Chapter 7 Chapter VII
The Court Building of Arsakion in the center of Athens is a sub-coloured stone building.The behemoth occupies an entire block of University and Strada streets.There are 33 courtrooms in the building, but only three of them are criminal courtrooms: rooms 21, 30 and 33.
The murder trial of Anastasia Savarez is underway in Judgment Hall 33.The case has recently become a hot topic of discussion.The courtroom is approximately 300 feet long and 400 feet wide.The auditorium is divided into three sections, with a distance of 6 feet between each section and 9 seats in each row.At the center of the hall is the 6-foot-high mahogany tribunal, behind which are three high-backed chairs for the chief judge.In front of the trial table is a witness stand slightly above the ground, and there is a pulpit in front of the seat.The row of seats against the opposite wall is the jury box.All ten members of the jury are here today.The defendant's defense attorneys stalked the back of the press booth.
The opening of this murder case was already quite eye-catching, and more importantly, the person who appeared in court this time was Napoleon Chotas, a well-known barrister in the world today.Chotas has long handled various homicide cases and has written pages and pages of brilliant achievements in his defense career.His fees are said to have sometimes reached millions of dollars.He was a thin man with a gaunt, lined face and large, sad eyes with a hound's wit.Judging from his clothes and appearance, it seems that he can't give people a sense of self-confidence at all.But behind his inconspicuous appearance, there is a combination of superhuman acuity and wisdom.
The press was very surprised by this appearance of Napoleon Chotas, and there were many speculations about it.They thought he had absolutely no chance of winning this case for this woman.So many people are betting on Chotas' first failure.
Inspector Peter Demonides had fought Chotas before.Though he never admitted it, not even to himself—he was in awe of Chotas's eloquence—this time he felt nothing to worry about.If ever there was a clear-cut murder case, the case of Anastasia Savarez was the quintessential one.
The case was fairly straightforward. Anastasia was a young and beautiful woman.Her husband, George Savarez, is rich but 30 years older than her.Anastasia had long had an affair with her family's young driver, Joseph Pappas, for which, according to witnesses, her husband had repeatedly threatened to divorce her and rewrite his will.On the night of the murder, Anastasia first managed to get rid of the housemaid, claiming that she would cook for her husband herself.George had been suffering from a cold during that time, so he was coughing badly at the dinner table.His wife brought him a bottle of cough drops, but Savarez took a sip and lay down dead.
What a self-evident case.
Hall 33 was full early this morning.Anastasia Savarez, who was sitting in the dock, was wearing a plain black dress, no jewelry, and just a little makeup, but her natural beauty still made people feel People are amazed. Prosecutor Peter Demonides reads his indictment to the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen, sometimes our murder trials drag on for three or four months, but this time, gentlemen of the jury, please rest assured that this case will not drag on like those other murders. It has been so long. When you have heard your case, I am sure you will not hesitate to reach the only possible verdict - to find the defendant guilty of premeditated murder. The prosecutor will prove that the murder of the defendant against her husband was deliberate Yes, because her husband threatened to divorce her after he found out that she had an affair with the driver at home. We will prove that the defendant has fully possessed the murder motive, the timing of the crime, and the murder tool to achieve his own murder goal.” After speaking, they returned to their seats. The presiding judge turned to Chotas: "Is the defense lawyer ready to speak?" Napoleon Chotas rose slowly from his seat. "Yes, Your Excellency the Judge." He shuffled unsteadily to the front of the jury, narrowed his eyes and began to speak.It was as if he was speaking to himself. "I have lived in this world for many years, so I know that there is such a truth, that is: whether it is a man or a woman, if it is impossible to hide the evil nature in the heart, they will always be to a certain extent. Revealed. I remember a poem once said: The eyes are the windows of the soul. I firmly believe that this adage is true. Now I want you to take a serious look at the eyes of this woman. From her eyes , it is impossible for us to discover that there is even a murderous attempt deep in her heart." After Napoleon Chotas finished speaking, he stood there for a while, as if he had something to add.He shuffled slowly back to his seat. A feeling of elation welled up in Peter Demonides.my Lord.That's the worst opening I've ever seen in my life, and the old guy is doomed today. "Is the prosecutor ready to call the first witness to testify?" "Yes, Your Excellency. I would like Rosa Likaugos to testify first." A bulky middle-aged woman stood up from the gallery, and walked towards the witness stand with a determined look on her face.She took the oath as usual. "Mrs. Lycogos, what is your occupation?" "I'm in charge..." Her voice suddenly choked. "I'm the butler in Mr. Savarez's house." "Mr. George Savarez?" "Yes, sir." "Can you tell us how many years you've been with his family?" "Twenty-five years." "My God, it's long enough. Do you like your master?" "He was literally a saint." "Were you employed by Savarez's family during their first marriage?" "Yes, sir. I was with him when he buried his wife at the base." "Do you think the relationship between their husband and wife has always been excellent?" "They were madly in love." Peter Demonides came here and glanced at Chotas.He's waiting for his objections to the questions.But Chotas sat quietly in his seat, as if he was immersed in his own thoughts. So Peter Demonides continued to question the witnesses. "Then when M. Savarez married Anastasia for the third time, were you still in charge of his house?" "Oh, yes, sir. Of course at his house." She became a little impatient when asked. "Do you think their marriage is happy?" He glanced at Napoleon Chotas again, but there was no response from him. "Happiness? No, sir. They fight like cats and dogs all day long." "Did you ever see them fight?" "You can't do it alone. When they quarrel, you can hear it all over the house—but it's a big house." "I thought these conflicts were just verbal and not physical, did I? That said, Mr. Savarez never hit his wife, did he?" "Oh, it's physical. But it's just the opposite: Madame beats Monsieur every time. Monsieur Savarez is old, and the poor man is very weak." "Did you ever witness Mrs. Savarese beat her husband?" "More than once." The witness looked intently at Anastasia Savarez, with a biting satisfaction in his tone. "Mrs. Lycogos, who were at home the night Mr. Savares died?" "None of us are here." Peter Demonides deliberately asked in a surprised tone: "You mean that there is no servant in such a large house? Didn't Mr. Savarez hire a cook, or a nanny, or a housekeeper? ...?" "Oh, no, sir. There are all