It was a cold, cloudy morning as William, Julia, Thomas and George took a carriage to the courthouse.

"Don't worry, me old mucker. Will get that lady sent to prison for a long time." Inspector said as he clutched his cane

"He's right, sir, doctor. What Sister Helga did to Susannah, was horrific. I'm just relieved she is doing better each day"

"Thanks, George. But I don't regret saying this, I hope she is sentenced to hang and the rope is short." Julia said as she clutched her purse in her lap

William grabbed her hand, "we'll get justice for Susannah and Timothy."

"And for the other children that suffered by her hand" inspector said

"With Effie, Susannah will get her justice" George said

"Thank you, both and the station. We couldn't have gotten here without your help" William said

"Of course, for you both and my granddaughter, I would do anything to help"

"Thank you, Thomas, George" Julia as she looked out to the street and saw protesters on each side of the courthouse

"Bloody hell. I thought I told Higgins and McNabb to have it under control"

William looks outside, "sir, it appears Higgins is trying to stop a fight" as the carriage stopped

As they got out, the protesters stopped fighting and started moving towards them, as Thomas yelled, "Higgins, Crabtree control them!"

"Get back, get back! Let them through!" George and Higgins yelled

They got a clear path up the stairs, as protestors on the left side shouted, "your our heroes, get justice for your daughter and the other children! Make that woman pay for her crimes!"

Julia just smiled as she and William walked up the stairs.

On the right, someone yelled at them, "she's innocence! You spoil your daughter! She deserves discipline!"

William recognized the voice of a woman from his church, as he grabs Julia's hand and they walk through the doors.

As they got into the courtroom, Julia began panicking and couldn't breathe, as flashbacks of her trial 15 years ago, came back.

William grabbed her hand, "it's ok, I'm here"

She smiled as they took their seats, as Effie arrived.

"Sorry, I'm late. The nanny was late and Georgie wouldn't let me leave"

"It's alright, you're here now." William said

As she opens her briefcase, she asks, "want to go over the evidence for the case?"

"Yes, please. I want to make sure we have every detail and witness here." Julia said

For 10 minutes they go through the evidence, Inspector, George, Fiona, Watts, and other witnesses, including the Father of Susannah's school. As well, people from William's church but sitting on the opposite side in the pews.

Everyone went silence as judge Reilly entered, "all rise" he said as everyone rose, "you may sit" as he sat down

"This court hearing Murdoch vs Sister Helga, on evidence on abuse, and murder. Is Susannah Murdoch here?"

William and Julia rise, "Detective William Murdoch & Dr. Julia Ogden. We're representing our daughter Susannah Murdoch, as she is not well enough to be out still, your honor" William said as he looked at Sister Helga

"Effie Crabtree, representing as their lawyer, your honor"

"Very well, Sister Helga, here, and who's with you?"

"Sister Helga, here and I have our Lord, God Almighty representing me, your honor"

Reilly rolls his eyes, "Mrs. Crabtree, Detective Murdoch and Dr. Ogden, do you have any objections to this?"

"Not at all, your honor" they all said

"Let's proceed. Mrs. Crabtree, would you like to call on your first witness?"

"Yes, your honor. My first witness will be, Dr. Julia Ogden, to the stand" Effie said as she looked at Julia and gave her a nod

Julia walked over to the stand, as a guard approached her with a Bible, as she placed her hand on the Bible, "do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you?" He asked

"I do"

"You may be seated" as the guard walked away

Effie sits up, "Dr. Julia Ogden, when was it you noticed your daughter was being abused at the school?"

"Back in early October, I noticed her acting strange, and claiming her bruises she were from playing to hard, or running into stuff"

"When was it, you got more concerned about the bruises?"

"I asked her to try on her Halloween costume. She said she didn't want to go out for Halloween, and that is was a sin to celebrate it. I noticed her back and bottom were all bruised, she said she fell downstairs."

"And how did you know that wasn't the case?"

"When my husband came home, I informed him of the strange behavior, which he had noticed too. I showed him the bruising and he knew that wasn't from falling down the stairs, it was from a paddle."

"How did he knew it was a paddle?"

"He grew up in an orphanage and experienced the paddle as well."

"What happened after that?"

"My husband and I confronted the Father of the abuse. He said she needed discipline. She doesn't follow the rules like a proper girl should. It was after the meeting, former sister Fiona, told us about the paddle she sees Sister Helga discipline the children with and it matched Susannah's bruises."

"What about Timothy? How was he involved in this?"

"He was Susannah's good friend, who she defended and take his beatings for him. He was a very weak boy. But it turned out later in an autopsy, he was anemic. Fiona knew he didn't run away and something was wrong"

"What happened after you found out about this?"

"From my husband said, his ward didn't care where he was except the mother. The school claimed he ran away. It was his father, who was a tradesman across from his ward, who noticed something was wrong and informed my husband"

"What happened when Susannah and Timothy were found?"

"My husband and Fiona brought them to my clinic, Timothy was already half way dead. Susannah was just unconcious. It was not even an hour later, Timothy's died from internal bleeding from his injuries. Susannah was in a coma." Julia said as she held back the tears

"I have no further, questions" Effie said

"Sister Helga, would you like to ask Dr. Ogden questions?"

