Chapter 9 - The Final Judgment
The judge slammed his wooden gavel down, the sharp sound echoing like a gunshot through the tense, silent courtroom.
He looked down at Kim Van Nguyen with an expression of absolute, unyielding disgust, adjusting his glasses before reading the final sentence.
"For the heinous, calculated, and entirely remorseless murders of Tuong Lai Nghia and Tat Le Mai, I sentence you to death."
A collective gasp swept through the gallery, followed by a sudden, overwhelming wave of relieved tears from the families of the victims.
Nguyen’s legs gave out completely beneath him, and he collapsed heavily into his chair, his face buried in his trembling hands.
There would be no high-priced appeals, no political favors, and no miraculous escapes from the brutal reality of his impending doom.
As the heavy wooden doors of the courtroom swung open, aggressive reporters swarmed Inspector Vance, shouting rapid-fire questions about the legendary case.
Vance ignored the flashing cameras and the blinding spotlights, pushing his way through the massive crowd to reach the quiet sanctuary of the hallway.
He found Nghia’s mother sitting alone on a wooden bench, clutching a faded, crinkled photograph of her beloved, late son.
Vance removed his hat, respectfully bowing his head as he approached the grieving, fragile old woman.
"It is finally over, ma'am, he can rest in peace now," Vance said, his voice unusually soft and full of genuine empathy.
She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with a profound, unspeakable sorrow, and gently squeezed the tough inspector's weathered hand.
"Thank you, Inspector, for listening to the dead when no one else in the world would," she whispered through her quiet tears.
Vance nodded, a heavy sense of closure finally washing over his exhausted mind and battered soul.
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He walked out of the courthouse and into the bright, blinding sunlight, lighting a cheap cigarette as he stared up at the clear blue sky.
The city was finally safe from the tyrant's grip, and the tragic ghosts of the mountain had finally been given their rightful justice.
