For the first time, Mina looked excited to be up on the stand. She bounced excitedly like a giddy teenybopper on her way to a Taylor Switch concert, her outfit rattling like an eighties style clothing rack.
Raven deduced it had less to do with being accused of murder and more being a lonely teen getting getting to tell the world (and the court cameras) that she indeed had a beau.
She rested her hands on the podium with her hands to her cheeks. "Dukey is so perfect. He's a hubba hubba and a half. He knows exactly what to say before I even say it. When I ask him what's my best feature, he says "everything" and then goes into gratuitous detail about everything, including my ashy knees and my uneven teeth. All I'm gonna say, is there's no way he did it."
"Dukey?" the judge asked. "What kind of name is that? Is he a boy or a golden retriever? Dating the latter is a crime by the way."
Mina opened her eyes to glare accusingly at the judge. Nothing like being in court to burst your bubble.
"Dukey is Duke Duke Regalton. And yesh, he's a duke from England and his name is Duke. You may think that's weird, but everyone here seems to be named after their personality!"
"No objection here," Raven squawked like his namesake.
The judge nodded. A member of the Justice system named Justice Divine Justice couldn't disagree either. "Go on, child," she said. "I'm less astounded by his fitting name, and more than someone who trips over their own feet could woo such a man of means."
Mina grinned sheepishly, holding her hands behind her back and fluttered on her toes. "Of course. I may trip over my own feet but I surely went head over heels when I met him on a dating site!"
Raven pointed a gloved finger at the justice. "Get it ma'am. He's a royalty and she met him on a dating website. He's a Britainian Duke!"
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The garrulous judge was at a loss for words.
"What do you mean by that? I still can't believe this child is meeting the one percent online."
Raven slapped his hand in his face when he realized that she wasn't aware of the dating politics on those sordid apps.
Raven chuckled. "Well, your honor, prepare to have your mind blown because this Britainian Duke is not who he says he is! People often lie about their identity on dating apps for dubious purposes."
"Say what?!!" two people screamed at once.
Raven was expecting outbursts from the judge, but Mina took was livid. She growled as spittal flew from retainer filled mouth. "I can't believe you wouldn't flippin' believe me, Raven! He's the L-U-V of my life! Of course he's real!"
"Whataya say, Ms. judgey judge?" Raven ignored her, something he didn't want to do to the poor girl, but he still had to hammer his point into the judge's noggin.
"Well," the judge answered with a bang of her gavel. "Dating sites may be ahead of my time. But I have surely have been lied to by men before. Usually they have the gall to do that to my face instead!"
The crowd rumbled to themselves, most of them definitely believed in the evils of dating apps. Especially when Raven had managed to offer up an excellent profile of the suspect. (A dating profile that is!)
Raven offered the courtroom a sparkling grin.
Larry hid beneath his robe in fear. It seemed his time as a rookie reaper was over. But shockingly, someone else screamed objection.
Mina held up her E-Phone with tears dripping from her face and her nose slightly running. "I can't believe this. Not even my own defense attorney believes I have a boyfriend! Well, I'm gonna show you who is wrong here. I'm gonna call Dukey up and he's going to tell all of you the truth."
"The truth?!" Larry, Divine and Raven all asked with question in their eyes.
Mina dialed the number and quickly switched it to speaker phone. Not surprisingly for Raven, when someone answered the phone, there was no face or picture to accompany the voice. However, the voice was certainly deep and suave enough.
"Well, ello, m'lady!"
"Dukey-kins!" Mina exclaimed with a worried expression. "I'm currently on trial for the Diego incident. Can you please testify about what you saw from my phone."
"Of course, m"dear," the voice said in an English accent. "I sure can. My sweet Mina indeed killed my ex lover! Out of jealous and passion for her dear Dukey-kins!"
Raven gulped harder than if he swallowed a small rock. Mina was so lovestruck she had summoned a witness to testify...against herself.