kinds of servants in the house. But the lady gave all the servants in the house that night. She said she would cook for him herself, and that this would be their second Honeymoon." There was a distinctly contemptuous irony in that last sentence. "So Madame Savarez managed to get everyone out of the way?" This time it was the presiding judge who glanced at Napoleon Chotas, who he believed would definitely object.But the barrister still sat there indifferently thinking about his own problems. The presiding judge had to turn to Demonides. "Inspectors should stop asking leading questions." "I am sorry, Your Excellency. I will ask the question in a different way." Demonides approached Madam Lycorgos. "You mean that the servants were supposed to be in the house that night, and Mrs. Savares asked all the servants to leave the house so that she could be alone with Mr. Savares, yes?" "Yes, sir. The poor man is thinking of a bad cold." "Does Madame Savarez often cook for her husband herself?" Mrs. Lycogos immediately scoffed at this. "Her? No, sir. She won't even lift a finger at home." Napoleon Chotas sat and listened as if he were merely a spectator. "Thank you, Mrs. Lycogos. Your testimony is very helpful to the case." Peter Demonides tried to hide his inner satisfaction when facing Chotas.The evidence given by Mrs. Likaugos had evidently worked on the jury, as he had established from the reproachful glances they cast on the accused.Let's see how this old guy will convince the jury. "It's your turn to question the witness." Napoleon Chotas glanced at him and said, "What? Oh, I have nothing to ask." The presiding judge looked at him in surprise. "Mr. Chotas... don't you want to question the opposing witness?" Napoleon Chotas rose to his feet. "No, sir. This witness appears to be very honest." And he sat down again. Peter Demonides could hardly believe his luck.My goodness, he thought to himself gleefully.He didn't even have the stance to face the fight at all, the old guy was finally finished this time, and Demonides had already started cheering his victory secretly in his heart. The presiding judge said to the prosecutor: "Mr. prosecutor can pass down a witness." "Next to testify is Joseph Pappas." A tall, handsome, dark-haired young man stood up from the public gallery and walked towards the witness stand.He swore. Peter Demonides started asking questions. "Mr. Pappas, please tell the court your occupation." "I'm a driver." "Are you currently employed?" "No." "But you were employed until recently. That is to say, you were a family chauffeur employed by Mr. George Savarez's family until his death." "Is such that." "How long have you been employed by his family?" "More than a year." "Does this work please you?" Joseph looked at Chotas with a distressed look, but there was only silence. "Do you find this work pleasant, Mr. Pappas?" "Tolerable, I think." "Is your compensation satisfactory?" "good." "So, according to you; your job was just passable? I mean, you never had any fringe benefits other than that decent salary? Didn't you often talk to Savarez? Madame going to bed?" Joseph turned to Chotas again for help.Still got no response. "I . . . yes, sir. I suppose that's the case." Peter Demonides immediately asked the other party in a mocking tone. "You suppose it happened? You swore. You either had sex with her, or you didn't. Did you?" Pappas squirmed awkwardly in position. "We had sex." "While you're working for her husband--living in his house and accepting the generous wages he gives you, you do it all the same, don't you?" "Yes, sir." "Don't you feel uncomfortable when you take Mr. Savarez's money and make love to his wife every day?" "It wasn't just a sexual relationship." Peter Demonides immediately and skillfully set the trap. "Not just sex? What do you mean? I don't seem to understand what you mean." "I mean that Anastasia and I were planning to get married." His words immediately caused a burst of surprised discussion in the court, and the members of the jury once again cast their eyes on the defendant. "Is the marriage your idea or hers?" "Oh, we both want to get married." "Who came up with it first?" "I think it's her." He shot a quick glance at Anastasia, who looked up at him without flinching. "Frankly, Monsieur Pappas. I'm a little puzzled. How can you expect to marry her? Isn't Madame Savares a married woman? Are you going to wait until her husband dies of old age and sickness?" Or were you expecting Mr. Savarez to have some unexpected fatal accident? What the hell was going on in your head?" This is a completely provocative question, so that the three judges and prosecutors on the stage all set their sights on Chotas, the defendant lawyer, but he turned a deaf ear to it and just scribbled on the paper. Scribbled away his time.He did not object immediately and sharply as they had imagined, and even the accused Anastasia lost her composure. Inspector Demonides continued to press: "You haven't answered my question, Mr. Pappas." Joseph Pappas shifted anxiously from position to position. "I'm not so sure either." Peter Demonides finally drew his whip. "Then let me tell you very clearly. Mrs. Savarese has planned to kill her husband so that he will not get in the way of you both. She knows that he intends to divorce her and rewrite the will. The rewritten will will won't leave her a penny, so she just..." "Against!" This was not Napoleon Chotas, but the presiding judge. "You are inducing the witnesses to speculate." To his surprise, Napoleon Chotas was still relaxing in his chair with his eyes closed so far. "Sorry, Your Excellency the Judge." But he knew he had hit the other side.Then he turned to Chotas and said, "It's up to you to question the witnesses." Napoleon Chotas stood up. "Thank you, Mr. Demonides. I'm fine." After hearing this, the three judges all looked at each other. They were really puzzled by Chotas' attitude. One of them reminded him: "Mr. Chotas, you should understand that this is your only chance to cross-examine witnesses, right?" Napoleon Chotas blinked. "I know, Mr. Judge." "Aren't you going to ask him any questions in light of his testimony?" Napoleon Chotas shook his hand and muttered, "No, Mr. Judge." The judge yawned. "Very well, then. Please, Mr. Prosecutor, send a witness to the court." The third witness was a well-built man named Miharis Haritonides. After taking the oath, the prosecutor began to question him: "Can you first inform the court of your occupation?" "Yes, sir. I run a hotel." "Can you tell us the name of this hotel?" "Argus Hotel." "Where is it located?" "Corfu." "I want to ask you, Mr. Harry Tonides, is there any traveler here who has stayed in your hotel?" The witness glanced around. "Yes, sir. He and she." "For the record of the court; the two identified by the witnesses are Joseph Pappas and Anastasia Savarez." Then he turned back to the witnesses. "Have they been here more than once?" "Oh, yes, sir. At least about five or six times." "Did they both spend the night in the same room?" "Yes, sir. They usually come for the weekend." "Thank you for your answer, Mr. Harry Tonides." Then he said to Napoleon Chotas as usual: "It's your turn." "no problem." The presiding judge turned to the two judges next to him, and the three of them exchanged opinions in low voices. After this, the