Chapter Sixty Six

Trinity

The moment Stephen walked through the door after his meeting with Lachie and Benji, I knew something big had happened. He looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but at the same time, he seemed more at ease than he had in a long time. After we tucked the kids into bed that night, I asked him what was going on. I wanted to be there for him, to help him unload whatever was burdening him.

What he told me, though, was something I hadn’t expected. I listened as he shared everything Lachie and Benji had discussed with him. When he told me that he, Mia, and Clint had decided to let me make the final decision, I knew there was no other choice. We had to go through with this. This was about my family, and I would do anything to keep them safe.

Sure, I was missing a chunk of my memories—memories of the times we’d spent together, the love we’d shared—but every day, more of those memories were coming back. There was no way I was going to lose these people. I needed them in my life, just as much as I hoped they needed me. When I told Stephen this, I saw a warmth spread across his face. He’d known what my answer would be. He knows me better than I know myself sometimes. And I knew he would have made the same decision without a second thought.

So, there we were on Tuesday, the start of the Trials. We were taken aback when we received the order of Trial. The Prosecution had decided to start with Clint, then Stephen, and finally Mia. We expressed our surprise to Benji and Lachie, but they were able to explain it to us.

Benji said they’d put Mia last because they’d assume she’d be the easiest to break. If they could catch the three of them in a lie, they’d see Mia as the easiest to pressure into cracking. Clint was put first to create a gap between the end of my Trial and Stephen's, hoping that he’d forget some of the details he’d learned during my trial. They’d thought putting him up first would give Stephen an advantage, not them.

So, Clint was up first today. Since the other two were also on trial, and I’d already been found not guilty, we’d been told that the Prosecution had barred us from attending the hearings. They cited reasons like collusion and unfair advantage.

We were a bit worried when the judge agreed with the Prosecution. It seemed like a bad sign, but Lachie assured us it was a fair decision. Otherwise, there could be a risk of a mistrial if it was later found that we’d gained an advantage.

Today was going to be especially hard for Mia. So, when Dave and Felicity said they were going to support Clint, we offered to take Belle and spend the day at Mia's to give her and the kids the support they needed. The morning dragged on. The kids were excited, not understanding what was happening, and Mia was getting more and more anxious as the morning wore on and we heard nothing.

Dave and Felicity were keeping us updated as much as they could, stepping out of the courtroom to message us whenever possible. But this was just the first day. Lachie and Benji had warned us that these trials could take up to a week each. We were looking at a minimum of three weeks, but anything could happen, and we could be dealing with the stress and uncertainty for much longer.

When lunchtime rolled around and Mia's phone finally rang, she practically leaped to answer it.

Mia - (Phone call) Dave, how is he? Is he okay?

I watched as Mia listened intently. Stephen signaled to me that he was going to make some tea. I decided to stay with Mia, just in case she needed support.

Mia - (Phone call) And you’re sure it went okay?

Mia - (Phone call) And did they say when they will do that?

Mia - (Phone call) Okay, thanks Dave. See you all soon.

Mia hung up, and I looked at her, puzzled by what she meant by “see you soon.”

Trinity - They’re coming back already?

Mia - Yes, babe.

Just as Mia said that, I heard Stephen behind me. A moment later, I felt his hands around my waist.

Stephen - What happened?

Mia - Dave said they’ve suspended it pending a lie detector test.

Stephen - Did he say what happened?

Mia - He said the prosecutor went at Clint hard from the start, no build up, hit him with the hard truth straight up. So Clint said exactly as discussed. He knew who the shooter was, and of course the Prosecutor asked who.

Trinity - And he said me.

Mia - Yes, babe. The moment he said that, the Prosecution started objecting. That’s when Arlo executed Benji's idea.

Stephen - He asked the court why they never conducted lie detector tests and further investigations in the preliminary stages to avoid this situation to begin with.

Mia nodded at us both. So, the first step of the plan had worked...

Trinity - It amazes me how easily Benji was able to do this to them again.

Stephen and Mia looked at me, confused.

Mia - What do you mean, babe?

Trinity - Remember that detective who used to come to our house all the time and harass us?

Stephen - Peters?

Trinity - Yes. And when he tried to arrest us both, Benji destroyed him in court.

Stephen and Mia exchanged a look, but I continued.

Trinity - And yet, he’s not even trying this case himself, and he’s still schooling them from the sidelines.

Mia - Yeah, that’s Benji for you.

Trinity - I wonder what ever happened to Detective Peters.