The Darkness of the Past on Trial (Part 2)
The DARKNESS of the Past
on Trial

Part 2: Confronting the Past

As the morning sun began coming to light over Brighton Estates in Mason City, Iowa, Angie awakened early and went to the exercise room. She stretched her body for about five minutes to prepare for her exercising.
Upon completion of her warm-up, she noticed a large sandbag, like the ones boxers use to train. She walked up to it and stared at it for a few seconds. Soon, she saw images of the two drivers, Harry Rogers and Brad Fallon, and she soon started punching into the bag with extreme intensity. "Why them!? Why now!?" she stated angrily. "Why is it I have to face them again? I've been through so much of this nightmare, and it seems…it'll never end!"
Meanwhile, a red-tailed hawk slept soundly on the tree branch when it suddenly awakened. Angie's already awake, and she's upset about something. But, where did she go? Marshall, the shifter who had followed Angie all the way from Electro City to Mason City for this parole hearing, squawked as she concentrated on finding the female magician with the "tag" between them. Ah, she's exercising. Probably trying to vent her anger now before she gets to the first day of the hearing. This I have got to see. She quickly flew off the branch and found another one sitting just on the outside of the training room. Wow, she's really punching into that sandbag. She's really angry right now, but she'll try to hide that from everybody…everybody except me.
Angie continued punching into the sandbag with all her might. "I've got to…get this anger out of my system now! I can't…let my emotions…take control of me…at the hearing! I must be strong…for my parents' sake…and my own! I have to…control my anger…my pain…my…sadness." Tears began falling from her eyes as she persisted in her punching of the giant sandbag for another 20 minutes.
Outside, Marshall observed Angie very closely. She's trying so hard to expel the pain from deep within her soul, but I know better right now. No matter how hard she tries to escape from her darkness, it'll just keep coming back, stronger against her.
Finishing the punching routine to vent her anger, Angie found a mat by itself in the corner of the room. She seized an opportunity and placed herself into her meditative position on the mat. With the inner energies to guide her, she started her daily spiritual conversation with her parents. "Mom…Dad," she whispered softly, "I am in need of your guidance."
Within her inner soul, she was able to see her deceased parents.
"Hello, Angie," said her mother Nancy. She then noticed the concerned look on her daughter's face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm trying to be," came the reply. "It's not as easy as I thought, though, trying not to become emotional about this situation."
Robert, her father, placed his right hand on her shoulder. "Honey, we both know this parole hearing will be one of the toughest things you've had to face so far in your life. You must face the two drivers who took us away from you…again."
"I know." Angie's face soon went down. "I want to forgive one of the drivers because he does have a family, but it seems I haven't done that completely. Why not? I feel he deserves forgiveness."
Ashley and George both went to the exercise room, where they saw Angie in her meditation.
George looked his master. "Should I—"
"No, George, don't. Angie knows she's got a difficult road ahead of her, so she's talking to her parents in order to prepare herself for this challenge. I wonder…if I'll have to go through the same thing once my mother is caught and brought to trial."
"The first thing that must happen is for her to be caught in the first place. Until she is, your life is just as difficult as Angie's right now."
Marshall nodded in agreement. What both friends have been through is not easy to overcome. Angie's losing her parents and Ashley's mother being the master thief Faceless. One thing I can say about Angie: Even though she tends to hide her darkness, she's always got her friends at her side, so in a way, it is good for her, but it's not enough. Sooner or later, she'll have to stop running away and face her true emotions. The question is when?
Meanwhile, Angie continued her conversation with her parents. "Why am I not able to forgive Harry Rogers completely? He doesn't deserve to spend another minute in prison. He should be with his family!"
Nancy could see the pain in her daughter's eyes. "Angie, complete forgiveness is not as simple as it sounds. It has been seven years since the trial, yes, but even after all this time, just because Harry does have a wife and two kids, being able to forgive someone for our deaths is very difficult."
