It had been roughly three weeks since Lailah was murdered and I was charged with her death. Since then, I had been held in a prison cell until my trial date, while Wayne and his team attempted to track down Jacob with the little information that they had. From the looks of it, their search hasn't been very successful.
I laid down on the stiff jail mattress, sunlight creeping through the heavily barred window, as I awaited for the arrival of Wayne. Tomorrow was my court date, but prior to facing the stand, Wayne had arranged to visit me to discuss the details of the search. I wasn't entirely nervous about my trial tomorrow; I knew Wayne was doing everything in his power to ensure that I would not be convicted.
My mind was honestly more focused on Jacob. When the time comes to where we are face to face once again, he will suffer the most brutal beating, until my arms grow weary and I can no longer see out of my teary eyes. He will receive no mercy, no sympathy, for he showed Lailah none of these qualities.
A loud buzzer sounded, signaling that my cell door was opening. The noise disrupted me from my deep thought, and I sat up on the bed.
"Chresanto August, you have a visitor here to see you," the female guard said. She locked the handcuffs around my wrists and escorted me to the visiting area. I saw Wayne sitting there, waiting for me; the look on his face was blank and stiff and I felt worried as I sat down.
"We have not been able to find him." He blurted out his sentence almost as if he was ashamed. He should be. His daughter has been murdered by a psychopath and he has yet to locate and arrest the man responsible.
"On the other hand, I have hired a lawyer to take your case, one of the best attorneys in the country. She hasn't lost a case yet and she won't start today. I promise you, today will be your last day here. And with your help, we will be able to take that bastard down." I looked at Wayne, anger slowly pumping through my veins.
"You should be more dedicated and focused on finding that bitch, then trying to get me out of jail. But that's perfectly fine, because when I'm released today, I won't sleep until he's dead or behind bars for the rest of his miserable life." I stood, and the guard rushed to my side and took me back to my cell. I couldn't believe how long it was taking Wayne and the state to find Jacob. They were toying with the situation, but this isn't a game.
Lailah will be avenged, even if I have to die trying.
Before the court hearing, I was to meet with my new attorney to discuss the matters of the case. I had to inform her of the story, and not leave out a single detail.
She was waiting for me in a private meeting room. Two guards stood outside of the door, and my hands remained handcuffed.
"Good day, Mr. August." She spoke with a smile.
"Good day, ma'am." I replied.
"I know that I have little information on the case and it's contents, so that is why I need you to inform me of every event, every detail, don't skip a single thing." She clicked her pen and held it close to her opened notepad, prepared to write the treacherous story I was about to tell her.
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The court room was filled with many faces at the moment. Some familiar, and some unfamiliar. I saw some of my friends, college roommates, high school buddies, Lailah's family, and most importantly, my family. My mother and sister were standing in the row directly behind me, their eyes burning with tears. Lailah's mother looked exactly the same, as Wayne and Lailah's older sister stood beside her and comforted her.
A jury was seated to my left, my lawyer, Christian Hernandez, stood to my right. The judge stood before everyone, almost like he was a God. He was a older Caucasian man, who had thinning gray hair, and wore thin glasses. I closed my eyes and said a short prayer, hoping that the odds were in my favor.
