by K M Morgan
The End.
The Deadly Judicial Affair
Chapter One
“Corey Kincaid is a killer. Make no mistake about that. On a Tuesday evening in late June, Corey discovered that his wife was cheating on him. In a rage, he murdered her,” Lance McMillan said.
As the deputy district attorney spoke, the entire courtroom listened. Lance was doing his best to paint a picture with his words. And he was certainly doing a good job of it.
While Lance opened his mouth to continue speaking, he stared at the members of the jury. Even though everyone in the courtroom could hear him, Lance acted like he was having a personal conversation with the jurors.
“Not only did Mr. Kincaid kill his wife, but he went to great lengths to cover his tracks. In fact, the defendant concocted a scheme to frame Harry O’Brien for the crime. But Mr. Kincaid made a grave error. You see, a discarded box of cigarettes was found outside the scene of the crime. This empty box was a unique brand of cigarettes. Throughout the course of our investigation, we discovered that Harry O’Brien wasn’t a smoker. Mr. Kincaid was, however. And Corey’s favorite brand happened to be the same kind of cigarette’s that were discovered outside the scene of the crime,” Lance said.
As Lance finished that portion of his statement, Corey Kincaid became visibly tense as he sat in the courtroom and watched the deputy district attorney rake him over the coals.
Lance wasn’t done, though. He continued, “It is up to you, the jury, to decide Mr. Kincaid’s fate. As far as I’m concerned, the verdict should be clear. The defendant is as guilty as can be.”
When Lance sat back down in his chair, he knew that he had made the most of his closing statement. In addition, he had certainly made a convincing case that Corey should be locked up for the rest of his life.
Of course, Daisy McDare-Smith didn’t need any convincing. In Daisy’s mind, there was no doubt that Corey had been the one who killed his wife. She had come to that conclusion a while ago, when she had helped Detective Chris Crumple apprehend Corey in the first place. But due to the glacial pace of the judicial system, it had taken a number of months for Mr. Kincaid’s trial date to arrive.
The case was huge news in the small town of Cozy Creek. So much so that the entire trial was being broadcast live on local television. Daisy could have gone to the courthouse and sat in the viewing area to see the entire thing unfold in person, but she elected to stay home. She felt like her anxiety would flare up too much if she was sitting in the courtroom.
After all, when she was at home, Daisy could at least change the channel if things got too intense for her. That said, even though it had been a really heated trial up until that point, Daisy had not flipped the channel once.
At that point, the jury had a decision to make. The prosecution had presented all the evidence they had. Meanwhile, Corey’s defense attorney had done his best to sow the seeds of reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors.
Right then, Daisy found herself wrestling with a number of questions. Would Corey spend the rest of his life in jail? Or would he be granted his freedom? It was difficult to tell. All Daisy really knew was that the jury was about to begin deliberating.
While the prosecution was hoping for a quick decision, that wasn’t going to happen. It was pretty late in the day. Most likely, there wouldn’t be a verdict until at least tomorrow. That meant a tense night was in store for everyone.
As the television coverage ended for the day, Daisy found it impossible to fight off her anxiety any longer.
“What if Corey is found not guilty?” Daisy asked.
Daisy’s husband, Gavin Watson, was sitting beside Daisy on the couch. Gavin took his wife’s hand.
“Don’t think like that,” he said.
“It’s hard not to. I mean, if the jury acquits Corey, he’ll be able to just carry on with his life.”
“That’s a very big if.”
“I realize that. But it’s not impossible. You and I have sat on this couch before in complete shock over a jury’s decision.”
“I can’t deny that.”
“What if it happens again this time? How terrifying would that be?”
Gavin grimaced. “It would make my skin crawl.”
“Exactly,” Daisy said. “Corey would be free to roam the streets. We could run into him one day at the mini-mart. Or while buying groceries.”
“Daisy, you’re getting a little far ahead of yourself.”
“Am I? Can you imagine how awkward it would be to see Corey again out in the open? What if he got hostile with me?”
“Honey, please calm down.”
“Trust me. I don’t want to feel this way. But you can’t tell me that’s not a possibility.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t. I can say this, though. You’re doing a lot of projecting, considering how the jury hasn’t even made a decision yet.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Corey could easily get convicted and spend the rest of his life behind bars.”
“True.”
“If I had to bet, I would say that’s exactly what will happen.”
“You’re not just saying that to try and make me feel better, are you?”
Gavin shook his head. “No. I really believe it. I think that Corey’s days of being a free man are over.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“We’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, why don’t we watch something else?”
“Like what?”
“Something to take your mind off of this trial.”
“In that case, don’t put on some mystery show,” Daisy said.
“How about a baking show? Does that work for you?” Gavin asked.
Daisy’s eyes lit up. “When am I not in the mood for sweets?”
Chapter Two
Baking shows were great and all, but being able to get a taste of the real thing was even better. Luckily, Daisy was able to do a little bit of both that evening. Much to her delight, when the baking show went to commercial break, she realized that she actually had a cupcake in her kitchen.