"She's right," Robert agreed. "The hardest thing isn't whether you can forgive him, but if you are able to completely forgive…yourself, especially if what you say causes both drivers to return to prison. Your job in the parole hearing is to tell the truth about what happened."
"I know," said Angie. "I'm afraid if I do put them back in prison, Harry's family will completely hate me forever."
"Hate? It's a very strong term to use. Do you really think they'll hate you? All you can do is tell the truth. They can't hate you for telling the truth."
Marshall, able to hear the conversation in her mind, agreed with Mr. Jacobs. Yes. Telling the truth doesn't cause hatred. They may not hate her, but undoubtedly she will hate herself if Harry Rogers goes back to prison.
"I guess all I can do is the best I can," the young magician stated. "I must keep my emotions in check and be truthful about the matter."
Nancy nodded. "Right, Angie. Have faith in yourself, and just tell the truth. Just center yourself before you take the stand. If you need a minute, let the board know, and they'll give you time."
"Okay. I'd better go. The hearing's in about two hours, and I do not want to be late for it. Thanks, Mom. You, too, Dad."
"You're welcome, sweetie," said Robert as he hugged Angie. "We'll always be here for you, no matter where you are, no matter the situation. Good luck, Angie."
As she opened her eyes, she calmly whispered, "I love you, Mom and Dad."
She then stood up and noticed George and Ashley. "Okay, I'm done with getting myself physically and mentally prepared."
"Very well," said George. "Come to the kitchen for freshly made hot cakes."
"I love hot cakes!" Angie said excitedly. "Besides, last thing I need is my stomach growling in the middle of the hearing."
Despite the tension of the situation, Angie's hearty jab did lighten things up slightly.
In a matter of minutes, all three individuals inside the home enjoyed George's hot cakes with maple syrup.
Outside, Marshall knew Angie had to eat her morning meal, but the shifter herself was starving for breakfast. :I'd better eat myself. No good flying on an empty stomach.: She flew over to the tree nearest the kitchen window. :Hmm, what could I get for my morning meal, lemme see.: She soon spotted a vole coming out of a small hole in the ground. :Mmm, there's breakfast now. Ready or not, here I come!: Marshall swooped down from the tree and quickly pounced on breakfast, her wings flaring out over her meal on the grass. :Fresh vole…I wonder if the local cats would like to dig in as well.:
Out of the corner of her eye, Ashley noticed the action outside. "Hey, what's this!?" she said excitedly as she ran up to the window. "Wow! A 'survival of the fittest' situation right here!"
As Angie and George joined Ashley to observe the action, two cats silently appeared from left and right to observe the winged intruder, who did not bother to look up from its bloody meal. The hawk was still hungry after the light snack, so she decided to return to the tree and awaited the arrival of a rabbit from another hole not too far away. :The vole was just an appetizer. Now for the main course!:
The innocent creature was completely unable to scream as the hawk moved in so fast. Marshall settled herself down and enjoyed her meal along with the two cats under the warm sun.
Angie was in awe about seeing nature in action. "I've seen this on nature shows before, but I didn't think I'd see a live event right here." As she put her hands to the window, she shook very badly. Could this happen to me? Could I end up doing something like this one day?
Finishing her meal, Marshall slowly rose from the earth and hopped onto the lowest branch, her appetite completely satiated. She then cleaned herself up to make her form beautiful again. She thoroughly liked being a predator.
Inside, Angie noticed the clock. "Oh, man! We need to get ready for the hearing now. We're running late!"
As the two friends hurriedly got themselves freshened up, Marshall continued to make herself tidy, not the least bit worried about time or patience, unless she was in human form when those two concepts were shorter in supply than needed. Done cleaning herself, she knew it would not be long before they would leave for the parole hearing.
Within 30 minutes, Angie and Ashley were in comfortable yet not too casual clothing and soon were off in the car, with George driving.
Marshall herself pushed herself forward and allowed the wind to catch her wings as she lofted her way up into the sky. If the time had been later, the thermals would have let her soar through the sky, but she settled for flapping. She had to make certain no human could be suspicious of her intentions. She hoped they assumed she was only following air currents, which were better in the city due to trapping heat. :Where Angie goes, I'll be there. Least she doesn't know I'm here.:
In the car, Angie started becoming more and more nervous. "I've got to calm down," she whispered softly.
