《Post Mortem: A Discourse》 Opening Statement ~Prosecution~ Opening Statement ~Prosecution~ Representing the State: Mr. Dragan Rajic, Esq. Excerpt: A dead man tells no tales. A truism, a truth, or a lie? Perhaps all of the above? Call it what you will, ladies and gentlemen, but I¡¯d like you to know this: for the next several days we spend together in this courtroom, you will be reminded again and again of this saying¡ªthis¡­ this idea. And each time you are, I implore you to challenge your own understanding and build upon it. A dead man tells no tales. Is it a truism, a truth, or a lie? Your answer may change. Your answer may even surprise you. In brief, the facts of the case as we know them are as follows. On October 20th of 2022, Dr. Tobias Kane¡ªa well-respected psychiatrist and a pillar of his community¡ªand Mr. Ezra Reisch¡ªa young man with a troubled past, still trying to find his footing in the world¡ªmet for the first time. Over the course of two years, the two of them would continue to meet, often as health care provider and client, but there are records to suggest other occasions of a¡­ less structured nature. Suffice to say that the two got to know each other on some level¡ªone that perhaps stretches our traditional assumptions of what a doctor-patient relationship might entail.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. On October 20th of 2024, exactly two years to the day of their first meeting, Dr. Kane and Mr. Reisch met for the last time. At 8:13 PM, Mr. Reisch rang the doorbell at Dr. Kane¡¯s suburban residence and was invited in after a brief conversation. We know this from the security camera installed above Dr Kane¡¯s porch. Then, sometime between 8:30 and 9:30 PM, Dr. Kane died from a gunshot wound to the head, suffered in the middle of his own living room. We know this from a combination of crime scene analysis and an autopsy performed approximately ten hours after his death. Mr. Reisch, who remained at Dr. Kane¡¯s house until police had arrived, was taken into custody on the same day. And he now stands before you today, accused of Dr. Kane¡¯s murder. Everything I¡¯ve told you thus far are things we know as fact. They are matters of official record, immovable and incontrovertible in their truths. And I don¡¯t need to tell you that Dr. Kane himself isn¡¯t here today to give his account of how he died and who might be responsible for his death. I will, however, posit to you that he still has plenty of things to tell us. Things that will shape and solidify your understanding of this case. Things that will prove without a reasonable doubt that Mr. Ezra Reisch, the young man who is here today, is in fact guilty of the crime he¡¯s been accused of. I posit to you, ladies and gentlemen, that a dead man can indeed tell a convincing tale¡ªespecially when it comes to the manner of his own death. And I ask that you sit up and listen to what he has to say. Exhibit A: Autopsy Report ~Dr. Sylvia Yang~ Exhibit A: Autopsy Report ~Dr. Sylvia Yang~ Autopsy authorized by: Dr. Sylvia Yang Date: October 21st, 2024 Decedent: Tobias Howard Kane Rigor: full Livor: fixed, posterior Age: 41 Race: White Sex: Male Length: 75 inches Weight: 198 pounds Eyes: BlueSupport the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Hair: Brown Body Heat: Refrigerated Clothing: Beige bathrobe, blood-stained but otherwise intact. Gray underwear briefs, soiled. Black-and-white slippers, no notable damage. External Examination: Well-nourished, well-built white male with penetrating injury to the left temple, with exit wound on the right parietal skull. The cranial vault is largely preserved, with areas of lacerated brain tissue and associated cerebral contusions, consistent with penetrating injury. There is circumferential bruising on both wrists, consistent with recent trauma caused by forcible gripping or restraint. There is a subdermal laceration on the dorsum of the right hand, consistent with an injury caused by broken glass. Radiology: Comminuted fractures of the skull involving the left temporal bone and the right parietal bone, consistent with gunshot trauma. Cerebral lacerations and contusions involving the left temporal lobe, the left parietal lobe, and the right parietal lobe, consistent with a penetrating injury that matches the external wounds. No foreign bodies or secondary projectiles found. No secondary injuries found. Toxicology: Blood alcohol concentration of 0.12%, consistent