The Dream - Part I

Chapter 1

The Fake Confession

It’s the same sunny morning. I am in the park playing on the swing. My dad is standing behind and I am looking at him and smiling. “Be careful” he said and there I go straight into the ground. I am flooded with tears, dad runs to me caress my head, wipe off my tears. He takes me in his arms and we leave.

That’s me, riding a bicycle, dad was teaching me. And here I go again. After a long struggle I finally learned it. It’s my result's day. I entered house shouting crazily in happiness, showed dad my medal. He hugged me and he showed me the trip bags. He is a man of words. He promised me camping trip if I topped and here we are ready.

Now suddenly it’s cold and dark. It’s water everywhere. I can’t breathe. I’m drowning. Oh god, its suffocating. My body is almost frozen. Suddenly I see a streak of light and it came closer and closer and now I am heading towards public defender’s office with an Ice tea and a newspaper in hand. I stop by the signal near the Mystical garden for the signal to turn green exactly at 7:05 AM. People rushing towards their work, kids boarding school bus, the lady on the other side of road selling burgers and the pleasant breeze of summer. Oh here it goes green. I cross the road and reach the Parks building, I halt for a second and take a deep breathe. Then suddenly I hear it. It’s the same. The same laugh. But why can’t I see whose it is. Why my heart is so restless?? Why I am looking for this person so desperately?? Do I know this person?? Is it an enemy or a friend or someone I know? Why can’t I see, from where is it coming? Is it from the building or anyone from the street passing by or from the nearby garden? Why again I can only hear it? Why can’t I see who is it? Why it’s making me so restless? What has it to do with me?? So many questions, all unanswered. And then suddenly someone puts his hands on my shoulder. And I wake up. Startled and drenched in sweat. I wipe my face and look at the clock its 5:30 AM. Taking deep breaths, I can still feel my heart pounding. I put on the lights and go to washroom to wash up my face. The splash of water on my face make me feel good and also realise that it was a dream. The same dream.

I am Katherine Browns. And this is my dream.

It’s kind of weird. From last 8 years I get this same dream every day. Does it make any sense? Few old memories and a normal day, a normal laugh but it turns my day upside down. Why can’t I remember who the person is? And why can’t I just let it go? The dream doesn’t even make a sense. But it still pesters me. Gosh what the hell. For this dream I had several psychiatric sessions but it’s still not fading away nor giving me an answer. Well that won’t stop my daily life. Me, Katherine Browns, Public Defender Katherine Browns. Today is my first day as public defender. My dad Brook Brown was also a Public Defender. I wanted to be an artist but ended up with law after my father left. He passed away in an accident but I know it was a…………….. murder. To get my father justice and to be a lawyer like him I joined law school. Dad I won’t let you down. I would catch the bloody murderer and throw him behind the bars. But this dream gets me a little off track. No clue no reason no explanation.

Gosh it’s already 6. After so many days I would finally enter that building as a Public Defender. I have been working as a private lawyer in the same building for Garson Law Firm but finally I would be a Public Defender. I rushed to dress up. Took a bowl of cereal, galloped two spoons and drank milk from the milk pack. I took the overcoat lying on sofa, grabbed by purse and slipped into the shoes. Closed the lights and locked the door. With a sigh of relief I headed towards the office.

In the excitement I almost forgot about the dream. I reached the office building by 7.55 AM. Crap 5 min to reach 7th floor. I rushed in, “Oh no, stop the lift”, I shouted seeing the lift was about to close and ran towards it. Lift door opened but I was in such a speed that I couldn’t stop myself. Yikes here I go. I crashed in the lift over a man. “Sorry sorry sorry, are you hurt?” I asked him while getting up. “No No No I am Ok, are you fine?’’ He replied. I turned towards him, He was an average looking man all well dressed with big specs, probably in his late twenties. Couldn’t it be somebody more handsome, I thought to myself. “Nah I am fine” I replied. He asked me in a courteous manner which floor. I casually said 7th. “Are you one of the new Public Defenders” He asked. “Yes, Why?” I replied. “Hi, I am Attorney Park, Steve Park. I am the second Public Defender appointed”. I stared at him for a minute and thought whether the recruiters were drunk while selecting a candidate like him without even realising that he has put forth his hands in greetings. “Miss, Miss, Miss….” “Yes”, I replied. “Oh”, I noticed and shook hands with him ”Browns, Attorney Katherine Browns”. Just on time lift opened and we were standing in front of the Legal Office. The long awaited destination.

