Unbalanced

Dillinger sat in the court thinking of the next line of action he will take. The Judge's droning voice made him feel like a tethered bull. He wished the irritating voice will simply pronounce the judgement so he could get it over and done with since he knew what the outcome would be. His eyes wandered around the court room and his nimble mind tried to fathom what will be going on behind those numerous pairs of eyes trained on him like the gunsight of a German sniper. He allowed himself a wry smile. A sharp jab to his ribs and the ghostlike voice of his attorney saying, 'focus on the court', brought him back to the present.

'It seems to me, that you Dillinger, deliberately mismanaged and recklessly dealt with the accounts of your clients', the Judge bellowed. In a softer yet ominous tone he continued, 'such precedence should be nipped at the bud. So many lives have been ruined by your actions and you deserve every bit of punishment this court can mete out on such a heinous crime'. A wail erupted from the back of the court and a sob accompanied it  from the next aisle adding a bit of  flavour to the crying chorus. 'Pathetic losers', Dillinger thought to himself. He swivelled and wasn't surprised when it was that hideous looking Mrs Berry leading the crying chorus.

The Judge impatiently banged his gavel. He needed no distractions when he was almost at the part he liked most. The courtroom was his and he liked the attention to be focused solely on him as he practiced his 'art'. Cottonboom CJ had a reputation for theatrics. His judgements were read out like a 'B rated' actor would read his ill-written script. A squeaky voice that sounded like a thousand rats vying for a morsel of bread did not help his case. Yet, he liked to practice what he called, 'judicial eloquence'. The courtroom staff and lawyers secretly called him the 'Judicial Squealer'. The court falling silent, he plodded on, 'you have been found guilty and will be sentenced accordingly'. Raising his voice a shade higher, his eyes eerily pinned on the accused, mouth stretched and each word pronounced distinctly with added venom, he gave his verdict. 'I hereby order that you be divested of all your assets', he waited a moment while his snakelike tongue crawled on his lips, 'and i accordingly sentence you to ten years in the State Penitentiary. Leaning further forward, he whispered with a wolfish smile on his face, 'i hope they get rid of your recklessness before your time is up'. He suddenly collapsed against the back of his chair and surveyed the hushed audience.

This was the part he liked most - the feeling that they knew he knew that he wielded immense power. He abruptly stood up and the court was dismissed. 'Better to leave while they were still in awe of his sentence', he muttered to himself as he made his way hastily to his chambers.

The cuff firmly in place, officers flanking his sides, the condemned man was led away. The small wizened man at the seat nearest the door, stood up as Dillinger was nearing the door. A brief eye contact sealed the deal and the world was about to witness yet another Dillinger headline.

...To be continued