Billy Maddison took to the stand almost as soon as the trial began, and had to give his full name, date of birth, address, etc for the entire court to see. As he sat in the dock, waiting for the real questions to begin he looked out at the "audience" and focussed on Gemma. His wife was sitting on the front row of chairs, already crying, being comforted by Dean. He couldn't help but feel a short, sharp flash of jealousy light through him. He should be the one comforting his wife, and he was so damned sick of other people getting involved.
"Mr. Maddison," the lawyer for the prosecution began, "I'm going to get straight to the point - I'm sure you'd agree that we all want to get this trial over with as quickly as possible. Tell me about Krista Briskett".
"There is nothing to tell. She was a girl I hooked up with a couple of times", he said, his voice sturdy, confident.
"A girl you "hooked up with"?" the prosecuter asked. "Surely she was more than that, considering you chose to be in a relationship with her over the mother of your child?"
"That's not true".
"So tell me what is, then. You had a long standing relationship with Gemma Ferns when you first met Miss Briskett, did you not?"
Billy nodded.
"For the record please, Mr Maddison."
"Yes, that's right," Billy replied.
"How soon did your relationship with Miss Briskett become a sexual one?"
"After a couple of weeks."
"You say she "manipulated" you into intercourse with her, could you explain that for us, please?"
"I knew her from about, she was close with some of my wife's friends, so I thought it made sense to get along. One night she was really upset, and I tried to help her... tried to talk it through with her, that kind of thing, but it wouldn't work. She kept crying, and then she came onto me", Billy said, swallowing hard. He didn't want to have to bring this up with Gemma listening.
"How did she 'come onto you', Mr Maddison? Are you sure it wasn't the other way around?"
"No, it wasn't. I can't remember everything. I was really drunk, but she started kissing me. I moved away, said it was wrong and that I loved Gemma. She started crying and saying horrible things about herself, saying that I found her repulsive. I tried to tell her otherwise, and she came onto me again, and then... it happened".
"You had sexual intercourse?"
Billy nodded.
"For the record, please," the prosecutor said, sternly.
"Yes".
"And do you consider that night to be a mistake?"
"Absolutely. The biggest one I've ever made".
"Yet, you carried on this relationship behind Gemma Ferns' back, the woman you claim to love? Why?"
"I was stupid. I tried to avoid her for a while but she kept chasing me, turning up everywhere I would usually go. She began threatening to tell Gemma about what happened unless I saw her again. I didn't want to, but... I was scared".
"You were scared?" the prosecutor laughed. "You were scared of Miss Briskett? A young, fragile woman a good... what, 7 inches or so shorter than you?"
"I don't mean physically. I was scared of losing my girlfriend, and that she'd take my son. Plus, Brisky was a lot stronger than she was in the end..."
"In the end?"
"She was a lot stronger than how she looked on the night she died", Billy reworded.
"So how long did the sexual relationship last for?"
Billy raised his eyebrows, struggled with what to say, then looked to the floor.
"Please, don't make me answer that," he whispered. "My wife is here".
"Mr Maddison, you are standing trial for a murder inquiry. I would advise you to put your marital issues to one side and answer my questions."
"About three months", Billy whispered, before looking up to see Gemma begin to cry again, pulling herself into a fetal position next to Dean, who pulled her into a hug. Billy felt his heart break, shards of it swimming off into his bloodstream, cold as ice, turning his whole body numb and cold.
"Who ended it?"
"I did", Billy replied, his voice cracking.
"Why?"
"Because it was never what I wanted in the first place. And I discovered that Gemma was pregnant".
"With your first child, Kai, now almost a year?"
"No. It was our second child... would have been our second child", he corrected himself.
"And how did Brisky react?"
"She went crazy. She began throwing things at me, screamed at me, calling me all different kinds of names. Then she flipped to the complete opposite, and began crying, telling me she loved me and asking why she isn't enough for me. I told her about the baby, and I told her that it was Gemma that I loved".
"She then told Gemma, didn't she? What happened next?"
"She attacked Gemma, causing us to lose the baby".
