‘Interesting in a good way or a bad way?’ Fiona replied.
‘That depends on whose car you’re in.’
Jack looked to the ceiling as if appealing to the Hacker’s better nature. ‘Could you kindly ask your monkey to stop dancing around the organ and inform us which Passenger the public has chosen? Is it Mr or Mrs Cole?’
‘Now, now, Jack, stop playing hard to get,’ Cadman retorted. ‘If the answer is based only upon the hashtag “save” then the most frequent trending tag across all social media platforms is #saveheidi.’
The result was as expected, but it still felt to Libby as if the rug had been pulled from under her feet. She glanced at Matthew and Fiona who had both vocalised their support for Heidi. She assumed both were pleased, but out of respect to the other Passengers they kept their gratitude restrained.
‘However,’ added Cadman. The jurors turned to face him as he made his way into the centre of the room, leaving a dramatic pause. ‘If we’re adding the “save” hashtag to all the other independent hashtags generatedand spread by social media users, then another name tops the list. Two names, in fact. And they amount to almost double the number of votes #saveHeidi received.’
‘And?’ asked Jack, growing impatient.
‘And,’ Cadman repeated, then swiped his tablet so that one hashtag appeared on a wall opposite the screens, ‘members of the jury and ladies and gentlemen at home, may I present to you #givejudeandlibbyachance.’
Libby’s eyes opened wide like saucers. ‘I’m sorry?’ she asked, perplexed. ‘What did you just say?’
‘#givejudeandlibbyachance,’ Cadman repeated. ‘Your ten-minute conversation with Jude is the only thing the world is talking about right now. They’re not ready for your story to come to an end. They’re desperate to know what happens next. Look.’
The contents of Cadman’s screen filled the rest of the wall; dozens and dozens of messages along with hashtags including ‘#Libby4Jude’ ‘#HappyEverAfter4J&L’ and ‘#Savethestarcrossedlovers’ along with memes and GIFs.
‘Has the world gone fucking mad?’ asked a stunned Jack.
‘People always love an underdog,’ Cadman shrugged.
‘And people have always been wrong.’
‘I’m sorry, Jack, but the public has become invested in these two lovebirds. They’ve even spliced their names together so that ‘#judy’ has the honour of being the fastest spreading hashtag of all time. Social media is very clear about this – their votes go to Jude.’
Libby looked to him; Jude’s bewildered face mirrored hers. Against all odds, there was now a chance he might survive. ‘I don’t understand it,’ Libby continued. ‘People who don’t know us, actually care?’
‘They don’t care about you!’ Jack hissed. ‘You’re as real to them as bloody Santa Claus. People want something to believe in even if it’s made-up rubbish like you and Mr Harrison. Don’t fool yourself into believinganyone inside or outside this room gives a damn about what happens to either of you after these cars collide.’
‘With two votes apiece, it’s a tie between Heidi and Jude,’ said Fiona, resting her tablet on the table top. ‘So what happens now?’
‘One of you must change your vote,’ said the Hacker.
‘And if we don’t?’
‘Then you will be sending them all to their deaths. Who would like to begin?’
Chapter 51
Muriel was the first juror to turn to Libby to offer a heartfelt apology.
‘I am so sorry, I really am, because I know what Jude means to you,’ she began. ‘But my heart lies with Claire’s unborn baby. No matter what she might have done to her husband, I can’t punish that little mite because of it.’ She grasped Libby’s hand and squeezed it to emphasise her remorse. Libby nodded, not trusting herself to speak, before turning to Matthew. She already knew what his answer would be when he struggled to meet her eye.
‘I have given it thought, honestly, but I can’t rob Heidi’s children of their mum. And for that I apologise.’
‘It’s okay,’ Libby replied.
Fiona was next. ‘And I’m sure you’ll also understand that as a mother, I can sympathise with what Heidi must be going through. I’ve been trying to imagine what it would be like never to see my children again … it just breaks my heart.’
Everyone’s attention shifted towards Jack, with the exception of Libby. There was no reason for him to offer her or Jude a lifeline so she wasn’t going to waste her time and ask.
‘Hmm,’ he began. His index finger tapped against his bottom lip in a theatrical manner. ‘Nowthis isquite the conundrum, isn’t it, Miss Dixon? It appears that I am theone who gets the final say in your future. Perhaps this court is more under my control than your Hacker friend assumed. Now, who to pick, who to pick …’
His voice trailed off as he pointed his finger towards the screens and moved them between the faces of the final five Passengers. ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, mo, whose car should I let explode?’
