The coroner and forensic expert never really enjoyed being face to face with the criminals she could find. Christina, in fact, had chosen to pursue a career out of the spotlight precisely for this reason, so that she could stay behind the scenes and not have to deal with the eyes full of insanity, hatred, and evil of the many bloodthirsty people out there.That afternoon, however, she made an exception. Not because she wanted to, but because the deputy, with his unquestionable authority and slightly dubious friendship, insisted that the woman witness the little interrogation that was about to take place.Of course, she would not be present inside the glass room, as the sterile little room where the accused were interrogated was called. Since it was the girl's fingerprints that were found on both the body and the murder weapon, it was obvious that her statement should be documented and recorded.The accused's sister, Emanuele, could not be present yet. Christina hadn't understood the d
Emanuele stares into Joshua's eyes. Neither of them tries to contain their crying, or even to disguise it. There was no reason to. After all, both had already proven how they really felt for each other; how deep was the love that surrounded them.The young man had made such a simple request. He just wanted a verbal confirmation that yes, this woman would accept him by her side. And not just as a fling or a hobby, but for something lasting, respectful and captivating.Emanuele trusted Joshua. But she also couldn't let go of all her worries, stress, traumas. And she didn't want to see him giving up on her, regretting that decision if things went too wrong.It was hard to admit it to herself, but the girl knew that, although sad, she could handle her recent breakup relatively well. Johnny was an understanding guy, and after some time, they would both manage to be good friends. At least that was her wish.But Emanuele couldn't tell if she could just be friends with Joshua. She could barel
Emanuele knew that the process of getting out of the hospital safely and seeing what the delegate wanted would be painstaking, not to say boring. Firstly, because the girl was not recovered enough, for obvious reasons, and the doctor in charge of her was very reluctant at first. Joshua wasn't happy about it either, and even said that if Crimson wanted, he could go to them himself to give them the all-important message.One of the agents explained, sounding much less aggressive than the last time Emanuele had seen them, that the delegate had learned about the terrible fire only that morning, but had not had time to personally check if she was all right. The hospital board informed Crimson as soon as she and Joshua arrived at the facility, since until then, she was under investigation."Believe me when I say that it is extremely important that you come with us, as well as your lawyer."Everything was orchestrated more confusingly than the cops wanted, but in the end, Joshua and Emanuel
The trial took place a little way from there, at the local courthouse. Apparently, due to all the repercussions of the case, a large part of the city was outside the huge palace building. A large police barrier was needed to reinforce security and prevent a possible invasion.Of course the group of old ladies was there. They created posters with Emanuele's face tinted by a huge red "X", and shouted at the top of their voices. Others were there merely to satisfy their curiosity, to find out what would happen.The broadcast of the whole affair would be by audio, released on a specific platform. So, besides being present, the crowd also tuned in to the indicated channel.Inside the room, waiting for the judge to appear, were Emanuele, Matthew, Joshua, all her friends, including Johnny (who still hadn't spoken to each other after the terrible incident), Alexandra, and a few other people. Crimson emerged through one of the many doors leading to the jury proper. He was a bit more presentab
The trial was one of the most tense things Emanuele had ever witnessed in her life. She had always seen in books how the young girl stood out by shining with authenticity, respect and obvious charisma, but this was real life. In real life, bad things happened to good people, and there was not even a standard to examine. Chaos reigned.The judge must have been sixty years old, but he was extremely well-preserved. His eyes were serious, but not threatening, and his white hair was straight and slicked back. As soon as he stepped up to the rostrum, it all began.It was all very complex for Emanuele, who didn't really understand the technical terms or how the steps proceeded. It was Matthew who, most of the time, explained to her what was happening.When it came time for the witnesses against the girl to speak, the first to stand up was the short-haired middle-aged woman; the same one who had spoken to Emanuele on the day of the protest and seemed to be the one most intent on ending her li
Crimson takes a deep breath and begins to play with his own hands. He had left that for last, of course, but he wasn't sure why. One way or another, Emanuele would be exonerated. So why expose the real culprit?Not even the deputy himself understood. His friend, the coroner, did not attend the jury, but just as everything was heading into the courtroom, the blonde did not spare him a comment that he particularly wanted to disagree with: "you really like attention."Crimson did want a certain amount of prominence in that case; that he couldn't even deny. After all, he was already at the end of his career. It might be the last time that the old man would actively participate in a trial. All he wanted was to retire his badge and enjoy his retirement in peace.That girl, Emanuele, had always been assertive and ready to stand up for what she believed in. She might have had all the reasons in the world to freak out and turn into the monster everyone said she was, but she stood her ground th
Crown's voice echoes throughout the walls of the courtroom."I find Emanuele Parker not guilty of all charges..."Emanuele simply stops listening to the rest of the sentence. The judge's words simply disappear, as if they never existed.The girl can clearly see Matthew's huge smile beside her, as well as the obvious celebration of his friends. She sees Joshua obviously moved, staring at her deeply. She also sees Alexandra, though more restrained, obviously happy with the result.Emanuele also sees the older women grimacing. Some point their fingers at Sarah, who remains silent, and others cross their arms. But none make any mention of looking sorry after the terrible accusations they have made, as well as the harassment and defamation.The sounds around them, however, had all disappeared. That pocket of silence took over, as if someone purposely left their life in "mute mode."Finally it was all over...or almost.As soon as the judge strikes the gavel for the last time that day, Sarah
Emanuele knew that all her doubts would not be answered. She knew she wouldn't get the information she was so passionate about: who were the people who adopted her sister, what was it like growing up with them, when did she discover she had a twin who was lost in the world. But Sarah is unbelievably receptive. She doesn't seem proud that she did it, but she doesn't seem sorry either. "I found out your mother's address a few months ago," she tells us. Emanuele doesn't fail to notice that Sarah says 'your', but not 'our mother'. "And then I planned myself. I thought of every detail... Or almost.""How did you find out the address?""Database."Emanuele raises one of her eyebrows, perplexed. Her twin replies:"Police database."In other words, Sarah had specific contacts to get access to such sensitive information. Could it be that the girl's adoptive parents were police officers?"Did you...did you know that Margaret had another daughter?"The girl looks down."Yes. I found out the d