Preliminary hearing

On 12 March 2025 there was a preliminary hearing: both sides seated, to see if they could settle before trial. On the table was a pen, in case anyone signed anything. Nobody signed, and the pen disappeared. Not every row and column has to be occupied.

Suspects

• Abel, the court usher: He called the parties by name and showed them to their chairs. He says the rest wasn't his business.
• Benta, the court clerk: She wrote the minutes: "no agreement could be reached". It's the sentence she writes most in her life.
• Celestino, the trainee lawyer: He brought three pens in case the first one failed. He left with two.
• Delmina, the café lady: She makes coffee for both sides. She says both took it without sugar, the one thing they agreed on.