For Better And For Worse
Chapter 21

Early in the morning, Commander Boris goes to Bernard’s house to be able to question him while Inspector Kevin goes to see Doctor Romuald. The maid takes him to the doctor.

Kevin: hello doctor.

Romuald: yes, hello inspector, what do I owe the honor of your visit?

Kevin: I’m conducting an investigation and I need your cooperation.

Romuald: I was going to work but hey I can give you a few minutes. How can I help you ?

Kevin: I would like to establish the truth about the Krist affair.

Romuald (smile): inspector, everything has been proven, I don’t know what truth you are looking for?

Kevin: The truth that you and I know very well.

Romuald: I don’t know two truths about Inspector Krist.

Kevin: Fine, I’m not going to beat around the bush. Tell me who paid you to create false b***d test results for Mr. Krist?

Romuald (yellow smile): uh, I don’t know what you want to talk about, inspector.

Kevin: on the contrary, you know it very well.

Romuald: listen inspector, I’m going to work now, so I really don’t have time to play this game with you. Excuse me !

He wakes up.

Romuald: I’ll walk you to the door.

Kevin: How do you sleep peacefully with what you’ve done? Convicting an innocent man whose wife is two months pregnant means you deprive a child of his father’s warmth for five years. Doctor, you don’t have a heart?

Romuald: I didn’t do anything at all, I’m an honest man. Now please leave my house.

Kevin: I’m leaving but know one thing. I know and you also know that you have wronged an innocent man. I will do everything to prove it and you will pay for your deed.

The inspector leaves. Meanwhile, on the other side, the commander speaks with Bernard’s wife.

Boris: hello Ms. Bernard, I am Commander Boris of the anti-drug brigade.

Claudine: hello commander.

Boris: can I speak to your husband?

Claudine: my husband is traveling.

Boris: ok, will you give me a few minutes?

Claudine: okay.

Boris: thank you. Do you know that your husband rendered a false verdict during his intervention at the last trial?

Claudine: a… a… ah good! I…he didn’t tell me about it. Besides, how does this concern me?

Boris: I think he was corrupted, don’t you?

Claudine: no, my husband is an honest and incorruptible man.

Boris: so how do you explain the fact that he condemned a man he knows is innocent?

Claudine: I… I… I don’t know.

Boris: that’s what brings me to think of you.

Claudine: me, what do you mean?

Boris: where were you last Thursday? Needless to say, you weren’t at work and you didn’t report it.

Claudine: I… I was going to see my mother urgently. I was so concerned about his situation that I didn’t think to report my absence.

Boris: you lie really badly, ma’am, and I must admit that it’s a great quality not to know how to lie. Tell me the truth please.

Claudine: I’m telling you the truth.

Boris: very good, give me your mother or father’s number for verification.

Claudine: but why are you interrogating me?

Boris: no, it’s not an interrogation, I’m just trying to help a man who has suffered an injustice, he will serve five years in prison for nothing by leaving his two-month pregnant wife alone. Think of this woman, think of this child who will grow up without his father.

Ah women are so sensitive. She couldn’t help but tell the commander the truth. She therefore reveals to him everything that had happened.

Claudine: …my husband also told me that this man had kidnapped a family member of the entire jury.

Boris: can you describe this man’s face to me?

Claudine: no unfortunately, it was only her voice that we could hear.

Boris: okay, that will allow you to appeal.

Claudine: Please don’t do that, the gentleman has severely warned us, saying that if he ever learns that there has been an appeal, he will kill every family of all the members of the jury. He proved to us that he has all the information about our families. He knows our children are studying abroad. He gave us their names, their level of education and their address. I just betrayed my husband by telling you about all this so please don’t appeal. Use other means to not only free this innocent man but also first arrest this man who convicted him and his release will follow automatically.

Boris: thank you very much for your collaboration, madam.

The commander leaves and replaces Kevin a little later at the brigade.

Boris: So, did you get anything?

Kevin: no, he vigorously denied it. Besides, we have no proof. How did it go on your side?

Boris: Mr. Bernard is traveling. But his wife told me that on the day of the trial, she was kidnapped. Gauthier also kidnapped the family of each jury member to force them to return a false verdict.

Kevin: so there is a possibility of appealing.

Boris: yes but Gauthier threatened to harm their family if one day they spoke and there was an appeal.

Kevin: So what do we do?

Boris: the deadline for appealing remains six days. If Gauthier made these threats, it is because he also prepared himself so that this call would come to nothing and he could also keep his promise to do harm because men of his type have no scruples. So it is better to try to corner Gauthier.

Kevin: Okay. Where do we start?

Prison.

Krist wakes from his sleep and gets up to stretch a little and loosen his muscles.

Aristide: slept well my brother?

Krist: you’re kidding, how can you sleep well in a place like this, especially the first night.

Aristide: in everything, the beginning is always quite difficult but it will get better with time.

Krist: well I hope because now I have aches everywhere.

Aristide: the doors will soon open for inmates to go and play sports. We can go there if you want?

Krist: Of course, I don’t have anything else to do anyway.

Aristide: what if we first meditate on the word of God?

Krist: I don’t even want to hear that name in my ears.

Aristide: Can I ask you a question?

Krist: but what a question! Alright, put it down!

Aristide: do you often read the Bible?

Krist: yes, every day before.

Aristide: Did you ever come across the story of Job by chance?

Krist: Yes.

Aristide: then don’t deny God. Happiness awaits you at the end of these trials. Even if you were advised to deny God as Job’s wife advised her husband, do not do it, remain firm and may your trust in God never fail. You will reap the fruits of your patience and endurance in faith.

Krist: you’re right, thanks for the fortification.

Aristide: Well, let’s worship the Lord.

So they sing two hymns before meditating on the word of God. The doors open later and they come out after finishing their meditation. So they go out to play sports. There are those who go jogging, those who play basketball, tennis, volleyball, different types of sports. Aristide and Krist arrive near those who throw the balls, his brothers in Christ. He introduces them to Krist and they get to know each other.

Krist: well, I need to do a little jogging, sit-ups and push-ups to relax, who is with me?

Leonard: I join you.

Krist: great, let’s go!

They return to the field to run.

Krist: so, is it you Leonard?

Leonard: yes but you can call me Leo like everyone else.

Krist: Okay, what brought you here?

Leo: Well, I almost killed a fool.

Krist: Explain!

Leo: I had a wonderful father and my mother had a wonderful husband but God had called him. So I stayed with my mother and after two years she fell in love with another man. I never liked that man’s face. My mother moved with him and I remained alone in the family home. I visited my mother often and noticed bruises all over her body and face. She often gave me reasons that I never believed then one day, I went there again and I saw her new husband beating her up. Out of anger, I rushed at him and almost killed him. He filed a complaint and that’s it, I have two years left here but I warned him, if he lays hands on my mother again, I will kill him.

Krist: Well, I think I would do the same if I were you. It’s not normal for a man to hit his wife to the point of hurting her.

Leo: I tell you, he’s the one who should have been condemned. But hey, my mother realized this and filed for divorce.

Krist: sorry for you.

Leo: It’s nothing, but thank you. And you, tell me how you got here.

So he tells her his story.

Leo: what injustice!

Krist: I’m not telling you.

Suddenly a man stands in front of them and they stop at his level, almost hitting him. All other activities are stopped, everyone standing, eyes trained on them.