The Kim Austin Series 🔥🧨💥

The Trial of Terri Roberts

The Kim Austin Series

By: Karlee England

Chapter 108

P.O.V/ Kim Stevens:

One Month later..

It's been a month since Terri was arrested. They have denied a bond because she's been charged with the murder of a cop. Don, Kay, and Kelvin have been fighting to get her out of this. But the police believe she killed Hobbs, and we know she didn't. We watched Kelly shoot him, but we couldn't tell the truth without exposing our powers because of what Hobbs saw when he ran into the compound. Kelly had stolen Terri's Ruger GP100, which she had reported missing that month. Since her arrest, we've all been on edge because Terri is facing life in prison or, worse the death penalty. I haven't stopped crying since they took her away. Seeing Sam and Riley cry for her while she was arrested was heartbreaking. Detective Bridges found the gun behind the steering column panel located under the steering wheel. Terri said she didn't put that there, but Detective Bridges didn't believe her. They searched Terri and Don's house after the cars and found Hobbs's wallet and cell phone hidden in the ceiling tiles of Terri's closet, along with a digital receipt where Hobbs's car was sold to a local Auto shop. Terri's fingerprints are on the gun and the bullets, even the one pulled out of Hobbs. With all of this evidence plus the body, the police believe they found the killer, but they are wrong. Terri is innocent, and we will prove that one way or another. The evidence was either planted by Kelly, or she had someone else plant it. Jesse isn't herself; she has been acting out lately. She's late to classes and falling behind on her grades. She's been going out and partying late, even on school nights, and sleeping late on the weekends, leaving Brandon, Bryce, or Don to care for Sam and Riley. Last week, Brandon went out looking for her one night and found her up on Sharp's Ridge getting drunk with kids from her school. Brianna and her friends were there. Brandon got upset and confronted Jesse, but she was drunk and did not want to listen. He brought her back to her house, where she and Don argued. He grounded her and took away her car keys. Jesse got mad at Brandon because she said he had ratted her out, but Brandon did the right thing and acted like a grown-up. Jesse refuses to listen to anyone. She won't listen to Me, Jane, Shana, Mom, Debby, or Kay. Terri is the only one who can fix this, but she's in jail. Jesse would listen to her, and she's not here, which is hard for all of us, especially Jesse. She and Terri are so close. Terri is Jesse's best friend, and to have your Mom also be your best friend is amazing. I wish I felt that with mine. Don't get me wrong, I love my Mom, but we butt heads because she's hard-headed. Mom also has her opinions about people being gay, and that's fine for her to have opinions and express them, but when you express them negatively, people get upset. Kay has started smoking again. She had quit thirty-six years ago, and with Terri's arrest, she started back up from the stress. The case has gone to trial, and it started Friday, May 17. Today is Monday, May 20, 1996; it's the second day of the trial. It starts at 8:30 am and ends at 3:00 pm. I'm leaving work at noon to go to the courthouse. I'm at my desk working. As I type on the keyboard, I look at the picture next to the one of me, Carly, and Kyle. It's an old picture of me and Terri. The year is 1970; I'm two years old, sitting on Terri's lap. As we sit on the floor, we smile for the camera. She's fifteen years old in the picture. I smile at the picture. I don't remember it being taken because I was two. I feel my eyes tear up, and I pull a tissue out of the box to the left of the computer screen. I dry my eyes and then toss the tissue into the small trashcan beside my desk. I save the document, close it out, and then turn off the computer. I stand up, pushing the chair in. I hear footsteps, and I look at Dakota and K.J. standing there. They see my face. Dakota hugs me and holds me, and I cry softly. K.J. hugged me next, then said, " I can't believe this is happening.. Terri doesn't deserve this."... I said as tears fell from my eyes " No, she doesn't.." Dakota said, " She's gonna get out of this.. the court will find out the truth". I said as I cried, " I'm so scared, you guys... Everything has changed so fast in the past month.. Jesse is not herself right now. She is so lost without Terri".. Dakota said, " She's acting out.. it will stop.. someone just has to talk some sense into her". I said as I cried, " We've all tried.. she won't listen to nobody. She won't even listen to Don or Kay.. and she has started smoking again after quitting years ago". I look at my watch, and it says 11:35 am. I said, " I have to get to the courthouse to listen to the rest of the trial". Dakota said, " We'll be right behind you." I got my shoulder bag off the floor beside my desk. I wave at them as I walk across the office and down the stairs to the doors. I walk out and down the sidewalk to the side parking lot. I drove my car down the street to the courthouse, five minutes away. It's down the street from Kelly's building. The Apex