Special Needs

Chapter 73: The Trial, Part 6

"Anne Styles is still alive."

As the words left Clive's lips, my focus was trained solely on Theodore. His face went from looking like that of a ghost to one of absolute fury.

"That is a lie!" Theodore screamed. "How dare you desecrate my family's memory!"

"Thank you," Nathan nodded towards Clive as the rest of the courtroom erupted in a cacophony of shouts and accusations. Clive stepped down and came back to sit with us. I couldn't resist giving him a small high five.

The judge pounded his gavel on his desk and shouted, "Order. There will be order in my courtoom!"

I noticed that the bailiff had stepped closer to Theodore as it looked like he was ready to lunge at Clive as he walked by.

The crowd grew silent while the judge spoke pointedly to Nathan. "Mr. Greenwood, you have caused chaos in my courtroom more than one time. If your next witness isn't Anne Styles Blake herself, you are going to prison for contempt."

Nathan nodded, keeping his cool in the face of such a heavy threat. It was because he knew he had the pièce de résistancewaiting in another room.

"Your honor, although I know we haven't enough time for questions today, I'd like to call my next witness, Anne Styles Blake."

The courtroom doors opened and Anne walked in, escorted by another guard. She avoided eye contact with Theodore until she took the stand. And then she gave him a glare that I can only describe as murderous. Theodore meanwhile, slumped in his seat and looked rather gray in color. Eventually, he leaned over his knees, his hair falling around falling forward as he looked at the floor.

"Bailiff, please get some water for Mr. Blake," the judge requested. The bailiff left while another guard took his place to make sure Theodore didn't get out of hand.

Nathan spoke to Anne, "Please state your full name for the court."

"Anne Elizabeth Styles Blake," she said and I grinned at her, even though she wasn't looking at me.

"And what is your relationship to Harry Edward Styles?"

"I'm his mother."

Again the people in the courtroom became noisy and rambunctious but it wasn't really Nathan's fault this time. Judge Stoneridge clearly understood everyone's shock and amazement at this turn of events. He called the court back to order once again and then said, "Defense, were you aware of this witness?"

Samuel Klinefeld stood shakily and spoke, "No, sir. We had no idea." His voice was failing; perhaps he was only then realizing what a scumbag he'd chosen to represent. "Your honor, I'd like to request a continuance."

The judge looked at Nathan and Anne and then at the rest of us. "It looks like I have no choice in the matter. I hereby grant a continuance to Theodore Michael Blake and his counsel. Mr. Blake will be held in custody until this session reconvenes in one week's time."

Nathan had warned us that might happen because it's a legal right of the opposing party to know what they're up against. Even if they are scumbags. Still, he wanted the element of surprise to be a factor within the courtroom so that the jury could see how Theodore reacted to Anne's presence. Clearly, it left almost everyone bewildered.

So it was back into hiding for the lot of us since Theodore was angrier than ever. Police were still discovering new people who were linked to his crimes but they were starting to believe they had found just about everyone. Even so, our situation warranted police protection which was a relief to all of us, even though we were getting very tired of being crammed into hotel rooms and not allowed to go anywhere without an officer escorting us. Once again, we were forbidden from using social media and we were not allowed to send any kind of outgoing communication and we were commanded to not divulge any information of the trial to anyone outside of our immediate group - Clive, Anne, my parents, Harry and myself. And of course, our lawyer.