presiding judge asked Chotas: "Do you have no questions to question the witnesses, Mr. Chotas?" "No, Your Honor. I trust his testimony. It's a nice hotel. I've stayed there, too." The presiding judge looked at Rangiotas for a long time incomprehensibly, and then said to Peter Demonides: "The public prosecutor may order a witness to appear in court." "Next I would like to call Dr. Vasilis Frangoskos to testify." A tall, well-looking man got up and went to the witness stand and took the oath. "Dr. Francoscos, could you tell me what is your specialty?" "I'm a general doctor with a wide range of disciplines." "It's kind of like a family doctor, isn't it?" "How long have you been practicing medicine?" "About 30 years." "Then you must have the business license required by the government, right?" "certainly." "Doctor Francoscos, was Mr. George Savarez a patient of yours?" "Yes, he was once my patient." "How long?" "A little over ten years." "Then did you find out that he has any special disease that needs treatment?" "Oh, he came to see me once for high blood pressure." "Have you treated him?" "yes." "But you saw him later, didn't you?" "Oh, yes. He used to see me a lot after he got here. But it was bronchitis or some mild ailment of the liver." "When was the last time you saw Mr. Savarez?" "Last October." "That was shortly before his death." "you are right." "Has he ever visited your clinic?" "No. I always go to his house." "Do you usually conduct family clinics?" "Not much, no." "But he is an exception." "yes." "why?" After hesitating for a while, he replied: "At that time, he couldn't come to my clinic with his appearance." "What does it look like?" "He had scratch marks all over his body, he had undercuts to his ribs and he had a concussion." "Was that the result of some accident?" The doctor hesitated again, "According to what he told me at the time, he was beaten by his wife." The audience was in an uproar. The presiding judge finally got a little impatient. "Mr. Chotas, are you not going to object to the recording of such indirect evidence?" Napoleon Chotas raised his head and said softly. "Oh, thank you, sir. Yes, I have no objection." However, this testimony brought extremely adverse consequences to the defendant after all.Because, the eyes of the jury have revealed a kind of obvious hostility to the defendant. "Thank you, Dr. Francoscos. I have no more questions." He turned to Chotas and said triumphantly, "Your turn." "Nothing to ask."
A string of witnesses followed: a maid testified that she had seen Mrs. Mr. Varais claimed to divorce his wife and rewrite the will... Some neighbors also testified to the court: they often heard the noise of the couple. Napoleon Chotas still did not ask any questions about the above-mentioned witnesses. The French Open is beginning to quickly close on Anastasia. Peter Demonides was already intoxicated with the joy of victory, and from time to time his mind was filled with newspaper headlines, this murder case will be the fastest trial ever.It might even be possible to close the case today.He thought happily.Famed barrister Napoleon Tass will play the role of a loser this time around. "I now request that Mr. Nico Mantakis be allowed to testify in court." Mantakis is a thin young man.He seemed honest, and spoke slowly and with considerable care in his choice of words. "Mr. Mantakis, please inform the court of your occupation." "Yes, sir. I work in the nursery." "Take care of the kids, don't you?" "Oh, no, sir. It's not a nursery for children. We're full of trees and flowers and all kinds of plants." "Oh, I see. You're an expert at growing plants." "Arguably so. I've been in this business for a long time." "Then I suppose part of what you do is to keep the plants in your nursery in a good condition before you sell them." "Yes, sir. We always take good care of them. We never deliver diseased plants to our customers, and most of them grow well." "So you must have many regular customers." "Yes, sir." His voice was filled with pride. "Because our service is satisfactory." "Please tell me, Mr. Mantakis, is Mrs. Savares a regular customer of yours?" "Oh, yes, sir. She is very fond of plants and flowers of all kinds." The presiding judge impatiently reminded: "Mr. Demonides, the court believes that the questions just now have nothing to do with this case. Please change the question or..." "If the court allows me to finish my questions, Mr. Judge, you will find that these questions are of the utmost importance to this case." The presiding judge turned to Napoleon Chotas. "Mr Chotas, do you object to these questions?" He stood up and blinked. "What? No, Mr. Judge." The presiding judge looked at Chotas in disappointment, and turned to Demonides, "All right. You can continue asking questions." "Mr. Mantakis, did Mrs. Savares come to you one day in October to say something was wrong with some of the trees in her house?" "Yes, sir. She told me." "At that time, didn't she say that the trees in her house were infested with insects and almost died, didn't she say that?" "Yes, sir." "Didn't she ask you to help with the pest control?" "She did, sir." "Can you tell the court how you helped her solve this problem?" "I sold her some antimony." "Can you explain to the court what substance this is?" "It's a poison like arsenic." The whole court was full of voices. The presiding judge slammed the wooden hammer several times. "If you guys continue to be loud in the courtroom, I'm going to have to ask the marshals to clear the room." Then he said to Demonides, "Go ahead." "So you sold her some antimony?" "yes." "Then do you think this poison is deadly? You compared it to arsenic just now." "Oh, yes, sir. It can be lethal, yes." "According to the law, the sale of poison must be recorded. Did you record it in the account book as required?" "On the record, sir." "Did you bring the records?" "I've brought it." He handed a ledger to the inspector. Demonides stepped forward and handed it to the judges for review. "Mr. Judge, I want this evidence to be labeled No. 1." He went back to the witness. "I have no questions for you to answer." Then he gestured to Napoleon Chotas. Naquilon Chotas just shook his head. "No need to ask." Peter Demonides took a deep breath, and it was time to drop his bombshell. "Now I want to show Evidence No. 2." He shouted to the bailiff standing at the entrance of the hall, "Please send Evidence No. 2 immediately." The bailiff walked out quickly, and a few minutes later, he entered the courtroom with a tray containing a bottle of cough medicine.This bottle of potion is obviously missing a piece.When Farau passed it to the prosecutor, the audience in the gallery craned their necks in ecstasy.Demonides handed the vial to the trial table. "Ladies and gentlemen, what you have now seen is the murder weapon that the accused used to kill Mr. Georges Savarez. Mr. Savarez drank that night that his wife handed him. bottle of cough syrup, because it was tainted with deadly antimony. As is known, the victim died 20 minutes after swallowing some of the syrup." Napoleon Chotas rose abruptly from his seat and said politely, "No. I don't think the prosecutor can establish that this bottle is the same one that Madame Savarese handed her husband that night for coughing." Peter Demonides immediately started