AJ stared blankly at the empty page on his computer screen, as the cursor continued to blink. He knew that he was running out of time to finish his page before class started. Rochelle flowed gracefully into the room as he rested his head on the maple wood desk; that his mother had given him before moved to Los Angeles.

"Hey Monkee, what ya working on?" She asked placing her hands on his shoulder. He groveled as he spoke.

"I gotta teach the class about who Romeo could be like in this day and age." Rochelle cocked her head to one side. "I'm taking things from the past and trying to modernize them. I guess I'm trying to keep the kids interested." Rochelle then closed his laptop and turned him around in his chair.

"A sweet little girl is waiting to see her father." She stated pointing at the door. AJ looked at the alarm clock that was sitting to the right of him. He didn’t realize how much time had already passed. He then got up from his chair.

It was quiet as he and his wife walked into the kitchen. All of the lights in the kitchen seemed to be on but no one was in sight. As they walked further in, they heard music coming from the backyard. The music grew louder as they walked out to the yard. Sitting on a yellow melon lawn chair, was Nick. He was playing a song that he was writing for Ava’s birthday.

“Hey Nick, what's up man?” He stopped playing and looked up from his guitar. AJ could see the dismayed look on his face. “Dude, what’s wrong?” Nick looked around for a minute and then spoke.

“Can we go inside for a minute?” He asked as walked back towards the house. Once inside, Nick turned his attention to AJ.

“Dude, what’s going on?” Nick bit his lip as he was about to speak.

“Umm…well…Lauren left me and took Ryan with her.” Jack was Nick, only son. His eyes became glassy as he looked at AJ. “I just don’t understand.” He said as the tears started to fall. “I thought everything was going so good. After everything that happened, everything we’ve been though.” Nick was referring to when he and Lauren lost their first son in a boating accident. He was playing too close to the water a fell in. Nick had always blamed himself for what happened.

“Nick, this isn’t your fault, shit happens. Even to the best of us.” He said as placed his hand on Nick’s back. Nick started to wipe his tears with his navy blue short sleeved shirt.

“Well, I just wanted to come over and tell you the news. I think I’m going to go back home and start looking for someone to buy the place. I mean if the paparazzi isn’t already there.” He rubbed his temples as he continued to speak. “Shit man, I don’t know how you got the paparazzi off your back but good job.” AJ chuckled.

“I became a teacher.” Nick made a laugh of his own. Then at that moment, AJ looked at his best friend as he knew what he had to do. “I want you to stay with us until you can get everything sorted out.” Nick was speechless for a moment.

“Don’t you need to run it by Ava and Rochelle? I mean I don’t want to be in the way. Ava birthday is tomorrow and it’s a big one for her.” AJ walked away from the island where he was standing. He sat in a sand brown leather Lazy Boy and Nick followed suit. AJ continued to stare out the window as he spoke.

“I want to tell you a story that not many people know. When Rochelle and I first started dating, after we got engaged; we broke up. I really thought it was the end between us but my mother took me and helped me through it and then a few months later we got back together.” As he stared out the window, he saw Rochelle pushing Ava on the swings, just like when she was little. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, I know what it feels like when everything in your life is fallen apart. And I know Ava and Rochelle will be glad to have you.”

Once again AJ was staring at yet another blank screen. His finger traced over the keys as he tried to think of what to talk about. Then suddenly there was a light tap that came to his door. It was his daughter Ava.

“Hey Dad, can I talk to you?” She asked walking further into the room. AJ closed his laptop and turned his attention towards his daughter.

“Sure, what’s up baby girl?” Ava twirled her thumbs as she tried to think of how to start the now awkward conversation. AJ saw a drop of sweat falling from the top of the left side of her face. “Sweetheart, what’s going on?”

“Umm…I know why Lauren leave Nick.” AJ seemed puzzled.

“Yes and so do I.” Ava cleared her throat before she spoke again.

“I know the actual reason, dad.” Her face was expressionless as she looked at her father. She could tell that he truly had no idea what was going on. “Lauren left Nick because he was cheating on her.” AJ eyes widened as he took in this new information.

