Part 19
The first day of the trial.
Mason and Cruz come in the courtroom. Cruz tells Mason that bits of fabric that were collected from Christy's clothing after the assault was not belong to Ted's. He wants to use it to get more information to follow the rapist. |
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Meanwhile Steve pulls out his shirt that he did wore when he raped Christy and want to burn it. But at the last minute he changes his mind and puts it in the drawer.
* * *
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| Mary is asleep on the living room and dreaming that she's in the courtroom on the witness stand in front of Mason. He shows her the Bible and offer to put her hand on the holy book and swear. |
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Mary repeats after him: "I swear to tell the truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth."
"So help me God," she adds.
Addressing to the invisible audience Mason says that Sister Mary is trying to tell us that she knows how to play this game we are playing. Game of Truth.
"And the stakes are high, aren't they, brothers and sisters? The stakes are very high, but Mary understands that. Don't you, Mary? Isn't that why you are here?" |
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Mary responses that she's here to testify on behalf of her sister. For Christie.
"For Christie or against Ted Capwell?" Mason asks and repeats: "Truth."
Mary says that her sister was attacked. She was savagely abused and the person who did it cannot go unpunished.
"And the savage attack must be counterattacked. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," Mason says loudly. "Brothers and sisters, we have before us a woman whose hatred for the accused goes far beyond any hatred that the victim herself might have."
Mary cries out that she's not the one on trial here. Mason says that all on trial here. Every day of our lives. And she agreed to tell the Truth. She vows. |
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| Mary gets up and wants to leave. Mason tells her to sit down, and adds that he not asking the right questions. Mary sits down. He asks if they still have a deal about the Truth. Mary nods silently. Then Mason says he wants to she'll be very honest with him about one very important thing. He touches Mary's neck and pulls her towards him. |
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"How do you feel me?" he asks in a softer tone.
Mary quietly asks to let her go. Mason again demands to tell the truth, adding that she can not choose to dare. She must tell the truth about how much she wants him. |
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Mason touching her mouth and then her neck with his lips.
Mary whispers "no, stop it" and tossing in her sleep. |
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| Christy comes in the living room, she sees Mary toss and turn, but do not wake her and tiptoed passes by and picks up Ted's letter on the floor near the door. She starts to open it, but at this point Steve comes in and sees the letter in her hands. He demands to show the letter. |
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| Christy recalls how he raped her and asks to leave her alone. But Steve forcedly takes the letter. |
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Woken Mary sits on the couch and looking at Steve and Christy who stared to each other.
* * *
Steve scolds Christy for contacts with Ted, repeating that they have to be the one family and move in the same direction.
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When Christy silently walks aside, he turns to Mary and reminds her about her dancing with the brother of the rapist. Christy shocked stares at Mary.
* * *
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| In the courtroom Mason remembers about his dancing with Mary and says to himself that Mary is still the key to this whole thing. |
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* * *
Christy upset how Mary can dance with Mason if she can not stand him. Mary says that it's was not exactly dancing. She just felt lonely and had a few drinks...
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| "Drinks?" Christy exclaims. She never saw that Mary has any drinks after she's gone to the monastery. Steve ironically says Mary to give her sister the rest of news. |
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Mary struggled to utter the truth. Steve is happy to say that good confession cleanses the soul.
Mary finally utters the truth: "Christy, I left the order. I'm not a nun anymore."
Shocked Christy trying to question her, but Mary barely holding back her tears says that this is a not easy decision is for her. She's been wrestling with this decision for weeks now it's very painful. Christy cannot understand. After all Mary liked being a nun! It gave her peace and quiet in life.
Mary tries to explain: "Look, I have to do with certain feelings that I've been very in for a long time now. Christy, after you were attacked by just I'm still have so much anger and resentment that I couldn't control and the on prayer and meditation would not make it go away."
Christy says that her words means it's happens because what happened to her. Mary says that she did leave because she wanted be with the peace inside myself and whether the explain vocation she had to face. Christy yells how it can be not her vocation! He did so much to help people! Mary did not understand why Christy so upset by the news that she won't be a nun anymore.
"I feel it's my fault!" Christy almost crying.
"No! Don't' say that! This is my decision. It's a personal decision and now that I've made it to be able to support you, to help you through this trial."
