She still had people looking over evidence? I thought all that would have been left by now. They kept looking and looking. “What folder?” I asked, even though knew what folder she was talking about.
She placed her hand over mine. “The pictures of you.”
I felt like I had been hit by a bus. That folder. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn’t even want to think about it. “So what does that mean?”
“It means your story is proven to be true, and your father is exposed as a liar.”
My eyes filled with tears. “What happens now?”
“The public gallery has been closed. The jury will be shown the photographs, and then the trial will be wrapped up. I see no reason to call your father back to the stand. The pictures speak for themselves, and, surprisingly, John is not calling for him to take the stand again. I thought he would so he could try and help him talk his way out of it.”
“Do I have to go back in there?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. It seems unlikely his defence will call you back in now this new evidence has come to light. I’ve got to go back, but Walter will take you to your family.”
Walter escorted me to the café where everyone was sitting. I paused at the entrance to the café and watched them all for a minute; all these amazing people who had stood by me. They sat around two pushed-together tables in silence. Mum stared at her mug. Her face was pale. Cole spotted me first and jumped up, so I took that as my cue and walked towards them.
I sat in the chair Jasper pulled over for me between him and Cole.
“How’re you doing, honey?” Mum asked. She hadn’t moved an inch. It was as if she was made of stone.
“Um. I don’t know. Do you all know what’s going on?”
Mum nodded. “Yes. We were told just a few minutes ago. We wanted to come and find you but were told you were with Linda.”
“Okay, good.”
Why wasn’t Jasper at least celebrating? This was good, right? They found the one concrete thing that backed my version up and proved I was telling the truth. I didn’t want to celebrate because it felt wrong but I thought they would. Did they think something was going to happen? The evidence would be somehow dismissed? That couldn’t happen.
Cole gripped my hand, and we fell silent again. I felt sick. I didn’t like them being happy about any part of this trial but the fact that they weren’t terrified me.
After one hour and forty-seven minutes, I saw Linda walking toward us with purpose. In that time we had quietly drunk too many hot drinks and entered in a few light conversations.
“The jury have reached their decision,” she said.
Mum jumped up. “Already?”
Linda nodded once. “If you all want to make your way back.”
I stood up and was about to follow Linda when Mum pulled me into a hug. “It’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, it will,” I replied, and for the first time I truly believed it was.
I walked back with Linda and entered the courtroom. I would be allowed to sit with my family, but Linda quickly ran through what would happen and how the judge would ask for the jury’s decision on each individual charge.
Stepping into the public gallery, I found my mum and brother and sat in the seat between them. I made eye contact with as many members of the jury I could. There was no way they could believe him over me now, but I was still terrified.
“Have the ladies and gentlemen of the jury reached their decision?” the judge asked, her voice business-like and intimidating.
A tall lady with long grey hair and bright red lipstick stood up. “Yes we have, Your Honour.” I took a deep breath. My palms started to sweat.
“On the charge of administering a substance with intent to commit sexual offences, how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.” The air left my lungs in a rush.
“On the charge of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation, how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.”
“On the charge of controlling a child prostitute or a child involved in pornography, how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.”
“On the charge of causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography, how do you find the defendant?”
I held my breath and watched the lady’s red lips say, “Guilty.”
“On the charge of holding indecent photographs of children, how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.”
“On the charge of abuse of position of trust: causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.”
“On the charge of sexual assault on a child, how do you find the defendant?”
“Guilty.” A sob erupted in front of me, and a woman fell against a man who I assumed was her husband. She must have been one of the women he abused.
l let out a breath that I felt I’d been holding for years. Guilty on all charges. The jury believed me. They believed all of us.
Chapter Nineteen
Oakley