I let out a groan. The phone call was not unexpected, but even so, the reality that I am being called to testify tomorrow is something I would have rather put off for a few more days. My day is consumed with mundane work-related tasks that fill the hours but do nothing to ease the tension in my mind. Taylor suggested staying in London tonight as we are prepping with the lawyers again first thing in the morning so my last task of the day is to pack an overnight bag.
I have been debating for days what to wear to the trial. I knew nothing I had was suitable so had picked up a few dresses that I thought would be okay when I was up in London for my surprise date night with Taylor. In the end, I settle on a green, stretchy jersey dress with capped sleeves and a knot above my bump which seems business-like but is still comfortable enough to wear for a full day in court. I add a pair of low nude pumps to my bag and a light cardigan just in case I get chilly. I feel like I am gettOh. My. God. Oh, my god. This is actually happening. I am physically shaking as I walk through the impressive entrance to The Old Bailey, otherwise known as the Central Criminal Court. I couldn’t help but stand outside in awe for a few moments taking in Lady Justice and her scales as the carving with the words over the entrance ‘Defend the children of the poor & punish the wrongdoer’ resonated in my mind. This iconic building has been immortalised in film and TV making it seem familiar even though I have never stepped foot in here before.The building’s dome makes me think of St Paul’s Cathedral, which is only a short walk away but when I step through the entrance, the reverent quiet I am expecting is absent. Instead, people in wigs and gowns hurry through the groups of people milling around. I can see a couple of journalists and I duck my head down, hoping to avoid being seen. Emelia, who is leading the Prosecution’s case, qu
Carbs are definitely my best friend and as I tuck into my herb ravioli, I feel like I am picking up the pieces of myself. I find that I am humming Incubus’ Make Yourself under my breath and it seems entirely apt for this moment. Mum and Dad are hovering around me, treating me like I am ready to break down again at any time but truthfully my tears have been cathartic as I was finally able to let go of the tension that had been consuming me.By the time, Taylor arrives I feel slightly more normal. I am still unsettled by the questions that the press flung at me; the lawyers had told me to be prepared for them but still, hearing them yelled at me in that way was unnerving.I hate the fact that they have been digging into my life, that tomorrow morning my story will be splashed across the front pages of the various tabloids. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, after all my entire relationship with Taylor has been highly publicised online, but mostly I have
Why is it that no matter how hard I try to keep moving forward, something keeps holding me back? This thought twists around my mind on a continuous loop, much like an infinity symbol. I am supposed to be meeting Dr Grohl today but for the first time ever I have decided to blow it off. Maybe it is the constant nausea I woke up with, or the headache that is threatening to crush my skull, but all I know is that I cannot face questions about what makes me happy today.I know I should be happy…I have finally given my evidence, though I was warned I might get called back for cross-examination, so really now all I need to start worrying about is the impending arrival of Bean. Yet, at the back of my mind, a shadowy figure still looms. Richard. No one was more surprised than me when he appeared on the Defence’s list of witnesses, but it seems that he will be giving evidence tomorrow, something that is filling us all with dread. Richard is unpredictable at the best of
“He’s where? What the fuck is he doing there?” Taylor’s bark wakes me from my sleep. “I don’t understand Henry, I thought you guys had control of the situation….Well, fix it, dammit!” My feet are propelling me out of bed and into the lounge where Taylor is pacing anxiously before my mind has even fully comprehended what Taylor is saying.“Taylor, what’s the matter?” I ask quietly.My voice startles Taylor and he whips his head around. “Abs, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he continues.“What’s the matter, Taylor?” I repeat feeling concerned.Taylor lets out a long sigh. “Richard turned up at my parents’ house this morning, demanding to get in. Henry’s guys have refused him access, but my mother is fighting them saying that it is his house too and that he has every right to be there.” Taylor
I open up the first one and let out a soft gasp when I see who wrote it; Hannah. Taylor looks at me curiously, but I just shake my head as I begin to read. At first, it looks like an ordinary love letter but I am a little confused when Hannah talks about how much she is going to miss Richard, making me wonder whether she is talking about her fake suicide but when I glance up and check the date on the letter my hands begin to shake. The letter was dated two weeks before Taylor left for his gap-year travels.How is that possible? Taylor said he met her in Costa Rica, that she never knew he had a brother yet here we have it in her own handwriting that she was in some sort of relationship with Richard well before she ever met Taylor. I glance up at Taylor and see he is engrossed in flicking through files on the computer so turn my attention to Stix who is sitting quietly on the sofa, curled up into Chris’ arms as he whispers softly to her.&ldquo