Marshall was just above the car with her sharp hawk eyes always fixed on the nervous female magician. :She's afraid…very afraid.:
Ashley tried to reassure her "little sister." "Take it easy, Angie. I know this is gonna be tough, but you've got to relax."
:The word "relax" is certainly not going to be able to apply in this case,: Marshall thought to herself, brushing a wingtip and rolling to her left side, narrowly missing a speeding golden eagle, which had totally ignored her. She was grateful for two reasons: Eagles and red-tailed hawks were not exactly friendly to each other, and the last thing she needed was a trip to the hospital.
Angie closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind for the difficult task ahead. Must center myself, she thought repeatedly for a few minutes.
Ashley knew this was no simple task. Poor Angie, she thought sadly. Having to go through this nightmare again.
:Which particular nightmare?: Marshall asked, having to miss slamming into the glass windows of a downtown high rise building and avoid some airborne balloons.
I must face them again, Angie thought with nerves. The two drivers. The question is…will I be able to forgive one of the drivers?
:How about both? I don't think so, and I doubt I'm wrong, either…: Finding a good updraft and catching Angie's thought, Marshall grimaced at the state of Angie's inner self…:Oh, dear, her soul is a tortured one of pain and anger, but she won't show it.:
Inside the car, Angie stared ahead. "I must face this. I can't run off and be scared."
:Sorry, Angie, but you already are scared,: Marshall said in silence. :You don't even have the guts to face that fact, either.:
Soon, they arrived at the courthouse where the parole hearing would take place. Amazingly, there were not as many reporters as expected, which was a pleasant surprise for all.
Local reporter Carrie Jones, who had helped save Angie's reputation from Duke Paparazzo a couple of months earlier, led the questioning. "Miss Jacobs, you have to face the two drivers who took your parents' lives in the road rage accident. What's going through your mind right now?"
"Just be truthful about what happened," Angie answered straightly. "After all, my emotions and celebrity status have nothing to do with this. All I can do is tell exactly what I remember from that time, which won't be too hard because it's still fresh in my mind."
After she, Ashley, and George entered the courthouse, Carrie looked into the TV camera. "It's going to be an emotional ride for the young magician, but she does know her purpose for being here at the parole hearing for Harry Rogers and Brad Fallon. For WMCO News, this is Carrie Jones."
Angie, Ashley, and George entered the room and immediately found the three-person board to be rather intimidating.
The head of this board, Barbara Williamson, was of African-American descent and was very knowledgeable about the situation. "Miss Jacobs," she said in a rather deep tone, "I'm sorry you were only given a couple of days notice about the parole hearing. We almost couldn't track you down. However, we are glad you have come."
Angie looked at Ms. Williamson and tried her best to keep her head straight. "This is…an important family matter, one I knew I couldn't avoid. I don't think I'll have an easy time facing this."
The board's head looked at her and calmly said, "Angie, in situations like this, it's almost never easy to go through." She then noticed the clock. "The prisoners will be here shortly."
"I'll just sit down and relax, then. Thank you."
In the room, three other people entered: a woman in her mid-30s with mixed brown and blonde hair along with a pair of children. It was the family of Harry Rogers, his wife Cassandra along with Barry, 10, and Emily, 8.
When Angie noticed them, she immediately remembered Mrs. Rogers. Oh, man, she thought, now I'm really getting nervous.
Marshall found a tree just on the outside of the window and perched herself on a branch which gave her perfect positioning to see Angie and the others in the room. :I'll just take a look through here. I wonder how "Miss Brave-and-Composed" will be able to handle reliving this kind of nightmare again.: Her sense of humor was very dark in this case.
In the room, Cassandra noticed Angie's nervous feeling. She walked up to the female magician and sat next to her for a moment. "Angie, I know how tough this will be for you emotionally."
