Chapter One: Accused

Duncan is still holding his pocket knife up when the police arrive next to the bar. He's standing frozen on the sidewalk, unable to comprehend the reality of what's just happened. One of the officers snatches the knife from him while the other puts his hands in handcuffs.

"You are under arrest for the murder of Mike Posey, do you understand? You have the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay. We will provide you with a toll-free telephone lawyer referral service, if you do not have your own lawyer. Anything you say can be used in court as evidence. Do you understand? Would you like to speak to a lawyer?" the officer handcuffing him asks. Duncan nods, unable to say anything from the initial shock of it all. Everything is going in slow motion. He can't hear the sirens, or the uncontrollable sobbing of Anne Maria. All he can think about is Mike's lifeless eyes staring up at him as the pool of blood continued to spread, staining the snow.

The officer shoves Duncan into the police car with unnecessary force and slams the door before getting into the car himself. They drive off, sirens blaring, and Duncan rests his head on the window as he watches the city go by.

"The client's name is Duncan Colleano," Courtney's boss, Mr Johnson, says, slamming the file down on the desk in front of her. The name doesn't phase her, in fact she barely recognises it. It's been so long since she's seen him that it feels like it was all just a bad dream she had. "Accused of the murder of Mike Posey." That's just a coincidence, she tells herself. She opens the file to see Duncan's mug shot staring up at her and her head snaps up to look at her boss.

"I think there's been some kind of mistake," Courtney says confidently, closing the file and sliding it back towards her boss. He pushes it back.

"No mistake, this is your client," Johnson tells her with a scheming grin. "He hasn't said anything in relation to the murder at all, so he'll be easy to work with. The kid's smart, he probably learnt that from you." Courtney gives a short laugh.

"He's a lot of things, but smart isn't one of them," she mutters, looking over the file. "Is there any chance I can just not take him on?"

"Not if you want to keep your job," Johnson says simply. Courtney huffs.

"I will not have my image tarnished by some low-life who probably actually committed the crime he's being accused of!" she protests. Johnson leans over the desk to her so that she can smell his garlic breath. She grimaces but doesn't back away, not wanting to seem weak.

"Listen honey, you're washed up, old news," he tells her. "Nobody remembers that little reality stunt you had five years ago. You're a lawyer now, and if you want to move on up in the world, you'll take the case and quit complaining, okay?" He sits back down and Courtney plasters on a smile. She stands up and clears her throat.

"Fine, I will take the case." She picks up the file and heads toward the door.

"Oh, and Courtney?" Johnson calls. She turns back around to face him. "If you lose the case on purpose, that'll tarnish your image more than the guy you're representing." Courtney grits her teeth and glares at him. She forcefully opens the door and storms out of the office.

Duncan listens to the calming sound of his cellmates harmonica as they lay on their bunk beds. He hums along to the strangely familiar tune.

"Hey dude, Topher is it? What is that song?" Duncan asks, but before Topher gets the chance to respond, the security guard opens the cell.

"Your lawyer's here, Duncan," she announces. Duncan scrambles out of his bed and the security guard takes him by the arm. They walk down the halls of the prison in what Duncan thinks is an awkward silence.

"So, I've got a lawyer huh?" he says, trying to keep it from being awkward. "Is it a boy or girl?"

"It's a girl, not that I need to tell you because you'll be meeting her soon," the security guard snaps. Duncan nods.

"That's cool, that's cool," he says. "Is she hot? What's her name?" The security guard sighs in annoyance.

"Courtney Holland-Free, okay? Stop asking questions," she demands. Duncan stops in his tracks, causing the security guard to halt, taken aback by the unscheduled delay.

"Courtney? I don't think so," he says in denial. The security guard drags him back into a walk. "There has to be some kind of mistake." The security guard ignores him and they finally arrive at the interview room. When they enter, Duncan sees Courtney sitting at the desk. He turns to the security guard. "Any chance I can get a different lawyer?" The security guard smirks.

"Sure, if you can pay for one," she says. Courtney nods at the security guard and she takes her leave. Duncan hesitantly takes a seat across from Courtney.

"Hey princess, miss me?" he asks with a small smile. Courtney sighs.

"Mr Colleano, you will refer to me as Miss Holland-Free from this moment on," she informs him.

"Miss? So you aren't married then?" he asks with a smirk. "I would've thought by now you'd have tricked some poor guy into a marriage." She smiles thinly at him.

"This is a business meeting, Mr Colleano, personal questions are neither relevant or appropriate," Courtney says.

"Please, call me Duncan," Duncan tells her.

"Let's skip the formalities, shall we? You're accused of the murder of Mike Posey, what's your plea?" she asks, opening his file and glancing over the basic information.

"Not guilty," he says.

"Duncan, you were found standing over his dead body holding the murder weapon, do you really think people are going to believe that?" Courtney asks. Duncan folds his arms as best he can with the handcuffs on.

"I didn't do it," he says simply. "I don't know who did but it wasn't me." Courtney sighs again.

"Okay, do you have an alibi?" she demands.

"I was in the bathroom."

"Any witnesses?"

"Sure, a whole bar full of people," Duncan tells her.

"Great, we'll have to find everyone who was in the bar on that night at the time of his murder," Courtney says to herself. "How about you just tell me what happened that night?"

"Do I have to?" Duncan asks.

"I'm here to help you," Courtney reminds him in frustration. "Do you really think I want to keep working for people who can't afford their own lawyer? No. As much as I would love to see you locked up for the rest of your life, I also want to eventually end up working for someone like Smiths and Co."

"Who?" he asks.

"It doesn't matter!" Courtney snaps. "The thing is that I need to win you this case as much as you want to be released. I'm not going to lose this case on purpose, so you're going to have to trust me one hundred per cent. Do you think you can do that?" Duncan nods reluctantly.

"Fine," he agrees. "So I went to the bar to meet Mike because he owed me money from about a month ago," Duncan explains. "He showed up with Zoey, and I decided it would be better to do the exchange outside. He gave me the money and I went inside to use the bathroom. When I came out, I really needed a cigarette, so I went outside to have one and when I got there I saw Mike's dead body just laying there in the snow." Courtney nods and writes down notes as Duncan tells the story.

"Why were you holding the murder weapon?" she asks, not looking up from her note writing.

"I recognised that the knife was mine so I grabbed it, I didn't even think about what it would look like to anyone else," he tells her. Courtney looks up at him.

"You've done a lot of stupid things in your life, but this is by far the stupidest," she says. Duncan glares at her.

"I thought that this was a professional meeting," he reminds her. She smiles.

"It is, that was my professional opinion," Courtney tells him. "Is there anything else you think you should tell me?" Duncan ponders this for a moment but shakes his head. "Okay we have a lot of work to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to get you out of this mess, as long as you remain completely honest with me. I know that's not something you're used to, but we'll work on that too." Courtney pats his cheek and leaves the room, file in hand. She turns to the security guard on her way out. "He's all yours."