“I…I don’t understand; why didn’t he tell me?” Ava walked over to her father and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe he was embarrassed, dad. I mean think about it, would you really want to tell your best friend that you were cheating on your wife?” AJ rubbed his temples as he thought.

“I guess not.” Then he looked up from the floor to his daughter. “Do you know who the mistress is?”

“That’s the hardest pill to swallow. Dad, it’s…” Suddenly Nick busted through the door.

“AJ you need to come quick, it’s about Rochelle.” AJ and Ava rose quickly from their seats and ran out of the room. They followed Nick down the hallway, that now seemed longer. A few seconds later AJ was standing over his barely breathing wife’s body. Her body was covered in so much blood that AJ didn’t really know where she had gotten hurt. It felt as though the room began to spin and the voices became muffled, lost in the air. Out of the corner of his eye, AJ saw Ava curled next to her mother, crying. He then came back to reality when he realized that Ava was calling his name.

“Dad! Mom wants to talk to you.” She said slowly backing away. At that moment, he was holding Rochelle's limp body in his arms. Tears fell from his face as he gazed at her.

“Oh baby, how did this happen? Who did this to you?” Rochelle let out a weak cough as she looked at her husband.

“AJ, I need you to listen to me. No matter what happens from this point on, you can’t trust anyone. And I wanted to tell you that I’m…” AJ McLean was now holding his wife’s lifeless body in his hands. He then pressed his lips softly to her forehead, but as he looked back up, he saw glass shattered on the floor. He then looked up at Nick.

“Where the hell did that glass come from?” Nick looked in the same direction.

“I guess that’s how they got in.” Suddenly they heard police sirens coming up the street. AJ darted his eyes towards the front door.

“Who the fuck called the cops?” He asked, still looking up. Ava then spoke up.

“I’m sorry dad, I didn’t know what to do.” Suddenly a loud bang came to the front door. No one moved for a long moment.

“We know you’re in there Mr. Mclean. We advise you to come out with your hands up.” Said an elderly cop through the door. AJ then stared at his daughter and then his best friend.

“Guys you know I didn’t do this.”

“We know you didn’t man, but if you don’t go now, it will just make you look guiltier.” AJ then placed his wife’s head gently on the floor and got up off the floor. Then out of nowhere, two bodies guarded style cops ran inside towards the kitchen.

“Everybody hands up!” Said a gray breaded cop who was now staring at Rochelle’s motionless body. The man then spoke a police code into his walkie-talkie. AJ didn’t know what the code met until they were putting him in handcuffs. “AJ Mclean, you are under arrest for the murder of Rochelle Mclean.” The officer then looked towards Nick and Ava. “You two will be brought in for questioning.” AJ couldn’t look up at his daughter as the policemen were carrying him away. He knew in his heart that he would never have killed Rochelle but he need to find out who did and before it was too late.

Nick sat impatiently as he waited for the officer to come and get him after he finished with Ava. Thunder rumbled off the walls as he looked into the distance. Voices and telephone rings echoed in the air. Nick's leg began to shake as he became nervous. At that moment, he saw a slender hostile, middle aged looking man coming towards him.

“Mr. Carter if you would please come with me.” Nick arose from his chair and walked alongside the officer. The smell of burnt dark coffee tickled his nose as he continued to walk down the narrow hallway. As he looked to his left, he saw a girl in an interrogation room and for some reason, she looked familiar to him. As she looked up, Nick saw that it was Ava. She looked as though she had been crying and who wouldn’t? Her mother just died and her father was the one that killed her. “Right in here, Mr. Carter.” The officer stated with his hand extended to the right side of the hallway.

Thunder continued to roll as Nick stared blatantly at the officer. The officer continued to pace back and forth as he stared at Nick. The smell of sweat and anger filled the room. Nick didn't know what else to really say.

“I will tell you again, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was not sleeping with my best friend’s wife.” Nick said hammering his fist on the metal table. In that moment, the officer got so close to Nick’s face that Nick could smell the coffee that was still lingering on his breath.

“Well Mr. Carter, that’s not what Ava told us.” Nick swallowed hard. Sweat began to pour from his brow as he looked at the officer. Nick knew that deep down he had to be bluffing. Especially after what he and Ava spoke about. Then something inside of him told him that there was no point in lying anymore. The truth would come out one way or another.

