Chapter 9 - The Final Verdict
The court case had finally reached its conclusion.
Patricia’s defense team had tried every tactic in the book. They claimed she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis, that she had been driven insane by the grief of losing her best friend, and that I had coerced her into a confession. They even tried to argue that the thallium belonged to Emily, claiming she had been trying to poison Patricia first.
But the evidence was too overwhelming.
The jury had taken less than two hours to return a verdict.
"Guilty on all counts," Vance said through the receiver, his voice carrying a sense of profound closure. "First-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder of a minor, child abuse, and financial fraud. The judge didn't hold back, David. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole."
I leaned against the kitchen window, watching my children play on the floor. The sun was beginning to set over the Atlantic, casting a warm, golden glow across the room.
"Did she say anything?" I asked quietly.
"Before they led her away, she looked at the gallery," Vance said. "She was looking for you. But when she saw you weren't there, she just smiled. She’s a sociopath, David. She’ll never feel remorse. But she’s behind concrete walls now. She can never hurt your family again."
"Thank you, Marcus," I said. "For everything."
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"Take care of those kids, David. You did good."
I hung up the phone, a deep, peaceful breath filling my lungs for the first time in over a year. The shadow of Patricia was finally gone, locked away in a dark corner of the world where she could never reach us.
