April was not granted bail.
A fact that drove her nuts when the news was broken to her by her mother.
“That husband of yours is on a warpath. He sent evidence of his father’s death and made it all seem like it was your work and the family was only a casualty.”
April held her head in anger, her thoughts spiralling out of control. She needed to get out or everything she had worked for would come crashing down.
She couldn’t lose. Not now, not ever.
She had hoped things wouldn’t get to this point but there was nothing else she could do. She had to make a call and fast. April turned to her mother with desperation written on her face.
“I need you to do something.”
…
On the other side of things, June got a front-row seat as the deaths of Lucy and Ethan’s father were roped on April’s neck. Making things even more complicated.
Today was the first hearing of the case and if things went well, she hoped it would be the last. With double murder charges hanging in the balance and nothing to counteract it, she figured her sister was as good as locked up.
June prepared for the court sitting she would be attending with Lucy. She believed if she could watch April get a heavy sentence for her crimes against Lucy, then she would die a happy woman.
At least that was what she thought.
The courthouse was filled with reporters who were eager to catch a story while Thomas tried to navigate their way into the car park. Soon enough, June and Lucy were headed to the prosecutor’s office.
After a brief meeting in which they were informed of the likely outcome of the sitting, June and Lucy headed out of the office, and towards the courtroom. On the way, June came face to face with Ethan.
“I’ll join you in a moment.” She said to Lucy who eyed Ethan warily before moving ahead.
Ethan took a close look at his ex-wife and his heart pricked in pain. How had he been so foolish to divorce her? How did he abandon a gem in exchange for a stone?
“June…”
“I heard of your father’s death. Accept my condolences.” She said in a firm voice.
Ethan felt hit by the formality in her tone. Where was the soft-spoken woman who addressed him using endearments?
“He had always loved you.” He remarked, speaking of his father. “He never approved of my divorcing you.”
“I would be there to pay my final respects when he is finally laid to rest.” She said with finality in her tone.
“Why didn’t you do it?” Ethan asked when she made to leave.
“What?”
“Why didn’t you use the video? It was sent to your company. Didn’t you get it?” Ethan asked, trying to read the woman who had suddenly become an enigma before him.
“What video?” June asked with a small smirk.
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I am talking about.” Ethan stepped closer to her, “I gave you a bullet and you refused to pull the trigger.”
“Why? Why must I carry out your dirty work? Are you that scared of your wife?”
Ethan felt like he’d been slapped. “I gave you an opportunity to vent your anger at April for taking me away from you. But you refused to make good use of it.”
June shrugged, “I don’t remember asking for help with anything Ethan. Do not overrate yourself. The tiff between April and I has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh really?” Ethan smirked, placing his hands in his pockets. “Tell me then, what is it about? Because you only became so hostile towards us when you realised she was pregnant with my baby.”
“Am I wrong?”
June could count the many ways he was wrong but remained quiet.
“Today, April will be placed in prison. I will have her return everything she took and make things right.” He reached for her. “We can be together again.”
June withdrew her hand. “In your dreams.”
With that, she walked out of his presence and entered the courtroom, leaving him looking like a fool. Soon enough, the process started. As soon as April came up the stand, June could tell that something was wrong.
She soon found out the reason when April’s lawyer came up with a smug look after April’s allegations were made. Just when they thought they had everything in the bag, the lawyer stunned the court by presenting the nurse to the court.
Lucy stood up, unable to help herself. “You! You killed him!” Her outburst at the sight of the fair nurse being led to the stands drove the attention of the people who couldn’t believe their eyes.
It was the nurse whom they had been searching for! Bound in cuffs and led in by the police. April’s lawyer was swift in action as he probed the lady.
“Can you please tell the court your name?”
“Sandra.”
“Surname please.”
“Sandra Malroy.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I am a nurse.”
Gasps ensued around the court. The video of Lucy’s father’s murder was slotted in and played.
“Do you recognise the person in this video?”
A brief silence. “Yes, I do.”
“Do you accept to be the person who carried out the murder of Mr Garfield in his hospital room on the fifth of September?”
The silence was loud. Everyone waited anxiously for the woman to speak.
“Yes, I am.”
“How dare you?!” Lucy shot up from her seat, this time headed towards the stand. Some security officers stopped her. “Let me go! Let me at her!”
“Enough.” The judge said in a firm tone, restoring silence to the place.
“My Lord. This lady was arrested in the early hours of the day, trying to cross the border. A total of three hundred thousand dollars were recovered from her in cash.” April’s lawyer stated.
“We also have footage of her admitting to the killing of both Mr Garfield and Mr Gary Lontoc. According to our findings, Ethan Lontoc had paid this woman to kill Mr. Garfield after his wife, April Lontoc, amassed the position of the highest shareholder of his company.”
“Ethan Lontoc who had been at odds with his father for the longest time also contributed to his death. The older Lontoc had fallen ill due to the shock of his son losing his shares to his wife.”
“The late Mr Gary had been abandoned in his time of need by his son and wife who refused to cater and provide proper care for him. This fact is attested by the maidens who live in the Lontoc Family house.” The lawyer stated. “All evidence of this man’s crimes and how he expertly framed his wife is enclosed in this document.”
June watched with her mouth ajar as the judge’s face grew cold at one look at the paper presented. Unknown to the court, it was a picture of his daughter who had been kidnapped and a note ordering him to sentence Ethan Lontoc to jail.
“Arrest him!”
The tables turned and April walked out of the stand scott-free while Ethan was sentenced to life imprisonment alongside the nurse who was discovered. Everything happened so fast, that June could barely understand.
Ethan struggled against the hold of the police as they took him out of the court. “This is a set-up! I did nothing wrong! Let me go!”