“Fine, I was sleeping with Rochelle and that’s why my wife left me but that is all that I’m guilty of.” He said, throwing himself back in his chair.

“Oh come on Mr. Carter, do you really think I would believe that? For all I know, you could have been the one to kill her.” Nick seemed appalled at his statement. Nick then knew that he had no chose but to do what he was about to do.

“Ok, if you don’t believe me then check AJ's security footage. He keeps the tapes in his office. That one should still be inside the machine, then you’ll see that I’m telling the truth.”

* * *

It was now just a little after one thirty, as Ava gazed at her teal rhinestone embroidered watch, that her parents had gotten her for her sixteenth birthday. She didn’t understand why the officer had to pick today of all days to ask her questions. It was her eighteenth birthday. She wanted to be out with her friends and boyfriend, not sitting in a police station. The table felt cold as she rested her arm on top of it, waiting for the officer to come back from his coffee break. Suddenly the door shut so loud that it caused her to fall out of her seat. The officer then ran to help her up.

“Miss Mclean, are you ok?” He asked helping her up. He tried akwardly not to touch her in the wrong places.

“I’m ok.” She said dusting off her plaid mini skirt as she sat back in her chair. The officer then looked at her with concern.

“I don’t know that this is the last people that you want to be on your birthday but I want to thank you for coming.” Ava could hear the sincerity in his voice as he spoke. “I know that this must be hard for you but I do need to ask you a few questions.” For the last twelve hours, Ava felt numb. She felt like she was a horror movie. When she woke up this morning, she felt as though it had all been a bad dream until she looked out her bedroom window and saw cop cars lined in the front yard. Ava soon snapped back into reality as the officer called her name. “Miss Mclean, should we get started?”

“Uh… ya sure.” She said without thinking.

“Ok, the first question is, where were you right before your mother was killed.” Ava thought about her answer for a moment and then she remembered what Nick had told her.

“I was down the street at my best friend Nina’s house.” She said nervously. The officer could hear the shaking in her voice as she spoke.

“Miss Mclean…”

“Please call me Ava.” She insisted.

“Ok, Ava, I want you to know that you are not the one trial here, your father is. If he is making you say anything you don’t want to say, then I need to know.” Ava nervously bit her lip as she stared at the officer. She knew she couldn’t say anything.

“No, that’s the truth.” The officer could see the tears swelling in her eyes. He then handed her a tissue from the box that was sitting on the counter next to him.

“Ava, I have one more question that I want to ask you before I let you go.”

“Ok, what is it?” She asked with a sniffle.

“Who was your mother having an affair with?” Ava seemed unfazed at the officer’s question. She didn't hesitate to answer him.

“My dad’s best friend, Nick Carter.” An angry expression was now displaced on her face.

“Did your father know about this affair?” The officer asked, writing down something in his small yellow notepad.

“Technically, that’s two questions. And what do you think? My mother dead.” The young medium built officer then arose from his seat and walked towards the steel door.

“Well thank you for your help, Ava. Let me go and get some paperwork and I will be right back.”

“Ok.” Once he left, she again rested her head on the chilling metal table. But for a moment she looked up, she felt as though someone was watching her. And as she did, she noticed that Nick’s cold dark eyes were staring back at her.

* * *

The orange, repeatedly washed jumpsuit began to make AJ’s body crawl as processed to stare at the wall. He didn’t get much sleep last night, due to that his bed didn’t have a thousand thread count sheets and the obvious fact that he was being framed for a murder that he didn’t commit.

“AJ, man this doesn’t look good, I mean they have you on the your surveillance video.”

“How the hell did they get my surveillance video?” AJ’s attorney gazed down at the floor and then back up his client. “Nacho, come on man. We’ve known each other since grade school. Tell me who told them about the video’s.” Nacho had taken a deep breath before he spoke.

“It was Nick.” It was silent for what seemed like hours. “I’m sorry man but this video looks really convincing.” He said as he was pulling out an out of date Dell laptop.

“What do you mean?” Nacho then opened up the video and turned the laptop towards AJ. He then watched the video of the man that was attacking Rochelle. He was wearing one of AJ’s favorite hoodies, that he bought back when first visited Brazil. He was also dressed in a pair of AJ’s Oakley’s and a pair Nike’s. The man’s hands were covered with rubber gloves and he made sure that he never looked at the camera. “Shut it off.” AJ said looking away from the laptop.

