CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The courtroom held an eerie silence as Shirley Quackenbush slowly stood up to address the jury. The parents of the gang of girls who lost their lives in the gym fire all looked away as if guilty consciences plagued them over what they knew had befallen Tegwen that fateful day. Seldom during the trial had they been able to make eye contact with either Tegwen or Giffen. Under the stress of knowing what the day could hold for them, those parents could barely find the strength to pick their gazes up from the floor, let alone lock eyes with any of the Dodgers family members, or even their own lawyer. That day, though, Tegwen held her head high. She knew she would be getting whatever she deserved, and though she knew that it meant a lifetime in prison or even the death penalty, she would no longer have to deal with her own feelings of guilt over the death of her bullies.

"First off," Shirley said, clearing her throat. "I want to remind the jury that they shouldn't let looks deceive them."

Tegwen glanced over at the jury. A few of the jurors began frowning.

"This innocent little chick is as dangerous as any felon, any serial killer . . . Don't discount her criminal tendencies just because she can bat those long eyelashes of hers. I also remind you that there have been some beautiful but deadly criminals. Bunny and Clod, for instance. Bunny was a raving beauty and all her victims trusted her, as those five poor girls undoubtedly did with Miss Dodgers."

Many more jurors were fidgeting, looking fairly unhappy. Tegwen sought her ruby charm for repose. I deserve this, I do . . . Tegwen smiled, trying to ignore the terrible things Shirley was saying about her. She knew none of it was true. Yes, the fire had killed the girls. But they did bring it upon themselves . . . And it was an accident . . . I couldn't stop it . . .

"And hens and mallards of the jury, I point out that she was in the gym unsupervised. A minor. It is against the law for minors to go unsupervised on school grounds. And really, who are you going to trust? An unbiased third party simply searching for justice and vindication or the defendant's own father?"

What?! Tegwen glanced at Giffen, thoroughly startled. She should have been appalled by the last statement, but instead she focused on Shirley's first statement. "I didn't know there was a curfew during the daylight hours," she whispered to him.

Giffen shook his head, shushing her as Judge Dobbs slammed his gavel down upon a block of wood on his desk. Half the jury jumped in their seats.

"Your Honor, I object," Giffen said, standing up quickly. "Curfew law has nothing to do with this case or the evidence at hand."

Judge Dobbs nodded at him grimly. "Closing arguments, Mr. Dodgers. Wait your turn." He turned to the other lawyer. "As for you, I am to be the judge of the law. You are merely to share the facts with the jury. If you slip again, you will be held in contempt of the court."

"Yessir." Shirley shrank back a bit.

Judge Dobbs frowned at the way Shirley had chosen to address him. "Continue," he said, setting his gavel back on the table on its side.

"All that remains to be told," continued Shirley just loud enough for the court to hear, "is that five girls of six were dead in that gym. And somehow one lived, and not only did she live, but there was not one charred feather on her body. If that doesn't indicate Miss Dodgers' role in the destruction of school property and the deaths of five innocent girls, then may God have mercy on our souls."



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