That was really surprising. After all, it wasn’t like Daisy to buy a cupcake and not eat it right away. Then again, she had not been herself since this trial began. Either way, she wasn’t going to complain about having an extra cupcake around. Instead, she absolutely devoured it.
With good reason. The cupcake had come from Sweet Tooth. That was the best bakery in all of Cozy Creek. Daisy wasn’t just saying that because her best friend happened to run the place. The baked goods that Sweet Tooth served were like a slice of dessert heaven.
That cupcake was no different. Daisy’s only regret was that she only had one cupcake around. Although, when it came to her waistline, that was probably a good thing. Up until recently, Daisy had been doing some dieting. It turned out that a little intermittent fasting went a long way in whittling her waist. The results were hard to deny.
Unfortunately, in times of great stress, Daisy found herself hitting the pastries pretty hard. Over the last few days, her diet could be more accurately described as intermittent frosting. In all fairness, a heavy cupcake diet was far more fun. Even if the scale had started moving in the wrong direction.
There was just something about the texture of the cupcakes from Sweet Tooth. They weren’t too hard, nor where they too soft. Biting into one of those cupcakes was like being transported to a different world. One where calories didn’t matter. And don’t even get Daisy started on that frosting. When her willpower was low, she could eat an entire bowl of just frosting.
It was a good thing that Gavin was there to keep her from sabotaging her diet too much. The truth was, Daisy could always get back to intermittent fasting when this trial was over. That particular evening, her little cupcake indulgence really made her night.
***
In the morning, Daisy got a serious urge to ignore her alarm clock. And not just because she hadn’t slept well. Although, it had not been the most restful night for h
er. Sweet dreams had definitely eluded her. She actually ended up having a nightmare about Corey being set free.
Rather than focusing on that, Daisy decided to devote her time and attention elsewhere. After all, there was more going on than just the trial. And cheating on her diet.
Daisy was a married woman now. Even though Daisy and Gavin had tied the knot a number of months back, she was still glowing over the experience. Everyone in her life said that it was just part of the honeymoon phase, but Daisy didn’t like that term. Why did their honeymoon have to be a phase? Why couldn’t it stretch on forever?
The universe would probably give her answers to those questions soon enough. In the meantime, it was safe to say that the luster on their marriage was far from wearing off.
Daisy loved snuggling with her husband in bed. It was a simple joy, but one that brought her such utter delight. She wasn’t alone in that sentiment either. Daisy knew that Gavin felt the same way.
In fact, that morning, Gavin was snuggled up to her really tight.
“Morning,” he said.
“Good morning indeed,” she replied. “I love waking up next to you.”
“Snuggling is pretty magical, isn’t it?”
“It’s fantastic.”
“I’m glad you agree.”
“Why wouldn’t I? What kind of a fool would I be if I didn’t?”
“Talk about a sweet perk of being married.”
“It turns out there’s all sorts of perks to being husband and wife.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said.
Gavin figured that Daisy would have some sort of quick response to his statement, but she didn’t. Instead, she got a faraway look in her eyes.
“What are you thinking about right now? The trial?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
“Good. There’s plenty of time to think about that later. Right now, I’d prefer to focus on more pleasant things.”
“You know, before we got married, I used to wonder what it was going to be like for us to live together.”
“And?”
“It’s a lot different than I thought it would be.”
Gavin’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Daisy nodded.
“How so?” he asked.
“It’s a lot better than I ever expected,” Daisy said.
“You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that,” Gavin replied. “I was worried that you were going to say something else.”
“You’re not the only one who is feeling relief right now. I feel happy that things are going so well. I definitely had my worries.”
“About what?
“All sorts of little things. After all, I’d never lived with a man before. I didn’t know quite what to expect.”
“So, your fear was mostly of the unknown?”
“And about cleanliness,” Daisy joked. “Traditionally speaking, men are notorious for being bigger slobs than women.”
“Talk about a stereotype.”
“Gavin, have you forgotten? I went over to your apartment plenty of times before we were married. And let’s be honest. You did not keep your place as clean as I kept mine.”
“Guilty as charged. But I’d like to think that I’ve picked up after myself better since we got married.”
“You have. And let me tell you. That is very much appreciated.”
“Anything else you worried about?”
“It doesn’t really matter now. None of those worries came true. Like I said before, living with you has exceeded all of my expectations.”
Gavin smiled. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Do you know what the best part of living together is?” Daisy asked.
“What?”
“The fact that I can kiss you whenever I want,” Daisy said.
Daisy rolled over and gave her husband a kiss.
“That is pretty wonderful,” Gavin replied.
“It sure is,” Daisy said.
Chapter Three
That morning, Daisy managed to avoid talking about the trial. That was fine by her. Sometimes, a little distraction was a good thing.
