Chapter 10

With all my years in the legal field, I had this gut feeling something was off about these three witnesses. From the start of the trial, I just knew something wasn't right.

But I had no solid proof. Just a hunch from their looks and the way they talked, but that wasn't enough to go on.

Lally and Tammy both swore up and down that Laura was on the 4th floor and never left.

Tom's story filled in the gaps about what went down during the blackout and the fire. He said Laura had a fight with Alan in his room and that he smelled gasoline.

Time, place, people, actions-it all lined up perfectly.

Even though the club manager didn't show, these three had Laura pinned as the prime suspect.

By the book, the court should sentence her to death, and the truth would come out. Alan's death would be avenged, and I should feel like justice was served and get ready for Alan's funeral. But I couldn't shake the question-why would Laura kill Alan?

During the trial, Laura's over-the-top statements were almost like a performance, kind of manic. To the media, it probably looked like she was trying to play the judge by using her performance artist background.

But I still remembered the wedding ten years ago vividly, and with what Alan had said before, I couldn't help but believe her.

Plus, Tammy's emotions were all over the place. Lally kept staring at Laura while testifying, and Tom kept glancing at Tammy after he spoke. How did a business elite and a cleaner even know each other?

Their stories were too perfect, fitting together like a puzzle, all pointing straight at Laura.

Why did they want Laura dead?

Just as I was mulling this over, the defense attorney Scott, who had been quiet, suddenly stood up and said, "Your Honor, I have something to say!"

Stephen looked at Scott and said calmly, "The defense may speak."

"With nearly perfect evidence, if I were the judge, I would certainly find the suspect guilty." Scott raised his voice, standing tall, now looking like the famous lawyer known for shaking up the courtroom and even making young judges squirm.

He paused, a slight smile on his lips, and then continued, "I don't doubt the witnesses' testimonies. I believe in the fairness and strictness of the law, and the shining light of justice behind it! But, I want to ask the judges, the prosecutors, and everyone here in the courtroom."

Scott then said loudly, "Based on the case files and the witnesses' statements, we can piece together the timeline. Around 8:50 PM in 2024, there was a power outage. The witnesses said the fire started within minutes and spread fast. The fire department had it out by around 9:15 PM, all in less than twenty minutes!"

He continued, "In less than twenty minutes, if you take out the time for the suspect and the victim to interact and the struggle leading to death, the remaining time would be used to dissect the victim's organs one by one and hang them from the ceiling. Isn't it unbelievable that the suspect is a woman without much strength?"

Scott added, "I believe you've all seen the autopsy report. I haven't seen the victim's body, but I watched the autopsy video. Even though the body was burned, some knife wounds were still visible, smooth and deep, showing skilled use of the knife and strong wrist strength. Plus, the precise location of each organ suggests the perpetrator is an experienced surgeon, not my client, Ms. Brown!"

He raised his voice and said, "Secondly, the key witness in this case, the manager of the Entertainment Club, isn't even here. From what I know, only hotel staff got hurt. We still don't know if there were other people on the fourth floor that night or if there are other suspects!"

Scott wrapped it up, "Based on 'innocent until proven guilty,' I demand a not guilty plea for my client! Even if we go by the city's rule of 'special cases handled specially,' for big cases to be processed quickly to deliver justice and sway public opinion, we need more evidence, not just a quick conclusion!"

Scott's face was stone-cold, his voice loud but flat.

The courtroom went dead silent. Everyone had been so focused on the witnesses' stories, they hadn't thought about the case itself. Laura was an artist, not exactly a powerhouse. How could she dissect someone and hang their organs from the ceiling in just a few minutes? Even a top-notch surgeon might struggle with that.

I wasn't shocked by Scott's move. A lawyer of his caliber wouldn't risk his rep on a case without solid grounds. Now it was his turn to shine.

As the victim's family, I usually didn't get to see the case files directly. Leonard hadn't shared the case details with me before the trial either. Thinking about this, I glanced at Leonard at the prosecutor's table. He looked serious, flipping through the files. He must've felt my gaze because he looked up briefly before going back to reading.

'Does he have doubts about this case too?' I wondered.

Scott's statement only strengthened my doubts. Alan's death needed a thorough investigation, not just to find the killer but to understand why it happened. This case couldn't be rushed.

As expected, Stephen finally said the defense's points were valid, and the case would be postponed for more evidence.

Scott nodded to Laura, got up, and left. Laura didn't say a word and was taken away by the cops for further detention.

Zoey ran over, looking like she wanted to say something. I gently told her to focus on her work and that I'd contact her if needed. She reluctantly left the courtroom.

I hung back a bit, watching the three witnesses leave and quietly followed them in the crowd.

Lally pulled out her phone to call a ride. Tammy grabbed her bike from the rack outside the courthouse, and Tom headed to the parking lot. Soon, a Mercedes drove out and sped away.

They all left separately, no interaction at all. But I still couldn't shake why Tom looked at Tammy.

That look wasn't random; it was a look of concern and curiosity.

Plus, Lally and Tammy both worked at the Entertainment Club, so they should know each other. After such a big event, even if they weren't close, they'd talk after the trial, not just split up like that.

Watching the crowd slowly make their way down the steps, I had this nagging feeling there was a secret between them. 'What's their deal, and why did they give such pointed testimonies in court? The evidence isn't enough to nail Laura, but these three clearly wanted her gone. Why? Does it tie back to Alan? What's their connection?'

Just then, I heard a cold snort from behind.