Chapter 106 A Woman on Trial

Chapter 106 A Woman on Trial
Adrian came to stand beside me, his hand finding mine. "Then we trust that the rest of the evidence is enough. Emma, Helen's testimony is important, but it's not everything. We have the phone records. The payments. Your injuries. The warehouse. The pattern of behavior. All of it together tells a story that's hard to dismiss."

"I want it to be over."

"I know."

"I want the jury to deliberate and come back with a guilty verdict and for Patricia to go to prison for the rest of her life. I want" My voice broke. "I want to feel safe again, Adrian. I want to stop being afraid."

"You will. After the verdict, after this is all over, we'll work on that. Together." He placed his hand on my stomach, where Ethan was growing. "He's going to be born into a safe world, Emma. I promise you that."

"You can't promise that. You can't control what the jury decides."

"No. But I can promise that whatever they decide, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. Even if Patricia walks and she won't, but even if she does I will protect you and our children. That's not just a promise. That's a fact."

I leaned against him, exhausted. "How much longer until the jury gets the case?"

"If Helen testifies tomorrow and finishes in one day, closing arguments could be Monday. Then the jury deliberates. Could be a day. Could be a week. There's no way to predict."

"So we could know by next week."

"Possibly. Or it could be longer."

The uncertainty was almost worse than knowing. At least with a definite answer even a bad one I'd know what I was dealing with.

This limbo, this waiting it was torture.

That night, I couldn't sleep. Again.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind replaying the day. Brennan's questions. The jury's faces. Patricia's cold stare from the defense table.

Around 2 AM, my phone buzzed. A text from Jordan.

You awake?

Yeah

Want to talk?

I called her. She answered on the first ring.

"Can't sleep?" she asked.

"Haven't really slept since this started. What about you?"

"I've been thinking about today. About your testimony." Jordan paused. "Emma, I need you to know something. Watching you up there, telling your story despite how hard it was that took incredible courage."

"I didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice. You could have run. Could have refused to testify. Could have let fear win. But you didn't. You faced Patricia and told the truth, even when it was terrifying. That's courage."

"I don't feel courageous. I feel scared and broken and like I'm barely holding it together."

"That's what courage looks like. It's not fearlessness. It's being terrified and doing the thing anyway." Jordan's voice was fierce. "Emma, you survived that warehouse. You survived testifying. You're going to survive whatever comes next. Because that's who you are. A survivor."

"What if surviving isn't enough? What if Patricia goes free?"

"Then we deal with it. You, me, Adrian, your mom we'll figure it out together. But Emma, don't borrow trouble. Helen testifies tomorrow. The prosecution finishes its case. Then we wait for the verdict. One step at a time."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because it's true. You can't control the outcome. You can only control how you respond." Jordan paused. "Now, tell me about the baby. How's Ethan doing?"

The subject change was deliberate, giving me something positive to focus on.

"He's good. Moving around more. I can feel little flutters now, though Dr. Martinez says it's probably still too early to be actual kicks."

"But you feel him?"

"Yeah. It's like butterflies. Or bubbles. Something alive inside me." Despite everything, I smiled. "It's weird and amazing at the same time."

"I can't wait to meet him. To be Aunt Jordan and spoil him rotten."

"You're already planning to spoil him?"

"Absolutely. That's what aunts are for. Spoiling and then giving them back when they're cranky."

We talked for another hour about the baby, about Lily's latest antics, about anything except the trial. By the time we hung up, I felt marginally better.

Enough to finally fall asleep.

Friday morning came too quickly.

The courthouse was packed again. Word had spread that Helen Wade was testifying the woman who'd actually carried out the kidnapping, who'd been in the room when I was held captive, who could either confirm or destroy the prosecution's case.

The media was in a frenzy outside. Headlines screamed: "Kidnapper to Testify Against Mother-in Law" and "Helen Wade's Testimony Could Make or Break Case."

Inside, I took my seat between Adrian and my mother. Richard sat in the row behind us with Jordan.

Patricia was already at the defense table, looking composed. But I thought I saw tension in her shoulders. Helen's testimony would either save her or seal her fate.

Judge Martinez called the court to order. "Ms. Martinez, call your next witness."

"The People call Helen Wade."

The courtroom doors opened.

And Helen walked in.

She looked different than I remembered. Thinner. Older. Her hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and she wore a plain gray suit that made her look washed out.

