy with me and my dating choices. Knowing how it was affecting my relationship with him made me dread the inevitable day I told my parents who I was dating. Speaking of, I still had yet to tell Brooklyn about Matteo. Knowing her, she was going to make Marcus' reaction seem like the ultimate baby coddling. She already had her perceptions of Matteo as she she'd made bluntly clear earlier in the week after we got into a tense quarrel about him. An interaction which I had the feeling she started to catch that something a bit more than client and attorney was going on with us.

"Kash! Look at these files for the Leone case. His people just sent them over to me," Brook said as she came into the office and handed me a stack of papers. I looked up from my computer and adjusted my glasses as I grabbed the documents and quickly scanned through them.