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.
