Chapter 7 - The Trial
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The trial began six months later.
It was the biggest case in the state's history. Twelve defendants. Hundreds of charges. Decades of crimes.
I sat in the gallery every day. Watching. Waiting.
Eleanor refused to look at me. She stared straight ahead. Jaw set. Eyes cold.
Ethan looked at me constantly. Pleading. Desperate. Like a dog who'd been kicked.
I didn't look back.
The prosecution called witness after witness. Investigators. Forensic experts. Family members who'd turned state's evidence.
Then they called me.
I walked to the stand. Sworn in. Sat down.
"Ms. Reilly, can you tell us why you're here today?"
"Because the Hartley family tried to bury me alive."
"Can you describe what happened?"
I told them. Everything. The grave. The dirt. The laughter.
When I described Eleanor picking up the shovel, I saw her flinch.
When I described Ethan refusing to meet my eyes, I saw him cry.
When I described the moment I thought I was going to die, the courtroom was silent.
"What happened next?"
"I started laughing."
"Why?"
"Because I knew something they didn't. I'd already sent the evidence. I'd already made sure they couldn't win."
"Did you know you were going to be attacked that day?"
"I suspected. I'd been investigating for months. I'd found evidence of their crimes. I knew they'd try to stop me."
"Why did you go anyway?"
"Because I needed them to think they'd won. I needed them to make a mistake."
"And they did?"
"They did."
The defense attorney stood up. Smirking.
"Ms. Reilly, isn't it true that you married into the Hartley family for their money?"
"No."
"Isn't it true that you planned this whole thing to get revenge on your husband for cheating on you?"
"No."
"Isn't it true that you fabricated the evidence?"
"No."
"Then why should we believe you?"
I looked at him. Then at the jury.
"Because I have no reason to lie. I've lost everything. My marriage. My home. My life. But I'm still here. Telling the truth. Because it's the right thing to do."
The defense attorney frowned. "No further questions."
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The trial lasted three months.
The jury deliberated for two weeks.
When they came back, the verdict was guilty on all counts.
Murder. Conspiracy. Racketeering. Money laundering.
Eleanor was sentenced to life without parole. Ethan got forty years. The others got fifteen to thirty.
When the judge read the verdict, Eleanor finally looked at me.
Her eyes were cold. Empty. Dead.
"I'll see you in hell," she mouthed.
I smiled.
"Save me a seat."
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