Walk free

Chapter 135: Walk free

MARVIN EVANS

Mia wasn’t the same anymore. Since Dad’s funeral, she had withdrawn into herself, barely speaking, barely eating. I saw it in her eyes, the emptiness. She would sit for hours, staring at nothing, lost in a world none of us could reach.

Sophie visited often, trying to get her to eat, to talk, to function. Sometimes, Mia responded with a weak smile or a nod, but most times, she just existed in silence. Greg’s kids were around too, trying to lighten the mood, but it was like talking to a ghost.

I knew what she was feeling. I felt it too.

Dad was gone, Murdered in cold blood and the bastard who did it was still out there.

That changed the day Greg walked in.

I was sitting in the living room, flipping through TV channels, not really watching, when Greg strode in with a determined look on his face.

“I found him,” he announced.

I turned off the TV. Sophie looked up from where she sat beside Mia. Even Mia’s blank expression shifted slightly.

“Found who?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Your father’s killer,” Greg said. His voice was cold, ruthless. “Smith Cole.”

A heavy silence filled the room. Mia’s fingers curled into fists.

“When?” Sophie asked.

“I've been working on it. The court hearing is in a few days,” Greg said. “I wanted you all to know. This isn’t over.”

Mia stood up suddenly. “And what if you’re wrong?” Her voice was quiet, but it carried weight.

Greg met her gaze. “I’m not.”

She stared at him for a moment before walking out of the room.

Sophie sighed, standing up. “I’ll go check on her.”

I looked at Greg. “Are you sure?”

His jaw tightened. “I have evidence. The same evidence Martha gathered before she died.”

“Martha? My mum?” I questioned.

“Yes son, she had tried taking him down but he killed her.”

“Killed her? Mum was murdered?” I asked, my hands shaking.

He nodded. “By the same person who killed your father, Smith Cole.”

I sniffled. “Then we definitely have to end this.”

The day of the hearing arrived faster than I expected.

The room was packed—reporters, shareholders, people who had been waiting for Smith Cole’s downfall. Greg sat in the front row, his face unreadable. Mia was beside him, dressed in black, her expression cold and distant. I sat next to her, Sophie beside me and Aunt Cecilia next to her.

Then, it started.

Greg’s lawyer, a sharp-eyed man named Richard, stood first. He buttoned his suit, stepping toward the witness stand where a middle-aged man with a nervous look sat.

"State your name for the court," Richard said.

"Henry Lawson," the man answered, his voice shaky.

Richard nodded. "Mr. Lawson, you were present the night John Evans and Ethan Blake were shot, correct?"

"Ye…yes, sir."

"Tell the court what you saw."

Henry swallowed. "I was walking home from work. I took a shortcut through the alley behind the old warehouse. That’s when I heard gunshots. I…I saw a group of men… they were wearing black jackets with tiger tattoos on their arms. Two men were on the ground, one of them was already still."

"And did you see who shot them?"

Henry nodded slowly. "One of the men—he had a scar on his left cheek. He was the one who shot the second man while he was already injured."

I felt Mia tense beside me. My hands curled into fists.

Richard’s expression didn’t change. "And do you see that man in this courtroom today?"

Henry hesitated, glancing around, then shook his head. "No, sir."

Richard turned to the judge. "For the record, Your Honor, the prosecution will present evidence linking the Tiger Gang to Smith Cole’s operations. This was not a random attack. This was a hit."

Smith’s lawyer, a smug-looking man in a gray suit, stood. "Objection, Your Honor. The witness did not confirm that my client had anything to do with this alleged attack."

The judge adjusted her glasses. "Sustained. Mr. Richard, stay on track."

Richard didn’t miss a beat. "Understood, Your Honor." He turned back to Henry. "Mr. Lawson, did you report this to the police?"

"I… I did, but I was told to keep my mouth shut at the station."

Murmurs erupted in the courtroom.

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Who told you that?"

"A cop. He said this was bigger than me. That, if I knew what was good for me, I’d forget what I saw."

Mia let out a sharp breath beside me. Greg's jaw tightened.

Smith’s lawyer stood again. "Objection! Hearsay."

The judge hesitated, then nodded. "Sustained. The jury will disregard that last statement."

Richard didn’t look fazed. "No further questions, Your Honor."

Smith’s lawyer stepped forward, smirking. "Mr. Lawson, are you sure you weren’t mistaken? It was dark, you were scared… isn’t it possible you saw something you thought was a tattoo?"

Henry shook his head. "No. I know what I saw."

"But you just admitted you were afraid. Fear clouds judgment, does it not?"

Henry hesitated. "I… I guess it can, but…"

"No further questions." Smith’s lawyer smirked and walked back to his seat.

The judge called for the next witness.

One by one, more witnesses came up, each one telling a similar story—men with tiger tattoos, a setup, a clear assassination. But Smith’s lawyer kept twisting their words, casting doubt, making it seem like nothing was concrete.

Then Richard stood again, presenting the documents Martha had gathered before she was killed.

“These files contain records of Smith Cole’s illegal dealings, money laundering, bribery, extortion. But more importantly, it shows that he was being investigated by two women, Martha and…” The lawyer paused, then continued, “Sarah Cole.”

A gasp rippled through the courtroom.

Mia stiffened beside me.

Richard continued, “Martha Evans, a prosecutor, was investigating Smith Cole, determined to bring him down. Weeks later, she was found dead. After her death, Sarah Cole was gathering evidence against her husband when she was suddenly killed in what was deemed a suicide.”

“It turned out that Martha Evans and Sarah Cole were working together to bring Smith Cole down but both women ended up dead. Would we still call that coincidence?” Richard added.

Greg’s knuckles were white as he clenched his fists.

Richard walked to the judge’s bench. “Your Honor, this is more than a pattern, it’s a cover-up. Smith Cole had these women killed because they had the power to destroy him.”

Smith’s lawyer stood immediately. “Objection! These documents are not originals. How do we know they haven’t been tampered with?”

The judge sighed. “He has a point. Without the original files, this evidence is circumstantial.”

Greg’s jaw tightened, I clenched my fists.

Was this bastard really going to walk free?

Then, the doors to the courtroom burst open and a figure stepped inside. “What if I have the original documents?”

The room fell silent and Mia sucked in a sharp breath.