with significant intoxication at the time of death. Otherwise within normal parameters. Pathological Diagnoses: 1. Penetrating trauma to the head 2. Bruising of both wrists consistent with forcible restraint 3. Laceration of the right hand due to broken glass 4. Acute alcohol intoxication Cause of Death: Penetrating injury to the head due to gunshot Examination of Prosecution Witness ~Ms. Vera Arenas~ Examination of Prosecution Witness ~Ms. Vera Arenas~ Examination of witness: Ms. Vera Arenas Representing the State: Mr. Dragan Rajic, Esq. Representing the accused: Ms. Lucia Moretti, Esq. Excerpt: A. Well, yes. Considering that he¡¯s¡­ Q. Thank you. And just out of curiosity, is there any particular reason the two of you didn¡¯t share a surname? A. It was simply a practical consideration. I¡¯m a novelist, and at the time when Toby and I were married, I had already published several books under my own name. My agent and I both agreed that I should keep my surname. Toby never had a problem with it. Q. Never had, or never expressed a problem? Q. Thank you. And would you say you and Dr. Kane were¡­ happily married? At the time of his death, I mean? Q. Could you describe the specifics of your marriage at the time of Dr. Kane¡¯s death? Kids? Living arrangement? A. I¡¯m not sure how children relate to the happiness of a marriage, but if you must know, we never had kids. Again, with mutual agreement. As for living arrangement¡­ we were separated at the time.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. A. (pause) I think it would¡¯ve been about a month¡­ maybe two? A. No. Can¡¯t say I remember the exact date when I moved out. The Court: (pause) Okay, I think I see what you¡¯re referring to, but I¡¯m going to need to speak to both of you about this. We¡¯ll take a brief recess for a sidebar. Counsel, please approach the bench. Q. Thank you for your patience, Ms Arenas. To recap, at the time of Dr. Kane¡¯s death on September 20th, you and he had been separated for nearly six weeks. This is based on the knowledge that you¡¯d moved out on September 8th. Now, I¡¯d say separation¡ªno matter the reasons for it¡ªis tricky and stressful for both parties in a marriage. Would you agree? Q. Did anything happen to underscore that point? Particularly in Dr. Kane¡¯s case? Perhaps some¡­ unusual behavior that demonstrated he might not have adjusted to the change very well? Q. The lecture. Yes. Tell us about that. Starting with the when. A. I mean, I don¡¯t have to search my memories for that one. It¡¯s there for all to see. September 12th. Q. September 12th¡ªin other words, four days after the two of you separated¡ªwas when Dr. Tobias Kane gave what would be his final lecture at University Hall. Now, did you attend this lecture? Q. Right. Because there¡¯s really no reason for you to do so, given you¡¯re not a medical student at the university. But you have seen the lecture, yes? At least in parts? A. The lecture was livestreamed for E-learning. And¡­ some of the students decided to post snippets of it on social media, where¡­ I suppose you could say it¡¯s gone viral. A. (pause) In the most common version of the video, you can see Toby is¡­ not quite himself. Distracted, stumbling over his words, visibly sweating. At some point during the lecture, he looks up and focuses on what I can only presume is someone sitting in the audience. He stops mid-sentence, takes a short pause, then goes on¡­ I guess what you¡¯d call a tirade, presumably directed at this person he saw in the audience. A. Well, I don¡¯t know. Toby never referred to them by name. Q. And we never see the individual he might¡¯ve been talking to. Q. During this tirade, you called it, what did Dr. Kane say exactly? Do you remember any of it? A. Like I said, it¡¯s there for all to see. I think the university tried to remove the videos, but you know how these things go. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be showing it to us anyway, at some point during the trial. Q. Yes. But I¡¯m asking what you remember. What were the words that stuck out to you most? A. (pause) I suppose the most memorable words, at least in my mind, were ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you.¡± Exhibit B: Message Log ~ Ms. Vera Arenas~ Exhibit B: Message Log ~ Ms. Vera Arenas~ Text messages between Ms. Vera Arenas and contact labeled ¡°Toby¡± 10:35 PM 10:38 PM 10:47 PM You don¡¯t need to know 10:48 PM 10:49 PM Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. 