Three hours have passed since Taylor literally ran out the door. I made lunch, but no one appeared to have much of an appetite so most of it lies on the side uneaten along with the cups of tea I seem to be compulsively making. Henry has been going crazy because somehow his guys managed to lose Taylor at some point along the Promenade and keep calling me every fifteen minutes to see if Taylor has made it back in one piece.I have just pulled a batch of scones out of the oven when I hear the door click. We all look at each other with alarm and wait to see what is about to happen. I am shaken to my core when I see a pale Taylor standing at the top of the stairs dripping with sweat and the rain that has been falling most of the morning.I walk across to him and place my hand on his arm, trying to ignore it when he flinches at my touch. I have seen the look in his eyes once before, the night we had sex before he abandoned me. I resist the urge to cry at
I am under strict instructions not to worry so of course that is all I can do. When Taylor was finally compos mentis, we drove up to London with the brown envelope clutched firmly in my hands and Stix and Chris in the back seat. I didn’t want to let it out of my sight for a moment, not until we could hand it over to someone who could actually do something with it. When Emelia was finally able to read through the letters, the expression on her face was like all her Christmases had come at once. Even Detective Stanton had a small grin on her face as she finally got the substantial evidence she needed to link Richard and Hannah together. When we finally walked out of the police station where we had all met up, I felt lighter than I had for weeks and wondered if we were finally on the home straight. We had to leave it to all the professionals; apparently getting evidence admitted at such a late stage of the trial would be difficult but Emelia assured us she had some tricks up her sleeve.
Best friends are best friends for a reason. They tend to know you better than you know yourself, embrace your flaws and celebrate your triumphs and they know just how to pick you up when you need it. We may not have known each other since birth yet since she friended me on my first day at Hudson International Michelle and I have come to know each other inside out. Our night of frivolity was just what I needed and by the time we all fell asleep on the giant sofa, we were all exhausted but happy. A night on the couch though was not exactly kind on my back and when I awoke at four a.m. I padded softly through to the bedroom expecting to see Taylor tucked up in bed. Instead, I found him passed out on the chaise fully clothed, one shoe on and one shoe off, reeking of whiskey. I can only guess the hangover he is going to have when he finally wakes up. Michelle left early, heading off on a mini-break with her gorgeous boyfriend, Marc, to the Cotswolds. As she gushed over him last night, I
The lobby seems dark in contrast to the bright sunlight outside so it takes a couple of moments for my eyes to adjust and seek out Nicola. “There she is,” I say, tugging Taylor’s hand towards the corner of the room where I see her standing with Genevieve. I am startled by the look of absolute desolation in Genevieve’s eyes. Even when we visited her a couple of days ago, she looked tired, like she had aged ten years, but she still seemed like she was holding it together. Today, though, she appears like she is coming undone. Genevieve’s eyes are rimmed with red and her typically regal posture is stooped as if she is carrying the weight of her grief on her shoulders. Stix doesn’t look much better; in fact, her usual willowy frame seems to be progressing towards gaunt as opposed to merely thin.Muted words are exchanged as Taylor and I envelop them both in hugs. I try to convey my love and sympathy for them both in that small gestu
“Though she be but little, she is fierce!”William Shakespeare,A Midsummer Night's DreamTHE FIRSTOut of the corner of my eye, I watch Taylor as he pulls on the sombre dark grey suit bought especially for the occasion. His expression is pinched and I know today is going to take everything he has to keep it together. Checking my own reflection in the mirror, I smooth the dark fabric over my protruding belly, satisfied that I look presentable before turning to Taylor and holding out his tie.Taking it with a grunt of thanks, he pulls the smooth fabric around his neck. But as he attempts to tie it, he becomes more and more frustrated with his inability to make his hands do what he wants them to do until eventually he pulls it off aggressively and dumps it on the floor in a f
We almost didn’t make it to the courtroom in time, sliding in at the last minute just as the judge was taking the bench. A series of delays which started with flat tires on both our cars, something that raised numerous suspicions that it was somehow engineered, but in the end was solved when Henry’s guys found smashed glass all over the car park from some drunken idiots who had used it as a cut-through. The next stop had been the train station but engineering works from the weekend had overrun and in the end we ended up getting a ride up to London in the surveillance van that normally is in charge of keeping us safe. The irony was not lost on me that if it all goes right today and Hannah is convicted and Richard goes to jail then we will no longer need this van or the team of people dogging our every move.I sit rigidly next to Taylor as we wait with anticipation as the lead juror stands up to deliver the verdict. I can’t help but look across at Hannah,