She then looked at Mrs. Rogers. "If I…end up sending your husband back to prison, will you…hate me forever?"
The wife was taken aback by that question. "Angie, my husband knows what he did, and he's very ashamed of it. All you're doing is telling the truth, and I could never hate you for doing so. Emily's been able to take it okay. It's Barry I'm more concerned about. He's been very upset that his father's been in jail for so long. Even though I told him what Harry had done, my son is still embittered about his imprisonment." Patting Angie on the shoulder, she added, "If it's any consolation to you, my husband is still having trouble forgiving himself about the matter."
"I'm sorry I have to make you and your family go through this," Angie stated sadly.
"Don't worry. This will be tough for us and you." She then noticed her son looking rather angry. "I'd better get back to them. Will you be okay?"
"I'll try to be. That's all I can do at this point."
Mrs. Rogers then went back to her two children.
Barry grumbled, "Why did you talk to her for, Mom? She's the one who put Dad in prison."
"She told the truth about how it affected her physically and emotionally. She did what she believed in her heart."
"Locking Dad in prison!? She'd better get him out!"
"You will not act up while we are in here, young man! You've had behavioral problems ever since your father was sent to prison."
"Yeah, and it's her fault!"
"Stop it, now! The hearing is about to start, and you are going to calm down, or maybe I should ask Miss Williamson what to do with you."
Barry quickly stopped and sat down, but he continued sulking because he would never believe a word Angie said.
Just then, the two prisoners themselves, both in orange prison garb, entered the room.
One, a gentleman in his early 40s with graying brown hair and brown eyes noticed the innocent face of Angela Jacobs across the room. Harry Rogers put his face down in shame because he knew what he had done and regretted it for so long.
The other gentleman was in his late 20s with dark brown hair and blue eyes. When he noticed Angie, he became excited. "Whoa! Angela Jacobs, the training magician working with Ace Cooper? Man, I think we'll be getting outta here after all!" Brad Fallon was a rebellious young man, a James Dean-type of man who believed he did not have to create reason for his actions.
As soon as the prisoners took their seats across from where Angie sat in the room, Williamson started the proceedings by opening a file. "This is File 541-C23A, case of State of Iowa v. Rogers and Fallon. The sentence given to both gentlemen was life with the possibility of parole. It has now been seven years since the trial." She then noticed the people on both sides of the room. "Will the prisoners please rise?"
Rogers and Fallon stood to face the board.
"Now, both of you are clear about these proceedings. This is by no means a re-trial on both of you. This is a hearing to determine whether you are ready to reenter society after spending time in prison. However, as you were both sentenced at the same time, the final decision will affect you both because you will either be free or return to prison. Do you understand this?"
"Yes, ma'am," Rogers stated clearly.
Fallon stated, "Yes, I do." He then smiled like a carefree soul.
"You two may be seated." She then turned to Angie. "Please rise, Miss Jacobs."
Angie stood up and looked at the three-person group.
"You understand why you are here," Williamson noted. "Your testimony will be one of the key factors to determine whether they will be given freedom. Is this clear to you?"
Angie nodded, "Yes, Miss Williamson, it is very clear to me. I also know my celebrity status will hold no meaning in your final decision. My function here is to state the facts about what I went through myself at the time of the accident, since I was not physically at the accident site itself."
Williamson was pleasantly surprised at how well-informed Angie was about the procedures. "You are a wise young lady, Miss Jacobs. Your parents raised you well. The sheriff who reported the accident, and the doctor who identified the bodies will be here after lunch to testify what exactly happened at the scene."
After all of them were sworn in, Williamson said, "Now, will Harry Rogers please come to the stand?"
Rogers calmly stepped onto the stand and took his seat.
"Now, Mr. Rogers. Tell us your story of the events of the night in question."
After taking a deep breath, he started his tale. "Well, I remember I had told my wife I would be home a couple of hours late because of overtime at my job. I finally left the office at about 7 p.m. and headed home. I remember, I was going down North Quincy Avenue, but then I noticed traffic getting completely tied up, so I decided to turn left at 12th Street Northwest. I passed by the grocery store where many parents were picking up corsages for their children, as the prom was just three days from that point.
