My Own Death.

Finally Free.

The day of reckoning was finally here, I met with my lawyer and asked did the other side have all the recordings? My lawyer assured me that they did, they have even sent bundles of the transcribed recordings. My lawyer held the rest of the copies in her office safe.

I walked into the court room with my lawyer, my mum, my dad and other friends and family members. The Larson's across the way, Fiona and her friends beside her and behind me was Stuart, his brother and his girlfriend.

Stuart put his hand on my shoulder and says, "give em hell kid."

I placed my hand on his and said, "cheers mate, I couldn't have done this without you."

Carla was finally brought to the dock, I could see her clearly from where I was sitting, I chose that seat because I knew I'd see into her eyes. Carla sat down, she barely looked up, then she looked across, she spotted her parents, she smiled at them and they smiled back at her, the family of the girl she murdered sat behind me, this was the first I'd ever seen them. The murdered girl was called Karen, she was dating Carla but she noticed a change in Carla's behaviour and tried to flee from her, Carla caught up with her at the bar, she battered her, but she died in hospital a few days later. Then she looked directly at me. Carla wouldn't remove her eyes from me, I wouldn't look away from her either.

The judge finally entered the room, the bailiff ordered everyone to stand, then the judge says, "please be seated."

We all sat down, then he asked for Carla to stand, he says, "my name is Judge Henry, I'm here for the duration of your trial, I will also be the judge for the following cases."

He started rhyming off the names of each of us. Carla was still standing, the judge says, "Carla Jayne Larson, you are here on the charge of manslaughter."

There was a gasp, then Karen's family shouts, she should be charged with murder. The judge orders silence or they'll eject them from the court, some of her family or friends members walked out, I presume those that stayed were her parents or some very close to her. Carla's defence team worked as hard as they could but the prosecution, had slam dunk evidence on her.

The defence were failing, then the prosecution asked for an adjournment, to give them more time to make sure Carla is charged or sentenced with a murder conviction. The judge granted it, he told the court that the case is a complex one, one with very many moving parts. The prosecution went back to the CPS to try and get her tried for murder, if she is found guilty on manslaughter charges, she could face between three to ten years in prison, with murder she could face fifteen years to life.

The CPS read over the evidence again, they took into consideration that she may have killed before, but they decided it will be a separate trial for each offence. The prosecution tried to explain that all the single cases, would be very costly to the tax payers. The CPS wouldn't budge on their decision. We were back in court the next day, the evidence was discussed by the police, arresting officers, doctors who dealt with Karen, the psychiatrist, Karen's family among others that came into contact with Carla when she met Karen.

The jury were told to deliberate after all the witnesses came forward, the psychiatrist tried to say that Carla was mentally unstable and she didn't know what she was doing. The jury didn't find this viable, Carla knew exactly who she was when arrested, why she was arrested and in prison she hasn't been easy to deal with. The jury deliberated for around six hours, she was found guilty of manslaughter and will be sentenced the next day. The day after it's the trial of her parents.

The next day, we were back in that courtroom and the sentence was handed down, Carla was sentenced to seven years. Carla didn't even look at anyone in the courtroom she actually left the dock with a smirk on her face, Karen's family shouting obscenities at her. Carla never lifted her head. That was that day done, tomorrow is the case of the parents.

The next day we were sat in the courtroom and the Larson's were in the dock, the different people from each side as they were involved in the coverup of a death but instigators of Claire and i faking our deaths. The judge focused on the coverup of the death of Margarita, Carla as far as I knew was waiting in the room underneath the court waiting to give her evidence.

Then suddenly Marshall, says, "your honour, instead of wasting taxpayer money, we'll get this over with quickly, I confess, that my wife and I were involved in the coverup of Margarita Espinosa's death, we also coerced not just Gina and Claire Larson to fake their deaths, we coerced Fiona to stall Gina in uncovering evidence to this case. We are guilty. Your honour I'm a sick man. I'm dying. I was the one most instrumental in this case to coverup that poor girls death, my wife just went with what I suggested but she too was coerced by me. I'd like to receive my sentence today."

There was a gasp in the courtroom and the judge thanked Marshall for his honesty, he sentenced him to probation and Madeleine must do five hundred hours of community service.

This completed their cases, then the judge ordered for Carla to be brought back to the dock, he says, "Carla Jayne Larson, you're hereby charged with murder of a former school friend, her death was many years ago, but you had your father help you cover it up, you have been sentenced to seven years for manslaughter, as you were a teenager, we are aware you knew right from wrong, you killed Margarita Espinosa by poisoning. I hereby sentence you to twenty years in prison, you're a very dangerous woman. Your parents coerced two women to fake their deaths because they knew of your danger. You're a danger to these women, you're a danger to society. Take her away."

The courtroom was relieved, the prosecution dropped the case against Fiona and Stuart. The most important case was Carla. I got my freedom at last, Carla lost hers, twenty seven years, she'll serve around thirteen to fourteen minus the nine months she spent on remand. We were glad that she would have to face parole boards before she would be suitable for release. When Stuart and I read her psychiatric report, they deemed her as schizophrenic, she also was diagnosed with a split personality disorder.

Stuart looked at me, then says, "see, i did say she had a split personality. I can't see them ever releasing her, they might even send her to a secure hospital?"

Stuart and I grew that close his girlfriend became jealous, but I assured her, that his tackle wouldn't satisfy me jokingly, she laughs and we began to get on like a house on fire. Stuart's girlfriend Shirley said to me, I have someone when you're ready to introduce you to. I wasn't ready but I knew I didn't want my life to be spent alone. I knew eventually I would meet the right woman.

Since the court case, I became famous. I had heard that Marshall had died and left me a fortune, I didn't want it, but Stuart told me to take it, I deserved it. I took it. I then moved out of the UK to Ireland. I bought a beautiful cottage in a little town outside Galway. I didn't want to be recognised anymore.