A/N: THIS CHAPTER IS GOING TO SHOW THE TRIAL, BUT I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT I AM SORRY IF ANY PROCEDURE THAT I WRITE IS INCORRECT. I DID DO RESEARCH ON THE STEPS TAKEN DURING A TRIAL AND HAVE DECIDED TO SKIP SOME STEPS SO THE ENTIRE TRIAL WILL NOT BE WRITTEN. AGAIN I'M SORRY FOR ANY MISTAKES... ENJOY THE CHAPTER :)
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Feel free to point out any spelling, grammar, or spacing errors. I would really appreciate it and will fix them right away :)
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Read the author's note at the end if the chapter!!
Ch35: The Jury Has Made Their Decision
Sam.
Alisson.
I knew it was them the moment I saw their faces on the pictures my mom gave us which we still have to turn in as evidence.
Noah immediately pauses the video on their face and it's as if everyone turns to look, including me. I first look at Alisson who has suddenly turned pale, but she's determined to keep her face stotic. Then I turn to look at Sam we make eye contact for a few seconds and I send him the most disgusted look I can manage before returning my attention to Noah.
"This figure right here," Noah points at Alisson "is known as Ms. Alisson Luoise who was one of the prosecuting lawyer's witness. She claimed to have been at home alone the day Mr. Vasquez died, but here she is entering his house."
"Now this figure here," Noah points at Sam "is Samuel Beckett, a member of the FBI."
"Objection your honor," the prosecuting lawyer yells. "This can't be taken as good evidence because their faces aren't very clear and I'm unsure if they are who he claims them to be."
"He's right," the judge says. "Their faces are not completely clear."
"That's perfectly fine your honor," Noah nods. "We will have more evidence that will prove that they are who I say they are. "
"Fine, you may continue," the judge says.
"As you can see," Noah points at the time on the screen. "These two figures arrived at 10:00 A.M to Luis Vasquez house."
Noah then fowards the video and we see Alisson and Sam quickly walk into Luis' house and as soon as they begin walking out Noah pauses the video.
"The two figures are now leaving the house at 10:30 A.M," Noah points once again at the time. "They were inside the home for thirty minutes. Mr. Cox do you think that's enough time to brutally stab someone to death?"
"Yes," Mr. Cox nods. "In fact we belive it took them around twenty minutes to stab him. So yes thirty minutes is more than enough."
"Okay," Noah fowards the video. We see them both get into their car and drive off before we see my light blue Solara arrive. The car remains parked for a few minutes before I step out of the car and Noah pauses the video.
"It is 10:38 A.M," Noah points at the time "and Ms. Abrelle Luoise has just arrived at the scene."
Again Noah fowards the video and we see how I walk up towards Luis' house and slightly push the open door with my foot before stepping inside. He continues to foward the video and only stops it when Mr. Daniel Cox arrives and steps out of his police car.
"Mr. Cox has now arrived," Noah says "and it is 10:41 A.M."
"As you can clearly see," Noah steps away from the T.v "Ms. Louise has only been inside the house for three minutes. Mr. Cox is that enough time for Ms. Louise to brutally stab Mr. Vasquez to death?"
"No," Mr. Cox shakes his head.
"Thank you for your testimony Mr. Cox," Noah smiles at Daniel Cox "and for providing us with this security video."
***
"Ms. Elizabeth Luoise," Noah smiles at my mother. "Can you explain to us how you are involved in Luis Vasquez' case?"
"Of course," she cleans off imaginary dirt off of her red dress. "I'm Abrelle Luoise's mother and I decided in her best interest that I needed to keep an eye on Luis so I paid someone to follow him around and take pictures of everything he did. This man was in front of Luis' house when he died and took pictures of everyone who entered the premises."
"Here are the photos they are exhibit 5," Noah grabs them from our table and hands them to the judge. "May I turn it in for evidence?"
"You may," the judge nods handing them back to Noah.
"Ms. Elizabeth Luoise," Noah gives my mom the photographs. "Can you show us who comes out in those photos? "
"Yes," my mother shows a picture to the audience and Jury. "In this photo you can clearly see Alisson Luoise and Samuel Beckett standing in front of Luis Vasquez house."
"Then in this one," she shows another picture "they are making their way inside the house."
"In this one," she shows another photograph "you can see the black car clearly and I recognize it. It's Alisson Luoise's old car that we bought for her on her sixteenth birthday."
"Okay," Noah smiles, clearly pleased. "Thank you Ms. Elizabeth Luoise for your testimony."
***
"Your honor," Noah walks towards the judge "in my hand I have a notarized letter written by Mr. Nathan Louise moments before he died. This is exhibit 6, may I turn it in for evidence? "
"You may," the judge says after opening and examining the letter.
"Thank you your honor," Noah takes a hold of the letter. "I will now read the contents in the letter."
"Good morning/afternoon/night ladies and gentlemen. If this letter is being read it is because I have passed away and my testimony is necessary for my dear big sister Abrelle Louise. I want to start off by talking about Luis Vasquez death. The day he died I spoke with my sister Alisson who told me she was going out. I decided I would follow her and find out where she was going because I had suspicions about a man she was getting involved with. Alisson had our chauffer Will drive her to a bakery on Fidel street called Tina's bakery where she met up with a man. I knew immediately who that man was, it was Samuel Beckett. I questioned both of them about being together and they admitted having a secret relationship. I pretended to be happy for them and even went as far as saying I was on their side.
