Ripple Effect (Effect 1)

Since then, I’d had both Christine and Ainsley on constant surveillance. Christine had insisted on paying for it out of her trust fund. It hadn’t mattered to me as long as they were safe. There hadn’t been any questionable activity since the night of the hospital.

Last week, both Christine and Ainsley had testified in front of a jury, which had been emotionally exhausting and stressful for both of them, but they had survived. The defense had been trying to spin a story that Christine wanted Gerald back. When Gerald had refused a reconciliation, Christine had nearly killed herself for revenge.

Total bullshit.

It had taken everything I had within me not to climb over the railing separating the spectators from the actual proceedings. My teeth ground together as I remembered seeing Ainsley defend herself against that dickwad of a defense attorney.

Ready to get to the courthouse to get this over with, I texted Ainsley.

Me: I’m here. Coming to the door.

Ainsley: I see you. We’re on our way out.

I got out of the car. Christine’s home was a small two-bedroom cream-bricked house with black shutters. Overall, it was perfect for her and easy to manage. I met them on the sidewalk leading to the front door.

We would be taking her mom’s Buick Enclave. The height of the car made it easier for Christine to get in and out. The wind was chilling as I ran up to Ainsley. She was bundled up with a red scarf wrapped around her neck. Her brown hair blew as she shivered.

“Hey, ladies. Your chauffeur has arrived.” I leaned down and kissed Ainsley on the cheek. “Go ahead and get in the car, baby. It’s cold. I’ll help your mom. I don’t want you to get sick.”

Ainsley went ahead and opened the passenger door. She then reached in to crank the vehicle before getting into the backseat. Less than a minute later, Christine got into the vehicle without any help. She was getting stronger each day, but at times, she would get shaky on her feet. Having someone walk beside her was more precautionary than anything at this point.

I jogged over to the driver’s side of the car, and an introspective silence descended on the car as we made our way downtown to the courthouse. I glanced in the rearview mirror, and Ainsley was looking out the window. Her thumb was touching the finger with her ring. She wasn’t able to twirl it with her gloves.

I imagined we were all thinking about the events that had led up to this moment—at least, I was. The endless questioning, the prepping with the lawyers, and the trial—it had all been tough.

We arrived at the courthouse as our lawyer, Joe, walked out. He was wearing an Italian-made gray suit with a pale pink shirt.

He greeted us, “Sentencing is in one hour. Let’s head inside and get this over with, shall we?”

Ainsley responded, “Thanks, Joe, for everything.” Her teeth were beginning to chatter.

Joe raised a dark eyebrow that matched his hair color as he put his hand on Ainsley’s shoulder. “You can thank me if we get this asshole convicted.”

She nodded as Joe gave her a comforting smile.

“I’m going to go speak to your mom as we walk in. Let me know if you need anything.’

“I will.”

Ainsley’s eyes moved over to the right, and Nora came walking up.

She hugged Ainsley. “Hey, chica. How ya holding up?”

“Good. Ready to get this over with and move on. How’s Emilyn? I hated that I had to cancel on her for the last few weeks.”

Ainsley’s head was nervously moving up and down as the cold seeped into our bones. During the fall semester, Ainsley would have a date to hang out with Emilyn every other week. Ainsley had been spreading herself too thin, trying to be there for everyone. With the intense prepping for the trial over the last few weeks, something had to give.

Nora ran her hands through her hair. Last week, she had changed it to black. I’d assumed it was for the trial since she wanted to be there for Ainsley. Joe had asked her to.

The wind continued to blow as Nora answered, “Emilyn’s good. She watches that damn movie you got her, The Last Unicorn, over and over again. I feel like I’m about to break out into that stupid butterfly song at any minute.”

She looked at me, and I nodded toward the door. Ainsley was freezing.

Nora continued, “Let’s get inside before we freeze to death.”

“S-sounds g-good. I’m glad she likes the movie,” Ainsley was chattering as she responded.

She hated the cold more than I did.

Nora laughed. “Like is a bit of an understatement.”

I rubbed my hand briskly up and down Ainsley’s arm as we walked in. Joe was beside Christine as they entered the waiting room.

Here’s to hoping the next hour goes by quickly.

Joe walked into the small room we had been waiting in to the right of the actual courtroom. The room was bare, except for tables, chairs, and pictures of previous presidents hanging on the walls.

“It’s time. Does anyone have any questions?” Joe asked.

We all responded, “No.”

Joe had done an excellent job in preparing us for each step of the way.

We made our way into the courtroom. Ainsley sat between Nora and me on the right side behind the wood railing separating us from where all the action would take place in the courtroom. Christine and Joe took their seats in front of us to the right of the state prosecutor.

The room smelled stale. I looked at our national symbol behind the judge and hoped that justice would be done today.

A small movement to the right caught my attention. I glanced down and saw Ainsley’s ring making quick circles as she twirled it now that it was freed from the confines of her glove.

The side door opened, and Gerald came walking in with cuffs on. His overweight, greasy asshole of a lawyer waited for him at the table adjacent to Christine’s. Gerald stared at Christine. It was as if he was daring her to look at him.

During the trial so far, Christine had not looked over once. I believ

ed that had shown that she was truly breaking the psychological hold that monster had on her.

Ainsley leaned in to me, and I held her closer to me as the jury filed in. They knew the fate of Gerald, and I was ready for the sentencing to commence. I glanced again at our national symbol and mentally pleaded that Gerald would receive a guilty verdict.

The bailiff came forward. “All rise. Court is now in session. The honorable Judge Roberts is presiding.”

We stood, and Ainsley grabbed my hand, abandoning her ring twirling. Her fingernails dug into me as the judge came out in his black judicial robe. Judge Roberts was completely gray-haired. His serious expression looked like it had been etched onto his face permanently.

The judge sat in a mahogany stand at the front of the room and calmly stated, “You may be seated.”

The sound of everyone retaking their seats filled the silence of the courtroom, which only increased my anxiety as reality set in that this was the end of the road one way or another. I lovingly squeezed Ainsley’s hand as she chewed on her bottom lip.

The foreman of the jury stood, and the bailiff took a piece of paper. I needed to see what was on that paper.

Did they agree he’s guilty? Will Ainsley and Christine be safe? Will we be able to finally rest at night, knowing Gerald is behind bars?

My mind kept circulating through these questions as the bailiff handed the judge the verdict. Time slowed, and seconds became years as the piece of paper was unfolded.

The judge turned to the jury. “Mr. Foreman and members of the jury, have you reached a unanimous verdict?”

The well-dressed, lean foreman answered, “Yes, your honor.”

Finally, it was the moment of truth, the moment that would hopefully return a guilty verdict, the moment we could be free of this horrible nightmare.

Without hesitation, the judge began reading the decision of the jury, “In the court of the fourth judicial circuit in and for Forsyth County, Georgia, in case number one-four-nine-two-zero-D-A-X-M, the state of Georgia versus Gerald Pearson, we, the jury, find the defendant guilty of attempted murder. I assess for punishment the confinement in the institutional division of the Georgia department of criminal justice for fifty years without chance of parole, so say we the jury in Forsyth County.”