CHAPTER TWO

Emma, Mads and Thayer sat a few rows back in the public gallery. Jordan was sat with his solicitor; Mads had given him what she hoped was a reassuring smile when he entered. He'd smiled back, which was probably a good sign. His solicitor was in the process of quizzing Eric on the witness stand. "You were present in the car with the defendant and his brother on the night that Philip Lyle was killed?"

"That's right."

"Who was driving the car?"

"Jordan."

"Where was Philip?"

"He was up front with him. He'd been smoking weed, he was off his head. Was all over the car, making noises, leaning out the window. He was distracting Jordan."

"Why did the car crash?"

Emma felt Mads tense next to her. This was the important part, where they'd know if Eric had agreed to tell the truth or not.

"Philip grabbed the wheel,"Eric stated. "Jordan couldn't control it. It wasn't his fault, it was Philip's."

Jordan's solicitor nodded. "No further questions."

The prosecutor stood up. "Mr. Stevens. This is not what you said in your statement to the police at the time of the accident, is it?"

"No. I said Philip was driving."

"Why was that?"

"Jordan's stepmum paid us to lie. Didn't want him getting into trouble."

"You recently went to the police and made a further statement which also does not tally with your evidence today. I have it here, People's Exhibit C. In it you state that Jordan crashed the car deliberately, without any action from any passenger, in order to kill his brother in retaliation for his inebriated behaviour. Is there a reason you said that?"

"Jordan's stepmum, Rebecca, she'd tried to blackmail him over getting him off the hook. Didn't work so she paid us to say he killed Philip."

"And now you have told a third version of events. Why should we believe that?"

Eric shrugged. "'Cos it's the truth."

The prosecutor sighed. "No further questions."

The defence solicitor held up a file. "I have here the autopsy report on Philip Lyle which I would like to enter as Defence Exhibit B. It confirms the presence of narcotics in his body at the time of his death. It also notes abrasions on his hands consistent with his having wrestled with the steering wheel of a car immediately before his death. The pathologist who conducted the autopsy, Doctor Wrenger, is in the court today"-he gestured to a moustached man at the back of the gallery who nodded in confirmation-"and is willing to testify as to its accuracy."

The judge nodded to a bailiff who took the film from the solicitor. "So noted."

Emma, Mads and Thayer were waiting on the steps outside the court house when Jordan came bounding down. He grabbed Mads in a tight hug, huge smiles on both their faces, then released her. "Not guilty!"she exclaimed in delight.

"All thanks to you,"he told her. He looked at Emma and Thayer. "And you two as well."

"Got to give Rebecca some of the credit,"Thayer pointed out. "We'd have been lost without her help."

"Yeah, if you overlook the fact she was the one that put me in there in the first place."

"I really think she's trying to make up for that."

"Well, we don't have to worry about that now,"Emma cut in. "The point is you're here, with us."

Jordan nodded. "Yeah, I really didn't think that was going to happen until Eric and the others backed me up."

"So what are you going to do now?"Mads asked. "Do you want to stick around here or see your dad..?"

"He didn't bother to show up today, did he?"Jordan replied. "He's pretty much disowned me, I've pretty much disowned him. There's no-one here I'd call family."

"Back to Scottsdale then?"Mads asked hopefully.

Jordan put his arm round her shoulder and kissed her on the top of the head. "Sounds like a plan."

Ethan was looking out over the desert from his position outside the trailer. He was supposed to be concentrating on the schoolbooks laid out in front of him but somehow his mind kept going to other places. Most of them involved that kiss with Emma and tortured doubts about what it meant to her or to him. As if just thinking about her established the connection, his phone chirped to inform him he had a new message.

Dan appeared in the doorway of the trailer and looked at him quizzically. "It's Emma,"Ethan confirmed. "Jordan was found not guilty. They're all on their way back."

Dan nodded. "Well, that's good, I guess."

"Laurel was talking about organising a surprise gathering at the cabin to welcome them back."

"So why are you still here then?"

Ethan shrugged, trying to hide just how much he wanted to see her again. "I don't have to…"

"Is this because of what I said?"

Ethan looked at his brother. "Well, you did say I had to choose between you…"

Dan sighed and sat down at the table opposite him. "Ethan…do you know the thing I regret most about Theresa? Time. We could have had years together, we could have got married straight out of high school. But I let myself concentrate on things that weren't important, on…on obligations I felt I had, when I should have made her my priority. I said a lot of things to you that I shouldn't have when I found out about Emma. Now, I still haven't got it exactly straight in my head which twin was which but I know you've been the happiest I've ever seen you when she was around. So, don't make my mistakes. Don't waste a second of the time you could be spending with her." Ethan stared at him in shock for a long time. "Go,"Dan told him, just in case he hadn't made it clear.

Ethan grinned and ran off.

"I don't know why you're all coming back here,"Emma protested as Mads led the four of them to the cabin.

"Well, you can't exactly come with us, what with you being in hiding and all,"Mads pointed out. "So we had to do it here."

"Do what?"Emma asked, confused, as Mads opened the door.

"Surprise!"shouted Sutton, Laurel, Ted and Ethan as they all stepped inside.

There was a hubbub of greetings and congratulations. Ethan gave Emma a kiss on the cheek and hugged Mads before shaking hands with Jordan. "Good to see you back, man."

"Yeah, bit of a relief for me too,"Jordan admitted.

Laurel hugged Emma, Mads and Thayer and gave Jordan a friendly punch on the shoulder. Even Sutton lowered herself to giving Emma and Mads welcome hugs. Ted wrapped Emma up into a warm hug. "Welcome back, sweetie."

"Thanks, Dad,"she replied, still not quite over the fact she could call him that as herself. As he released her, she looked back at Ethan, saw the warm if understated smile on his face and the love in his eyes, and smiled happily. Now she knew there was one more reason for her to stay.