“Man, I know you didn’t do this but someone is trying really hard to make it look like you did. And did you know that Ava lied and said that she was at her best friend’s house when everything happened?” Nacho paused for a moment. “And AJ, there’s something else.”

“Shit, I don’t know if I can take anymore bad news.” Nacho placed the laptop back in his bag.

“You need to hear this.”

“Fine what is it?” He asked with a long depressing breath.

“AJ, man I don’t know how to tell you this but Rochelle and Nick were sleeping together.” Suddenly it felt as though the room was starting to spin. He didn’t understand how he never saw this. But then he began to think about it. Lauren didn’t leave Nick because of his son’s death, she must have left him because she found out about the affair. Which then made him also realized that that must have been what Ava was trying to tell me before Nick came in the room. And in that moment, it hit him like a bolt of lightning.

“Nacho I got it, Ava must have lied because she was afraid that after Nick killed Rochelle he would kill her.”

“Ok, but how do you know that Nick killed her?”

“Well think about it. Why do you think that Nick was so quick to tell that officer about tapes? He had somehow altered the video to made it look like it was me that killed her.” Nacho then scratched his head.

“Ok well, that still doesn’t explain why you think he killed her.”

“Well, most of the time the lovers kill because the other one doesn’t want to leave their husband or wife. Which is probably the case in this situation.” AJ saw the concerned look on his friend’s face. “Look I know this might seem a little farfetched but you have to believe me on this. I need you to do some digging before my trial next week. Can you do that?”

“Ya man, I got your back.”

So many times AJ had watched crime shows of the incent men being frame. But he never thought that it would be him. An unfamiliar voice echoed on the TV screen as he waited for Nick to show.

"Former Backstreet Boy AJ Mclean, has been charged with murder. Just a week ago, AJ Mclean murder his wife, Rochelle Mclean in cold blood. The trial is set for later this week."

AJ shook his head as he heard the reports words. He couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. First, he didn’t understand why his wife cheated on him with his best friend and second, why or how Nick killed her? Within that second, Nick strolled into the room. His face looked worn and tired. He looked as though he hadn’t brushed his hair for a few days. He then sat down and grabbed the black, silver corded phone, as did AJ.

“AJ, dude we’re trying everything we can to…” AJ didn’t want to waste any time finding out what Nick was up to.

“Drop the act, Nick. I know you were sleeping with Rochelle and I also know that you killed her. But what I can’t figure out is why?” Nick's jaw suddenly clinged as he looked at AJ. He knew he had to come clean now.

“Man, I will say that I did sleep with Rochelle but I didn’t kill her.” In that second AJ yelled into the phone.

“You’re a fucking liar, Nick! If you didn’t kill her then why were you so quick to frame me and tell the police about the video tapes?” Nick was silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry I told them about the tapes. The guy started to believe that I was the one who might have killed her, so I panicked. And for that, I’m truly sorry but I didn’t kill Rochelle.” Angry began to boil inside of AJ as Nick continued to speak. He knew that he had to catch him off guard somehow. And then it hit him.

“How long had you two been sleeping together?” AJ asked calmly. Nick then looked away from him.

“Two years.” AJ didn’t say anything for a long moment. How could he not have seen this going on for so long? AJ continued to boil inside.

“I have one more question.” He said, as he stared at his once best friend in the face. “What made you kill my wife? Was it because she said she wasn't going to leave me for you?” In that blink, AJ noticed the one drop of sweat that was rolling down Nick’s left side of his face as he said nothing. Then at that moment AJ leaned closer to the glass. “Answer the fucking question.” Nick also moved closer to the glass. He then pulled the phone as close to his mouth as he could and then spoke,

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” And in that second, a crooked smile arose on Nick’s face. Suddenly AJ lost it, he jumped up from his seat and threw his body towards the glass.

“You son of a bitch! I know you did it!” Within a second, two overweight guards grabbed both of AJ’s arms and dragged him out of the room.