She didn't look at Patricia as she passed the defense table.

She didn't look at me either.

She took the stand, was sworn in, and sat down, her hands folded in her lap.

Lisa Martinez approached. "Please state your name for the record."

"Helen Wade."

"Ms. Wade, you've pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And as part of your plea agreement, you've agreed to testify truthfully about Patricia involvement in Emma Wolfe's kidnapping. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Ms. Wade, how long did you work for Adrian Wolfe?"

"Five years. From when he first started Wolfe Industries until shortly after his wife Sophia died."

"Did you know Sophia Wolfe well?"

Helen's expression softened. "Yes. She was she was kind. Brilliant. She didn't deserve what happened to her."

"What do you believe happened to her?"

"Objection, speculation," Brennan said.

"Your Honor, the witness's state of mind is relevant to understanding her motivations," Lisa argued.

"I'll allow it. The witness may answer."

Helen took a breath. "I believed Adrian killed her. That he pushed her into that accident because she wanted a divorce. I believed" Her voice broke. "I believed he murdered her and got away with it."

"And did Patricia share that belief?"

"Yes. She was convinced Adrian was responsible. She wanted justice. And when the police closed the case, when Adrian faced no consequences she wanted revenge."

Lisa walked closer. "Ms. Wade, did Patricia  approach you about harming Emma Wolfe?"

This was it. The critical testimony.

Helen looked at Patricia for the first time.

Then she looked at me.

And she said, "Yes. Patricia ordered me to kidnap and kill Emma Wolfe."

The courtroom erupted in whispers. Judge Martinez banged her gavel. "Order."

Lisa continued. "Can you describe how this came about?"

Helen nodded, her eyes downcast. "Patricia contacted me in August of last year. She'd heard Adrian had remarried to someone who looked exactly like Sophia. She was furious. She said it was a mockery of her daughter's memory. That Adrian was replacing Sophia like she'd meant nothing."

"What did Patricia ask you to do?"

"At first, nothing specific. She just wanted information. Who was this new wife? Where did she come from? What was her story?" Helen twisted her hands. "I told her about the contract. About the two million dollars. About how Emma looked like Sophia. And Patricia she became obsessed. She said Emma was proof of Adrian's guilt. That he'd always been planning to replace Sophia. That Emma's existence proved he'd wanted Sophia dead."

"Did Patricia's obsession escalate?"

"Yes. By September, she was calling me daily. Talking about how Emma needed to disappear. How Adrian needed to feel the pain she felt when Sophia died. She started talking about hiring someone. Making it look like an accident."

"What did you do?"

Helen's voice dropped. "I agreed to help her. I brought in Robert Patricia's husband. Between the three of us, we planned Emma's kidnapping."

Lisa let that statement hang in the air.

"Ms. Wade, to be absolutely clear: Patricia was involved in planning the kidnapping?"

"She orchestrated it. Every detail. When to take Emma. Where to hold her. How long to wait before" Helen stopped. "Before killing her."

"Did Patricia offer you money?"

"Yes. She paid Robert fifty thousand dollars. She promised me another fifty thousand after it was done."

"And on October 15th, you and Robert Hartley carried out this plan?"

"Yes."

Lisa walked to the evidence table and picked up a transcript. "Ms. Wade, did Emma Wolfe's testimony yesterday accurately describe what happened in that warehouse?"

Helen finally looked at me again. "Yes. Everything she said that's what happened. I told her Patricia ordered this. Robert told her Patricia paid us. We weren't hiding it. We thought" Her voice broke. "We thought she'd be dead by the end of the day. That it wouldn't matter what she knew."

"But Robert changed his mind?"

"Yes. At the last minute. He couldn't go through with it. He tried to stop me, and we fought, and" Helen's hands were shaking now. "And he died. Trying to save Emma. After everything we'd done, he tried to do the right thing."

"Ms. Wade, is there any doubt in your mind that Patricia ordered Emma Wolfe's kidnapping and intended murder?"

"None. Patricia planned it. Patricia paid for it. Patricia wanted Emma dead to punish Adrian. Everything we did, we did because Patricia  told us to."

"Thank you, Ms. Wade. No further questions."

Helen sat there, tears streaming down her face, while Lisa returned to her seat.

The courtroom was silent.

Then Brennan stood.

And I realized the real battle was just beginning.