Confessions of a Submissive Wife

CHAPTER 37

The Trial

2017

Bang..Bang bang...sounded the gavel as the egregious judge commanded order in her court. Kenya sat in the chair patiently awaiting her sentence, as if she was waiting for the storm to pass. She never looked so radiant, her face was glowing and her thick, coal black hair grew about six inches since I saw her last. She once gazed back at me and gave me an earnest smile. Her doe eyes looked as innocent as an adolescent. I often wondered if she had really killed David but looking at my sister, peacefully awaiting what could be the end of her existence seemed to change my perspective. She had such a peace about her, one I had never seen on her before. How so, I thought, if the tables were turned, I would be frantic. It would be a living nightmare and the stain of guilt would be written all over my naked face. "Call your next witness, counselor," the judge said. I knew my time had come to take the stand but nothing Ezra and I planned could have possibly prepared me for what was about to take place.

Ezra and I spent many long nights going over every intricate detail of the trial. One question always seemed to come up, why... what was her motive, what would drive her to kill him? Nothing ever seemed to add up. Last night was no different. Around 2 a.m., we hit a roadblock and all the words in the transcripts started to leap off the pages and mix up all on its own.

The next morning approached rapidly and no sign of Ezra. I went into the courtroom without him. I was forced to take the stand and he didn't show.

"I, Danielle Blake, swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help me God," I said as I repeated the oath the bailiff commenced me to say.

Sitting in the hot seat looking around the room, staring at all the strange faces with many multifaceted expressions baffled me. The room suddenly began to close in on me and my heat began to warm the silk bow tied collar of my rose colored shirt.

"Mrs. Blake," said the tight nosed prosecutor. "It is still Mrs. Blake correct?"

"No, I changed it back to Winters shortly after David's death," I said.

"Oh, I see," she said.

"Hum"...said the assumptive attorney.

"Well that was pretty soon, don't you think?"

"Objection, leading!" The young lawyer shouted.

"Sustained," replied the judge. "Ask your question, counselor," the judge said.

"I'll withdraw, your honor," she said.

"Ms. Winters, isn't it true that you're the sister of the defendant?"

"Yes," I calmly replied.

"Isn't it also true that in your interrogation, you said that your sister hated your husband for how he treated you?"

"Yes, that's true also," I said.

"But here's what I don't understand, your sister, the defendant, hated the man she sent to you to swindle you out of millions of dollars that they both agreed to split," she said.

"Objection your honor, counselor is testifying," said the court appointed lawyer for Kenya.

"I'll withdraw," she said.

"Exhibit D: emails from deceased David to Kenya Winters, or should I say, inmate number..." "Objection your honor, new evidence I have not seen," the young lawyer said.

"Approach the bench counselor," said the judge.

After watching the judge berate the lawyer, I felt the case was going to go in Kenya's favor. The judge dismissed the court for the day and us to reconvene tomorrow.