Extraordinary Testimony E3

When Evan picks up his camera and stands in the window, he sees “Reyna.” Her motions through the lens appear to beckon him. With the real Reyna in custody, this must be a look-alike. She has a similar form with fewer social and emotional entanglements.

This feels wrong,” he mutters, lowering his camera. “But… maybe it’s time to stop chasing someone out of reach. Maybe this is where I’m supposed to be looking.”

While Reyna pines away in a holding cell over the weekend, Evan’s obsessions gradually draw him to a free woman who may possess the same qualities. On Sunday, he sees her gathering her laundry. So he tosses some shirts in a basket and heads across the street to meet her in the laundry room.

The Defense’s Case

On Monday, the defense attorney cross-examines Matilyn. “Did you feel threatened by the defendant’s… flapping or gesturing?”

“Sweetheart, you’re asking the wrong questions. Let’s talk about what really matters, shall we?”

“Okay. Go right ahead.”

“Reyna brought me pie to show her appreciation for all I’ve done for her. There should be some photos somewhere,” Matilyn remarks while scrolling through her phone.

“That’s okay. So Reyna delivered a pie to you?”

“Certainly. Would you rather eat a bad meal with friends or a good meal with enemies?”

“Um. I’m not sure. Can we focus on the terrace incident?”

“Of course. We walked to the balcony for a glass of wine, and I slipped. My little bird tried with her frail wings to pull me up, but she needed the help of her broad-shouldered husband to rescue me.”

“Thank you for clarifying that you did not feel threatened by the defendant. No further questions. I’d like to call another witness: Stuart James. “Mr. James, what insight can you provide about the relationship between Ms. Jabari and the defendant?”

“I… I didn’t see anything. But I heard plenty.”

“Please tell the court how you’ve been able to hear private conversations?”

“Well… I have special technology… earbuds… with different frequencies… that amplify what people are saying… in various apartments.”

His comment rouses the courtroom, requiring the judge to strike the gavel and resume order before the defense attorney can continue.

“Can you tell us some of the conversations you heard that shed light on their relationship?”

“I heard her say, ‘Once the pie is in the oven, you can’t take it out until the crust is all the way done. How far are you willing to go with my cinnamon strudel?’ She spoke that way all the time.”

Matilyn says out loud, “Sweetheart, those sound like baking instructions to me.” The court erupts in laughter before the judge strikes the gavel to regain order.

“That ties into earlier testimony about the defendant delivering a pie. Did you detect any malice in that conversation?”

“Not at all. It was characteristic of most of the conversations I heard.”

“From your… listening… how would you describe the relationship between the defendant and Ms. Jabari?”

“Um. Sure. But it’s not like I listen to her every day. But they seemed like friends.”

“Thank you. No further questions.”

In cross-examination, the District Attorney asks, “Did you hear the conversation during the altercation?”

“She said something like, ‘Oh, sweetie, killing me won’t make him love you anymore.’”

“Oh? That doesn’t sound too friendly. No further questions,” the District Attorney concludes.

Both sides rest their cases. As the jury deliberates, Reyna is uncertain of her future. She wonders if it would have been best to ignore Alan’s behavior.

The District Attorney states during closing arguments: “The defense wants you to see the defendant as a victim—of stress, of circumstance, of her own condition. But let me ask you this: How many ‘victims’ lure someone to a balcony and swing at them in full view of witnesses?

“Reyna is not the victim here. Matilyn Jabari is. And justice demands that you see her for what she truly is—a perpetrator. Reyna acted out of jealousy, with a motive to harm Matilyn. This case is about ensuring accountability. There’s only one verdict that does that.”

The defense attorney closes by saying: “How many ‘victims’ bring a pie to the person they’re about to harm? The prosecution has failed to provide clear evidence of intent, and the witnesses’ accounts are contradictory. When there’s reasonable doubt, you must acquit.”

Everyone returns to the courtroom when the jury reaches a verdict. Reyna is acquitted, but not without moral ambiguity. The verdict allows her to return home, but her reputation, relationships, and sense of self remain fractured….

A Sincere Confession

Reyna tries to visit Evan in the laundry room after texting him an invitation to regain her identity. Instead, he invites her to his apartment.

“Evan… So you’ve had a sort of… obsession with me?”

“It’s not something I would know how to explain. An innocent attraction got out of hand. Then I met you in person and developed real feelings for you.”

“I’ve been living a lie too,” Reyna begins, her voice trembling. “A lie so entrenched, I started to believe it myself.”

She hesitates, her hands clutching the edge of her seat as if bracing for impact. “Before my marriage, I was hospitalized. Doctors ran tests and… they diagnosed me with narcolepsy.”

Evan tilts his head, his brow furrowed. “Doesn’t that mean you blackout or something?”

Reyna nods, her gaze fixed on the floor. “Yes. But in my case… my mind doesn’t just shut down. It embellishes. It creates entire moments while I’m asleep.”

“As long as we are making confessions, I saw you blackout after the dinners we had at your apartment. So I dressed you for bed and placed one of my garments beside you before leaving.”

Her voice falters, and though she doesn’t meet his eyes, she feels the weight of his gaze. “In my mind, you and I have been much closer than reality. I… I manufactured the ideal relationship.” Her voice softens into a whisper, barely audible. “But now I must emerge from the shadows and face the truth.”

Finally, she looks up, her eyes shimmering with tears. “And as I do… I have to decide which of my selves you deserve.”

Continued…

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