Suspense Stories

Homicide: Part 2

Trembling, the witness impatiently fidgeted where he sat. The break seemed to go on forever, at least from his perspective. The jury had been deliberating for over an hour, and everyone was anxious for the results. He took a deep breath, squinting in the afternoon sun. He was glad to be out of that stuffy room at first, but now all the cool breeze did was make him more anxious to get back in the building. Looking over at where Black was sitting, he noticed with surprise that the giant man seemed on edge, almost fearful. But, then again, he was a great actor. Accidentally keeping his gaze on Black for too long, the man met his curious stare with his own. The witness watched as his features contorted with anger. The cuffs attached to Black's wrists rattled as he roughly jerked himself forward.

"You think you're so smart, don't you little man?" His low, guttural voice grated on the witness' ears. "I've gotten out of scrapes before and I'll do it again. You won't put me in jail for this!" The guards on either side of him quickly hauled him back against his seat. Never breaking eye contact, Black spat on the ground.

Unshaken by this incident, the witness was surprised to feel nothing but calm. Their solid case against Black had settled his nerves, and he was sure of the verdict the jury would give.

Deaf to the sounds of Black muttering about his innocence, the witness was only wishing that the time would come to walk back to the courtroom. His wish was soon granted, in the form of the prosecuting attorney tapping him on the shoulder and gesturing toward the doors. Everyone rose from their seats and filed silently into the grey, stone building.

The witness began to feel his inner peace deteriorating as he walked through the tall doors. Uneasiness began to spread throughout his body, and despite his efforts to quiet his mind, his fear only grew.

There is absolutely no way this can go wrong, he thought to himself. With all this evidence against him? An easy conviction.

Still, he began to feel his hands sweat and his eye twitch. He accepted that he would not be able to rest until the verdict had been revealed. Standing up from his chair with the rest of the room, he swallowed hard as the judge took his position.

"The jury has reached a verdict."

The witness closed his eyes.

"Aaron Black had been determined guilty of all charges, and will serve life in prison for serial murder."

The witness felt his entire body relax, a feeling of weariness and relief washing over him. It was done! After six months, the killer had been found.   He hurried over to the lawyer, eager to give his congratulations on winning the case. But before he could take a step, a loud noise behind him stopped him in his tracks. Turning around, he saw Black, red with rage, shouldering a police officer out of the way. Locking eyes with the witness, he lunged toward him, hands still cuffed at the wrists.

"You! You did this to me!" The witness recoiled in surprise, fearful at the insanity engulfing Black's countenance. The hulking man was roughly yanked backward by three officers. As they began to drag Black out of the room, he struggled against them.

"I'm innocent, innocent I tell you! I was going to save her! She didn't have to die, I could have saved her! It was the only way inside-" he broke off, fighting the guards furiously.

"The door was locked, I tell you! I could have saved her, but she was dead when I got there, you hear me? Already dead! I could have saved her!"

The screams of the condemned faded down the hall as the guards manhandled the big man back to wherever he came from. Shaken, the witness took a few deep breaths, and waved off the officer who came to check on him. Straightening his tie, he gathered his things and exited the room.

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Blinking in the light of the late afternoon sun, the witness walked briskly to his car. For the first time in six months, he felt relieved. He was safe again. His home was safe. The people he loved could go back to their daily lives without the threat of a mysterious killer looming over them. Reaching his car, he opened the door and swung his briefcase over to the passenger seat, before situating himself behind the steering wheel.

Of course I had to go and park in the sun, he thought to himself. As beads of sweat began to roll down his neck, he flicked open the sunglasses compartment. Retrieving the black frames from within, he also picked up the small plastic bag underneath. Six silver earrings, placed neatly inside, stared back at him. He smiled.

Safe at last.