Boston's Man-Eater

XLV

Madison Griffith—23-year-old brunette with piercing green eyes and a tall, slim frame.

I stared at her mugshot as I spun on my office chair.

Who else wouldn't be excited for a live aired trial that involves one of the biggest serial killers in the country?

It was her who had been causing all the commotion, the brutal murders of her wealthy victims, and I, along with the rest of the world, were about to find out her reasons, and her fate.

Nobody could've guessed that she had been the culprit and the infamous Lady in Red.

Her eyes were innocent, nothing sinister lurking in the dark irises.

However, I was not going to pity her because the resentment was automatic.

She deserved the worst that was yet to come.

The article I had published the day before, turned out to be the issue that gained us the highest peaking sale in a record of five years. And I smelt a promotion.

I heard flustered voices hollering from outside my office.

People were rushing to finish off their assignments so they would catch the news. On my life, I could've bet that the vast majority of Massachusetts were on the edge seats as well.

In no time, we were seated in the boardroom, higher ranked employees occupying the 23-seater table, as others camped on the carpet, opposite to the interactive board mounted on the wall.

We immediately flicked to CNN, and quietly watched as the program commenced.

Now I know it would've been more sensible to actually be there, but Harold preferred to take this one for the team, and be present at the very same court house I thirsted to be in.

Journalists, news anchors and photographers stood outside the state court with zealous urgency, and finally, a police SUV arrived with two officers and a Madison in orange.

She kept her shaggy hair in a ponytail, a gloomy stare pinned to the ground.

It had all been fashionably quick. The period between the arresting and trial.

We were desperate for action.

Spectators with hate speech signs yelled and booed at her from the street, and without being able to answer any of their questions, she disappeared through the double doors of the justice hall.

Georgie Stevenson, Miriam Baker, Denise Edgar, Ryan Ashton and many more celebrities made cameos without the tolerance of inquisition as they entered the court house dressed in the most delectable ways.

But the one person I wasn't or perhaps forgotten to expect was Tess Salander.

She too had been caught in the midst of the twisting hurricane of the solved mystery.

Naomi grimaced from my peripheral,  and I dared to spare her glance.

She cleared her throat and faced the front, the air suddenly thick.

They were all thinking something, and that something included me. But now came the time that I would prove them wrong. Serves them right.

The case was to be heard by Prudence Hewitt and the State Attorney was Benson Bradley. A pretty intimidating, and renowned candidate to be supporting such a case.

The defense attorney was rather surprising considering that it was Ryan Ashton—a legal practitioner under Denise Edgar's wing. Very much accomplished in the respective field.

I wondered how Madison had such access to great people considering nobody had known her before, and now she had been the biggest celebrity there was.

Then I remembered the various young girls back at the ship.

Could she have been there?

Unfortunately for her, she had not made the initial appearance the previous day, so she had to sit through it in orange overalls that attracted dirty looks from onlookers.

When all was settled, the bailiff stood by the court clerk's bench with a stony look on his face.

"All rise," he ordered as the judge walked up the elevated bench.

"The State Court is now in session—Judge Prudence presiding. Please be seated," he continued, and I chewed my lip.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Calling the criminal case of the People of Massachusetts versus Madison Griffith," she spoke into the microphone as the clerk readied her papers.

It was said that Detective Prescott had been the one in charge of the case, hence managed to link the murders to Madison—a local businesswoman, and daughter of a late entrepreneur.

Her demeanor was cold, and her face was stoical, body seated at the bar table with Ryan and a woman by the desk in front of her.

"Are both the prosecution and defense ready?" Prudence questioned.

"Ready for the People, Your Honor."

"Ready for the defense, Your Honor."

"May the clerk please swear in the jury," she said, and the camera zoomed in on the woman who sported a gray pantsuit.

"Will the jury please stand, and raise your right hand."

The twelve jurors arose with determination and extended hands.

"Do you and each of you solemnly swear that you will well and truly try and a true deliverance make between the United States and Madison, the defendant at the bar, and a true verdict render according to the evidence, so help you God?"

"I do," they chorused with perfect synchronicity. My heart skipped a beat.

The camera went ahead to show the passive faces of the crowd, the jury, and the master of it all—Tess.

"You may be seated."

Benson Bradley was up from his seat, walking towards the jury with a meaningful stride. He wasn't going to fail. He never did, and he never would.

"Revenge is the root cause of this pending case. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am Benson Bradley and will be representing The People on such an important case. It is imperative to look beyond the surface and understand the motives and reasoning behind all this. As we all know, the defendant's father, James Griffith, was a successful entrepreneur based here in Boston, and stirred an uprising mystery when allegations fell upon fellow businessmen for murdering him on the fateful night of November 5 2016."

"It will be clear to see that with effective illustration of real, testimonial and demonstrative evidence against her, that it can only be a plan put into action by a mastermind who had initially chorused it for a specific amount of time. It will show that Damien Baker, Lucas Stevenson and several others are indeed victims to the hands of the defendant and is guilty as charged."

"Wow," I breathed.

Well, here it goes.

I'm not a lawyer. I'm just an 18 year old who binge watches murder mysteries and shit of that sort, so excuse me if I twist some things😂😂😂😂💔😅😃