Chapter 11 – Nightfall
The Court House, first levelNick sat on the wooden chair and listened to the proclamation of sentence.
"...is found guilty in one case of murder and one case of attempted homicide and therefor sentenced to death by lethal injection."
A murmur spread among the crowd and Nick knew he was by far not the only one to turn his head towards Belverde.
He didn't move, didn't even show any reaction on his face; no surprise, no fear, no anger – he was as cool as cucumber. As if he was just an unconcearned bystander.
Nick himself felt like running on adrenaline. Finally... finally it was over. Belverde was not just going to go into prison, but he'd be executed. It was weird – somehow Nick felt sorry for him.
But on the other hand it was not his decision, but the jurors'. They had dealt with the case for weeks now and talked it all over. They had even come to the conclusion that Belverde's shooting at Nick (and Sara respectively) had not been planned, so it was no matter of murder.
And yet Belverde was going to die – primarily for killing his girlfriend.
The jurors stood up and left the room, Belverde was marched off by a handful policemen. And as the large doors of the court room opened for public a minute later, the people in the court room could hardly leave, because dozens of journalists besieged the hall – even more than the last time.
But somehow – not just somehow to be precise, Brass' officers helped him – Nick managed to get out of the room.
And still he heard the newsmen's shouts...
"Mr Stokes, you've been victory in this case – how do you feel?"
"Will you attend Belverde's execution?"
"Are you still suffering"?
"Are you in favour of death penalty?"
And so on.
Nick's head ached and he was glad that the policemen guided him to a police car, with Brass sitting on the backseat, talking to somebody via mobile.
This reminded Nick he had to phone Sara when he was in the lab and tell her that everything was alright now while he climbed into the car and they drove off.
No more fear and uncertainty.
Nick's apartment
The jingle coming out of the kitchen cut the silence, growing louder with each second. The mobile moved on the kitchen table trying to get its owners attention, but the apartment was empty and the sound disappeared unheard.
Brass' office
Nick slowly put the mobile down. Obviously, Sara wasn't anywhere near the phone. Disappointment flickered over his face when he turned to Brass who sat behind his desk and had been looking at him all the time. It was obvious that he wanted to talk, and so Brass asked:
"I've heard the trial was complete success?"
Nick nodded and Brass went on:
"It's already on everyone's lips now. It's not even been ten minutes since that guy was told he is gonna die, and it's on each news show... That's crazy!"
"Yes, it is", Nick confirmed. "But why is there such a hype? Men are sentenced each day, what is so special about him?"
Brass shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it's because he shot at you, at someone on the right side who embodies the law. And the fact that he didn't get away with it, but gets what he deserves – in the eyes of the population. I don't know..."
While he had been talking, Nick had walked towards the large window and now leaned against the windowsill, watching the sun follow its ancient path in the sky with eternal serenity.
"Well", Brass' voice disturbed his thoughts.
"It's evening, alsmost sunset. Nothing happened to you and I'm taking care that you'll still be ok tomorrow." Brass said with a smile.
Nick took measures to answer when suddenly the telephone on Brass' desk rang – it was a uncomfortable, demanding sound that augured badly.
Brass answered it and Nick could read from his face that what he listened to was anything but good news. The call lasted only a few seconds and it was a monologue, because Brass didn't say a word, he only quickly pressed a button on the telephone.
Nick knew its use – it was a special feature of the new generation of telephone's which the L.V. police used. They were able to record the conversation.
When Brass rang off he didn't say a word. Instead he replayed the recording aloud and a male voice with a thick Spanish accent resounded from the speaker.
"You have not payed attention to my warning. What happens now, is your fault. Do you know the old saying? An eye for an eye..."
Nick's apartment
If anyone had seen her right now he would hardly have guessed how agitated she was, because she moved as clearly and directly as she used to. Neither shivered her hands nor did she have that nervous glint in her eyes when she unclosed the door and entered the apartment.
Shadows greeted her and she quickly touched the light switch. Immediately, the room was bathed in warm light.
Sara threw her jacket on a stool, slipped off her shoes and headed directly for the bathroom, the paper-bag she had gotten in the drugstore tightly clutched in her right hand.
She switched the light on, too, and turned to the mirror. It did not calm her to look right into her own face and to read from her eyes that something was not right. She tried to feel if anything was... well – different inside her. If there was something that had not been there before.
But there was no sense in trying – all she felt was the cold ceramics of the wash-basin that she leaned on.
Shrugging her shoulders she turned away and sat down on the toilet lid where she took the inconspicuous package out of the paper-bag. Inconspicuous, but able to change lives.
"Pregnancy Test", she read on the top of it and hesitated.
She knew why.
She was afraid. Of everything. To be pregnant. Not to be, now that she once had had the thought. Afraid, she might not be able to take responsibility for a child.
Minutes passed in which she just stared down at the package in her hands and didn't move at all. It seemed as if time had stopped going by and if this moment lasted forever.
Then Sara shook the lethargy off and unpacked the test and the instruction manual. It seemed to be quite easy – the test chemically responded to hormones in her urine and within five minutes she'd have a first diagnosis.
Sara did as the incstruction told her to and put the test on the shelf beneath the mirror where she usually stored her make-up. Now she'd have to wait.
And while she thought of any possibility for making five minutes pass as quickly as possible, she felt the urgent need to take a shower.
And so she did.
Although the room was not heated – not now – she pulled of her clothes and threw them carelessly on the floor, then climbed into the shower.
And when she felt the hot water running down her bare back, she thought 'Geez, why didn't I have this idea earlier?'
Brass' office
Nick pathed restlessly up and down the room, filled by a feeling of apprehension he could not explain.
It had something to do with the call Brass had received. With the words, Belverde's brother had chosen.
He didn't know why.
Brass watched him and shook his head.
"What's wrong with you, Stokes? You're moving like a tiger in captivity – up and down, up and down, always the same route. You're save in here."
"That's not it." Nick replied and stood still. "I'm worried about Sara. I weren't able to reach her on the phone and she didn't feel very well when I left."
He paused and thought. "Please, let me go home and look for her."
"I can't. You've heard what Belverde's brother said."
But Nick shook his head.
"He's not a fool. He knows that you're taking care of me and perhaps he even knows that I'm here right now. Let someone go with me, for all I care, if you need it to rest easy. But you can't keep me here."
There was a long silence.
"Alright", Brass nodded. "I'll tell my people to take escort you."
Nick's apartment, bathroom
She stood there for minutes, with eyes closed and simply enjoying the warmth of the water that calmed her troubled mind. When she opened her eyes she found herself looking directly out of the window.
The sun was setting and colored the evening sky in amazing shades of red. Sara could almost watch the shadows grow larger and larger and she was stunned by the view.
She didn't know how many minutes had passed, but the room was already filled with steam so she could hardly see the door, which was open.
Sara frowned. She was sure she had shut the door behind her or at least left it ajar, because she had never left the door open.
Well, she obviously had, now. But that was excusable – she was in an extraordinary situation and her agitation took its toll.
With a shake of her shoulders she turned to the wall and tried to decide, whether to stay there or take a look at the test. Five minutes had surely past. But wouldn't more minutes maybe make it even more sure?
'That's how it starts', Sara thought by herself. 'I'm thinking weird-'
Suddenly her attention was caught by a noise from behind. She told herself she was overreacting and that there was no-one there apart from her, but it was no use.
Angry about herself, Sara forced herself to close the eyes again and concentrate on the water.
She felt that something was not right a second before a powerful beat hit her neck and the world around her faded in darkness.
Nightfall.