"Have you reached a verdict?"
"We have, Your Honor."
"What say you?"
"We, the jury, find the defendant guilty."
Judge Silveira repeatedly pounded her gavel as bedlam broke out in
the courtroom. Reporters raced for the
bank of telephones in the hallway to call their editors or producers, and
photographers readied their cameras as they stationed themselves just past the
doors to get good shots of the principals as they exited. The Judge screamed for order and after
several minutes the crowd quieted down.
"This Court will reconvene for sentencing two weeks from
today, September 27th, at 9:00 o'clock.
Mr. Sherrick, your client will remain free on bond until that
hearing. We are adjourned." She smashed down her gavel for the final
time and quickly exited towards her chambers with the bailiff close
behind. Although every person in the
courtroom and beyond in the hall was talking, all Lacey heard was a dull roar
in her ears. Actual sounds were muted
but the rush of noise was overwhelming.
Andrew was shaking her and staring into her face until she finally
seemed to focus her attention on him.
He grabbed her arm tightly and told her no make absolutely no comments
whatsoever as he pushed his way down the aisle half dragging Lacey, with
Kenneth practically on top of her.
Microphones and lenses were pushed into their faces, and Sherrick almost
had to get physical with some of the reporters who refused to stop badgering
his clients. He used his elbows like a
football blocker and they managed to escape from the frustrated mob to the
front steps of the courthouse and down into the car that Adele had ordered to
be ready for them. The driver was
prepared for a fast retreat, and as soon as Andrew had shoved Lacey and Kenneth
into the back seat, he jumped in and they sped away.
Lacey totally lost it at that point. She began rocking forward and back on the edge of the seat and
shook uncontrollably. "Oh, my God,
oh, my God, oh, my God," she moaned as tears coursed down her cheeks. "What are we going to do? What about Matt? How can we manage? How
did it happen? Oh, my God..." Her voice rose in pitch until she was
screaming. Kenneth held her as tightly
as he could in hopes of calming her, but he seemed to be in shock, as well. All the blood from his face was drained and
he was completely ashen, staring straight ahead, but focused on nothing. No sound had come from Kenneth since the
verdict had been read. Andrew watched the
couple and was sincerely concerned for both of them, physically. If they weren't so young, he might have
actually expected to witness a stroke or heart attack.
"Come on, it's not over yet, not by a long shot," began
Andrew. "I'll have the notice of
appeal ready to be filed within the next 48 hours. They can't convict on so little evidence, and we'll find a way
out of this. There isn't a loophole
that I won't find and use. We'll file a
civil suit and sue the bastards for damages in seven figures, and we'll get it,
too. You've just got to hang in there
for a while longer. Please," he begged the young couple.
Kenneth and Lacey were silent the rest of the way home. The driver left them at their front door,
and they knew their main task for the afternoon was pulling themselves together
before Matt came home from school. And
it was going to be a colossal task, indeed.