"Yes, your honor" as she held her cross and did the sign

"Mrs. Murdoch"

"It's Dr. Ogden." Julia said with a smug look

"My apologies, Dr. Ogden, you said Timothy had anemia? What is that specific?"

"It's a condition, where the persons body's blood doesn't get enough oxygen blood cells. Due to this, it makes the body weak."

"So, even if Timothy fell on a playground, he would get bruised easily?"

"Dammit, that is true" Julia thought to herself, "yes, that's true"

"So the cause of his death, could have been from playing to hard on the playground?"

"No, it couldn't. His injuries were worse than just a fall. They were ongoing beatings from your paddle"

The gavel banged, "just stick to the question, Dr. Ogden"

"Of, course." Julia smiled

Sister Helga, continued, "now your daughter, Susannah. Why do you not believe in disciplining her? Her father is Catholic and doesn't discipline her. And her talks about her dreams, you couldn't teach her to hold her tongue?"

The gavel banged, again, "order? Sister Helga, stick to the questions you were given to ask"

"Of course, your honor. Lord, forgive me"

"To answer your, question, yes her father is Catholic and we're raising her to be Catholic. But we don't agree with disciplining. There is no scientific fact that whipping, canning or using a paddle to a child, will repent their sins. It just causes physical and mental harm to the child. I am proud of my daughter, for speaking her mind and talk about her dreams. I will never teach her to hold her tongue"

The court room on the Murdoch side cheered, as the gavel banged, "order, order!"

"I have no further questions, your honor"

"Mrs. Crabtree, do you have further questions?"

Effie sits up, "no your honor"

"You may step down, Dr. Ogden"

"Thank you" Julia says and sits back down

"Mrs. Crabtree, would you like to call somebody else?"

Effie rises, "yes, your honor, Detective William Murdoch"

William sits up and goes to the stand as the guard approaches, as he placed his hand on the Bible, "do you swear, to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing about the truth, so help you?"

"I do"

"You may sit" Reilly said

Effie stands and approaches William, "Detective Murdoch, when did you notice your daughter was getting abused?"

"On her first day. I picked her up and noticed her hand had a welt on it. She told me, a door was accidentally slammed on it."

"But you didn't believe that?"

"No, I recognized the shaped of the welt, came from a cane"

"Now your wife mentioned about the bruising back in early October, Susannah was acting strange, is that correct?"

"Yes, I noticed it too. Then I came home and my wife told me what she found in Susannah's body. We examined the bruise and I knew that wasn't from falling down the stairs. It was from a paddle."

"Your wife said you recognized it immediately, because you experienced the paddle?"

"Yes, I was experienced the paddle, canning and whipping. I still have scars from it"

"What did you do, after that?"

"As my wife said, we confronted the principal, of the school. He said maybe Susannah deserved it and needed disciplining. Then, Fiona told us about the paddle and showed us, then mentioned about Timothy and she knew something was up. I got information from her, about his wards."

"So, after you visited the school, you went to see Timothy's wards?"

"I did. I meant Timothy's father, who worked across the street. He kept an eye on Timothy. But Timothy's wards, well more the husband didn't care about his whereabouts. His wife cared more. When she found out he had died, she was devastated."

"So, then what did you do afterwards? How does Sister Helga fit into this?"

After visiting, Timothy's wards, I went to the station and the phone rang, it was Susannah. She was asking for help, then the line was cut off. I rushed to the school and found, Fiona and informed her of the call. She said that Sister Helga had something to do with Timothy's disappearance and Susannah's bruising. I went to the school again and found Fiona, and we followed Sister Helga to the basement, but it was the former cities sewer system to a door. I ordered her to open it and found 8-10 kids, chained up, beaten, and bruised. We found Susannah in the corner, barely breathing, bruised…" he held back in tears, "unconscious. We also found Timothy and when I saw him, I knew he wouldn't live much longer. Fiona and I got the children out and headed to my wive's clinic. It was an hour later, Timothy had died, and Susannah was in a coma"

Effie trying to be a professional clutched the stand and held back the tears, "thank you. No further questions"

"Sister Helga, have any questions?"

"Yes, your honor, I do?" As she stood up and went to the stand, "Detective Murdoch? You said you're a Catholic and grew up in an orphanage is that correct?"

"Yes. I am Catholic and grew up in an orphanage."

"So you know the Bible recommends disciplining children."

"Yes."

She grabs her Bible, "take this verse, Proverbs 29:17, discipline your child and he/she will give you rest."

He just stares at her without saying a word, "or take this verse, again from Proverbs 13:24, he who spares the rod hates his son, but who loves him is careful to discipline him"

"I know all about those verses. Which I don't agree on."

There's a gasp in the court, the gavel bangs, "order"

"As my wife said, there is no evidence from the Bible or science that disciplining a child with a paddle, cane, whip or belt will help repent their sins. It just causes them physical and mental harm. I still have nightmares, I'm back at the orphanage, and I can feel the cane hitting my bottom."

"You take the word of a bunch of atheist and your…wife, than the word of God?"

"For my wife and daughter, I would do anything."

"I have no further questions your honor."

As the judge is about to ask Effie, if she had more questions, Watts walks in and whispers into her ear, "what is the meaning of this?"

Effie stands, "I'm sorry your honor, we have found more evidence to present. But can we have some time to look it over?"

"We will reschedule same time tomorrow morning" and bangs the gavel

To be continued….