We both walked in. There were three more person in that small office. Andrew Salas, he was the clerical help there. Attorney Racheal who is supposed to be on leave from next week. She is expecting her first child. Hope the kid grows as her mum, she is one of

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the most elegant and brainy persons I have ever met. And Attorney Shin, he is the head of the department. I have heard a lot about him but it would be the first time I would meet him in person, but where is he? Doesn’t seem he is in.

“I want to be like Attorney Shin, that’s why I wanted to become a Public Defender” said Steve. “The way he sympathises with the defendant and takes on is just marvellous, don’t you think so?’’ he continued. “You are also here because of him right??” he asked. “Not really.” I replied. Andrew showed us our cubicle. I had to share cubical with Attorney Racheal till the time she was working. I was cool with it. She greeted me with a smile and so did I. “Would like some coffee?” She asked. “No I’m fine” I replied with a smile.

“So, what am I supposed to do now” I asked. “Wait for Attorney Shin, He would assign you both cases”, she replied while turning the pages of her file. “Can I help you with something?” I asked seeing her struggling to get some files from the huge heap. “Please if you can, pregnancy is not an easy job”, she giggled and stepped aside. “File no 5 and Case file Claire” she said. “Here you go” I said forwarding her the files. “Thank you” she replied with a smile. I turned my face towards the heap and said “Should I arrange these for you?” “Well from next week it would be your desk, so you can as per your convenience but you have to help me find them till this week” she said. “That won’t be any issue” I replied. And started to clean up the mess.

“Gosh, you two are already friends now” commented Andrew. “Ahhh!!! I would get blinded by the love” added Steve. We both looked at them with a frown and got back to our work.

I finished my work in half an hour and sat down. Looking at the office and suddenly saw Andrew and Steve were doing something. They were deeply involved. I drew attention of Racheal as well. “Look they are the besties now planning to go to the Baseball match this weekend” Shouted Racheal. “Who, we?? No, no. We are just talking about work” replied Steve. “It’s useless Steve, you cannot fool her” said Andrew. “Wow that was cool. How did you know?” I asked out of curiosity that how come she knows about their plan when she is about 10-15 m away from their desk. “It’s observation dear, you can also do it once you start looking at the person as a suspect and try to analyse his/her body movements.” She replied casually while making notes for her case. I looked at her astonishingly and exclaimed “Wow.” She got a call from Attorney Shin. He asked us (me and Steve) to accompany Racheal in her trial today.

Richard Kin a 59 yr old guy is charged guilty of a murder, murder of his daughter’s boyfriend. A drunkard, bad tempered guy, already had threatened the victim twice for meeting his daughter, no evidence to prove him innocent and above all he has accepted all the charges against him. Strange still we have to defend this guy. “Do you think you should defend such a bastard?’’ I said. “He is innocent Kathy, so don’t call him so”. She replied while piling up the documents for case. “You think he is innocent…. I mean all evidences show he is guilty and he has confessed also.” I said.

She collected her bag and looked at me “I don’t think Kathy I know he is innocent. Evidences can be made, confession can be forced but it should not be taken as truth. Sometimes truth is much more than what we know, see and understand”. She smiled at me and said “Now let’s go, we have to save an innocent.” And we followed her to the court. She is something else, really. Soft but strong. Her words made me curious and now I also desperately wanted to know how she is going to save that guy.

The trail started at 2:15 PM. Prosecutor Jeff presented the case. He started from the background of Mr. Kin, a cruel husband, already had two divorces because of his short temper. His third wife who passed away a year ago was actually a widow with a girl child named Karry (Kin’s step daughter, only daughter). Richard married Karry’s mom three years back. The girl and the father would have fights every now and then. Karry (17 yr) got into a relationship with a 33 year old guy, a racketeer. Which was disliked by her father and many times he has caught them and have also threatened the guy. He presented witnesses to prove his arrogant nature, motive of murder and at last the murder weapon and forensic report. I looked at the guy. His face doesn’t seem of a criminal, his face had an expression of sadness. I was so confused I couldn’t make up my mind to trust this man or not. As soon as Jeff ended Racheal stood up to present her case. She pleaded “I plead not guilty as this was an act of defense.” She called all the witnesses again and established the fact that though this man is short tempered but has never laid a finger on anyone. Out of rage he would either throw some stuff around or hit himself indeed. His second wife undergone a kidney operation after they divorced, and he still helped her in those days more than her real family. Then she put forth the character of the victim, a racketeer with a criminal background, known for drug dealings and eve teasing. She started to explain the event day. She said, “That afternoon when Richard entered his house he saw…”

“I killed him, I did it. I need no mercy, punish me.” Mr Kin burst out.