Hours had passed since AJ freaked out on Nick. But at least he knew the truth, Nick had killed Rochelle. He just needed to find out out how. That’s why his attorney was coming by to see him. Suddenly one of the officers strolled towards his cell door with handcuffs in his hands.

“You have a visitor Mr. Mclean and she must be pretty special if their letting you have visitors after your little episode today.”

“She?” AJ didn’t understand, where was Nacho? AJ could see the impatient look on the guard’s face.

“Well, do you want to see her or not?” The tall, afro-haired, black office asked as AJ was still sitting down.

“Uh…ya.” The guard then took the cold chilling handcuffs and snapped them around AJ’s wrist. He and the guard walked silently down the hallway as the other inmates glared at him. As he was walking, all he kept telling himself was that he believed that Nick should have been the one here, not him.

No words were exchanged for a long moment as AJ looked at his daughter. The last he knew, she had lied to the police and told them that she was at her friend’s house when her father killed her mother. AJ could see that his daughter had been crying because her eyes were puffy and red.

“Dad, I’m sorr…” AJ cut her off quickly.

“I just want to know why?” He asked as he didn’t look up at her. Ava took a long breath before she spoke again.

“Dad, I don’t know if you really want to hear this.” AJ’s voice now seemed unfazed. He had heard some much bad news lately, so what was just one more piece of bad news?

“I think I will be fine.” Ava took another deep breath before speaking. As she looked down her hands began to shake. She felt a frog stiffening in her throat.

“Ok well, after the police took you away, Nick came up to me and told me that you shouldn’t have been the one to be taken away. And when I asked him what he meant, he told me point blank that he was the one that killed mom.” AJ almost dropped the phone as she spoke.

“I…I…don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell the police?” Ava’s eyes swelled with tears.

“He said that if I told anyone, he would make sure that you end up getting the death penalty.” Tears were now streaming down her face. AJ could tell that something else bothered his daughter as he noticed that she was biting her lip, which she only did when she was nervous.

“Ava, sweetheart, what is it?” She pulled the phone closer to her mouth and cupped her hand around it and in a whisper she said,

“He raped me the night of my eighteenth birthday.” AJ couldn’t believe what he just heard. He had known this man for thirty years. In that moment, AJ hung up the phone and walked away from his daughter without saying a word.

AJ continued to toss and turn in his bed. He just couldn’t understand, why after everything that he and Nick had been through, that he would do something like this. Another thing that was on his mind was where Nacho was. He hadn’t heard from him in days. He was hoping that tomorrow would be a better day. So he turned over and closer his eyes and tried to sleep for the time he had left.

It was now only two days until AJ’s trial and he was running out of time to try and find Nick guilty. He was hoping that Nacho’s visit today would shed some light of something. Nacho sat uncomfortably in the blue plastic chair as he looked at his client and longtime friend.

“AJ, man I’m going to be honest with you. If Nick really is the one behind all of this, he’s got you good.”

“Nacho, that’s not really the news I wanted to hear,” AJ said as he gripped the phone tightly.

“Man I know, but I did manage to get a file from one of my cops buddies downtown. Basically, there is a bank statement showing two amounts of two thousand five hundred dollars that was taken out of your account, the day of the murder.”

“Dammit! Nacho you know I didn’t do this.” He said gripping the phone even tighter. AJ began to grind his teeth as he marinated on what his friend said.

“AJ, I know you didn’t but right now we have no proof otherwise.” He said as he looked at his out of date Dell laptop.

“Ok well have you looked at the other tapes?” Nacho bit his thumb and then wipe a bit of sweat off of his mustache.

“Well, there’s a problem with that?” Nacho said, biting his nail again.

“What kind of problem?” AJ asked, afraid of the answer.

“Well when the police went to find the tape, the one with you supposedly killing Rochelle was there but the other ones were gone. Nick must have got rid of them.”

“Son of a bitch!” AJ then slammed his fist on the table. Suddenly a guard darted his eyes towards AJ’s direction.

“Look, man, I will find out what I can before the trial but until then try and stay out of trouble,” Nacho said as he looked at the overseeing guard, still staring at AJ.


