My head whips over to Ashley, but she continued looking down. Criminal record?

“It seems like Ms. Davies was, and might still be, quite the party animal.” He flashes a smug smile over to our table. He picks up a piece of papers and begins reading, “Charges filed against her include public intoxication, battery and assault, indecent exposure, vandalism, theft, kidnap,” he pauses, looking up to the judge. “Shall I continue? We could be here for a while,” he chuckles.

Kristal stands quickly, getting in defense mode. “Your honor, those were a result of being in a sorority. They pulled pranks, but sometimes they got a bit out of hand. An upset pledge’s mother reported the sorority to the police. She filed many complaints and decided to pursue specific individuals at random. My client went to court, but all of the charges were quickly dismissed. Honestly though, what can you expect from a college student? Ms. Davies has grown out of that phase, however, and…”

“Please,” he scoffs. “Some of these were incurred in the past three years! Are you telling me that in just a couple of short years, she turned a new leaf? Someone with this kind of record?” He slams the paper down on the table. “I think not.”

 Kristal turns to the jury. “Some of you may recall the death of international rock star Raife Davies.”

Nice move! Playing up the guilt card…

“He happens to be my client’s father. It was easy to follow in his bad rock star habits, so she did. His death was a wakeup call for her. She got her head on straight, moved out here, separating herself from her party crowd, and made a 180 degree turn.”

The prosecutor stood. “I’d like to hear that from the defendant. Ms. Davies, please come to the stand.”

After she was sworn in, he cut right to the chase. “Did you and Ms. Carlin have a relationship besides one that was strictly professional?”

Ashley didn’t even blink. “We were friends.”

Technically, it’s true. We’re friends, but also lovers.

He slowly paces back and forth, choosing his words carefully. “And did this friendship ever become intimate?”