Temptation

Chapter 42

The cell was colder than I had imagined, the blankets provided were as useful as a bucket with a hole in the bottom, the navy blue jumpsuit was all the fashion inside these stone cold walls. My cell mates were weirdly welcoming and in the three months I had spent here, I had so far managed to stay out of any real trouble.

I had been here for just over 12 weeks and yet to have one visitor. I would have at expected Emma at least to have the decency to come and see me to apologise at least. I know I was to blame for the majority of this but I knew she had a heart of gold deep down and after years of marriage, I would have expected one face to face visit, if nothing but for closure.

You have all the time in the world to think in here and my mind was constantly in battle with my heart not to keep imagining David now playing my part as Dad, building a new life for them with my own money. Not only had he taken my wife - to who he was now more than welcome to but it killed me knowing that Zack and Izzy were now surrounded by nasty, manipulative people and the fact that Emma clearly knew this but still put my children in this new life, angered and scared me at the same time.

What life would they live now? Surrounded by con artists and money grabbers who will do anything they can in their power to get their own way?

How different are they going to grown up now? How different would their lives have been if this never happened?

Are they going to grow up to be just like their new family?

I had so many unanswered questions and it was highly likely that I would never be able to find out.

A tear began to fall down my cheek as my name was called from behind the iron door.

"Joseph Romano? Time for court, my friend."

This was it. The day of reckoning, the day I find out my sentence. Kevin's body had been found washed up further down the river by a man walking his dog. I knew my fate was now completely out of my hands.

I didn't fight the charge of murder, I didn't see the point. The evidence against me was pretty concrete, not even a great escape artist could get out of this. The video evidence showed me pretty clearly pushing him from the edge.

My lawyer was against me pleading guilty at the original hearing and told me to attempt to go down the path of Kevin slipping but after review of the evidence supplied by Lyn was pretty damning. There was no way out.

After speaking with my lawyer and explaining that I didn't want to fight the charge, he explained that pleading guilty may help reduce my sentence slightly but it was not guaranteed and would be up to the judge to decide.

I didn't want a trail, I didn't want all of my dirty laundry out in the public for my children to hear and read about when they were older. It was the only way I could now protect them without being able to do it physically anymore.

I had accepted my fate and willing to accept whatever sentence was thrown my way.

"Come on Romano, we haven't got all day!"

The prison officer was clearly becoming agitated with my stalling, eventually I found my feet and walked towards him with my hands out for the now familiar cold metal being placed around my wrists. If I was to spend the rest of my life in here, the last people I need to make enemies with were the PO's, they could save my life one day so need them on my side.

Once I was handcuffed, I was led through the prison and into the back of a van on what could be one of the final trips on the outside world until I take my final breath.

Here we go...

~~~

As I stepped into the box, ready to accept my fate. My nostrils filled with the scent of musk and wood. The old courtroom certainly had its own aroma. The dark wood hardly inviting in itself, this courtroom needed an update but something about my surroundings made me feel uncomfortable and I guess that's the vibe they want to give off in places like this.

As my eyes searched the room for a familiar face, it soon dawned on me that I was on my own, no support. No love.

The judge entered the court room, he looked like a friendly old man. I thought perhaps a nice smile in his direction would hopefully mean he'd show me some sort of mercy and let him see I was just an ordinary run of the mill man, who made one mistake in life and didn't deserve the harshest of sentencing.

Needless to say, the smile was not returned. He looked at my like I was a piece of dogshit on his shiny, new shoes. As we rose to our feet as he walked in, he instantly read out the case number and called my name, not allowing me the opportunity to sit back down.

"Mr Romano, on the charge against you for the murder of Mr Kevin Gallagher, how do you plead?"

At that very moment, the huge oak doors into the courtroom, slowly opened and my eyes fell on the familiar face that was sneaking in slowly through the door. Apologising quietly to the security guard beside the entrance.

Emma.

Her eyes looked full of sorrow as she met my eyes from a distance. She looked upset, was she coming to save me?

"Mr Romano? How do you plead?"

I shook my head clear from Emma's direction and turned my attention to the now agitated old man to the left of me.

"Guilty."

A lump in my throat formed as Emma began to cry, her sadness clear for everyone in the room to see.

"Very well, Mr Romano. I won't keep you waiting for my verdict."

This was it.

"After seeing the evidence put before me and the heinous crime you committed in taking another human life with your own hands and of consequence of your own actions. I have no option but to sentence you to life imprisonment set to a minimum of 20 years, however, you will be eligible for parole in 13 years.

My stomach sank lower than it ever had before. 13 years at least! How the fuck am I going to survive?

Emma let out a squeal of emotion, sobbing into her hands. "I'm sorry, Joe!!" She shouted before running from the courtroom just before I was led away walking into my new life as a convicted murderer.

Those prison walls were now home for the next 13 years, at least...

***

So, did the time fit the crime?

Joe was about to spend the next 13 years behind bars with no action or consequence coming in anybody else's direction.

Is the punishment too harsh on Joe?