Un-betaed

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The Next Day

Chapter 2

(My apologies if any legal procedures mentioned are not correct.)

The next day

Evangeline is saved from having to deal with John’s response to her letter.  As circumstances would have it she is called out of town to meet with a client with no definite expected return date when John receives her letter.

Before John even receives Evangeline’s letter he’s engrossed in other matters.  He reviews the DNA test results and realizes that John Doe is actually Cristian Vega.  John goes to Statesville Prison to talk with John Doe/Cristian Vega.  John confronts Cristian with the DNA test result and Cristian asks that John not reveal his identity.  Cristian pleads with John to keep his secret because he doesn’t want his family to know that he is a murderer and he doesn’t want Natalie to waste her life waiting for him.  John informs Cristian that he cannot do that and as an officer of the court he must present this report to the court for them to do with as they choose. John further tells Cristian that just because he did not know who he was at the time of Tico Santi’s death it does not negate the fact that he did kill a man and he may still end up in prison. Cristian realizes that he can’t persuade John to change his mind so he resolves to face whatever consequences occur as a result of the DNA test results reveal.

John returns to Llanview and calls Evangeline to meet him at his office at the station.  She doesn’t answer so he leaves a message.  When he returns to his office he finds a letter on his desk but before reading it he calls DA Colson to set up a meeting with him, Commissioner Bo Buchanan and ADA Nora Hanen.  Before leaving for the meeting John puts the letter that he found on his desk in his inside jacket pocket.

At the meeting John tells everyone about his suspicions about John Doe as a segue into his reveal of the DNA test results.  John hands the report to DA Colson and while the DA is reviewing them John tells Bo and Nora the results.  DA Colson passes the DNA report to Nora and she and Bo review it together.  John tells them that he visited Cristian Vega at Statesville and recounts his conversation with Cristian.  

The reaction by Colson, Bo and Nora is not at all what John is expecting.  Colson rakes him over the coals for having the test done without consulting with the DA’s office; Bo is upset that John did not consult him too; and Nora is livid that John did not reveal the results before a mentally challenged man was sentenced to life in prison.  Nora asks the question to which everyone wants to know the answer,

“John, how did you get a sample from a relative without revealing why you needed or wanted it?”

John doesn’t want to reveal Evangeline’s involvement in this so he simply responds that he managed to get one and that’s all that he says. Nora doesn’t fully believe him but she doesn’t press him for more information.

DA Colson does conclude that he must inform the defense attorney and the trial judge of this development.  This may result in a new trial.  What no one says but everyone is thinking is how will they smooth over John getting the test done in the first place.  Colson and Nora will handle notifying the attorney and the judge.  Bo and John leave to return to their offices.  Before John leaves though Nora asks to speak with him privately.

John steps into Nora’s office and she doesn’t waste time getting to the point,

“John, does Evangeline know about this?”

“Nora, I can’t say anything about what Evangeline knows.  You will have to ask her yourself.”

Nora knows that she won’t get anything more out of him so she resolves to ask Evangeline herself.

“Alright John but this is a fine mess that you’ve gotten us into I will tell you. You do know that you may have to answer more questions so be prepared.”

“I know Nora but I did what I thought was right.  Bo probably wants to talk with me too so I’d better go now.”