The Night Children

Chapter 46

"Can't you see this very girl has manipulated all of you to put the blame on a boy who deserves so much better?" She was yelling now, her voice risen with confidence and with dread, I realised that more heads were nodding. "This very girl tore apart Amber Harringtons body." She whirled to Mr Harrington before turning to Chelsea and Izzy in the jury stand. "This very girl took the life of Hannah Stocking." She then nodded towards Coltons mother, her lips pressing into an act of sadness. "This very girl cut off the air ways' to a fourteen-year-old boy."

Some voices began to float towards me again and I heard whispers of 'she must be the murderer,' 'I let her borrow one of my pencils' and 'and here I thought she was different to her mother.'

I opened my mouth to retaliate but once again Miss Anderson cut me off.

"So tell me Renee," Miss Anderson paused in front of me, addressing me only but making sure her whole voice could be heard. "What did you do with the bodies?"

I felt her gaze bore into mine as she stared at me. I examined her carefully, trying to identify any weakness. She was an incredibly good liar to her credit but every liar had a loop hole. I stood up from my seat slowly, causing a few people behind me to stiffen. Isaac studied me, his eyes swimming with thought. He seemed to want to say something but was still holding himself back again, his veins risen along his neck.

I looked to the crowd, taking in each frightened face, every pain stricken emotion, every clenched fist. "People of Brookefield," I began, my repetition of Miss Andersons words causing a few disapproved frowns. "I have not ever committed a crime. I have never laid a hand on any of these children and I have certainly never taken a life." No one seemed to believe me, their eyes still narrowed with suspicion. I took a deep breath and forced myself not to shake. "Isaac is protecting me from the consequences of manipulation." I gave him a quick glance but he had looked away to stare angrily at the far back wall of the court house. "He admitted he was the BrookeField murderer to me in order to stop me from getting involved. Aaron overheard the conversation without any previous reference to the truth."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aarons hands clench into fists as he gritted his teeth but I chose to ignore it. "Isaac showed me Ambers body after he had found it in an attempt to scare me." I turned to the Judge, forcing myself not to flinch from his stern eyes. "I asked Isaac to prove he was the murderer by driving that very dagger through my heart," I paused to take another shaky breath, the weight of truth finally setting in. "But he couldn't."

The Judge watched me silently, obliviously thinking hard.

But then Pincel stepped forwards, his face reddening. "This girl is a straight liar your honour." He hissed madly, his eyes ablaze in frustration. "Why would the boy admit he was the BrookeField murderer in order to protect her?" He spat the word 'protect' out as if it an evil thing. Something so evidently pathetic that it wasn't worthy of doing. "Her story makes no sense; she has to be lying."

Miss Anderson joined his side, brushing his hand with hers in the slightest of gestures. I saw Isaac stiffen beside me. "She has so clearly forced him into admitting he is guilty when he is so evidently innocent."

Colton's mother rose from her spot on the jury stand, followed by Mr Osmin. "She killed my son!" She suddenly yelled, pointing a dirty finger straight down at me. Mr Osmin shot me a disapproving glance before addressing the Judge.

"I believe the Sheriff and Miss Anderson." He said sternly, his voice low but loud against the hard walls around us. "Her story just doesn't add up."

Coltons mother was staring at me as if her gaze would suddenly make me burst into flames. I stared back at her, searching for any sign of pity but there was none. All she had left was two empty pits for eyes.