* * *

Ava flipped through an old Seventeen magazine as she waited for her boyfriend Brad, to pick her up from school. Brad was nineteen and owned his own Mechanic shop in lower Los Angeles. His Firebird red Ford Mustang glistened in the sunlight, as it pulled into the school parking lot. Ava grabbed her backpack from the crib and walked to the car and got in. As she got inside, Brad readied his lips to kiss her but she turned her head.

“What’s wrong, babe?” He asked as he was flooring it out of the parking lot.

“It’s nothing.” By quickly glancing over at her face, Brad knew that that wasn’t true.

“Come on, babe, you can tell me anything.” She wasn't sure how to tell him what was really going. She knew that he was aware of what was going on with her dad because it was all over the news.

"You won’t understand," she said underneath her breath.

"What did ya say, babe?" He asked still looking at the road.

“Brad I…I…I think we should break up.” His car then came to a screeching halt as he almost ran a red light.

“What do you mean break-up? Did I do something wrong?” He asked as they were now approaching Ava’s driveway.

“I don’t think I can be with someone who doesn’t have their life together.” Brad seemed insulted by her statement.

“I do have my life together. I’ve got a job and I’m…” Ava knew then that she would have to tell him the words that she never thought she would have to speak.

“I’m not in love with you anymore.” Tears pour from her eyes as she spoke those words that she knew weren’t true. At that moment, she ran out of the car and as she did, Brad sped as fast as he could down the street. As she looked back at the house, Ava noticed Nick’s white BMW was sitting in the drive. She then ran into the house to see if he was there.

It was soundless as she walked inside. As she walked further in she saw there was a light on in one of the bedroom’s upstairs. With ease, she slowly crept up the stairs and walked towards the open door. Her heartbeat became faster as she got closer to the door. Just as she was about to approach the room, Nick arose shirtless, in front of her.

“Well hello there, little missy. Did you do what I asked?” He asked while caressing her face.

“Yes, but don’t think for a second that I enjoyed it.” She said as she looked away from him.

“Oh, I love it when you play hard to get.” He said pulling her closer.

“Trust me, I’m not playing.”

Small whispers and footsteps echoed around in the courtroom. AJ whirled his head back and forth as he tried to figure out where Nacho might be. AJ did a slow yoga breath as he closed his eyes and opened them again. Suddenly, before his eyes, a bulky build man was standing in front of him. His suit looked of a deep blue silk that shined just right in the little bit of sunlight that was glowing from outside.

“Hello Mr. Mclean, I’m your new attorney. My name is William Fisk.” He said extending his hand for AJ to shake.

“My new attorney? Where the hell is Nacho?” He asked not shaking the man’s hand.

“Mr. Rodríguez believes that his services could be used elsewhere, he said that he will see as soon as he can.” AJ wanted to ask the man another question but before he could have said another word, the judge slammed her gavel onto the table and said that court was now in session.

As the courtroom as now filled with people, AJ had a cold chill run down his spine and as he looked around. He then saw Nick in the back of the courtroom with a huge smirk on his face. Within that second, AJ turned his attention back to the front of the courtroom. Mr. Fisk arose first.

“Your honor, I would like to call my client Alexander Mclean to the stand.” At that moment, the police officer removed AJ’s chains and walked him towards the stand. He placed his hand on the Bible.

“Do you swear to tell the trust, the whole, and nothing but the truth. So help you, God?” The officer asked, staring blankly at AJ.

“I do.” AJ then sat in a booth and stared ahead, with his eyes now focused on Nick. AJ’s new attorney, Mr. Fisk, then strolled in front of jury.

“Good Morning, people of the jury. Today you are going to hear a lot about this man. But I want to tell that the past is the past for a reason. We as people can change over the course of time. Today will start to help decided what kind of man you think Mr. Mclean is. Yes, he was in a famous 90’s boyband and yes he did some things that he wasn’t proud of but who hasn’t?” Mr. Fisk slowly rotates his body towards AJ and began to speak. “Let’s start off easy. Mr. Mclean, where were you the night your wife was murdered?”

“I was working a modern day Romeo article to read for one of my classes.” He said leaning closer into the microphone.

“Ok, how did you know that your wife was killed?”

“Mr. Carter ran into my room said that something was wrong with my wife. So I ran downstairs, and she was covered in so much blood I didn’t even know where she had been hurt.” AJ rubbed the back of his neck as he was trying not to remember the horrifying day.