"It looked like I'd finally get home in about 15 minutes. When I passed Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs on their left side, I was two car lengths away and made the proper lane switch when out of nowhere this speeding sportscar came along. It suddenly got in front of me and purposely slowed down, nearly causing a chain-reaction accident between myself and the Jacobs' car. I don't know why I did this, but I became angered at his actions, so I tried to pass him by any means necessary, even if it meant tailgating the guy. Every move I tried to make, he got in front of me, so I dropped back to the right lane and moved to the right of the Jacobs' car.
"He didn't like what I did, so he purposely slowed down himself and moved left to behind the Jacobs' car. He soon got behind me and started pounding away at my rear bumper. As I started speeding up to get away from him, I lost my train of thought and got in front of the Jacobs car again. The other driver decided if he didn't own the road, nobody else would, either. When I tried to block him off, he sideswiped the Jacobs car and rear flanked me. The Jacobs car lost control and went off the side of the road. I saw the car flip at least a dozen times into the drainage ditch.
"I stopped the car immediately to see if I could help, but the other driver hit me in the back of the head and wanted to start a fight. I was more concerned for Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs' safety, so I kicked my knee into the groin area. He fell to the ground and cried out in pain while I went down to see if I could do something. I didn't take more than three steps when the car completely exploded. It became engulfed in flames, and I was feeling ashamed because I had contributed to this terrible accident."
"What did you do next, Mr. Rogers?" Williamson asked.
"I got to my cell phone and called for emergency services. When they arrived, the car was too far gone, and there was no way the Jacobs couple could have possibly survived."
In her seat, Angie recalled the chilling details she read in the official police report. That's exactly what happened. Rogers just lost control of himself at the time.
"When the police and sheriffs arrived, I wanted to turn myself in because I knew I was one of the people involved. When the other one got up and saw the cops, he tried to run away, but he was quickly subdued and taken in the police car with me to jail."
"And, who was the other driver?"
Rogers pointed his finger. "That man over there, Brad Fallon."
Fallon stood up and angrily said, "Hey, that was my road, man!"
The bailiffs had to restrain Fallon from physically attacking Rogers.
Williamson had a mean look on her face toward the second prisoner. "You'll get your chance later on. Another outburst like that and you'll head back to prison in a hurry! Do I make myself clear!?"
Fallon sat back down and mumbled, "Yes, Miss Williamson." His attitude was seemingly like this whole thing was a game. He then stared at the other side where Angie sat. "You're going to get us out of this dump," he whispered.
"What did you say?" Williamson snapped.
"Um, nothing."
"Miss Jacobs, did you hear what he said?"
She looked over his way and then turned to the head. "Yes, he said I'm going to get them out."
"Mr. Fallon, I'm warning you right now. You are not going to use her celebrity status to get your way in this affair." She then turned to face Rogers again. "You willingly turned yourself in, correct?"
"Yes, I did. I knew this was the right thing to do."
In Angie's mind, she said, What really is the right thing to do? Sending a man to prison for causing death by road rage? I know he deserves to be with his family now.
Outside, though, Marshall did not believe this to be right. :Why is she thinking like this, like she has to forgive Mr. Rogers? His attitude was a contributing factor to that accident.:
He completed his testimony and soon stepped down.
Upon taking a seat next to the fellow prisoner, Fallon angrily whispered, "Look, do you want out or not!?"
"I would like to get out, but it depends on what happens here."
"No, fool, it depends on Angela Jacobs. I know she can use her status to get us free."
"You jerk! Did it ever occur to you that she's here on account of her parents' death, not a publicity stunt? You don't care about anything but yourself."
Williamson then looked at Fallon. "Bradley Fallon, it's your turn to take the stand."
He walked up as he stared at Angie with that "You'll get us out look" on his face.
