Snippet #1768222

Of all the buildings in Lindville, the courtroom was the most preserved and the most tacky with cream coloured walls, oak trim and wooden benches that lined the room like church pews facing an altar. Historically, those benches could seat a public audience eager to witness the proceedings of a court case. Now, they were solely occupied by a bored-looking guard, examining a pistol and humming quietly to himself. Three council members sat at the front of the room, occupying what would have been the judge’s chair and the two flanking witness stands.

Tribune sat in the middle, perched upon the high chair lined with black leather, his posture upright and attentive, gripping the armrests and fixating his solemn gaze upon the woman standing below him. Her brow was creased with concentration, her icy-blue eyes betraying no emotion. To the untrained eye she appeared calm and composed when recounting the events surrounding the death of her pack mate. But Tribune had deciphered the nuances in her body language, the subtle variations in the tone of her voice and the wavering complexity in her word choice and sentences. All of these things, once combined, unconsciously registered as indicators, which, when processed, computed an accurate index of Antonica’s psychological frame and state of mind. More simply, he could read her like a book.

The werewolf’s request to speak to the council in private was made in earnest, although he wouldn’t understand why until her motive was made clearer. This wasn’t the way he usually conducted investigations, however, Ellisif had already granted Antonica an audience, perhaps opening her mouth too soon without considering the opinions of her associates.

Tribune frowned and then spoke in a deep, resounding voice that echoed throughout the court room, “Granted, Antonica, you may speak before this council in solitude. Understand, however, that any comments made regarding this murder investigation cannot carry any weight until Daniel, the two werewolves, and the vampire are sufficiently questioned before the jury. In fact, I’m inclined to withhold consideration for anything you say regarding this murder until the opinions of the involved parties are accounted for. This being said, if you have any outstanding concerns, do not hesitate to bring them forward.”

He pulled out a large notebook and a pencil, prepared to take notes of the ensuing conversation.