netting. "It would be reasonable for my legal colleague to question this, but Madame Savarez has admitted that it was the same potion she administered to her husband that night. It has been kept by the police ever since. Closely guarded until it was picked up by the bailiff in person a few minutes ago. The coroner has also confirmed the death of Mr. Jorge Savarez as a result of antimony poisoning. It is a bottle of poisoned cough drops." He stared at Napoleon Chotas with a defiant look. Napoleon Chotas shook his head resignedly. "In that case, I don't think there is any doubt about it." Peter Demonides announced triumphantly, "There is no doubt, thank you, Mr. Chotas. The prosecution will now automatically stop further evidence in this case." The presiding judge asked Napoleon Chotas: "Is the defendant's lawyer going to speak for the last time?" Chotas got up and said, "Yes, Your Excellency the Judge." He stood there for a long time, and then walked forward slowly like a gliding hoof.He stood in front of the jury box, scratching his scalp, as if thinking about how to start.He finally spoke.The tone was unhurried, and at the same time, he quickly searched for the words he wanted to choose in his mind. "I think there must be some of you who are puzzled by my silence in front of all the witnesses. Now, let me tell you why. I think that since Mr. Demonides, the prosecutor, has presented The witness has asked the question so thoroughly, why should I ask more?" The idiot was already speaking for me without knowing it, and Demeneshs felt a burst of joy in his heart. Napoleon Chotas looked at the bottle of cough drops for a moment, then turned back to face the jury and continued speaking. "All the witnesses seemed honest. But in fact they proved nothing, didn't they? I mean..." He shook his head. "Now, after summing up all the testimonies, we can only come to this conclusion; a young and beautiful girl married an old man, and the old man was incapable of satisfying her sexual demands." Joseph Pappas nodded. "So she found this young man to satisfy her sexual desires. But we have read a lot about these facts in the newspapers, haven't we? Their affair is no secret, and it can be said that the whole world has Know this, because those third-rate junk publications never let go of such gossip. Now, we may all disagree with her, but ladies and gentlemen, Anastasia Sa Vares is not being tried here today for adultery, much less for having the sexual desires common to young women. No, she is appearing today as a defendant charged with murder .” He turned again and stared at the bottle of potion as if fascinated by it. Let the old man talk nonsense, Peter Demonides thought lightly.He glanced at the wall clock: five minutes to twelve.It is always customary for the judges to adjourn at noon.The old fool seemed unable to finish his speech before the adjournment.Demonides couldn't wait to get the case over before the noon adjournment.Why should I be afraid of him?Now he even felt a little puzzled by himself. Napoleon Chotas was still talking with ease. "Now, let's discuss the evidence about poisoning together. Mrs. Savares was very worried about the pest infestation in the trees at home, so she went to the plant expert Mr. Mantakis for advice on how to solve the pests. The expert advised her to use antimony to kill insects, so she bought some antimony and did so. Can we call such an ordinary thing a murder? Of course I don't think so. Let us next Look at the testimony of the housekeeper. She said that Mrs. Savarez had all the servants out of the house that night so that she could have the honeymoon dinner she made herself with her husband alone. I think it is probable that the housekeeper herself has always loved Mr. Savarez. Otherwise, a woman will not serve a man for 25 years unless she has some kind of feeling for her master. Unusual feelings. For this reason, she hated Mrs. Savares. Couldn't the hatred she showed in her testimony be enough to prove it clearly?" Chotas said here gently She coughed loudly, then cleared her throat and continued: "So, let's imagine that the defendant really loves her husband deeply in her heart and tries her best to maintain this unhappy marriage. Then how can she tell her husband What about showing her love? One of the most basic ways of showing it, I guess, is to cook for her husband. Isn't that a way of showing love? I think so." He turned his head to look again That bottle of potion. "When the old man is sick—whether sick or not, who is it but Madame Savarese who has been taking care of him for a long time?" The hands of the wall clock were already pointing to one minute to twelve. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to say that if you look at this woman standing before you, you will find that it is by no means a murderer's face, because it is impossible for us to look for it in her eyes. Any killing intent." When Peter Demonides saw the jury look at the accused with obvious hostility, he was convinced that he had won. "The law is strict and just, ladies and gentlemen. When our honorable Mr. Judge asks you to pass your judgment on a case, I believe that only when you are absolutely sure of the defendant's criminal facts, that is, The accused will only be found guilty if the evidence is completely conclusive.” Napoleon Chotas began to cough again, so he took a handkerchief from his coat pocket, covered his mouth, and went to the bottle of cough syrup on the jury table. "So far, the public prosecutor has not been able to prove anything except that Mrs. Savares handed the bottle of medicine to her husband to stop his cough that night. The public prosecutor cannot contest this fact." Speaking of this, there was another violent cough suddenly.He subconsciously picked up the bottle of cough medicine, slowly unscrewed the bottle, and took a big gulp of it.All the people in the court were stunned by his move, and they were almost breathless in horror. The whole court was boiling. The presiding judge was also terrified. "Mr. Jotas..." Napoleon Chotas took another sip, "Your Excellency, the prosecution brought by the prosecutor, I think it is a mockery of the law. Mr. George Savarez did not die at the hands of this woman. Now the defendant automatically Stop giving evidence." The wall clock struck twelve.A bailiff hurried to the top of the presiding judge and muttered something in a low voice. The presiding judge tapped the hammer. "Quiet! Quiet! Now I announce an adjournment. Please leave the jury to agree on the verdict. The court will reopen at 2 o'clock sharp in the afternoon." Peter Demonides stood there dumbfounded, someone must have dropped the bottle of potion!But no, it's impossible.This bottle of stuff is under the strict supervision of the police 24 hours a day. Could something go wrong with the forensic doctor?He turned to exchange views with his assistant, and when he turned again to look for Napoleon Chotas, the barrister had disappeared.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, when the jury members filed in one by one, entered the courtroom and took their seats, Napoleon Chotas had not yet appeared. The son of a bitch must be dead, Peter Demonides couldn't help feeling lucky. Just when he was gloating and secretly happy, Napoleon Chotas came in from the door with a high spirit.All eyes were on him as he walked to his seat. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached your verdict?" asked the presiding judge. The foreman stood up and announced, "We have rendered our verdict, Your Excellency. The jury finds the defendant not guilty." There was spontaneous applause from the auditorium. 彼得·德蒙尼德斯脸色苍白，心里恨恨地骂道，这次又让这个老杂种占了上风。当他朝拿破仑·乔塔斯望过去时，发现对方正脸带微笑地盯着自己。
