I had already been following the case with interest because it was my neighbourhood that it happened in. When Mr Wedge came to me asking for my assistance I denied that I knew anything about it. I don’t claim to being a liar, I am a biochemist but I thought if I was pure of the case I wouldn’t be classed as prejudiced either way, whatever was wanted of me. Here is where I start to do the wrong thing. Vernon needed a stronger and more precise test than the benzidine one. I told him there was, and proceeded to demonstrate after he had rushed around and found me some duplicate knives to the one that Benjy had supposedly used to stab Kenny Tarcher. During the time he was out I had made a phone call to the prosecution lawyer Mr Wickers. I know, I know you are asking yourself why did I do it? Well like I said I was weak and needed some money so I struck a deal with him, I would convince Vernon that the test would work and then when Vernon called me to do the test in court I would fix the chemical solution to turn positive. No matter what the truth actually was.
At the time it seemed a foolproof plan and when Vernon asked me for the solution to explain to his client I thought nothing more of it, and gave it to him. Little was I to know that this would be the downfall of the prosecutions case instead of the Blesker’s one.
Mr Vernon Wedge, the defence lawyer that had a bit of an up and down reputation with big cases, decided to take it upon himself to purposely break a damn obvious rule. It was the next day. Just about when it was time for summations, that I was sitting up in the spectators gallery fidgeting in my seat, wondering when (if ever) Vernon was going to introduce the new evidence, because he hadn’t conferred with me about it since we met in the lab. There was an interruption and a mighty buzz in the courtroom as Vernon finally addressed the judge with the announcement of new evidence. He put it across that it was of paramount importance to the case and that it would prove his clients innocence or guilt. The judge couldn’t refuse as this was just what he needed to settle this entire affair, ‘you may proceed’ the judge conveyed.
Vernon placed the black box of chemicals that I had given to him on the bench. Vernon explained what the test was and that the solution had to turn pink to convict Benjy. Oh shit, I thought as I sunk in my seat and felt as stupid as a house brick. He’s going to try to do it himself, Benjy might get off! If only I hadn’t given them to him to show the Bleskers. Without the extra chemical that I had in my pocket the test would show the actual truth! I was about to sneak out and maybe leave the country, (well maybe not to that extreme) when I was relieved to see that Mr Wickers had noticed that his faithful Doc was not doing it for him and objected to it just in time, otherwise who knows what would have happened. The judge withheld the test on the count that Mr Wedge was not a qualified expert in forensic chemistry. I relaxed, but to my amazement Mr Wickers did not suggest that a qualified forensic scientist should do it, i.e. call me.
Well, the rest is mostly history and in all the papers. Vernon presented a summation that far outweighed on the jury’s consciences than Mr Wickers’ one. Benjy was pronounced innocent and let go, no-one ever knew the truth. I wouldn’t be surprised though if Vernon tried to do the test after the case. You know, just to put his mind at rest.
So father as you can see, I was willing to send a man to prison for the best part of his life on my say so. All I had to do was put a drop of the extra stuff in to the solution and that would have been it. A solid conviction for the murder of Kenny Tarcher.
Thank-god I didn’t.