Christy in tears screaming that she does not deserve it and if Mary wronged her life by the way it's all her fault! |
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Christy run away, Mary and Steve look at each other.
* * *
Mary applies some makeup before going to the court.
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She tries brighter lipstick, but then says to herself: "What am I doing? It's not me." Wipes her lipstick away. "Who I try to impress?"
* * *
In the courtroom Cruz shows Mason a few shirts matching with bits of fabric that were collected from Christy's clothing. Three basic samples...
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| As Steve come in as Cruz quickly hides shirts in his briefcase. |
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Steve walks up to them and reminds Cruz that being the police officer Cruz must be on DA's office side and not looking for other suspects. Cruz said when he choose to investigate on his own time is his business. When Bassett finally leaves Cruz again opens the briefcase and shows all three shirts. They're going to have the experiment with Christy.
* * *
Christy, Steve and Mary appear in courthouse. Christy panics, Mary calms her.
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| The three of them coming in the courtroom. Mason's already here. He looks up and sees Mary. They stare at each other. |
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| Steve explains Mary and Christy that firstly they'll heard the opening statements and then they will call the witnesses for the prosecution. He tells Mary that he wants to go over her testimony but they have more a few minutes for the talking. He's go out to talk with Mary though Christy does not want to stay alone in the courtroom. |
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| Steve and Mary go out the hallway where Mason and Cruz are speaking. When Basset passes by Mason pretends that he needed to make a call. Once Steve's gone they are again united. Cruz sends his man with shirts to the courtroom. The man put its on the table so that Christy could see them. |
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| Mason and Cruz watch the scene, but Christy has no reaction. |
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| They are disappointed. However when Cruz's man appears in the empty courtroom when he wore one of the shirts Christy remembers the rape and her reaction is visible for Cruz and Mason. |
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| Cruz leaves Mason to guard in the hallway, and quickly comes into the courtroom. |
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* * *
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| After a brief conversation, Steve tells Mary that he needed to make a few calls. Mary wants to go back to Christy in the courtroom, but Mason blocks her way. |
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| Mary said that she left Christie in there alone and told her she'd be right back. Mason said that Christie will be fine and she's probably glad to have a moment alone to catch her breath. Mary says that she don't expect Mason to enter into Christie's feelings. And then she doesn't think she should be talking to Mason. They have rules about witnesses talking to opposing counselor. Mason said that as long as they are not talking about the case, everything else is fair game. And asks how she feels about her decision in the clear light of day. Any second thoughts about? Mary notices that she would hardly confide to Mason. But no, she's very confident about her decision. |
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| Mason asks whether to support her family and then realizes that they do not. He says that Christie would take it the hardest. She is at that age when she expects her elders be perfect and unchangeable. Did she treat Mary like a fallen idol when she told her? Mary says that Christy's deal with it... when she's had time to think about it. And she's had other things on her mind. Mason reminds that the only person that has to come to terms with this decision is Mary. As long as she has no doubts, that's all that matters. Mary responds with some hesitation that she has no doubt. Mason asked what she's gonna do next? Have she thought what job she's going to get? Mary says that she has a lot of options. She's trained as a nurse and has a background in sociology, psychology. But she's not gonna do just anything until the trial is over. "And then who knows?" Mason says. Even Mary might find a nice man with a good job, won't have to work at all. Just settle down, buy a house, and raise some kids. |
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"Yeah, who knows," Mary a little hesitantly says. "I might even do that."
* * *
Meanwhile Cruz comes to Christy and asks if she's haven't seen this shirt of the man before? Christy frightened says she does not know. Cruz insists but Christy said she did not remember, she doesn't memorized people in close.
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| Cruz reluctantly accepts her answer but adds that he really thinks that men who raped her was wearing a shirt exactly like that, and they can not protect her as she does not tell the whole truth. |
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| Cruz goes away and then Steve comes in the courtroom. Christy asks him to take her out. Steve notices that she is very nervous but Christy says nothing about her conversation with Cruz, and they leave. The pile of shirts lays on one of the tables. |
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| Cruz tells Mason about his talking with Christy. Despite it's did fail he believes that they do need to focus on her. Christy's their best shot. |
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| Mason looks at Mary sitting in the hallway and thoughtfully says that their best shot is sitting right over there. Just a matter of finding a key to get through to Mary. |
