Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Dirk nodded to the judge and rested his case. He sat down next to Cynthia and took her shaking hand in his. He nodded subtly at the jury, who all focused on Cynthia and that symbolic cookie sitting in front of her.
She didn’t know what the prosecutor said in her rebuttal. Cynthia’s mind focused only on the hope Dirk’s words provided. Was it possible that they would find her not guilty?
The rustling of the jury as they stood and filed from the room drew her from her thoughts as Dirk urged her to her feet. She looked around in bewilderment. Her Daddy squeezed her hand to reassure her.
“Is it over?” she whispered.
“Now we wait as the jury deliberates. A quick decision indicates that the group agrees unanimously with one side.”
“And if they don’t?”
“It will be up to them to come to a consensus by talking through the evidence and the charges.”
“You used our cookies in your argument. What if I’d wanted to make a spinach souffle?” she said, trying to lighten the tension.
“That wouldn’t have been as convincing,” he said with a laugh.
Two hours later, they received the notice that the jury had reached its conclusion. Cynthia stood by Dirk’s side. She turned to study his handsome profile, memorizing the picture of him in his element. She wanted to remember everything.
“Has the jury reached a verdict?” the judge addressed the jury foreperson.
“We have.”
The foreperson raised a sheet of paper and read, “In the charge of accessing a computer to defraud and obtain value, the defendant is found to be not guilty. In the charge of intentionally damaging by knowing transmission, the defendant is found to be not guilty. In the charge of recklessly damaging by intentional access, the defendant is found to be not guilty.”
Cynthia turned to look at Dirk. Her death grip on his hand lessened slightly. She whispered, “Not guilty?”
“Not guilty on all charges,” he clarified.
“The jury has found the defendant, Cynthia Grant, not guilty on all charges,” the judge announced. He focused directly on Cynthia. “May I suggest you rely on the man at your side and your friends behind you from now on? It appears that you are not as alone as you once thought.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” she whispered incredulously.
The judge rapped his gavel, ending the trial. Immediately, Dirk swept Cynthia into his arms and twirled her around in a celebratory circle that made her head swim. The Edgewater employees cheered their support as they rushed forward to congratulate her.
Dirk disappeared from her side as she thanked her former colleagues for being there. Worried that something was wrong, she looked around the courtroom. As she watched, he shook hands and spoke with every juror. Even from a distance, she could see them respond positively.
“Cynthia.” Easton Edgewater’s deep voice pulled her attention back to the celebration.
“Yes, sir. Thank you for coming to support me.”
“That’s what the Edgewater family does. They take care of each other. Suddenly, I think we need a cookie of the day to go along with the featured soup in the cafeteria. Do you think you could add that to your workload?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“I have my job back?” she forced through lips that suddenly felt numb.
“Next week, I want to see you hard at work in the cafeteria. We’ve missed you,” he answered. “I would prefer you don’t work on the computers, though.”
“Never!” she promised.
An arm wrapped around her waist, and she looked up into that handsome face she loved. “I get to go back to work.”
“It’s about time,” Dirk told her. “I’m tired of hearing people whine about missing your food. Let’s get out of here, sweetheart.”
Cynthia nodded. She’d had enough of courtrooms for the rest of her life. They made one quick stop to have the ankle bracelet removed from her leg. It was funny how much lighter she felt with it gone. Only weighing in at a half-pound, it shouldn’t have been noticeable, but Cynthia allowed herself to celebrate its disappearance by skipping happily at his side as they left the courthouse.
Once buckled into the passenger seat of her Daddy’s luxurious sedan, she twisted to study him. From the first moment she’d seen him, illuminated by the spill of light from the basement entrance of his house, he had captivated her. Not just because he was handsome and well-dressed, but because of his quick mind and caring attitude. He could have left her alone under his deck in the rain. But he hadn’t.
“Why did you let me into your house that first evening?” she asked.
“I couldn’t leave you outside in the rain,” he deflected the question.
“Of course you could have. Many others would have. What made you decide to help me?”
“I opened the door because I’d promised my oldest friend that I would try to help. I decided I needed to help from the first look into your eyes when you emerged from the shadows.”