As Daisy got dressed for work, she knew that she couldn’t keep the trial out of her mind for much longer. She was going to do her best, though.
By the time she started driving over to Sweet Tooth Bakery to grab some breakfast, her thoughts had begun to wander. When she arrived at the bakery, however, her focus shifted elsewhere.
Her good friend, Samantha, was standing near the counter with her husband, Trevor Thompson. They weren’t alone either. Samantha’s grandmother, Annie Johnson, was also in the bakery. It was quite a little family gathering.
That wasn’t a big surprise to Daisy. Samantha was the manager of the bakery. And Annie had been the one to first open Sweet Tooth a number of decades ago. It was Trevor that Daisy was surprised to see. Usually, when he got up in the morning, he headed straight to his restaurant job. That morning, apparently he had some extra time to spare before his shift began.
As Daisy approached the counter, she addressed her friends.
“What’s new?” Daisy asked.
“As usual, I have a blueberry muffin ready for you,” Samantha replied.
Daisy smiled at her friend. “You know me so well.”
“How could I not? You’re my best friend,” Samantha said.
“You still know how to go above and beyond the call of regular friendship.”
“Thanks for the kind words. And for being my best customer.”
“That’s saying a lot. Sweet Tooth has all sorts of customers. Then again, why wouldn’t it? You run the best bakery in town.”
Granny Annie couldn’t resist stepping in and doing a little gloating. “Thanks to me,” she said.
“That’s true, grandma,” Samantha said. “Your recipes can’t be beat.”
Granny Annie beamed with pride. “I never get tired of hearing that.”
Samantha chuckled. “I know you don’t.”
“Anyway, what were you talking about when I came in?” Daisy asked.
“One of the customers that was in here earlier was telling me about a DNA test that she just took,” Samantha said.
Daisy’s eyebrows rose. “Is that so?”
Samantha nodded. “Oh yeah. And guess what? She got some very interesting results.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Daisy said. “I’ve read stories about people getting a lot more than they bargained for from those tests.”
“That’s why I’d never take one. What if I found out something that sent me to an early grave?” Granny Annie replied.
“Grandma, not everyone has a bad experience with those tests,” Samantha said. “This customer was actually really happy with what she found out. She told me she was really glad that she went ahead and got tested.”
“Good for her,” Daisy said. “That’s a lot better than the alternative.”
Samantha turned to her husband. “Speaking of DNA tests, I was thinking that it might be an interesting idea for you.”
Trevor grimaced. “I’m not so sure about that.”
Samantha’s eyebrows knitted. “Really?”
“Those tests aren’t really my thing,” Trevor said.
“Wow. And here I thought you might jump at the opportunity,” Samantha said.
Trevor shrugged. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you’re adopted,” Samantha said. “I mean, you don’t know a single thing about your birth mother or birth father.”
“True. But if I really wanted to find out information on them, I could have tracked them down years ago. I just love my adoptive parents so much that I don’t feel the need to seek out my birth parents,” Trevor said.
“I understand that. I just thought that a DNA test could help fill in some gaps in your history without ever having to talk to your birth parents directly.”
“It could,” Trevor said. “On the flip side, I could also end up finding out some crazy things about my
family. And the way I see it, sometimes you’re better off not knowing.”
“Fair enough,” Samantha replied. “I just thought I’d throw that idea out there.”
Trevor checked the time on his phone. “I should really be heading off to work.” He leaned in and gave Samantha a kiss. “I love you.”
“Love you too,” Samantha said.
Trevor then left the bakery.
Chapter Four
Trevor wasn’t the only one who had work to do that morning. Thankfully, Daisy had a few minutes to spare before she left for her office. She decided to make good use of her time. Daisy slowly savored her breakfast muffin and made small talk with her best friend.
Just as she finished the last bite of her muffin, Detective Chris Crumple entered the shop. Daisy looked at Crumple with wide eyes.
“Detective, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Daisy said.
Crumple rubbed his belly. “I need a little bite to eat before heading over to the courthouse.”
“That’s understandable,” Daisy said. “I’m just confused to see you here, of all places. After all, I thought the donut shop was your second home.”
“I do love a good jelly donut. That said, thanks to you, I have taken a real liking to the muffins here.”
“I can’t take credit for that. Samantha is the one who does the baking around here,” Daisy said.
Granny Annie spoke up from behind the counter. “Don’t forget about me. Samantha wouldn’t know what the right ingredients were if it wasn’t for me.”
“Of course, Annie. You are, and always will be, a sugary superstar,” Daisy said.
“I love hearing that,” Annie said. She then headed into the back of the shop.
Samantha leaned over the counter and whispered to Daisy, “You shouldn’t fuel her ego so much. She’s going to get a big head.”
“She definitely doesn’t have a shortage of confidence,” Daisy said.
“Isn’t that the truth?” Samantha replied.
“She’s fun, though,” Daisy said.
“Yeah. She is a riot,” Samantha said.