They both belived me so they told me what they were planning. They said they were going to somehow get rid of Abrelle so that Alisson could get the company. When I found out Luis was killed and Abrelle was being blamed I immediately knew they had done it, but I didn't have any evidence. So I remained silent hoping that maybe they would trust me enough to give me some kind of proof to use against the. Of course I was unable to get any concrete evidence because they found out that I was playing them. So Samuel Beckett shot me to make sure I would keep my mouth shut. I Nathan Luoise saw Samuel Beckett point a gun at me and pull the trigger. I hope that the jury takes into consideration my testimony and at the end of the day makes the correct and just choice. Sincerly Nathan Luoise."
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"Ms. Abrelle Luoise," Noah walks towards me. "Can you tell us what you did the day Luis' died?"
I take a deep breath as Nathan's words replay in head.
Samuel Beckett shot me.
I know Noah read the letter, but I clearly head Nathan's voice in my head almost as if he was personally reading the letter to me.
Nathan died because of me. Sam killed him because of me. I have to do this. I need to do this.
"I woke up early and packed all of my things because I had decided I wanted to leave my house and move away somewhere else," I say. "So I put everything in my car, grabbed my momey and drove to Luis' house and that's when I found him dead."
"Can you tell us what exactly happened when you entered his house?"
"I walked inside and he was laying on the floor with a kitchen knife in his lower abdomen. Their was so much blood everywhere I panicked so I ran towards him and pulled the knife out. He was still breathing, barely, but he was breathing and I knew he was going to die. Their was no way he would live with that much blood loss so I thought maybe he could die being comforted by someone who loved him. So I sat down, pulled him towards me, and hugged him. I remember he tried telling me something, but nothing came out of his mouth except blood so I told him it was okay that he didn't need to say anything. Then he died so I closed his eyes and cried until Mr. Cox arrived."
"Okay," Noah says trying his best not to frown. "Thank you for your testimony Ms. Abrelle Luoise."
"May I ask some questions your honor?" The prosecuting lawyer stands up.
"Go right ahead."
"Ms. Abrelle Luoise," the prosecuting lawyer walks towards me. "Your sister Alisson Luoise claims that you threatened her. Is that true?"
"No," I answer. "After she slept with my fiancée I never said a word to her."
"Okay," he nods. "What about what you said to Ms. Maury Vasquez? "
"What exactly was that?" I ask trying to avoid the topic.
"You apologized for what you had done to Luis'"
"Are you saying that I apologized for killing Luis?" I ask continuing to avoid the subject.
"That's what Ms. Vasquez claims you did," he replies. "Is it true? Did you apologize for killing her brother?"
"Objection your honor," Noah yells, but I interrupt him.
"It's fine," I say "I'll answer the question."
I take a deep breath thinking of exactly how to word what I was feeling the moment I talked to Maury.
I blamed myself for Luis' death, but does that make me a killer?
No it doesnt. It makes me something completely different.
I know exactly what to say.
"Do you know what its like to feel someone's heart stop?" I ask looking straight into the prosecuting lawyer's eyes.
"No," he shakes his head.
"I do," I say "and its the worst feeling in the world. The heart makes a beautiful consistent rhythm and its never off beat. So when you hug someone tightly you can hear and feel the heart beating and its soothing to know that even though everything around you is falling apart you have this consistent beating happening. Its soothing to know that the heart keeps going when everything else has stopped. So imagine how it feels when this consistent soothing rhythm slows down until finally it stops and all you have left is an asphyxiating silence. Do you have any idea what that's like?"
"No."
"Now imagine when the heart belongs to the person you love most in the world," I continue. "It's one of the most painful experience that any human being can go through because their is no forgetting. Their is no cure. Their is no way to make it go away...I can still remember the way Luis' heart sounded. The way it stopped.
"I blamed myself for not being able to do anything to keep his heart beating. So when Mr. Daniel Cox dragged me out of his house all I could see was Luis' eye's looking at me, but their was sign of life in them. All I could hear was the way his heart was beating before it stopped. All I could feel was his body lying limp in my arms.
"So yes," I reply bitterly. "I apologized to Maury the moment I saw her, but that doesn't make me a killer. That simply makes me human and I will not apologize for that."
***
"How long does it take for them to make a decision?" Lisa asks exasperated.
"It has to be unanimous," Noah answers "so it may take a while."
"They've been in there for an hour and thirty minutes," Jason complains. "It doesn't take that long for them to say innocent."
I smile at their comments and look towards the back the room. Elliot's still in front of the door, but what caught my attention is that he seems to be in a heated discussion with his dad.
What could they possibly be talking about?
"Abrelle," Noah taps my shoulder and I turn back around only to see the Jury walk back into the room.
This is it.
"The jury has made their decision," the judge says.
He takes a small pause and it feels like the longest three seconds of my life.
This is finally it.
"They declare Ms. Abrelle Luoise innocent of the charges of second-degree murder."
A/N: Heyyyy everyoneee! I'm back with another long chapter for you guys and I hope you all enjoyed it!
I have a quick question; did you all expect Sam and Alisson?
I'm just wondering how predictable that was lol.
Anyways their's only one chapter left before the endd of this book!!! How sad...
I'll update soon...
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Love, Pam