10:55 PM I¡¯m not 10:56 PM 10:58 PM 10:59 PM 11:00 PM 11:02 PM Toby I can¡¯t talk to you when you¡¯re like this No I¡¯m not at anyone¡¯s place and I resent that I even have to explain myself Let¡¯s talk about everything tomorrow ok? 11:27 PM Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness ~Ms. Vera Arenas~ Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness ~Ms. Vera Arenas~ Cross-examination of witness: Ms. Vera Arenas Representing the accused: Ms. Lucia Moretti, Esq. Representing the State: Mr. Dragan Rajic, Esq. In Full: Q. Thank you. Now, Vera, I¡¯m sorry to be blunt, but isn¡¯t it true that you were present in the same room when your husband died? The living room of the house that you and Dr. Kane co-owned, to be exact? A. That¡¯s correct. Q. May I ask why? It¡¯s just, you testified earlier that you two were separated. A. Well¡­ two reasons. First to collect some of my belongings. Clothes, jewelry, that sort of thing. And second¡­ to talk to Toby about proceeding with the divorce. A. Not exactly, but it was after I had dinner, so¡­ probably around 7 PM or thereabouts. A. Yes. We texted about it the day before. He didn¡¯t object. A. Well¡­ I didn¡¯t tell him. The two of us weren¡¯t in contact at the time, and besides, there was no reason to. Q. The fact that all three of you, despite living in three separate addresses at the time, ended up in the same living room at around 8:30 PM on October 20th¡ªthat was just a big coincidence? A. (pause) I suppose ¡®coincidence¡¯ is one way to put it, but maybe not such an unlikely one¡­ given the history between us. Q. Eloquently put, Vera. This ¡®history¡¯ you refer to, of course, my learned colleague Mr. Rajic has already illustrated in painstaking detail, so I won¡¯t get into it here. What I¡¯m interested to know is what happened inside that living room after history or fate or what have you brought the three of you together. You were in the room when Dr. Kane died. You saw with your own eyes the moment the gun was fired. Is that right? Q. I see. So, you would testify that Mr. Ezra Reisch¡ªwho, I don¡¯t need to remind the jury, is the accused in this trial¡ªfired the murder weapon that killed your husband. And you would testify as such because you saw it happen with your own eyes? Q. Thank you. Now, Vera, please help me clear up a bit of confusion on my part. I just find it a bit strange that the prosecution chose you as their witness, called you to the stand to testify, and yet, they didn¡¯t ask a single question about what you saw¡ªwhat you saw, of course, being that the accused fired the shot that killed the victim. Don¡¯t you agree that it¡¯s a little strange? Mr. Rajic: Objection, your Honor. That¡¯s a leading question if I¡¯ve ever heard one. A. (long pause) At first, it was just the two of them. Toby and Ezra. Around 8:30, I think, though I¡¯m not 100% sure. They went in, and I was actually getting ready to leave, because¡­ well, I¡¯ll be honest, I didn¡¯t think I wanted to be there when it all went down. A. Their¡­ talk? Argument? I didn¡¯t really know what to expect, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t be anything good¡ªanything I¡¯d want to be a part of. This would¡¯ve been¡­ shortly after Toby and I had the divorce talk as well. That part actually went surprisingly well. Toby was more or less calm, and it seemed to me that we¡¯d come to some sort of understanding. A. Well¡­ I mean, you saw the texts. You saw how he can get. Toby is¡ªwas¡ªan intelligent, wonderful, caring man whenever he was on an even keel, but the slightest provocation could set him on a dark path. And this¡­ this wasn¡¯t exactly ¡®slight¡¯. A. I¡­ excuse me? Mr. Rajic: Objection, your Honor. I don¡¯t even know where to¡ªI suppose speculation. Relevance. The Court: Ms. Moretti, I¡¯m also curious to know the purpose of your question.