November 18th arrived cold and gray.
Maya sat in the holding cell at the courthouse, wearing the only professional clothes she owned—a simple black dress that Jennifer had brought her, now hanging loose on her frame after five months in jail.
Five months since Andrea disappeared.
Five months of waiting for this day.
Jennifer appeared at the cell door. “It’s time.”
Maya stood on shaking legs. “I’m scared.”
“I know. But remember what we talked about. Stay calm. Don’t react to anything the prosecution says. Look at the jury when you testify. Tell the truth.”
“What if they don’t believe me?”
“Then we appeal. But Maya, we have a case. We’ve planted doubt. That’s all we need—reasonable doubt.”
But Maya could hear the uncertainty in Jennifer’s voice. They both knew how bad the evidence l
