Chapter 18 - THE TRUTH UNDER OATH
Months passed before the criminal cases reached trial. Marcus hated the waiting, but Lily needed ordinary days more than she needed another dramatic victory.
She started first grade in a school where the teacher asked permission before taking a photograph. She loved the library, hated peas, and once got into trouble for drawing a blue kite on a math worksheet. Marcus framed the worksheet anyway.
At trial, the state presented recovered device records, shipping manifests, bank transfers, and the recorded calls. Gabriel testified about the altered engine fitting and his confinement. Brent's own messages placed him at the dock. A forensic specialist explained how Marcus's signature and dental record were misused.
The defense challenged every link. Marcus had expected that. He'd learned the difference between what he feared and what investigators could prove.
When he testified, the prosecutor asked why he had attended his memorial gala in secret.
“Because I wanted to see my daughter before anyone knew I was back,” he said. “I believed she was safe. I was wrong.”
The courtroom stayed quiet.
“What did you see?”
“A six-year-old trying not to get punished for bleeding.”
Lily was not required to recount the ballroom scene in open court. Her medical records and other corroborated evidence were presented through appropriate witnesses.
During a recess, Vivian passed Marcus in the hallway. For a moment she looked small and tired.
“You could still ask them to stop,” she said.
Marcus thought of Lily's question about earning breakfast.
“I can't erase what happened,” he said. “And neither can you.”
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When court resumed, the prosecutor called the final witness—a former clerk from the recovery contractor, carrying the original identification file.
