Chapter Fifty Nine: The Retrial.

* Forgive me if I don't get the law terminologies and legal proceedings right. I've tried my best by researching, hopefully it's enough. Enjoy!*

Kimia's POV 🖤.

I let out a shaky breath as my heart pounded erratically in my chest.

Please let it go well.

I was standing in the hallway outside the courtroom with two tall and bulky guards by my side. I bit my lip and wanted to run a hand through my hair but I couldn't. My hands and feet were handcuffed.

" We're going in now." One of the guards said and I nodded. They opened the door and I walked in. My skittish eyes scanned the faces in the room till they met Rosa's. I let out a small sigh as she smiled.

' You'll do great.' She mouthed and I nodded trying to convince myself.

" You okay?, Do you need anything?" Jason asked as I sat next to him on the defendant's seat.

" I'm alright. I'm just really nervous."

" I understand. Everything will be fine. Besides, you have the best lawyer in New York as your attorney. I'll kick their asses!"

I cracked a small smile and my heartbeat slowed significantly. I scanned the faces present again hoping to find him but I didn't and my heart deflated slightly.

Two very very familiar faces walked in and I gulped. Melissa still hadn't changed her hair colour from her usual bleached blonde. She was ever slutty in a low cut white shirt and a pink miniskirt. Nathan look taller than when I had last seen him. His hair had been cropped low and his facial hair had greatly increased.

I tore my eyes away from the pair and focused it on the floor. The judge came in a few minutes later and the trial began. The prosecutor gave her opening statement and I bounced anxiously in my seat.

Oh Lord!

" Relax Kim. I got this." Jason assured. He stood up buttoned his dark green suit and cleared his throat.

" Your honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury and everyone present in the courtroom I present to you my client, Kimia Reynolds whom has been wrongly accused for murdering our father. Even though all the evidence seems to point to her as the culprit, I assure you that this case goes deeper than what is shown on the surface.

I was granted this retrial in the light of certain evidence that surfaced during my reinvestigation. And this proved not only to me, but to your honour that this case was tampered with. Further into this retrial, I will be presenting concrete evidence to prove to you that my client is innocent of a crime that she has spent 2 years of her life in jail for. Thank you."

I blinked rapidly as Jason sat down next to me.

" I'm good aren't I?"

" Incredibly." I replied and he grinned.

***

" You're honour I would like to call to the stand Dr Alex Donald." Jason said and Dr Alex stood up and went to the stand. He was sworn in and he took his seat.

" Dr Alex would you please tell the court who you are and how you maybe related to this case?"

" My name is Dr Alex Donald. I work as a pathologist with the New York City's police department. And I took the autopsy of the late Dr Blake Reynolds."

" Very good." Jason replied smiling. The TV screen next to him came on and he pointed to it.

" Your honour this photo was taken of the deceased right before he was autopsied. And as you can see there are multiple stab wounds. In Dr Alex's autopsy report, it showed that some of these wounds were wedged deeply into the victim's body. Is that right Dr Alex?"

" Yes, that is correct."

" But surely a petite woman like Mrs Reynolds wouldn't be able to do that would she? The victim was twice as large as she was and she couldn't have been strong enough to wedge a knife so deeply into him that it touched his spine."

" Objection your honour!"

" Overruled. You may proceed."

" Thank you your honour. According to a friend of mine who so happens to be a pathologist, those wounds would have to be caused by a large woman or a man of average size and clearly my client isn't large. Was she right or wrong?"

I could tell the pathologist was hiding something from his skittish nature he gulped hard before responding.

" Y-y-yes t-th-that is correct."

" Are you okay Dr Alex?, You seem a little anxious."

" I-I-I-'m fine."

" Whatever you say. So, if this other pathologist was correct, why didn't you record it in your report. That would have definitely raised suspicions about the murder but you didn't."

" I-I-I-"

" What you did was withholding evidence which is a criminal offence and is punishable by the law."

" I-I-I-"

" That will be all your honour."

***

" Your honour I would like to call to the stand Mrs Melissa Reynolds, the wife of the victim."

Melissa sashayed to the stand and I rolled my eyes. She was sworn in and the prosecuting lawyer began questioning.

" Why do you think Ms. Reynolds decided to kill her father?"

" Because she was mad at him. Kim had showed her hatred of her father's remarriage. She always said that he was trying to replace her mother. I personally told him to take her to a psychologist but he always refused. Kim killed him to get back at me!"

Then she burst into fake and over rehearsed tears.

" She hates me! That's why she made me become a widow at such a young age!"

" Objection your honour, this isn't a therapy session."

The judge who was clearly annoyed by Melissa's insistent crying sighed.

" Sustained. Mrs Reynolds pull yourself together."

" That will be all your honour." The prosecutor said and Jason smirked.

***

" We have just two more witness before the big reveal." Jason said to me during recess and I bit my lip.

" Okay. So far things seem to be going well."

***

" Your honour I would like to call Professor Bartley to the stand."

Professor Bartley was one of my college professors. He was the strictest but he was my favourite professor. He was a renowned psychologist with many successful theories.

" Professor would you please state your name and any possible connection you have with the case to the court?"

" My name is Professor David Bartley. I am a professor of psychology at the New York State's University. I happened to one of Ms. Kimia's professors."