There was a small gasp of sympathy from some of the jury.
"So this lady must have been somebody you hated. I mean, not only did she uncover you as a cheat, causing your girlfriend to break up with you, but she caused - or at least you think she caused - the miscarriage Gemma later suffered. I'm sure you had some strong feelings towards her after that".
"I did. What she did was unforgivable".
"But you went back out with her regardless, didn't you? Why on earth would you do that?"
"Because I was upset, lonely. Gemma had broken up with me, and Brisky was desperate for me to be with her. It wasn't a relationship, though. Not to me. I still loved Gemma. I felt nothing towards Brisky. It was just sex, it was easy".
"So you hated this woman, but continued to see her just for the sex? I don't understand. A fairly young, good looking musician like yourself wouldn't be short of a few girls to "hook up with", as you say?"
"I wanted to hurt her," he finally admitted with a sigh.
"Enough to lead you to kill her?"
"No!" Billy exclaimed. "I hurt her emotionally, I know that, and I'm not exactly proud of it, but I wanted her to feel how I felt, like my entire world had falled down around me. I hurt her by breaking up with her in the worst way possible".
"How was that?"
"I 'dedicated' a song to her, on stage, and made a speech about how I've never wanted her in front of the audience".
"Which was also televised, I've just been told?"
"Yes. Again, I'm not proud, but it was revenge to me. After what she had done to me, and to my family I felt she deserved it".
"Did she deserve to die, too, Billy?"
"No. Yes, I hated her but I would never kill somebody. No matter how much I was hurting, and how much I would want to hurt her, I would never kill somebody. I've never lost my sense of right and wrong".
"Although, after doing some research it seems you have had quite a checkered history, Mr Maddison. Pulling up files from America, we've found you have a record for breaking and entering, joyriding, vandalism..."
"None say murder, though, do they?"
"I'd watch my tone and remember where I was, if I was you, Mr. Maddison. What happened the night Krista Briskett died?"
"I was in the pub with my wife and her bandmate. Krista came in and wanted to speak to us. After all she had done to us, she wanted to 'apologise'"
"How did that make you feel?"
"Part of me was angry. She took my son away from me, and I could never forgive that. I found it incredulous that she could even ask me to. But mostly, I felt sorry for her. She looked really weak, she was tiny, had lost loads of weight. She had a really haunted look, as if she was struggling to deal with what she had done herself. Just seeing her really upset Gemma, she ran to the toilets and I followed her, to check if she was okay. I've heard that Brisky followed us, but I never saw her. Once Gemma had calmed down, we walked outside to see the commotion outside, and that's when we found out that Brisky had collapsed", Billy said, trying to calm himself down.
"So, you say neither you, nor your wife touched Miss Briskett?"
"No, neither of us did".
"Even though, as we have heard, you have a motive: she had, temporarily, broken up your relationship with your wife and had caused the premature death of your unborn child - a claim there is no definitive proof for -"
"She attacked Gemma, kicking her in her stomach, and later that night we lost the baby. Coincidence?!" Billy said, his voice raising slightly.
"Again, apart from circumstantial evidence, there is no legal proof this was the case, you have a past record which shows you are not the law-abiding citizen you would have us all believe. You also proved that you wished to harm Krista, whether emotionally or physically by doing some of the psychologically harming things you did and you were at the place Miss Briskett died, at the time of her death. People don't just drop dead, Mr Maddison".
"I did not touch her", Billy said, sternly.
"On top of that, a friend of yours and your wife's, Bikitha Bunney, told a reporter at the scene that you attacked Krista Briskett. It seems we have an eyewitness, Mr Maddison." The prosecuter finished his speech with a wide smile on his face. "No further questions at this time. Mr Maddison, you can leave the dock".
Billy didn't even hear him, he was still in shock due to the last thing he heard... Bikki had told people that he had attacked Brisky?! He looked up to where Gemma was, and saw her looking livid, before standing up and storming out of the room. He knew where she was going. She was going to find Bikki. He just hoped Bikki got called to the stand before Gemma found her - otherwise there would be two of them on a murder charge.