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Ms. Moretti: The purpose is to paint a picture of the deceased¡¯s state of mind at the time of the gunshot. As we know, the autopsy report pointed to clear signs of struggle prior to the fatal injury. Gunshot residue was found on all three individuals present at the shooting, as was all three sets of their fingerprints on the pistol grip. The prints recovered from the trigger were inconclusive. As we cannot rely on physical evidence to ascertain which of Mr. Reisch, Ms. Arenas, or the deceased himself ultimately pulled the trigger, we must look to circumstantial evidence to fill in the gaps of our knowledge. I believe that the deceased¡¯s state of mind at the time of his death¡ªwhich transpired shortly after conversing with his wife about their impending divorce, in the presence of the very man with whom his wife had an affair, and concurrent with his indefinite suspension from his professional duties¡ªis circumstantial evidence that¡¯s very much relevant to the case. The Court: Overruled. I believe the defense has presented a reasonable basis for this line of questioning. Apologies for the interruption, Ms. Arenas, but yes, I¡¯d like you to answer Ms. Moretti¡¯s question. Go ahead. A. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, could you repeat the question? Q. Do you believe that the calm attitude your husband displayed, in response to your request for a divorce, was genuine? Just what you believe. That¡¯s all we need to know. A. I did think it was genuine, but now¡­ maybe I¡¯m not so sure. Q. Did you know he¡¯d been drinking, even prior to your arrival? A. Is that a question? Yes, I proceeded with our talk. I can¡¯t¡ªcouldn¡¯t¡ªjust wait around forever. I needed to move on as much as he did. A. Maybe both. I suppose he did it to put on a brave face. To let us believe that we¡¯d be okay¡ªthat the divorce was something we could get through. Q. Or¡­ do you think it¡¯s possible that he put on that brave face because he knew he¡¯d be okay¡ªthat the divorce or any of the stress surrounding it won¡¯t be a problem for much longer? A. I¡­ what do you want me to say? Of course I was, but I also wasn¡¯t about to hide in the bedroom while Toby and Ezra went at each other¡¯s throats. A. When I went in, the two of them were locked in a struggle. Toby was bleeding from one hand, the same one he was using to try and push a broken bottle into Ezra¡¯s face. Ezra had his hands around Toby¡¯s wrists and was holding him back. But I could see he couldn¡¯t hold him for much longer. Toby¡¯s¡­ bigger, stronger than Ezra. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I panicked. I grabbed the gun from my purse. A. I¡­ no, not always. A. (pause) Around the same time when I moved out. I just¡­ didn¡¯t feel as safe as I used to. A. No. (pause) No. Just a¡­ general sense of unease. Q. Of course. So, you went into the living room. You happened on Dr. Kane trying to glass Mr. Reisch. You pulled out your gun, which you¡¯d started carrying about six weeks prior to the incident, then what happened? A. I¡­ pointed the gun at my husband. I pleaded with him to stop what he was doing. Q. You ¡®pleaded¡¯ with him. Do you remember your demeanor or perhaps your tone of voice when you did that? A. No. All I know is that I was scared¡ªthat I could barely see what was in front of me. A. He was¡­ absolutely beside himself with rage. Justifiably so, I suppose. He let go of Ezra immediately and came charging for me instead. A. I don¡¯t know exactly. A. Maybe¡­ five, six feet? A. I don¡¯t know. Maybe? Or maybe he just thought that I didn¡¯t have it in me. In which case, he would¡¯ve been right. A. He charged in, grabbed me by the wrist, and wrestled the gun away from me. Quite easily, I might add. Like I said, he¡¯s¡ªwas¡ªstrong. A. He ..(pause).. kind of just, looked at it? Almost like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was holding in his hand. And¡­ I don¡¯t know what he was going to do with it next, but he never got to do it because Ezra came from behind and tried to fight the gun off Toby. Q. ¡®Tried to¡¯? You mean he didn¡¯t succeed? A. Not¡­ not at first, anyway. There was a brief struggle before the gun went off. A. (pause) I honestly think he just wanted to protect me. I think he thought that Toby was about to turn the gun on me. Q. You¡¯re sure? You saw this clearly¡ªeven through your tears? Q. Okay. (pause) One last question, Vera. At any point during the evening, as an inebriated Dr. Kane and a somewhat frazzled Mr. Reisch went into the living room together, did it cross your mind at all that something like this might happen? You already mentioned your anxieties about a potential argument, but did you think it would escalate to violence of¡­ such magnitude? A. No. I wouldn¡¯t have dreamed of it. A. Why not? What do you mean why not? You don¡¯t know them like I do. They¡¯re not violent men. Neither of them. The only reason we¡¯re in this mess is because I¡ªoh god¡­ Q. (long pause) They