" Professor you are a a renowned psychologist am I correct?"

" Yes you are."

" And you have had years of experience, is that also correct?"

" Yes. It is correct."

" So you definitely should be able to tell when one is one the verge of a mental breakdown or if one has any psychological problems."

" Yes I can."

" Excellent. So if you were one of my client's professors, you were in contact with her before the incident as my client still attended college before she was taken to jail. She had in fact just finished her last paper with was yours the previous day and there are several witnesses that can testify to seeing her hugging you after she was done."

" I did speak to Kimia a day before the incident and she did hug me. We spoke for a few minutes before she left."

" So did she show any signs of having issues with her mental health that could drive her to kill someone?"

" No she didn't. She was in fact mentally very healthy. She was someone who was happy and content with life."

" Thank you Professor Bartley, that will be all."

***

The prosecutor had called on Nathan to testify and he had gone up. He couldn't keep eye contact with me as he spoke because he was guilty. The judge asked Jason if he would like to question Nathan and he nodded while grinning.

" Hello Nathan how are you doing?"

" I'm fine." Nathan replied politely.

" So I'm just going to get straight to the point. What was your motive, why did you date Kimia?"

" Pardon?"

" You heard me correctly, was it a way of getting closer to her stepmother or did you end up falling for Melissa instead?"

" The second one."

" Hmmm…interesting. Did you ever love Kimia?"

" Objection your honour!"

" Sustained."

" I'm sorry your honour, let me move on. Why?…why did you kill him?"

" I don't know what you are talking about."

" Are you so sure of that? Because there were traces of leather found on the body of the deceased during his autopsy. You see this is one of the pieces of evidence that was over looked. And according to your post on social media you always wear leather. Custom made into belts,shoes, jackets Bracelets. And not just any kind, Italian leather.

Your honour the victim and the accused were not in contact with any form of that kind of leather that day. So how did we find traces of it on his body?" Jason moved closer and stared at Nathan.

" Why did you kill him?"

" I-I-I-"

" Objection my Lord!, The defendant is subjecting my client to pressure-"

" Why did you do it?!, Was it so you could get to Melissa?, Was it to get back at Kimia? Did he do something to your family?"

" I-I-I- do-"

" Speak now Nathan because if you don't I'll bring out-"

" Fine! I did it. I killed him! Kimia…didn't do anything it was me. She's innocent!" Nathan yelled out and it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. The prosecutor that had earlier been yelling dank further into her seat. The room began buzzing and the judge had to call everyone to order.

" Why?" Jason questioned.

" She-she-she made me. She promised me a position in the company if I did. But they was no way to access the files without Kimia being present so it…it didn't work. And as for your earlier question, I did. I loved Kimia."

He finally met my eyes. His warm brown eyes were holding back tears.

" I did. I was just greedy and selfish. I hope you can forgive me Kim."

I looked away as my tears threatened to spill.

" Who made you do it?"

" Melissa-"

" I did no such thing!"

" Mrs Reynolds calm down this is a courtroom."

" Mrs Reynolds this is your last chance to confess before I reveal the missing piece of this puzzle."

" I will not confess to a crime I did not commit!"

" Very well then. Your honour may I?"

The judge gave Jason a slight nod to proceed.

" The video clip you're about to watch was gotten from the CCTV footage from the Reynolds's residence where the crime took place. The house was apparently wired with cameras of which no one except Dr Reynolds himself knew of.

The door to the control room was recently discovered during the reinvestigation of the crime scene and the door was opened by Kimia whom had no idea of the door nor the key which happened to be a pendant or rather a locket that she had inherited from her mother. This clip you're about to see clearly shows the murder of Dr Blake Reynolds."

The video came on and it showed Melissa and Nathan entering into the house. It was fast forwarded to the point where Nathan stabbed my dad and then to the point where I drove into the residence and where I entered the house.

" You bitch!" Melissa yelled as she ran towards me. She was held back by the guards that had escorted me here. The entire courtroom was in chaos.

The judge gave his closing remark but my mind brushed through all the words till I heard what I had been hoping for.

"…Acquitted of all the charges…"

Acquitted!

I'm innocent!

I'm free!

The chains that bound my hands and feet were freed and I stood there with my mouth open. I hugged Jason tightly in tears and he pat my back lightly. Rosa came next.

" You're free mi amiga!" She exclaimed crying and I smiled as the tears steadily rolled down my cheeks.

Two years in jail and I was finally free.

I had gotten justice for my father.

I felt a pair of eyes on me and I turned in that direction. I saw him standing there with his hands in his pockets. He gave me a small smile and I cracked a smile despite my glossy eyes.

' Thank you.' I mouthed and he gave me a curt nod. I blinked and then…he was gone. I scanned the crowd trying to find him but I couldn't!

" Kim come on!" Rosa said tugging my hand.

I tried looking for him again but it was to no avail.

Maybe someday, our paths might cross again but for now, I will enjoy my freedom.

THE END.

***

JUST KIDDING!

Merhaba 🤗,

So she's finally out.

You didn't really think I would end it like that did you?

Call me old school but I'm a sucker for happy endings.

More chapters coming your way 😉.

70 chapters max.

Stay safe 😷.

Bye!!