New Reality 2: Justice (26 page)

Once they were close to the front, Marie looked up again, and a cold rush dropped through her. Frankie was sitting in a cage staring out through vacant eyes. Fortunately, those vacant eyes weren't turned her way. She would have cracked up for sure. Marie sat down next to Doug.

It was hard not to look at Frankie, so Marie let her fringe fall over her face and watched him. For the briefest second they made eye contact and she was gripped by a nauseous surge.
 

When he looked away, it drove a sharp pain through her heart.
But what else could he do? Ask her how her day's been? Funny seeing you here, love.
A hard swallow kept the tears at bay and she lifted her chin. This was how it had to be.

The sound of the judge's gavel snapped through the room. This was it! Marie sat to attention and watched the robed man, her panic threatening to run away with her.
Why had she even turned up that morning? What was today going to achieve?

The judge looked over the courtroom like a toad surveying his pond. When he turned to Frankie, he stared at him like he wanted to erase him from existence. "The evidence is already there, so we know the verdict is going to be guilty. Not that you deserve it, but I'm obliged to ask you if there's
anything
you'd like to say?"

It was all the invitation Frankie needed. When he stood up, the courthouse fell silent. "Actually, there is."

Was he going to make things worse? Why didn't he just shut up?
When the judge rolled his eyes and sighed, Marie had to fight the urge to tell Frankie to sit down.
 

"Fine," the judge said. "Get it over with then."

The cavernous room amplified Frankie's words. "The system we live by is fucked."

Crack! Crack! Crack!
 

From behind a stubby, accusatory finger, the judge said, "Language!"

"Well it is. I mean, what kind of a place makes the poorest pay the most money to the state?"

When Doug stood up, his seat scooted out behind him and crashed over. The loud bang silenced everyone and gave Doug the floor. "The poorest are the biggest users of the state. I'd rather welfare didn't exist, but we have some bullshit human rights laws that we have to adhere to so we can keep trading with our neighbouring states. That's the
only
reason you're not hanging right now, you fuckwit."

When the cracking gavel didn't come, Marie stared at the judge. Who was she kidding? Doug could say whatever he wanted; he was one of them.

When there was no response to Doug's statement, the fat man turned around, picked his chair up and sat back down again.
 

The judge raised his eyebrows. "Is that all, Dougie?"

Dougie? Welcome to the old boys club. The fickle bastards would have a laugh on the golf course about this one.
 

Doug nodded.

Once the judge motioned for him to continue, Frankie threw his shoulders up in a shrug. "The way the system is set up means that someone like me can't afford to survive within it. I work hard and spend all my time educating your fat fucking kids."

Crack! Crack! Crack!
 

"Order!"

What was Frankie trying to achieve? He was preaching to the perpetually unconvertible, so all he was doing was riling them up.
 

"And what do I get at the end of it all? A zero hours contract that gives my employer the power to cancel my work without notice."

Pointing first at Doug, Frankie then pointed at the judge. "The system that you've set up created my crime. If I could earn a respectable living from my work, I wouldn't have needed to do what I did."

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The judge's considerable shadow smothered Frankie when he stood up and leaned over him. "I've heard enough of your rubbish. You have to take responsibility for your actions, son. You're not a bloody child. I don't want to hear you speak any more. Before I deliver your sentence, does anyone else have anything they'd like to add?"

As the judge looked first at Doug and then the courtroom in general, Marie held back the urge to scream. What good would it do? Not that she'd be able to get it out anyway. Paralysed by fear, tears in her eyes, and her tongue feeling like it was too thick for her mouth, she looked around the room and was crushed by the palpable silence.

But just as the judge opened his mouth to speak, a female's voice cut in.
 

"I have something to say."

It took a few seconds for the judge to find the speaker as he squinted and searched the crowd. "Very well, stand up and introduce yourself."

When the woman stood up, Marie's jaw dropped.
Shit!

