Mountain of Lies

Chapter 15

18 months later

"All rise."

She shot out of her seat like a jack-in-the-box, and her attorney had to take her arm to stop her toppling face first onto the table.

The judge flared out his robes and lowered himself to his seat. He opened the file in front of him and shuffled the pages before flipping it closed and folding his hands over the top. Mia shifted her weight to stop the heel of her shoe rapping on the marble floor.

"Miss Blackmore. Your actions on the evening of June 20th, 2008, contributed to the death of a man. You were reckless and should have foreseen the possible consequences of your actions. Part of the blame for his death is correctly laid at your feet."

Mia's stomach clenched and she steadied herself on the table as her knees weakened.

"However, you were also young, naïve, and were taken advantage of by a psychopath now known to be one of the worst serial murderers in the history of this town. You and your family have lived under the threat of his retribution for years. The identification of this individual, the triumph of justice in his capture, and the closure provided for the families of his victims, are also your doing. Therefore, it is the judgement of this court, that you are hereby sentenced to one day's custody, deferred." He leaned over the bench. "Miss Blackmore, you have suffered enough. Go and live your life."

The gallery erupted in cheers and Mia collapsed briefly into her attorney's hug. He set her upright and nodded at the two people waiting for her just behind the wooden gate. She rushed over, then came to a dead stop as a sheriff stepped in front of her. Had it been a mistake? Was he going to pull out handcuffs and take her away? He smiled and swung open the latch, and she was suddenly in Hudson's arms, and then her mother's.

"I can't believe it's over. I just want to get out of here." Her words were half sobbed, but her mother just hugged her tighter and then pulled a tissue from her sleeve and mopped at Mia's face.

"Well, we can't leave just yet," she said, with a sly smile at Hudson.

"What? Why not? "

Hudson put his hand in the small of her back and nudged her toward the door after her mother. "It'll just take a minute, and then we can go."

She blew upward to fan the hair out of her face and let Hudson lead her into a smaller courtroom just down the hall.

A door set in the back wall opened and the judge from her trial walked in. His face split in a smile as he reached out to take her hand. "Now, this courtroom I'm absolutely delighted to see you in, my dear." He turned to Hudson. "Are we ready?"

"Not quite yet, Your Honour."

He leaned out into the hallway and whistled, then held open the door. She heard the familiar patter of paws on floor, and then Neville charged into the room with a bouquet of flowers in his mouth and a bow tie around his neck. Mitch followed a second later.

Hudson bent to take the flowers from Neville, and when he straightened up he was holding a ring, the perfect match to the engagement ring he'd insisted she help pick out on their first actual date.

"Will you, Mia? You wouldn't let me talk about the wedding until the case was over, but I don't want to wait another minute. Will you marry me?"

Her legs were wobbly again, but Hudson's arms were all the support she needed. "Of course I will," she whispered against his lips.

And then it was just her and Hudson and his mouth, warm and gentle on hers, and somewhere in the distance, the bemused voice of the judge, asking, "Is that a wolf?"