Hall 33 was full early this morning.Anastasia Savarez, who was sitting in the dock, was wearing a plain black dress, no jewelry, and just a little makeup, but her natural beauty still made people feel People are amazed. Prosecutor Peter Demonides reads his indictment to the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen, sometimes our murder trials drag on for three or four months, but this time, gentlemen of the jury, please rest assured that this case will not drag on like those other murders. It has been so long. When you have heard your case, I am sure you will not hesitate to reach the only possible verdict - to find the defendant guilty of premeditated murder. The prosecutor will prove that the murder of the defendant against her husband was deliberate Yes, because her husband threatened to divorce her after he found out that she had an affair with the driver at home. We will prove that the defendant has fully possessed the murder motive, the timing of the crime, and the murder tool to achieve his own murder goal.” After speaking, they returned to their seats. The presiding judge turned to Chotas: "Is the defense lawyer ready to speak?" Napoleon Chotas rose slowly from his seat. "Yes, Your Excellency the Judge." He shuffled unsteadily to the front of the jury, narrowed his eyes and began to speak.It was as if he was speaking to himself. "I have lived in this world for many years, so I know that there is such a truth, that is: whether it is a man or a woman, if it is impossible to hide the evil nature in the heart, they will always be to a certain extent. Revealed. I remember a poem once said: The eyes are the windows of the soul. I firmly believe that this adage is true. Now I want you to take a serious look at the eyes of this woman. From her eyes , it is impossible for us to discover that there is even a murderous attempt deep in her heart." After Napoleon Chotas finished speaking, he stood there for a while, as if he had something to add.He shuffled slowly back to his seat. A feeling of elation welled up in Peter Demonides.my Lord.That's the worst opening I've ever seen in my life, and the old guy is doomed today. "Is the prosecutor ready to call the first witness to testify?" "Yes, Your Excellency. I would like Rosa Likaugos to testify first." A bulky middle-aged woman stood up from the gallery, and walked towards the witness stand with a determined look on her face.She took the oath as usual. "Mrs. Lycogos, what is your occupation?" "I'm in charge..." Her voice suddenly choked. "I'm the butler in Mr. Savarez's house." "Mr. George Savarez?" "Yes, sir." "Can you tell us how many years you've been with his family?" "Twenty-five years." "My God, it's long enough. Do you like your master?" "He was literally a saint." "Were you employed by Savarez's family during their first marriage?" "Yes, sir. I was with him when he buried his wife at the base." "Do you think the relationship between their husband and wife has always been excellent?" "They were madly in love." Peter Demonides came here and glanced at Chotas.He's waiting for his objections to the questions.But Chotas sat quietly in his seat, as if he was immersed in his own thoughts. So Peter Demonides continued to question the witnesses. "Then when M. Savarez married Anastasia for the third time, were you still in charge of his house?" "Oh, yes, sir. Of course at his house." She became a little impatient when asked. "Do you think their marriage is happy?" He glanced at Napoleon Chotas again, but there was no response from him. "Happiness? No, sir. They fight like cats and dogs all day long." "Did you ever see them fight?" "You can't do it alone. When they quarrel, you can hear it all over the house—but it's a big house." "I thought these conflicts were just verbal and not physical, did I? That said, Mr. Savarez never hit his wife, did he?" "Oh, it's physical. But it's just the opposite: Madame beats Monsieur every time. Monsieur Savarez is old, and the poor man is very weak." "Did you ever witness Mrs. Savarese beat her husband?" "More than once." The witness looked intently at Anastasia Savarez, with a biting satisfaction in his tone. "Mrs. Lycogos, who were at home the night Mr. Savares died?" "None of us are here." Peter Demonides deliberately asked in a surprised tone: "You mean that there is no servant in such a large house? Didn't Mr. Savarez hire a cook, or a nanny, or a housekeeper? ...?" "Oh, no, sir. There are all kinds of servants in the house. But the lady gave all the servants in the house that night. She said she would cook for him herself, and that this would be their second Honeymoon." There was a distinctly contemptuous irony in that last sentence. "So Madame Savarez managed to get everyone out of the way?" This time it was the presiding judge who glanced at Napoleon Chotas, who he believed would definitely object.But the barrister still sat there indifferently thinking about his own problems. The presiding judge had to turn to Demonides. "Inspectors should stop asking leading questions." "I am sorry, Your Excellency. I will ask the question in a different way." Demonides approached Madam Lycorgos. "You mean that the servants were supposed to be in the house that night, and Mrs. Savares asked all the servants to leave the house so that she could be alone with Mr. Savares, yes?" "Yes, sir. The poor man is thinking of a bad cold." "Does Madame Savarez often cook for her husband herself?" Mrs. Lycogos immediately scoffed at this. "Her? No, sir. She won't even lift a finger at home." Napoleon Chotas sat and listened as if he were merely a spectator. "Thank you, Mrs. Lycogos. Your testimony is very helpful to the case." Peter Demonides tried to hide his inner satisfaction when facing Chotas.The evidence given by Mrs. Likaugos had evidently worked on the jury, as he had established from the reproachful glances they cast on the accused.Let's see how this old guy will convince the jury. "It's your turn to question the witness." Napoleon Chotas glanced at him and said, "What? Oh, I have nothing to ask." The presiding judge looked at him in surprise. "Mr. Chotas... don't you want to question the opposing witness?" Napoleon Chotas rose to his feet. "No, sir. This witness appears to be very honest." And he sat down again. Peter Demonides could hardly believe his luck.My goodness, he thought to himself gleefully.He didn't even have the stance to face the fight at all, the old guy was finally finished this time, and Demonides had already started cheering his victory secretly in his heart. The presiding judge said to the prosecutor: "Mr. prosecutor can pass down a witness." "Next to testify is Joseph Pappas." A tall, handsome, dark-haired young man stood up from the public gallery and walked towards the witness stand.He swore. Peter Demonides started asking questions. "Mr. Pappas, please tell the court your occupation." "I'm a driver." "Are you currently