Chapter 18 - The Verdict
It took the furious, motivated jury exactly forty-five minutes to deliberate and reach a final conclusion. When the jury foreman proudly stood up, the massive courtroom was so incredibly quiet you could literally hear a pin drop onto the carpet.
“On the major charge of first-degree elder abuse, we find the defendant, Marcus Hayes, guilty. On the major charge of conspiracy to commit federal wire fraud, guilty. On the major charge of aggravated assault, guilty.”
The beautiful, powerful word "guilty" rang out twenty-four separate times, completely covering every single felony charge for both Marcus and Sylvia. Sylvia let out a horrific, guttural wail that sounded exactly like a dying animal, completely collapsing into her wooden chair. Marcus just stared blankly at the far wall, completely and utterly hollowed out.