I have just pulled out a tray of brownies that I have been experimenting with when my phone rings. I consider ignoring it but when I see that it is Taylor calling I quickly put the tray down and pick up my phone. Taylor was in court today for the closing arguments today, but I had decided to give it a miss; I just couldn’t face hearing any more lies about me and having to run the gauntlet with the press whose numbers seemed to have increased exponentially over the last few days.“Abs,” Taylor says before I even have a chance to say hello. “Abs, they have finished up their closing arguments.”“Who?” I ask quickly trying to figure out if I should be worried or not.“Both sides,” Taylor replies sounding slightly exasperated at my confusion.“Wow, that was quick. I thought it would go on for a while. At least until late this evening,” I reply.“We thought
My mum appears at the top of the stairs and looks down at me, “Oh for heaven’s sake, Abby. Stop yelling. This is your surprise,” she says sweeping her hand across to the girl standing quietly in the doorframe. “This is Victoria. She always comes away with us when we do our shoots abroad; she is the only one I trust with my skin and you know how I am about that,” Mum says giving me a look. “Plus she gives the most incredible massages so I told her about you and thought that she could give you a bit of a pampering session today.”I love my mother to bits and her gesture is so incredibly kind, but I rather wish she would have given me a little bit of warning so I could have actually washed my hair or shaved my legs or something so that I don’t feel like the sloth I am currently am. “That sounds lovely, Mum,” I say through slightly gritted teeth before turning to Victoria. “Come on up but please excuse th
“You look like crap, darling,” my mum says, not mincing her words as she surveys my appearance.“Thanks. I love you too,” I mumble back as I let my mum in the front door. She follows me up the stairs and I am conscious that, despite the fact that it is gone ten in the morning, I am still in my pyjamas.“Seriously, darling,” she says as I lead her towards the kitchen, “You have great big bags under your eyes and you look like you have barely slept in days.”“I was asleep by seven yesterday but then after midnight, Bean decided to start doing her acrobatics. I was up every hour to pee so I am knackered, Mum.” I let out a sigh as I pop the kettle on, pulling down some china mugs and getting out the teapot.“Have you been taking your vitamins?” Mum asks looking concerned.“Like clockwork,” I respond. “I just can’t seem to get my mind to w
“So the last time I saw you, Abby, I asked you to think about what makes you happy. I know you have had a lot going on but I wanted to see if you had any thoughts on your task.”I look at David and truthfully I want to smack him. “To be perfectly honest, David, it hasn’t exactly been high on my priority list. Seriously at this point, I would just settle for Richard and Hannah locked up very far away from me. But I know that isn’t the answer you are looking for.”“I know things are tough for you at the moment, Abby. But in a couple of weeks, all of this is going to be over, no matter what the verdict is. And you are going to be asking yourself these questions. You are always so focused on making everyone else happy that you need to start thinking about what you find fulfilling.” David sits there tapping his pen irritatingly on his notepad.I let out a sigh. “I like making people happy. It mak
By the time we slip back into our seats in the courtroom, the jury is just being led back in. Taylor wraps an arm around my shoulders, a comforting gesture that makes me relax a little. I watch as Emelia makes some notes as Hannah is led back into the witness box. For the first time, Hannah looks slightly nervous but when she spots Taylor and me, her gaze turns bitter.Emelia stands up and I find my heart beginning to race, almost as if I am the one getting up to question Hannah myself. “Miss Fisher, would you agree that you have spent the entire morning telling a pack of lies to the courtroom?” Emelia asks, her tone pleasant and light as if she had just asked her whether or not she had enjoyed her lunch.“Absolutely not,” Hannah replies, her tone aggressive. I watch as the tension radiates off her body, her unease written all over her face.Emelia begins by going over Hannah’s testimony that stated that she had no knowl
Today is the day; Hannah is going to be on the witness stand. My stomach churns every time I think of it. Taylor tried to dissuade me from attending, but I put my foot down this time. I need to look Hannah in the eye when she gets up and lies in court.I was so nervous the first time I walked into the courtroom to testify that I hadn’t taken much notice of my surroundings. But as I find my seat behind the large bench of barristers and solicitors for the Prosecution I take a good look around me. A large coat of arms sits above the judge’s chair which along with the dark wooden panelling gives the room an austere feel. We are still waiting for the judge to arrive, but I guess that it won’t be long as I see the far door open and the jurors are led in.It all feels a little surreal, like I am watching an episode of Law & Order: UK, as the judge enters and then finally Hannah is brought to the witness stand. I watch as she stands and makes her