When he seated himself, Williamson said, "Okay, Mr. Fallon. It's your turn to explain what happened."
"Thank you, Miss Williamson. I remember I had finished my job at the grocery store and wanted to be at the Web Café as fast as I could to meet up with my date. I left about 7:10 p.m. and fell behind quickly, so I started getting my way around the road, getting everybody out of my way. When I would drive, the road was mine and only mine."
Angie's face started becoming one filled with anger. How dare he say that! she thought. The road belongs to everybody, not just him. Even Ace knows that himself! I'd like to do something to that jerk!
Marshall noticed Angie's sudden change in attitude. So, Angie's temper is growing short because of Mr. Fallon's attitude to this condition. Looks like she can't stand seeing someone take this so lightly, which is fueling her deeper terror inside herself.
The female magician quickly took deep breaths to try to calm and center herself. No, I can't let my emotions take control of me. I must calm down, show them I am strong.
Marshall's hawk eyes narrowed, knowing Angie was really lying to herself. You're not as strong as you think, Angie. You'd rather keep the shadow entrapped inside yourself than let it come out because you're deeply afraid of that part of you.
Fallon spoke some more in his testimony. "I was doing fine on the far right-hand lane when that jerk Rogers—"
"I suggest you watch your language, Mr. Fallon," interrupted Williamson angrily. "You will not use name-calling in this hearing, understand?"
"My apologies, Miss Williamson. Mr. Rogers got in my way, so I did everything I could to make sure I could get my part of the road. After we started playing games with each other, I had had enough of him, so I wanted to get at him, but that other couple's car got in the way, so I pushed them out of my way."
"Mr. Fallon, did you realize you were starting a dangerous accident with your actions?"
"Nope, and I didn't care. If I had the chance to do it again, I would."
This caused Angie to stand up and shout, "You heartless, gutless man!" She then realized her actions and put her hands over her mouth. Taking some deep breaths again, she looked at the head. "I'm sorry, Miss Williamson. I thought I had this under total control." She then sat herself back down in her seat.
Williamson showed sincerity towards the young magician. "At least you caught yourself before you could do physical harm. I've had hearings where family members of the victims attack those responsible. I know you're trying to keep calm, but hang on for another few minutes, as lunch time is coming up."
"I'll try," she said softly.
Marshall was not surprised at Angie's sudden outburst of anger. I thought for sure she'd try to attack Fallon, but she refused herself. Considering this is a parole hearing in a courtroom, though, she probably knew the consequences if she had struck Fallon.
"Now, Mr. Fallon," said Williamson again, "After the Jacobs car had flipped, Rogers was trying to get help for the couple, but you wanted to return to create a fight between yourself and Rogers. Why did you do that?"
"To teach him a lesson, but he kneed me in the groin, leaving me helpless and him to call the cops when I knew damn well it was not my fault for what happened. I don't deserve to be here. I deserve to be outside, enjoying my freedom now."
"We'll decide that, Mr. Fallon. The rest of the story is well-documented, so you may step down now."
Fallon stepped away from the stand and stared angrily at Angie. "You'll get us out, Jacobs! You'd better get us out!"
Williamson fumed, "That's enough, Fallon! It's time for lunch anyway. Dr. Worth and Sheriff Webster will be here just after lunch for the last part of the physical testimony. I call for one-hour lunch recess. We will resume this hearing at 1 p.m." She then pounded her gavel to signal the end of that part of the hearing.
Angie, Ashley, and George quickly exited the room before Fallon could approach them.
The bailiffs kept him at bay, but Fallon said, "You will get us out, magician! If you don't, I'll make sure you regret it!"
Marshall saw it all from her perch. Oh, brother, that creep Fallon is making things a lot tougher on Angie…and her inner being. I wonder when it'll be her turn to testify. Maybe not until tomorrow more than likely. They want to do all the physical stuff today and the emotional stuff tomorrow, which explains why the sheriff and doctor will testify after lunch. That thought made her bird stomach growl like a bear. Whew, all that flying I did earlier has made me seriously hungry. Let's see, what's available here in the middle of the city? She turned her eyes upward and noticed some pigeons on the roof. :That's it! Lunch time!:
The red-tailed hawk jumped from its perch on the tree and soared skyward, scaring the group of pigeons and sending them scurrying.
