Chapter 7 - The Verdict and the Reckoning
The jury deliberated for less than three hours.
On Thursday afternoon at 3:15 PM, the buzzer sounded, signaling a verdict.
As we re-entered the courtroom, the air felt charged with static electricity. I sat with my hands clasped tightly in my lap. Two rows behind me, Daniel sat alone, his eyes fixed on the judge’s bench.
Judge Callahan adjusted his glasses and looked down at the foreperson.
“Has the jury reached a verdict?”
“We have, Your Honor,” the foreperson, a middle-aged man with graying temples, stood up and handed a sealed white envelope to the bailiff.
The clerk read the charges aloud.
“On Count One, Murder in the First Degree... how do you find the defendant?”
“Guoduous... Guilty.”
“On Count Two, Murder in the First Degree... how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.”
“On Count Three, Child Abuse Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury... how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.”
“On Count Four, Administering Poison... how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.”
The courtroom erupted into a chaotic murmur. Lorraine didn’t scream this time. She simply slumped forward against the defense table, staring blankly at the polished wood as the reality of two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole settled over her.
As the bailiff approached her to lead her back to holding, Lorraine turned her head one last time toward the gallery. Her eyes locked onto mine.
“You won’t win, Allison,” she rasped, her voice like grinding stones. “You’ll always be the mother who couldn’t save them.”
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I didn’t flinch. I didn’t look away.
“No, Lorraine,” I said softly, loud enough for her to hear over the rustle of the departing crowd. “I am the mother who exposed you.”
