The trial progressed quickly after the recess. There was no point in stopping it.
She had made her decision.
The only witness left was a firefighter who had been at the scene of the accident. He fell in line by claiming it was Madison, not Jameson, behind the wheel.
It was then no surprise when Madison’s useless attorney rose and declared the defense would rest without even providing a single witness. The CA’s summation was brilliant and to the point.
I should know, since I was the one who had written it.
Finally, the judge allowed the jury to leave to start their deliberations.
Madison fidgeted in her seat and tried to avoid glancing in my direction. She failed several times. Every time, I caught her stare and held it, each time a little longer than the last.
The jury was out for less than fifteen minutes.
The judge cleared his throat. “Madam Foreperson, do you have a verdict?”
A matronly woman with garishly bright red hair rose. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“Very well, in the matter of the People of the State of Virginia versus Madison Hastings, how do you find?”
“We find the defendant, Madison Hastings?—”
Madison shot out of her chair. “Wait!”
CHAPTER 11
SKYLAR
There was a surreal moment of silence after Madison’s outburst.
As if no one wanted to trust their own ears. Excitement buzzed in the air, people waiting to see what the crazy killer would do next.
After all, who the hell would yell out such a thing in open court?
The judge froze, mouth still parted around whatever he’d been about to say.
The jury foreperson glanced from Madison, then back to the judge, unsure of what to do.
The idiot commonwealth’s attorney rose, then sat down, then rose again, then sat, all in the space of two seconds.
Then the silence broke.
Reporters shot out of their seats; disobeying the court’s rules, they whipped out their cell phones as they raced out of the courtroom, hoping to be the first to get the sensational turn of events onto the Internet.
Hastings Hasty Outburst!
Chaos at the Courthouse!
Madison Hastings Defiant to the End!
Verdict Rejected! By the Defendant!
They were shouting their clickbait headlines into their phones over the din.
The judge’s face turned bright purple as he stood and actually threw his gavel at Madison.
She ducked just in time.