“Speaking of Mr. Carter, is it true that you believe that he killed your wife?” The crowd was hushed as they waited for AJ to respond.

“Yes, I do.” Whisper then grew loud as everyone started to talk amongst each other.

“Order in the court!” The judge proclaimed, banging her gavel on the table. “I said order in my courtroom.” She slammed her gavel once more. “Mr. Fisk, there better be a point to this.”

“There is your Honor.” He said, now turning his attention to the jury. “Here in my hand, I hold proof that Mr. Mclean was indeed framed. And with this evidence, I believe that he should be allowed to make bail and go under house arrest for sixty days to find out who is really behind this.” Mr. Fisk then walked over to the large-backed, black TV and put the tape into the VCR. Fisk continued to speak as the video was continued to play. He started to talk about a lot of things that AJ didn’t understand. Then in a second, Fisk pointed his finger at the screen. “Now if look closely at the right arm of supposed Mclean, you notice that the man had a tattoo of a rose on his right wrist.” In that moment, he turned towards AJ. “Mr. Mclean could you please fold up your right sleeve.” AJ did just that. Fisk then point to AJ’s right wrist. “As you can see, Mr. Mclean he has a pointed object displayed on his wrist. Which doesn’t match the man in the video.” Whisper now turned into louder chatter. Once again the judge slammed her gavel on the table. The judge waited for everyone to finally quiet down before she made her next statement.

“Mr. Mclean, if this new evidence checks out, then and only then, will I grant you sixty days of house arrest.” She then looked at him with a stern look on her face. “I hope in that due time Mr. Mclean; you can find me a good explanation for all of this.” Fisk then walked back to his seat. But not a beat later, an unfamiliar slender man walked in front of AJ and placed his hands behind his back.

“Your honor, my name is Jack Rhodes, and I believe there is more to this story. If you would allow me to ask Mr. Mclean some questions…” He was then interrupted by the judge.

“I’m sorry Mr. Rhodes but who are representing here?” The broad-shouldered man cleared his throat and looked in the direction of Nick.

“I am here to represent my client, Mr. Nick Carter.” The judge seemed confused but yet unfazed by the statement.

“Mr. Rhodes, Mr. Carter isn’t the one on trial.”

“You are correct, please allow me to explain.” She thought about it for a moment.

“Fine, go ahead.” She said waving her hand.

“Before the trial, Mr. Carter went to visit Mr. Mclean. After talking to my client, Mr. Mclean then believed that my client had killed his wife. Thus, is why Mr. Carter hired me.” The judge then looked in the direction of Nick and then at Mr. Rhodes.

“Mr. Rhodes, I will allow your questions but if you can’t give me any real proof that Mr. Mclean actually killed his, then I will have to let me go with house arrest.”

“Thank you, your honor.” Mr. Rhodes motioned his body towards AJ. His glare was ice cold as he looked at AJ.

“Mr. Mclean, you told an officer that at the time that your wife was killed you were in your office working on paper for you Literature class, is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.” He said leaning into the microphone once again.

“Ok well then please explain to the courtroom why there were two eyewitnesses that say otherwise?” AJ’s mind began to race. Could this really be happening; why would Nick go through all this problem? He then looked across the room and saw someone on their phone. He didn’t understand what triggered the thought but he remembered seeing someone with Nick outside of his house earlier that day. He also remembered taking a picture of car’s licenses plate. But he knew he wouldn’t have to time to catch him that way. So decided to go big or go home.

“Would those two eyewitnesses just happen to be you and Nick Carter?” Eyes darted to the back of the room as everyone started to look at Nick. “I have a picture of the licenses plate to prove it.” Suddenly the roomed filled with an angry and confused voices as the judge then slammed her gavel on the table.

“Order in the court!” She darted her eyes towards Jack.

“Mr. Rhodes, I must review this new evidence but your questioning is now over.” She then looked at the jury.

“Please strike this previous questioning from the record. Please do not let this be a deciding factor in your final decision. This trial with continued two months from this date.” The judge slammed her gavel on the table and AJ let out a sigh of relief. AJ now only had one goal to shoot for and he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.