It then saw a fat pigeon and snatched the bird in its sharp talons. As soon as the pigeon crashed into the ground, the hawk wasted no time in tearing into the food with its piercing beak. :Mmm, this is just what I needed. I won't need anything for at least a few hours yet!: She was completely satisfied with her "three-course" lunch for the day.
Meanwhile, Angie, Ashley, and George found themselves at a nice little restaurant not too far away from the courthouse.
There, Angie's nerves were apparent, since she was barely touching her food.
"Angie," Ashley said, "are you okay? Angie?"
The female magician snapped back into reality. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
"No, you're not. That guy Brad Fallon's got you scared. He thinks this is nothing but a game to him, and he did get to you a little bit."
"I didn't mean to burst out like that," Angie said sadly. "I'm surprised Williamson didn't reprimand me for it."
"You shouldn't be, Angie," stated George. "Barbara Williamson has done this job for 26 years, and she has seen people act far worse than you have. I think Brad Fallon is the typical case while you are not. However, when will we know it is your turn to take part in the hearing?"
"There weren't too many people involved: me, Ashley, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, Brad Fallon, Dr. Worth, and Sheriff Webster. The doc and the sheriff will finish with the physical implications while Mrs. Rogers, Ashley, and I will provide the emotional aftermath of the situation."
"True," agreed Ashley, "but it's no good if you try to think about it on an empty stomach. Besides, we all know you're trying to be strong, but it's been proven easier said than done."
"Yeah. I still remember the call from Dr. Worth that night, and it still haunts me a lot."
"I know it does. It's still a painful memory. C'mon, we'd better finish lunch, since the hearing resumes at 1:00."
Just then, another woman joined them. In heavy breath, she said, "Hi, Angie. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner."
Angie was pleasantly surprised. "Aunt Rita? What are you doing here?"
"To give you some emotional support through this parole hearing. Is that all right with you?"
"Of course it is, Aunt Rita. Right now I need a lot of emotional support. I already had an outburst this morning."
"Brad Fallon, right?"
"Yeah. He thinks this whole thing is a big joke or something while he believes I'm going to get them out with my celeb status. It just makes me sick."
"Still as defiant as ever," Rita noted regrettably. "It's almost like Brad doesn't even care about what happened, the fact he helped cause the fatal accident, or any of this. All he cares about right now is the fact you're a celebrity, which means an easier chance to be freed from prison, or so he thinks."
"I wonder if…"
"If what?" Ashley said.
"I wonder if I should testify about this or not."
"What do you mean by that!? Of course you have to testify. Your parents were killed in the accident."
"I know, but no matter what happens, I can never consider this a victory or a defeat. I'll be stuck in the middle again."
Rita tried to comfort her niece. "Angie, I know this has been very hard on you. In a way, we've all been through a rough time. Me with Eric, you with Bob and Nancy …"
"And me and my mother," added Ashley. "Um, you do know, right, Mrs. Wisland?"
"Yes, I do, and I'm so sorry this had to happen to you. You've always led an honest life, and then this happens, finding out your mother is a—" Rita went to a whisper—"master thief named Faceless."
"Well, I do have my friends to back me up, so I've been doing fine. Most of the town does know. I told the town council before the media had a chance to blow the story out or proportion. I owe that to Marshall and her little poem she gave me."
"Marshall, the shifter. Very wise." Rita then looked at her watch. "Well, time to go back. Angie, will you be all right?"
"As long as I have my family and friends, I think I'll get through this somehow."
Marshall, completely full after her meal on the courthouse roof, sensed Angie coming back from lunch. :Back to my perch to keep an eye on the supposedly composed magician.:
Soon, Ashley, Angie, Rita, and George all entered the courthouse and were ready to face the next round in this difficult parole hearing.