Chapter 12 - Guilty
The jury deliberated for seven hours.
Daniel spent most of that time outside.
He walked around the courthouse plaza with Michael.
Rosalie stayed home with Lily.
"I thought I'd feel something," Daniel said.
"You do."
"What?"
"You're tired."
Daniel laughed once.
"That's not the emotion I expected."
Michael looked at him.
"Justice isn't always exciting."
At 4:18 p.m., Megan called.
"Come back."
The courtroom filled.
Nora stood.
The clerk read the first count.
Guilty.
Then another.
Guilty.
Conspiracy.
Guilty.
Attempted murder of Daniel Carter.
Guilty.
Murder of Emily Carter.
Guilty.
Fraud-related charges.
Guilty on most.
Nora's shoulders finally dropped.
Daniel didn't smile.
Vanessa later received a substantial prison sentence for conspiracy and financial crimes.
Her plea spared her the maximum exposure, but not accountability.
Brent received a shorter sentence because of cooperation, along with restitution and years of supervision.
Nora received life imprisonment with parole eligibility only after decades, plus additional consecutive time for Daniel's attempted murder and related offenses.
At sentencing, the judge asked Daniel if he wished to speak.
He stood.
For weeks, he'd written drafts.
Angry ones.
Beautiful ones.
Long ones.
He used none.
He looked at Nora.
"You took Emily from Lily."
Nora stared straight ahead.
"You tried to take me too."
Daniel's voice tightened.
"You treated my daughter like an account number."
Then he looked toward the judge.
"But Lily is not what Nora did to her."
He paused.
"She is not a victim Nora gets to own forever."
Nora finally looked up.
Daniel met her eyes.
"My daughter saved my life."
Silence filled the room.
"That's what I want remembered."
He sat down.
Nora was taken away.
Outside, reporters waited.
Daniel walked past them.
No statement.
No revenge speech.
No victory lap.
Michael drove him home.
When Daniel opened the front door, Lily ran toward him.
"Daddy!"
He lifted her.
She touched his face.
"Nora gone?"
Daniel kissed her forehead.
"Yes."
Lily thought for a moment.
"Tea safe?"
Daniel almost cried.
"Yeah, sweetheart."
Then he carried her into the kitchen.
Rosalie had placed three cups on the table.
Water for Lily.
Coffee for Daniel.
Tea for herself.
Lily stared at Daniel's cup.
Daniel picked it up.
Took a sip.
Smiled.
"Safe."
May you like
Lily smiled back.
And for the first time since that afternoon, she didn't reach for the cup.