were not violent men. You wouldn¡¯t have dreamed of it. Even with all that you knew about Dr. Kane leading up to the incident, you didn¡¯t think he was capable of violence? A. (long pause) I guess I didn¡¯t think he had it in him. Exhibit C: Lecture Transcript ~Dr. Tobias Kane~ Exhibit C: Lecture Transcript ~Dr. Tobias Kane~ Speaker: Dr. Tobias Kane, MD, PhD Excerpt: (¡­) and in evaluating the need for or, uh, the merit of intervention, we must weigh the underlying risks against¡ªThe narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve showing your face. (pause) But I suppose you¡¯ve never lacked for bravado. Sauntering everywhere with your fake smiles and your unearned swagger. Who the hell do you think you are? I made you what you are! Everything you are, everything you have now, none of it would¡¯ve been possible if I hadn¡¯t taken pity on you back when you had nothing! And this is how you think to repay me? (inaudible) showed you everything. I showed and gave you everything of me. And all I ever asked for in return¡­ all I ever wanted¡­ No. No, no, no, no, no! I won¡¯t take this lying down. I won¡¯t let this rest. Not after everything you¡¯ve put me through. I¡¯ll make you pay. Just try me. You think you¡¯ve got nerve? Let¡¯s just see. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ve got the nerve to push me one more time. I¡¯ll fucking kill you! I¡¯ll¡ª Examination of Defense Witness ~Mr. Ezra Reisch~ Examination of Defense Witness ~Mr. Ezra Reisch~ Examination of witness: Mr. Ezra Reisch Representing the accused: Ms. Lucia Moretti, Esq. Representing the State: Mr. Dragan Rajic, Esq. Excerpt: A. My name is Ezra Reisch. That¡¯s¡­ ¡®Reisch¡¯ with an ¡®s¡¯. Q. Okay, Mr. Reisch with an ¡®s¡¯, what do you do? A. I¡¯m a first-year medical student. Or¡­ I hope I still am. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen after¡­ well¡­ A. I consider him a friend and a mentor. He¡¯s the person who saved my life, and¡­ and that¡¯s not hyperbole. I really mean it. I had¡ªand still do have¡ªthe utmost respect for him, and I miss him dearly. Q. Hm. Given that poignant tribute, I¡¯m a little hesitant to proceed, but my next question is this: did you attend Dr. Kane¡¯s final lecture at University Hall? Q. Really? You valued him as a friend. You respected him as a mentor. But you didn¡¯t attend the last talk he gave in a professional capacity? A. Well¡­ maybe at this point, it¡¯s sort of redundant for me to say this, but¡­ he and I didn¡¯t part on the best of terms. Things¡­ happened that I wish I could take back. And maybe¡­ he felt the same way on his end, at least on some level. In any case, I¡­ wasn¡¯t quite ready to face him at the time. Q. But in that case, I¡¯d assume you watched the lecture at least? From the safety of an Internet browser? A. Well, I mean¡­ it really was a tough watch. A. Well¡­ I can only assume¡­ must¡¯ve been one of the students at the lecture hall. Maybe¡­ someone that looked like me? A. He¡­ what he said¡­ what he said was about me. A. I¡¯m sure. Q. ¡®Never lacked for bravado¡¯? ¡®Fake smiles and unearned swagger¡¯? You think you fit those descriptions? A. I¡­ I imagine a version of me, at least in Dr. Kane¡¯s mind, might fit those descriptions. Q. What about ¡®I made you what you are¡¯? ¡®Showed and gave you everything of me¡¯? Can you or a version of you corroborate those statements? A. I¡­ I think it¡¯s possible that Tob¡ªDr. Kane¡ªbelieved that to be the case, yes. Q. Hm. Now, Ezra, why do you think Dr. Kane thought he was talking to you when you weren¡¯t even there? A. I don¡¯t know. Like I said, maybe it was someone that looked like me. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A. I¡¯m sure. He¡¯s really good with faces. And he¡¯s¡ªsorry, was¡ªreally smart. Sorry, not trying to suggest that being smart has anything to do with¡ª A. (pause) I¡¯d like to think so, yes. Q. Would you say that a deteriorated mental state¡ªmaybe his marriage was breaking down; maybe he had a young mentee he¡¯d fallen out with¡ªdo you think that might cause someone like Dr. Kane to make mistakes he normally wouldn¡¯t? To behave in a way¡­ that was wildly inappropriate for any setting, let alone the one he¡¯d found himself in? A. I¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I can¡­ I¡¯m a student and not¡ª Q. I¡¯m not looking for an expert opinion. I just want to know what you think. A. (pause) Yes. I think it¡¯d have to. I can¡¯t imagine¡­ I can¡¯t imagine him doing that if he were still himself. A. Um¡­ well, I''m not sure that I¡ª Q. Give us your best shot. You were one of the three people in that living room. One of only three people on the entire planet who would¡¯ve seen or known who pulled the trigger. So, who did? A. I¡­ Q. Let¡¯s break it down then. Step by step. You and Dr. Kane went into his living room. What was he like at the time? A. He was¡­ ah, jeez. He was drunk. Q. More drunk than you¡¯ve ever seen him, maybe? A. Well, I wouldn¡¯t¡­ I mean, he was pretty drunk. Q. But I seem to recall an earlier testimony that said he had the strength to overpower a much younger man in a wrestling match. That he had the coordination to charge across the room and grab a loaded gun before it could be used against him. I¡¯m having a hard time squaring that version of Dr. Kane with the one you¡¯re describing to me now. Help me out? A. (inaudible) Alright, look. What I¡¯m about to say might, uh, contradict some of Ver¡ªMs. Arenas¡¯s¡ªtestimony. But it¡¯s just what I saw. What I experienced. To the best of my recollection. Q. And that¡¯s all I need. Go ahead. A. Over the course of my conversation with Dr. Kane, he became¡­ emotionally volatile. He began to cry, alternate between obscenities and tearful apologies, throw random objects across the room. That kind of thing. Q. He wasn¡¯t trying to glass you? A. No! Then I sort of panicked when I saw all that blood. It¡¯s embarrassing to say, I know, with me being a medical student and all, but I haven¡¯t started my clinicals, alright? All I could think to do at the time was grab onto his wrists and stop him from hurting himself any more than he already had. A. That¡¯s when¡­ that¡¯s when Vera walked in. A. Uh, yes, sorry, what did I say? That¡¯s when Ms. Arenas walked in, and she¡­ she had a gun in her hand. And she was pointing it at me. Q. At you. You sound pretty sure about this. A. That¡¯s because I am sure. Q. You were wrestling Dr. Kane, but in fact, you were merely trying to save him from further injuries. But that¡¯s when Ms. Arenas walked in and pointed a gun at you. What did you do? A. I froze. I¡¯ve never had a gun pointed at me in my life. I was terrified, and I froze. And I let go of Tobias. A. Tobias¡ªsorry, Dr. Kane¡ªgot up and ran at Ms. Arenas. But not very well. He sort of stumbled, grabbed onto Ms. Arenas¡¯s hands¡ªgun and all¡ªthen fell on top of her. A. Five¡­ maybe six feet? Q. Fairly close. Close enough that Ms. Arenas might not have had the time to react to what was happening. Which would explain why she didn¡¯t step out of the way as her husband came stumbling into her. A. I¡­ I suppose that¡¯s plausible. Q. And what happened when Dr. Kane¡ªall 6 feet 3 inches and 198 pounds of him¡ªfell on top of Ms. Arenas? A. She¡­ she must have. Accidentally, just to be clear. A. As soon as I realized what had happened, I ran over and rolled Tobias off of Vera. But¡­ by then, it was too late. A. Vera was in shock. She¡¯d let go of the gun, and it somehow ended up in Tobias¡¯s hand. Then¡­ I don¡¯t know what came over me, but I grabbed the gun and¡­ tried to wipe it down. A. Yeah. Obviously didn¡¯t do a good job of it, considering all three of our prints were still on it. Q. But you did manage to smudge the prints on the trigger¡­ just enough to create this mess we¡¯re all in now. Why did you do it? A. (long pause) I guess¡­ both of them? I didn¡¯t want Vera to get in trouble, and I didn¡¯t want Tobias¡¯s memory to be tarnished. And I¡­ I guess a part of me, deep down, almost wanted it all to fall on me. Like I wanted¡ªneeded¡ªto be punished. Exhibit D: SMS History ~Mr. Ezra Reisch~ Exhibit D: SMS History ~Mr. Ezra Reisch~ Text messages between Mr. Ezra Reisch and contact labeled ¡°D¡± 1:13 AM 1:49 AM 1:51 AMEnsure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. 