"My name's Kitty Trollope."

"Okay, Miss Trollope, what would you like to say?"

"I know Frankie, which is why I'm here. I was his first girlfriend when he left the estate, and I used to think he was a good man. However, after seeing the footage of what happened the other day, I have to say I'm appalled. I'm appalled at him, but most of all I'm appalled at myself for thinking an estate rat could be anything but that."

After staring at her for a second as if he expected more, the judge looked at Doug before returning his attention to Kitty. "Is that all?" Having just used Frankie's trial as a way to clear her own reputation, Kitty nodded and sat down again.

Despite the desire to walk up there and drag her down by her peroxide hair, Marie continued to face the front. Kitty could reveal her connection to Frankie in a second. She obviously hadn't realised it was Marie sitting down there, and there was no way she was going to bring it to her attention.

By the time the judge returned his focus to Frankie, Frankie had dropped his head and was staring at the floor.
 

"The maximum sentence for this kind of crime is fifteen years. You deserve more. The fact that you were a teacher and abused that power to get at the kids is sickening beyond measure. New Reality is too good for you; you deserve to be locked up in a hole and left to rot."

Every insult dealt Marie a physical blow. Even the baby was twitching more than usual. How much stress could the poor thing handle before it entered the world?

"Frankie Jackson, it is with
deep
regret to say I'm
only
sentencing you to fifteen years in the New Reality program. All I can hope is that it's the worst experience of your
miserable
and
pathetic
life."

Some of the members in the crowd whooped and hollered; Kitty's voice sounded out louder than most.

Sweat soaked Marie's neck and she tugged on her collar as she watched Frankie stare at his lap and not respond.
 

The judge then addressed the courtroom. "Thank you for coming today; your attendance and interest is always appreciated."

While the judge was still talking, two police officers grabbed Frankie and led him away. He went without resistance.
 

As Marie watched him walk out of the dock and down some stairs, she too stood up. When Doug looked at her, she said, "I feel sick. I'm going to get some fresh air."

The comment seemed to mean very little to Doug, who nodded and turned back to his lawyer, shaking his hand as the two of them beamed smiles at one another.
 

As Marie walked out of the courtroom, her legs were bandy and her head spun.

The huge swing doors that exited the room gave in to her weight when she fell against them. All she wanted to do was run. Run until her legs couldn't carry her any farther.

Chapter Forty

When Marie wiped her eyes, she saw the red-faced Jezza Kuntz. The living room speakers struggled to handle his shrill screeching hysteria, and his large sweating head dominated the screen. Another wave of tears returned the nasty man to a backlit blur. All she'd done was cry.
When did she become so weak?

Unable to make sense of the words coming at her, Marie rocked where she sat. Frankie was gone! Fifteen years! What would be left of him in fifteen years? What would be left of them?

Bang!

It came from the front door.
They were coming for her already. They'd found out about the baby. What was she supposed to do?

The door shook with the next two thumps.
 

Bang! Bang!
 

Although Marie wiped her eyes again, it did nothing to stem the flow of tears. Her voice wavered as she got to her feet and called out, "Coming."

As she walked down the hall, Marie paused to look out of an open window at the street below.
Would she survive the jump? How long would it take them to realise she'd run off before they chased after her? No, it was a ridiculous thought. Where would she go anyway?

Bang!

"All right, I said I'm coming; keep your hair on, will ya?"

The flat was a mess and Marie didn't have her corset on. Not that it mattered anymore; they already knew she was pregnant. They already knew everything about her. How could they not?

A press of her finger to the scanner and the light turned green, the door popping open in response. When she pulled it wide, she started to shake. She had to fight to get the one word out of her tight throat. "Gina?"

The petite blonde woman stood in the hallway scratching her head. "Um, I'm sorry to come to your home, but I needed to see how you are. I've been knocking for the last ten minutes."

Marie couldn't reply, her chin shaking as she stared at the only person—other than Frankie—she'd be pleased to see. She stood aside and let her in.

