page54 (1/2)

As heads turned to look at her, Yuki read the anxiety on the faces of the friends and families of the victims, all of whom had suffered the sudden loss of loved ones and were now hoping for swift punishment for Connor Grant

Yuki was right there with them

She and Len took their seats, noting that the defense table was unoccupied, which was reasonable

Grant’s legal adviser, Elise Antonelli, had to bring a change of clothes for the defendant, wait for hiuards, escort him from the jail on the sixth floor, down the back stairs to the second floor, and through the side entrance to the courtroom

Was Grant sweating the verdict?

Yuki hoped he was drowning in his sweat She and Len had talked for days about what had gone right and whatin the People’s case Len, who rarely looked back, had questioned his decision to let Grant’s statement “One suspect No Evidence” stand rather than repeat what they had already fully refuted Now, Len seehts

Yuki had been sure his instincts had been correct and had said so to Len

On the other freaking hand, reasonable doubt on the part of one juror could hang the jury

Len checked his watch, and just then Antonelli and Grant breezed into the blond-wood-paneled courtrooed in the twoplus months he’d spent in jail His skin was pale He needed a haircut His beard was unkeh his top lip was obscured by the growth of his mustache

But despite his scruffy appearance, his clothes were clean and pressed and his posture was good He looked confident

Judge Philip R Hoffh the door behind the bench A low ru storallery forward and was shut down hard by a few good bangs of the judge’s gavel

Hoff in the jury”

CHAPTER 52

AFTER THREE DAYS of deliberation the jurors entered the jury box Yuki searched their faces for tells Several of theineer, Ms Shannon; the elderly, retired haberdasher, Mr Werner—avoided her gaze

Len said, “Jesus,” so softly no one heard him but Yuki, but that one barely audible word chilled the blood puh her veins