'Black and White' - The White Bridge Crime Series 2 - LGBT, manXman

30

(Three Weeks Later)

"Are you alright?" Rex asked Eli.

Eli nodded mutely. His hands were trembling.

"It's going to be fine, Eli. Either way, he's not going to be able to hurt you again."

"They already won their hearing," Eli whispered. "They're going to say he's mad, aren't they?"

"Listen to me," Rex said firmly. "They won a hearing for a psychiatric review. That's all. Now, if they declare him unaccountable for his actions because of his mental state, he'll be placed in a secure psychiatric facility for the foreseeable future. And if they declare him accountable, then we'll go to trial, we'll show the jury our evidence, you can testify if you decide you want to, and the jury will decide. If they find him guilty, he'll go away for a very long time. And we have his DNA, remember. He can't really deny what he did, Eli."

Eli nodded blankly.

Rex squeezed his hands and kissed his forehead.

"Come on. They're waiting for us."

They got out of the car and entered the courthouse.

Eli stayed close to Rex after they got through the security checks.

Rex led Eli into the courtroom, where the public gallery was currently empty.

The two lawyers, Stan Mitchell and the defence lawyer, Ellie Larsson, were already in their seats.

Rex sat Eli down and took his hand again, keep the pressure gentle.

Eli was still trembling.

Five minutes after they were seated, a door at the side of the courtroom opened, and Tyler Dougherty was brought out and stood in the dock.

Eli hand was squeezing Rex's so hard, Rex through he would feel it for days.

His face was ghostly white.

"It's alright," Rex murmured quietly.

The judge entered the room, and the discussions began.

*

Four hours later, after hearing from three psychiatrists, two of Tyler's neighbours, one of his old school teachers and Dom, the judge decided Tyler was fit to stand trial and set a date for the trial to begin.

Eli sank back in his seat, still squeezing Rex's hand hard.

"So... We're going to trial." He managed a small smile. "That's good, right?"

"Yeah. It's good."

Eli nodded and got to his feet slowly.

"I'm starving. Dinner?"

"Sure." Rex pulled on his jacket and they left the courtroom together.

Rex took Eli out through the back way, so as to avoid the journalists that were swarming around the front of the courthouse.

"Where do you want to go?"

"The Dinner Table," Eli said quietly. "Adrian's waiting for us there."

They entered The Dinner Table and found Adrian and Dom already at the bar.

Adrian pulled the still ashen-faced Eli into a hug as the pair went over.

"How are you?" He asked, taking Eli to a semi-private booth and handed him a glass of wine.