1:55 AM 1:57 AM That¡¯s why you turn down the brightness like I showed you, silly. But fine, play hard to get, why don¡¯t you? Ignore me like you do on the other phone. OK, here¡¯s the deal. Reply to me in the next two minutes if you want to continue this conversation. Or don¡¯t, and I¡¯ll know I¡¯m being punished for being a bad boy. 1:59 AM Cross-Examination of Defense Witness ~Mr. Ezra Reisch~ Cross-Examination of Defense Witness ~Mr. Ezra Reisch~ Cross-examination of witness: Mr. Ezra Reisch Representing the State: Mr. Dragan Rajic, Esq. Representing the accused: Ms. Lucia Moretti, Esq. In Full: Mr. Rajic: I do, your Honor. I¡¯m just taking a moment to get a measure of this young man. Perhaps imagine myself in the shoes of Dr. Tobias Kane as he met one Ezra Reisch for the first time some two years ago. The Court: I¡¯d ask, Mr. Rajic, that you cut down on the theatrics and focus more on your cross-examination. A. That¡¯s sort of a broad question, isn¡¯t it? Q. Indulge me. You just started med school, didn¡¯t you? Think of this as one of your role-play scenarios. I¡¯m your psychiatrist. This is our first interview. I need to start broad before I can narrow down on what really matters. The Court: Normally, I¡¯d agree with you, Ms. Moretti, but given what I¡¯ve let you get away with so far, I¡¯m inclined to allow Mr. Rajic the same latitude. Mr. Rajic, continue with your line of questioning, but make sure you get to the point quickly. A. Well, my life isn¡¯t anything to write home about¡ªespecially since I don¡¯t have a home to write to. Both of my parents died when I was little. Car accident. Then I bounced my way through relatives and foster homes, all the way into adulthood. You could probably imagine how that went. Not pretty. A. How much time do you have? Do you want to know about the time I punched a hole in my uncle¡¯s kitchen wall? Or my first girlfriend, who ended up having to change schools because of all the shit she got for dating me? How about getting myself and three other students expelled from undergrad because we got caught running a cheating ring? It¡¯s all there. ¡®Matters of official record¡¯, as you yourself might say. I have nothing to hide. Q. Evidently not. You sound almost proud of the trail of destruction you left in your wake. Perhaps there¡¯s that ¡®bravado¡¯ we¡¯ve been wondering about. Mr. Rajic: Your Honor, as my learned colleague so rightly pointed out earlier, this is a case that relies on circumstantial evidence to piece together the truth. If we were to follow Ms. Moretti¡¯s logic, I fail to see how a character assessment of the accused is anything but relevant. The Court: Very well. Proceed, but you¡¯re on thin ice, counsel. A. It came about when I was rock bottom. Like I said, I¡¯d just been expelled. I¡¯d run out of couches to surf. Homeless, penniless, futureless. What would you have done if you were in my shoes? But I guess I didn¡¯t even do a good enough job of that, which is how I ended up in involuntary care.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Q. Some might argue, for the other party, even more so. Please continue. How did what I assume started as a strictly doctor-patient relationship¡­ er, become what it was at the time of Dr. Kane¡¯s death? Q. What can I say? There were quite a few different verbs that could¡¯ve applied, but I decided on the most neutral one. Please answer the question, Mr. Reisch. A. It¡¯s not some big conspiracy, you know. Dr. Kane¡­ he was just a kind, caring man¡ªgenerous with his time and his feelings. He said it himself, didn¡¯t he? He took pity on me. Simple as that. A. He gave a young man in the lowest point of his life a place to stay. A path to follow. A future to look forward to. If he breached his ethics to do that, well, I suppose he weighed the underlying risks against the merits of intervention¡­ and came to his own decision. Q. But surely, you¡¯re far from the first troubled young person with potential he¡¯d come across in his career. Why you in particular? What was it about you that made him deviate from his usual course? A. And I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the right person to ask. Q. A friend you hadn¡¯t been in contact with for several months. A friend who¡ªvery publicly, I might add¡ªthreatened to kill you. Yes, I¡¯d say you¡¯d need a good reason. A. Something like that. Too much had happened here. Between me, Dr. Kane, and Ms. Arenas. I wanted a fresh start. Somewhere my ¡®troubled past¡¯¡ªyour words, not mine¡ªwouldn¡¯t follow me. Q. But you¡¯d just been accepted into medical school. No small feat for anyone but especially for someone of your background. You were willing to throw all that away for a fresh start? A. Yes. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of being so close to Dr. Kane while knowing we could never be together. Q. But then, in your earlier testimony, you said you¡¯d hope to still be a student after this trial is over. Q. Sorry, Mr. Reisch, but I just have to say this. You¡¯re just full of contradictions, aren¡¯t you? Flip this flop that. Changing your answers, your beliefs, even your personality to suit whatever¡ª Q. (pause) One person who can¡¯t change his answers is Dr. Kane, so let¡¯s go back to him. You rang his doorbell at 8:13 PM on October 20th, 2024. He invited you in after a fairly brief exchange, which¡ªI have to be honest¡ªsurprises me somewhat. What did you say to him that he let you in so easily? A. That I hoped we could talk. That we needed to talk, after everything that had happened. But if you want my opinion, I think he was just happy to see me. A. Yes. And that¡¯s when things got heated, after I told him my main reason for seeing him that night. A. Yes. He became upset. Crying. Throwing things. All the things I said in my earlier testimony. And the rest, well, you¡¯ve already heard the rest. Q. After everything that had happened¡ªyour words, not mine¡ªDr. Kane still wanted you in his life. Couldn¡¯t handle the news of you leaving him. A. That¡¯s just the kind of man he was. Kind, caring, loving. Q. (pause) At any point during the evening¡ªas you drove to Dr. Kane¡¯s house, as you stood at his porch and asked to catch up, as you declined a drink in his kitchen, and as you went into the living room to say your goodbye¡ªdid it never occur to you to imagine how he might react? You claim to know this man well, and I¡¯m inclined to believe you on that front. So you would¡¯ve known about his insecurities, about his volatility, about his crumbling marriage and mental state, let alone his¡ªshall we say¡ªcomplicated feelings towards you. Did you not stop to think it might be ill-advised¡ªperhaps even disastrous¡ªto have visited him that night and to have sprung your news on him when he was at his most vulnerable? Q. Do you regret it? Do you really wish you could take any of it back? Exhibit E: Initial Assessment ~Dr. Tobias Kane~ Exhibit E: Initial Assessment ~Dr. Tobias Kane~ Initial assessment of patient: REISCH, Ezra Attending: Dr. Tobias Kane Excerpts:Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. (¡­) patient presents with low mood, congruent affect, and disheveled appearance. He exhibits speech that is normal in rate and articulation but low in volume, and requires multiple and repeated prompts to elicit a response. Body posture is withdrawn, avoidant, and guarded. He refuses to make or hold eye contact (¡­) (¡­) short- and long-term memory are intact. Mentation is largely preserved. However, there appears to be gaps in his fund of knowledge that are incongruent with someone of his educational background. In the context of his adverse upbringing and stated history of academic dishonesty, it¡¯s difficult to determine if these gaps are indicative of cognitive decline or a general delay in cognitive development (¡­) (¡­) lacking in insight in certain respects. Patient denies suicidal ideation. Patient denies homicidal ideation (¡­) (¡­) Level of immediate risk to self or others: LOW (¡­) Closing Statement ~Defense~ Closing Statement ~Defense~ Representing the accused: Ms. Lucia Moretti, Esq. Excerpt: Three people entered that living room on the night of October 20th, 2024. Three people, at some point or another, handled the gun that ended up being the murder weapon. But only two of them are still with us today to tell their version of the events.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. But that doesn¡¯t mean we haven¡¯t heard from the third person. In fact, I believe we¡¯ve heard plenty from Dr. Tobias Kane. I¡¯d go so far as to say that his presence still looms large enough to cast a shadow of reasonable doubt over the proceedings. We heard from his injuries, and the stories they told. We heard from the indelible words he left behind¡ªon his loved ones¡¯ phones, through the garbled sounds of a recorded lecture, and across the pages of a medical file. He even spoke to us through the witnesses themselves. A biased and distorted version of him, to be sure, but I for one believe that, if we¡¯d paid enough attention, we would¡¯ve caught glimpses of Dr. Kane¡¯s true self filter through the veils of history and deception. What did he try to tell us? What was his final plea to the world before we closed the book on his life? All that to say, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I agree whole-heartedly with my learned colleague across the aisle. A dead man does indeed tell the best tales. And now, it¡¯s up to you to decide whether you believe him or not.