Chapter 13 - The TrialThe case became national news in their hometown.
The evidence was overwhelming.
Toxicology reports.
Security footage.
Messages.
The hospital attack.
The highway pursuit.
The attempted breach of the maternity ward.
David and Leah watched the proceedings remotely from a safe location.
They didn't want cameras.
They didn't want reporters.
They wanted Maya.
The defense tried to argue that David's mother had suffered a psychological collapse following Emily's death decades earlier.
The argument explained her pain.
It didn't excuse her choices.
Detective Miller testified that she had taken deliberate steps to conceal her actions.
She had worn gloves.
She had attempted to avoid leaving evidence.
She had repeatedly ignored legal boundaries.
This wasn't simply grief.
It was grief transformed into possession.
And possession transformed into violence.
When the verdict came, David didn't celebrate.
He simply closed his eyes.
May you like
The nightmare had finally been named for what it was.
And for the first time in years, he felt free to breathe.
