Page 10 of The Twins

“Thank you,” Judge Jenkins said to the jury with a smile. “For your time over the last two weeks. I know some of the evidence has been difficult to hear, and the fact remains a person is dead. The judicial system is not perfect, I know, and there are some who would get rid of it, but it is the best we have, and I believe that in this case it has worked the way it should. The defendant, Emma Tippin, is free to go.” He banged his hammer. “Court dismissed.”

Everyone stood while he left the courtroom, and then the volume level rose. I dashed to the glass partition and reached it the moment it was opened.

Emma flung herself into my arms.

I held her close. “It’s over. It’s over now.”

“I can’t…believe it…I…”

I stroked her hair and hugged her. “You can get on with your life now, with your children. You have a bright future ahead of you.”

“I’m going to go and live with my mom, up in Scotland,” she managed. “As soon as I get the kids back.”

“That will be very soon, and if it isn’t, you call me, I’ll hurry it along.”

“Thank you, thank you for everything.” She pulled back.

“Is your mom here now?”

“Yes, she’s up there.” She gestured at the public gallery.

A woman with Emma’s striking curly blonde hair was sobbing yet smiling. She stood and made a heart sign at Emma.

A sense of a job well done filled me. We’d got the right verdict, the asshole husband was dead—we didn’t have to worry about restraining orders or him coming out of prison—and Emma and her children were about to embark on a new life in Scotland, hopefully a place where they could put the past behind them and make new happy memories.

“Come on, Emma, let’s get the paperwork done and then you can be on your way.” The prison officer at her side smiled. “And without being mean, let’s hope we don’t meet again.”

Emma laughed, a high-pitched, slightly hysterical sound. “I agree, not that you’re a horrible person or anything, I just…”

The prison officer laughed. “Don’t worry, I understand.”

I left them to it and gathered my things.

“Well done,” Joseph said to me.

“Thanks.”

“It was the right outcome.”

I paused and looked at him. “It’s hard, though, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I’ve defended people who I know have been guilty. And I’ve battled to have evidence disregarded, found new witnesses or alibis to create doubt, you know, and they’ve got off. They shouldn’t have, they were guilty. They should have been locked up.”

“You’re good at your job, Rebecca.”

“And you’re good at yours which had me anxious back there. What if she’d gone down for murder? Got ten, fifteen years, missed out on seeing her kids grow up? How would you have felt?”

“I’d have done my duty to the CPS the way I’m paid to.”

“They should never have brought this case to court, you know that as well as I do.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I agree. It was a complete waste of taxpayers’ money, the whole thing. But let’s just be thankful that it came out well in the end.” He nodded at the door. “Fancy a drink?”

“Er, no, thanks.” His sudden invite surprised me. “I have somewhere to be, I’m meeting a friend.”

“The friend who sent you the flowers?”