Once in the flat, Gina gripped her in a tight hug, and Marie sobbed harder than ever.

As Marie stepped back, she sniffed again, the scent of flowers stimulating her olfactory senses. "How do you always manage to smell so good?"
 

With a gentle shrug of her shoulders, Gina half-smiled at her.

"Wait a minute," Marie said, "how did you know where I live?"

"I followed you home one night."

A cold chill gripped her. "You
what?
"

"I know it sounds weird, but I've been really worried about you. I wanted to know where you lived in case I ever needed to come over."

That did sound weird. Who did that?
Marie studied Gina's face.
Was she telling the truth?
If there was deceit hiding behind her green eyes, Marie couldn't see it. But she hadn't known this woman long.
Could she trust her?
She then relaxed her tense frame.
What did it matter anymore?
She had to trust somebody. There was no way she could get through this on her own. "Well, I'm pleased you did."
 

"You don't sound it."

The assertive nod was as much for her own benefit as Gina's. "I am." She then walked into the kitchen and Gina followed.
 

"Ah, a guest at last."

After watching Gina scan the room, Marie pointed at the coffee machine. "He said it."
 

"Can I make you a drink?
Coffee
perhaps?"

Gina smiled. "That would be lovely…"

"Jules."

Marie stared at the machine. "Jules? I didn't know you were called Jules."

"That's because you never cared to ask."

Gina raised her eyebrows at Marie, the same half smile on her lips.

"And while I'm airing my grievances—"

"Which I didn't give you permission to do."

"…you never drink coffee. I like this new guest,
she
can come more often."

Gina turned to the machine. "I'll have it black with no sugar please."

"Not only does she drink coffee, but she knows
how
to drink it too. None of this rubbish with cow's milk, or whatever other alternative junk you destroy the pure bean with." Jules lowered his tone as if he were only speaking to Gina. "Marie drinks
herbal
tea, don't you know?"

One day she was going to launch the stupid thing from the kitchen window. Now that Frankie was gone, she had no reason to keep it anyway.
 

Suddenly Marie felt weak and supported herself by resting both hands on the kitchen worktop. She drew staccato breaths into her quivering body.
Why did Frankie kidnap Doug's kid? What was he thinking?

It was like watching a dancer walk towards her when Gina crossed the room and put her hand on Marie's shoulder. Her touch was warm—Frankie warm. "Go and sit down, love, I'll be through in a minute."

***

When Gina dropped down next to Marie on the sofa, she stared at the television. "Why are you watching this
cancer
of a man? He's hideous."

"You sound like Frankie. He can't stand him either."

"I'm not surprised."

"Having something on is easier than the silence, I suppose. It's either this or those home shopping networks. I'm not sure I can handle buxom women and power tools right about now."

After sliding closer to her, Gina put a hand on Marie's knee. "So what happened today?"

Marie looked up at her. "You
knew
the kidnapper was my Frankie, didn't you?"

"I did."

"How?"

"I had a gut feeling about it when I saw the reports. Then I saw the state of you yesterday. So what hap—"

Hank Manifesto's face cut through their conversation with the cheesy backing music of a news report.
Why did they have to watch the overexcited arsehole all the time?
 

"Coming live from the Nirvana courtrooms, this is Hank Manifesto for
Nirvana TV
."

When Doug's lawyer appeared on the screen, Marie pointed at him. "Well, I suppose this'll save me explaining it to you."

With a grin that made him look like the imbecile he was, Hank thrust his microphone at Doug's lawyer. "So, what was the verdict on the kidnapping case today?"

Confidence sat on the lawyer's smug face, his left eyebrow rose ever so slightly higher than the right. "We got him. The judge gave him the maximum sentence."

The news vulture leaned forwards. "Which is?"

"Fifteen years."

"Fifteen years!"

Aware of Gina watching her, Marie kept her focus on the television.