employed?" "No." "But you were employed until recently. That is to say, you were a family chauffeur employed by Mr. George Savarez's family until his death." "Is such that." "How long have you been employed by his family?" "More than a year." "Does this work please you?" Joseph looked at Chotas with a distressed look, but there was only silence. "Do you find this work pleasant, Mr. Pappas?" "Tolerable, I think." "Is your compensation satisfactory?" "good." "So, according to you; your job was just passable? I mean, you never had any fringe benefits other than that decent salary? Didn't you often talk to Savarez? Madame going to bed?" Joseph turned to Chotas again for help.Still got no response. "I . . . yes, sir. I suppose that's the case." Peter Demonides immediately asked the other party in a mocking tone. "You suppose it happened? You swore. You either had sex with her, or you didn't. Did you?" Pappas squirmed awkwardly in position. "We had sex." "While you're working for her husband--living in his house and accepting the generous wages he gives you, you do it all the same, don't you?" "Yes, sir." "Don't you feel uncomfortable when you take Mr. Savarez's money and make love to his wife every day?" "It wasn't just a sexual relationship." Peter Demonides immediately and skillfully set the trap. "Not just sex? What do you mean? I don't seem to understand what you mean." "I mean that Anastasia and I were planning to get married." His words immediately caused a burst of surprised discussion in the court, and the members of the jury once again cast their eyes on the defendant. "Is the marriage your idea or hers?" "Oh, we both want to get married." "Who came up with it first?" "I think it's her." He shot a quick glance at Anastasia, who looked up at him without flinching. "Frankly, Monsieur Pappas. I'm a little puzzled. How can you expect to marry her? Isn't Madame Savares a married woman? Are you going to wait until her husband dies of old age and sickness?" Or were you expecting Mr. Savarez to have some unexpected fatal accident? What the hell was going on in your head?" This is a completely provocative question, so that the three judges and prosecutors on the stage all set their sights on Chotas, the defendant lawyer, but he turned a deaf ear to it and just scribbled on the paper. Scribbled away his time.He did not object immediately and sharply as they had imagined, and even the accused Anastasia lost her composure. Inspector Demonides continued to press: "You haven't answered my question, Mr. Pappas." Joseph Pappas shifted anxiously from position to position. "I'm not so sure either." Peter Demonides finally drew his whip. "Then let me tell you very clearly. Mrs. Savarese has planned to kill her husband so that he will not get in the way of you both. She knows that he intends to divorce her and rewrite the will. The rewritten will will won't leave her a penny, so she just..." "Against!" This was not Napoleon Chotas, but the presiding judge. "You are inducing the witnesses to speculate." To his surprise, Napoleon Chotas was still relaxing in his chair with his eyes closed so far. "Sorry, Your Excellency the Judge." But he knew he had hit the other side.Then he turned to Chotas and said, "It's up to you to question the witnesses." Napoleon Chotas stood up. "Thank you, Mr. Demonides. I'm fine." After hearing this, the three judges all looked at each other. They were really puzzled by Chotas' attitude. One of them reminded him: "Mr. Chotas, you should understand that this is your only chance to cross-examine witnesses, right?" Napoleon Chotas blinked. "I know, Mr. Judge." "Aren't you going to ask him any questions in light of his testimony?" Napoleon Chotas shook his hand and muttered, "No, Mr. Judge." The judge yawned. "Very well, then. Please, Mr. Prosecutor, send a witness to the court." The third witness was a well-built man named Miharis Haritonides. After taking the oath, the prosecutor began to question him: "Can you first inform the court of your occupation?" "Yes, sir. I run a hotel." "Can you tell us the name of this hotel?" "Argus Hotel." "Where is it located?" "Corfu." "I want to ask you, Mr. Harry Tonides, is there any traveler here who has stayed in your hotel?" The witness glanced around. "Yes, sir. He and she." "For the record of the court; the two identified by the witnesses are Joseph Pappas and Anastasia Savarez." Then he turned back to the witnesses. "Have they been here more than once?" "Oh, yes, sir. At least about five or six times." "Did they both spend the night in the same room?" "Yes, sir. They usually come for the weekend." "Thank you for your answer, Mr. Harry Tonides." Then he said to Napoleon Chotas as usual: "It's your turn." "no problem." The presiding judge turned to the two judges next to him, and the three of them exchanged opinions in low voices. After this, the presiding judge asked Chotas: "Do you have no questions to question the witnesses, Mr. Chotas?" "No, Your Honor. I trust his testimony. It's a nice hotel. I've stayed there, too." The presiding judge looked at Rangiotas for a long time incomprehensibly, and then said to Peter Demonides: "The public prosecutor may order a witness to appear in court." "Next I would like to call Dr. Vasilis Frangoskos to testify." A tall, well-looking man got up and went to the witness stand and took the oath. "Dr. Francoscos, could you tell me what is your specialty?" "I'm a general doctor with a wide range of disciplines." "It's kind of like a family doctor, isn't it?" "How long have you been practicing medicine?" "About 30 years." "Then you must have the business license required by the government, right?" "certainly." "Doctor Francoscos, was Mr. George Savarez a patient of yours?" "Yes, he was once my patient." "How long?" "A little over ten years." "Then did you find out that he has any special disease that needs treatment?" "Oh, he came to see me once for high blood pressure." "Have you treated him?" "yes." "But you saw him later, didn't you?" "Oh, yes. He used to see me a lot after he got here. But it was bronchitis or some mild ailment of the liver." "When was the last time you saw Mr. Savarez?" "Last October." "That was shortly before his death." "you are right." "Has he ever visited your clinic?" "No. I always go to his house." "Do you usually conduct family clinics?" "Not much, no." "But he is an exception." "yes." "why?" After hesitating for a while, he replied: "At that time, he couldn't come to my clinic with his appearance." "What does it look like?" "He had scratch marks all over his body, he had undercuts to his ribs and he had a concussion." "Was that the result of some accident?" The doctor hesitated again, "According to what he told me at the time, he was beaten by his wife." The audience was in an uproar. The presiding judge finally got a little impatient. "Mr. Chotas, are you not going to object to the recording of such indirect evidence?" Napoleon Chotas raised his head and said softly. "Oh, thank you, sir. Yes, I have no objection." However, this testimony brought extremely adverse consequences to the defendant after all.Because, the eyes of the jury have revealed a kind of obvious hostility to the defendant. "Thank you, Dr. Francoscos. I have no more questions." He turned to Chotas and said triumphantly, "Your turn." "Nothing to ask."