Finance skyscraper is in the same area where the café is located in the courtyard of the skyscraper. It's on the side with the café located a little ways back. It sits right next to the skyscraper to the left, with the courtyard in front of the café. I pulled up to a parking lot around the corner from the courthouse. I paid the man in the booth and found a spot to park my car. This is next to that old theater that I went to in 1987 with Mom, Kelly, Terri, and Jane when David was killed at Kelly's house because of an explosion. The theater is still run down and abandoned. After shutting off my car, I got out and walked across the parking lot to the sidewalk, where I followed it to a crosswalk passing the old courthouse with two cannons out front, the sidewalk leads to the front of the new courthouse with two revolving doors. As I walk to the front, There are two walk-through metal detectors to the left and the right, with cops standing next to them. The male cop to the right motions for me to walk up. I walk up, and he says, " Please empty your pockets and place them into the basket." I pull out my keys, cell phone, beeper, and a pack of 25 cent Winter fresh gum. I place those into the basket and walk through the metal detector. The cop stands next to a white fold-out table with my stuff in a small basket. I get my stuff out, turn my cell phone, and beeper on silent, and then I make my way to the room. As I walk up to two tall wooden doors, I see a cop standing outside. I open the door to the left and walk inside. To the left is Terri's side, where I see her sitting up front at a wooden table next to her lawyer. She's wearing her Ray-Ban glasses, black metal frames they are rectangular shaped lens, a grey blazer jacket, a white blouse, black dress pants, and black low heels with her hair down. Behind them are benches where her friends and family are sitting. I walk down and take a seat next to Jane and Jason. To the right are Hobbs' family and friends. I see Detective Bridges sitting on the bench behind his aunt and uncle his parents passed away years ago. She gives me a smirk that makes me want to run over there and deck her, but I can't. The District Attorney representing Hobbs is up front, and he is hired by his family to prosecute Terri. They present the case as Terri's lawyer, Gideon Becker, argues with District Attorney Troy Flemming. Gideon says, " My client owned the gun! That's why her fingerprints were all over it! And she reported it missing months ago!" Troy says," Mrs. Roberts's fingerprints were on the 357 bullet removed from the body! It's such a coincidence that she reported the gun missing that month!" Judge Dennis Carter says " Lower your voice Mr. Flemming!" Gideon says " Judge Carter if I may?" Judge Carter says " Proceed". Gideon says, " Mrs. Roberts reported the gun missing October 1st". Troy says, " Do you have any proof of that? Or is that just what Mrs. Roberts told you?" Gideon is at a loss for words. Judge Carter says, " Mr. Becker, do you have paperwork from the report?" Gideon says, " No, your honor, the paperwork seems to be missing.. Mrs. Roberts went to the Police station and reported it missing that day". Judge Carter says, " Let's hold off on that report until you find it.. move on to the next item". They argued about that until about 1:30 pm until the Judge called for a twenty minute break we returned to the room at 1:50 pm where they continued; Troy says, " Mr. Hobbs's wallet, cellphone, and a digital receipt were discovered in Mrs. Roberts's closet hidden in the ceiling tiles." The Judge motions for him to walk up to the bench. Troy hands the receipt to the clerk, and she hands it to the Judge. He picks up his glasses and puts them on to read the receipt. He hands it back to the clerk, and she hands it to Troy. He walks back to his table, and the Judge says to Gideon, " This receipt is dated Tuesday, October 31, 1995, Where was Mrs. Roberts this day?" Gideon says, " She was at Peterson Hospital, where she worked as an RN nineteen years." Troy says " Your honor I object.. here on the receipt it says 12:20 pm and according to Mrs. Roberts's timestamp that day from the hospital it says she clocked out for lunch at 12:00 pm for a 30 minute lunch break that gives her enough time to go get the car and drive it to the Auto shop to sell it". Gideon says " Your honor I object! Mrs. Roberts couldn't have left the hospital during her lunch break... if there is an emergency and the other RNs needed her help, she would have to be available to them to help no matter if she was on a break or not!" Troy says " She could have easily asked someone to cover for her and leave the hospital!" This went on for another hour as they argue back and forth until The Judge interrupts " Okay that's enough for today we will continue tomorrow at 8:30 am.. is there anything else?" Gideon and Troy say " Nothing from me your honor." The Judge says " Court is adjourned." then taps the gavel. The Clerk stands up and says " All rise." Everyone, including the Judge, stands up and exits the courtroom. I look back and see a cop escorting Terri to a side door where a Deputy is waiting to take her back to the detention facility.