Chapter 16
Three weeks later, Elena testified by video.
She wore a yellow sweater.
Purple sneakers.
And held her bunny, now repaired by Rosa with uneven stitches and too much love.
I sat outside the courtroom because I did not want my face to scare her.
Luis sat beside her.
Rosa held her other hand.
Harris asked gentle questions.
Elena answered slowly.
She told them about the alley.
About Marco.
About the car.
About waking up cold.
About hearing men say she had to stay asleep.
About scratching names into the coffin because she remembered her teacher telling her that brave people leave clues.
When she cried, the judge paused.
Not Judge Hart.
A real judge.
A woman with kind eyes and a hard voice.
Victor’s attorney tried to suggest Elena was confused.
Luis stood so fast his chair scraped.
I thought he might attack him.
Rosa touched his arm.
Elena lifted her chin.
“I’m not confused,” she said.
Her voice shook.
But it did not break.
“I know who hurt me.”
The courtroom went silent.
Even through the monitor, everyone felt it.
A child had survived grown men’s evil.
And she had brought the truth back with her.
After testimony, I found Marco in a holding room.
He looked smaller without expensive suits and armed men around him.
“Dante,” he whispered.
I said nothing.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
His eyes filled.
“I didn’t know Victor would take it that far.”
“You knew enough.”
“She was just supposed to be scared.”
“She was seven.”
He lowered his head.
“I have children.”
“That makes it worse.”
He looked up.
“Will you protect them?”
I hated him for asking.
I hated myself for already knowing the answer.
“They will not pay for your sins.”
He cried then.
I left him there.
Outside, Tony waited.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“You did the right thing.”
“I did it too late.”
Tony did not argue.
That was why I trusted him.
At the hospital, Elena gave Bruno a paper crown.
He wore it without complaint.
She laughed.
The sound was small.
But it filled the room.
I stood in the doorway and thought of my mother’s words.
May you like
Do not become the monster you hunt.
For the first time, I wondered if maybe I could become something else.