A string of witnesses followed: a maid testified that she had seen Mrs. Mr. Varais claimed to divorce his wife and rewrite the will... Some neighbors also testified to the court: they often heard the noise of the couple. Napoleon Chotas still did not ask any questions about the above-mentioned witnesses. The French Open is beginning to quickly close on Anastasia. Peter Demonides was already intoxicated with the joy of victory, and from time to time his mind was filled with newspaper headlines, this murder case will be the fastest trial ever.It might even be possible to close the case today.He thought happily.Famed barrister Napoleon Tass will play the role of a loser this time around. "I now request that Mr. Nico Mantakis be allowed to testify in court." Mantakis is a thin young man.He seemed honest, and spoke slowly and with considerable care in his choice of words. "Mr. Mantakis, please inform the court of your occupation." "Yes, sir. I work in the nursery." "Take care of the kids, don't you?" "Oh, no, sir. It's not a nursery for children. We're full of trees and flowers and all kinds of plants." "Oh, I see. You're an expert at growing plants." "Arguably so. I've been in this business for a long time." "Then I suppose part of what you do is to keep the plants in your nursery in a good condition before you sell them." "Yes, sir. We always take good care of them. We never deliver diseased plants to our customers, and most of them grow well." "So you must have many regular customers." "Yes, sir." His voice was filled with pride. "Because our service is satisfactory." "Please tell me, Mr. Mantakis, is Mrs. Savares a regular customer of yours?" "Oh, yes, sir. She is very fond of plants and flowers of all kinds." The presiding judge impatiently reminded: "Mr. Demonides, the court believes that the questions just now have nothing to do with this case. Please change the question or..." "If the court allows me to finish my questions, Mr. Judge, you will find that these questions are of the utmost importance to this case." The presiding judge turned to Napoleon Chotas. "Mr Chotas, do you object to these questions?" He stood up and blinked. "What? No, Mr. Judge." The presiding judge looked at Chotas in disappointment, and turned to Demonides, "All right. You can continue asking questions." "Mr. Mantakis, did Mrs. Savares come to you one day in October to say something was wrong with some of the trees in her house?" "Yes, sir. She told me." "At that time, didn't she say that the trees in her house were infested with insects and almost died, didn't she say that?" "Yes, sir." "Didn't she ask you to help with the pest control?" "She did, sir." "Can you tell the court how you helped her solve this problem?" "I sold her some antimony." "Can you explain to the court what substance this is?" "It's a poison like arsenic." The whole court was full of voices. The presiding judge slammed the wooden hammer several times. "If you guys continue to be loud in the courtroom, I'm going to have to ask the marshals to clear the room." Then he said to Demonides, "Go ahead." "So you sold her some antimony?" "yes." "Then do you think this poison is deadly? You compared it to arsenic just now." "Oh, yes, sir. It can be lethal, yes." "According to the law, the sale of poison must be recorded. Did you record it in the account book as required?" "On the record, sir." "Did you bring the records?" "I've brought it." He handed a ledger to the inspector. Demonides stepped forward and handed it to the judges for review. "Mr. Judge, I want this evidence to be labeled No. 1." He went back to the witness. "I have no questions for you to answer." Then he gestured to Napoleon Chotas. Naquilon Chotas just shook his head. "No need to ask." Peter Demonides took a deep breath, and it was time to drop his bombshell. "Now I want to show Evidence No. 2." He shouted to the bailiff standing at the entrance of the hall, "Please send Evidence No. 2 immediately." The bailiff walked out quickly, and a few minutes later, he entered the courtroom with a tray containing a bottle of cough medicine.This bottle of potion is obviously missing a piece.When Farau passed it to the prosecutor, the audience in the gallery craned their necks in ecstasy.Demonides handed the vial to the trial table. "Ladies and gentlemen, what you have now seen is the murder weapon that the accused used to kill Mr. Georges Savarez. Mr. Savarez drank that night that his wife handed him. bottle of cough syrup, because it was tainted with deadly antimony. As is known, the victim died 20 minutes after swallowing some of the syrup." Napoleon Chotas rose abruptly from his seat and said politely, "No. I don't think the prosecutor can establish that this bottle is the same one that Madame Savarese handed her husband that night for coughing." Peter Demonides immediately started netting. "It would be reasonable for my legal colleague to question this, but Madame Savarez has admitted that it was the same potion she administered to her husband that night. It has been kept by the police ever since. Closely guarded until it was picked up by the bailiff in person a few minutes ago. The coroner has also confirmed the death of Mr. Jorge Savarez as a result of antimony poisoning. It is a bottle of poisoned cough drops." He stared at Napoleon Chotas with a defiant look. Napoleon Chotas shook his head resignedly. "In that case, I don't think there is any doubt about it." Peter Demonides announced triumphantly, "There is no doubt, thank you, Mr. Chotas. The prosecution will now automatically stop further evidence in this case." The presiding judge asked Napoleon Chotas: "Is the defendant's lawyer going to speak for the last time?" Chotas got up and said, "Yes, Your Excellency the Judge." He stood there for a long time, and then walked forward slowly like a gliding hoof.He stood in front of the jury box, scratching his scalp, as if thinking about how to start.He finally spoke.The tone was unhurried, and at the same time, he quickly searched for the words he wanted to choose in his mind. "I think there must be some of you who are puzzled by my silence in front of all the witnesses. Now, let me tell you why. I think that since Mr. Demonides, the prosecutor, has presented The witness has asked the question