Chapter Thirty-Five December 21
Chapter Thirty-Five
Alex dialed out the noise as the courtroom filled around him. He knew Greg and Micah were already seated behind him: they’d been the first to arrive with Joshua and Naomi. Greg was pale, but he’d greeted Alex with a hug and a smile.
Alex was doing his best not to look at Joshua.
The rest of the public had then filed in, and among them Alex caught sight of the other witnesses.
Each acknowledged him with a nod or a smile, and what filled Alex with joy was that they were not alone.
Whatever qualms or fears they’d had that their families wouldn’t stand by them, had been obliterated.
Parents, brothers, sisters, wives, friends…
All formed a cordon around them, just as they’d done every time they’d appeared in court, a barrier that spoke of love and acceptance.
Finally, the police officers brought in the two defendants, and Alex watched them with quiet satisfaction.
Gone was the cocky attitude so evident when they’d strutted into court that first day: now they were restless, indulging in whispered conversation with their attorney, their gazes flitting around the room, morphing into scowls when they alighted on Alex.
Like Alex gave a shit.
The jurors entered and took their seats, and at last, everyone stood for the judge. When Judge Claybourne took his place at the bench, and the clerk resumed her position, Alex was more than ready.
He surveyed the twelve faces before him, alert and eager.
Alex couldn’t have been happier with the trial’s progress.
His case had been strong, his witnesses credible and compelling.
Greg had delivered his testimony in a quiet but crystal-clear voice, and the jurors had reacted appropriately.
And the way he and the other witnesses had stood up to what amounted to brutal cross-examination had been inspiring.
Except the defense’s arguments had run out of steam in the face of the evidence.
Now it was up to Alex to tie up all that evidence in a neat ribbon for the jury.
He rose to his feet, ready to share his belief in the strength of his case, and the victims’ need for justice. Alex tuned out everything but the jurors, and went to work.
“Good morning again, Ladies and Gentlemen. As I said at the outset, I have the burden of proving to you beyond a reasonable doubt, each and every element of the crimes charged. Before we embarked on this journey, I gave you a road map, outlining what you would hear along the way. We are now at the end of that journey. You have heard all the testimony, seen all the evidence, and now it’s your turn.
” He looked along the line of jurors. “Only you can find someone guilty, and today I’m asking you to find the defendants guilty on each count charged.
To do that, you need to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that I’ve proven each element of each crime.
And I have. So as a final summation, let’s go through the elements of the crimes and the evidence I presented, so that there is no doubt whatsoever in your minds of their guilt. ”
The end was finally in sight.
~ 0 ~
Joshua carried the tray of cups over to where Micah, Greg and Naomi sat. The jury had been out for two hours, which amazed him. To his mind, the evidence had been clear-cut, so why did they need two hours? Hell, if he’d been on that jury, he wouldn’t have needed five minutes.
Alex was nowhere to be seen, and Joshua was thankful.
They hadn’t spoken since the Festival of Lights, but that was fine: Alex’s focus had been on the trial.
Joshua greatly admired the way he’d introduced the evidence provided by Grindr. Without once saying that this was a hate crime, he’d made it obvious by revealing how each victim was chosen.
And his skill in handling the victims… No one in that courtroom could have been in any doubt as to the pain, suffering, and humiliation each one of them had gone through.
Blown up images of Greg in his hospital bed left no doubt as to the severity of his injuries.
Greg took the coffee with a tired smile. “You know what I’d like to do this evening? Decorate the Christmas tree.” Micah had bought one, but it was still trussed up in its netting, standing on the back porch. No one, it seemed, had been ready to dress it for the holidays.
Joshua nodded. “That sounds like a great way to celebrate.” Because one way or another, they were finally at the end.
“Add pizza, and it sounds perfect,” Naomi said with a grin. “How about that place you and Alex keep making us drool over? Carrello’s?”
Joshua didn’t want to think about Carrello’s.
“Forget it,” Micah said. “By the time we got home, it’d be frozen.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Joshua informed her. “There’s pizza in the freezer at home. How about we eat that, and then we all go out for dinner to Carrello’s at a later date?”
“That sounds great,” Alex said from behind him. Joshua turned and Alex gave a shrug, his eyes twinkling. “Sorry. I couldn’t help overhearing. Not that I’m inviting myself, you understand.” He met Joshua’s gaze. “The jury’s back.”
And just like that, Joshua’s insides did a nervous flipflop.
“Remember,” Alex said quietly as he walked with them to the courtroom. “This is just the verdict. Sentencing won’t take place for a while yet.”
“A verdict will do just fine,” Greg said softly. As he reached the door, he took Micah’s hand. “Here we go.”
They entered the courtroom and took their seats again. Alex sat behind his table, the defendants and their attorney behind theirs. The jurors filed in for the last time, and Joshua found himself scanning their faces, looking for any clue as to their deliberations.
Judge Claybourne addressed the jurors. “Will the jury foreperson please stand?” A middle-aged man in a leather jacket got to his feet. The judge regarded him keenly. “Has the jury reached a unanimous decision?”
“Yes, Your Honor.” He handed a folded white sheet of paper to the clerk, who approached the bench and handed it to Judge Claybourne. The judge opened it and read it, before passing it back to the clerk.
“The jury finds the defendants guilty of all charges,” she said clearly.
Beside him, Greg expelled a long breath, and Micah put his arm around him.
Joshua barely heard the judge thank and excuse the jury.
But when he banged his gavel and declared the court to be adjourned, Joshua couldn’t contain himself any longer.
He leaned forward to where Alex stood in front of him, and tapped him on the shoulder.
When Alex turned, Joshua didn’t give him time to react, but grabbed him in a firm hug.
“You did it,” he whispered.
Alex let out a sigh and held onto him. At last they let go, and Greg was next in line to hug Alex. When the congratulations were over, Alex drew in a deep breath.
“Sentencing will take place in the New Year,” he told them. “I’ll be asking for the maximum sentence allowed.”
Greg’s eyes glistened. “You were awesome. Will we see you over the holidays?”
Joshua caught his breath at the unexpected request.
Alex smiled uncertainly. “I’m not sure. Let’s see how things work out, okay?” Then the clerk called him, and he excused himself to go over to her.
Joshua’s heart sank. He wasn’t sure what response he’d expected, but it was clear things were not yet settled in Alex’s mind.
“You know what? I just wanna go home,” he murmured. “I’ll be in the car when you’re all ready.” And with that he left the courtroom, before Alex had a chance to return and send his heart sinking through the floor.
~ 0 ~
Micah watched his dad as he walked toward the door, noting his hunched over shoulders, the heavy air of despondency that seemed to cling to him. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” he muttered.
Greg squeezed his arm. “I know. Did you see their faces?”
Naomi nodded, her gaze on their dad. “Yeah, like someone had kicked their puppy.”
Micah glanced across the courtroom to where Alex stood.
His attention was focused on their dad too, his face the picture of misery.
Micah let out a heavy sigh. “You know what this feels like? That remake of Miracle on 34th Street. You know, at the end of the trial when Kris has just got off, and the little girl’s mom and the attorney shake hands?
The kid stares at them like she just wants to bang their heads together till they see what’s under their noses.
” His glaze flickered between Alex and their dad. “I know exactly how she feels.”
“Yeah,” Naomi agreed, “but in the movie, Santa fixes it. He gets them both to the church, and they get married.”
Greg chuckled. “Sorry, guys, but that’s not an option, okay? Not even Santa can fix this one.”
“Ya think? Maybe Santa just needs a little help.”
Micah studied Naomi with interest. “You’ve got an idea, haven’t you?”
Her grin was all he needed to know.