so thoroughly, why should I ask more?" The idiot was already speaking for me without knowing it, and Demeneshs felt a burst of joy in his heart. Napoleon Chotas looked at the bottle of cough drops for a moment, then turned back to face the jury and continued speaking. "All the witnesses seemed honest. But in fact they proved nothing, didn't they? I mean..." He shook his head. "Now, after summing up all the testimonies, we can only come to this conclusion; a young and beautiful girl married an old man, and the old man was incapable of satisfying her sexual demands." Joseph Pappas nodded. "So she found this young man to satisfy her sexual desires. But we have read a lot about these facts in the newspapers, haven't we? Their affair is no secret, and it can be said that the whole world has Know this, because those third-rate junk publications never let go of such gossip. Now, we may all disagree with her, but ladies and gentlemen, Anastasia Sa Vares is not being tried here today for adultery, much less for having the sexual desires common to young women. No, she is appearing today as a defendant charged with murder .” He turned again and stared at the bottle of potion as if fascinated by it. Let the old man talk nonsense, Peter Demonides thought lightly.He glanced at the wall clock: five minutes to twelve.It is always customary for the judges to adjourn at noon.The old fool seemed unable to finish his speech before the adjournment.Demonides couldn't wait to get the case over before the noon adjournment.Why should I be afraid of him?Now he even felt a little puzzled by himself. Napoleon Chotas was still talking with ease. "Now, let's discuss the evidence about poisoning together. Mrs. Savares was very worried about the pest infestation in the trees at home, so she went to the plant expert Mr. Mantakis for advice on how to solve the pests. The expert advised her to use antimony to kill insects, so she bought some antimony and did so. Can we call such an ordinary thing a murder? Of course I don't think so. Let us next Look at the testimony of the housekeeper. She said that Mrs. Savarez had all the servants out of the house that night so that she could have the honeymoon dinner she made herself with her husband alone. I think it is probable that the housekeeper herself has always loved Mr. Savarez. Otherwise, a woman will not serve a man for 25 years unless she has some kind of feeling for her master. Unusual feelings. For this reason, she hated Mrs. Savares. Couldn't the hatred she showed in her testimony be enough to prove it clearly?" Chotas said here gently She coughed loudly, then cleared her throat and continued: "So, let's imagine that the defendant really loves her husband deeply in her heart and tries her best to maintain this unhappy marriage. Then how can she tell her husband What about showing her love? One of the most basic ways of showing it, I guess, is to cook for her husband. Isn't that a way of showing love? I think so." He turned his head to look again That bottle of potion. "When the old man is sick—whether sick or not, who is it but Madame Savarese who has been taking care of him for a long time?" The hands of the wall clock were already pointing to one minute to twelve. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to say that if you look at this woman standing before you, you will find that it is by no means a murderer's face, because it is impossible for us to look for it in her eyes. Any killing intent." When Peter Demonides saw the jury look at the accused with obvious hostility, he was convinced that he had won. "The law is strict and just, ladies and gentlemen. When our honorable Mr. Judge asks you to pass your judgment on a case, I believe that only when you are absolutely sure of the defendant's criminal facts, that is, The accused will only be found guilty if the evidence is completely conclusive.” Napoleon Chotas began to cough again, so he took a handkerchief from his coat pocket, covered his mouth, and went to the bottle of cough syrup on the jury table. "So far, the public prosecutor has not been able to prove anything except that Mrs. Savares handed the bottle of medicine to her husband to stop his cough that night. The public prosecutor cannot contest this fact." Speaking of this, there was another violent cough suddenly.He subconsciously picked up the bottle of cough medicine, slowly unscrewed the bottle, and took a big gulp of it.All the people in the court were stunned by his move, and they were almost breathless in horror. The whole court was boiling. The presiding judge was also terrified. "Mr. Jotas..." Napoleon Chotas took another sip, "Your Excellency, the prosecution brought by the prosecutor, I think it is a mockery of the law. Mr. George Savarez did not die at the hands of this woman. Now the defendant automatically Stop giving evidence." The wall clock struck twelve.A bailiff hurried to the top of the presiding judge and muttered something in a low voice. The presiding judge tapped the hammer. "Quiet! Quiet! Now I announce an adjournment. Please leave the jury to agree on the verdict. The court will reopen at 2 o'clock sharp in the afternoon." Peter Demonides stood there dumbfounded, someone must have dropped the bottle of potion!But no, it's impossible.This bottle of stuff is under the strict supervision of the police 24 hours a day. Could something go wrong with the forensic doctor?He turned to exchange views with his assistant, and when he turned again to look for Napoleon Chotas, the barrister had disappeared.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, when the jury members filed in one by one, entered the courtroom and took their seats, Napoleon Chotas had not yet appeared. The son of a bitch must be dead, Peter Demonides couldn't help feeling lucky. Just when he was gloating and secretly happy, Napoleon Chotas came in from the door with a high spirit.All eyes were on him as he walked to his seat. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached your verdict?" asked the presiding judge. The foreman stood up and announced, "We have rendered our verdict, Your Excellency. The jury finds the defendant not guilty." There was spontaneous applause from the auditorium. 彼得·德蒙尼德斯脸色苍白，心里恨恨地骂道，这次又让这个老杂种占了上风。当他朝拿破仑·乔塔斯望过去时，发现对方正脸带微笑地盯着自己。