Page 87 of Noah

I let Jamal know that the plan was all good.

Feeling cried out, I slept. Dreamed of Brody.

But I slept.

Chapter Eighteen | Brody

I was glad I was in court today. Being in my office meant I had access to my computer and plenty of opportunities to be on my phone. The freedom to use both of those devices meant I could stalk Noah on his social media accounts, scrolling through pictures of him.

They were older pictures. Many of them with whom I assumed were his Salish Sea Society friends. My stomach tumbled and my heart ached every time I caught an image of him flashing his gorgeous smile at the camera or directed toward one of his friends.

There was so much love there.

I realized; he'd given that same smile to me many times.

I cleared my throat and looked down at my notes, seated at the prosecutor's table in the courtroom. The case against the guy who had been in possession of the Rainbow LGBTQ Youth Centre's stolen computers was on the docket today. Jamal sat quietly beside me. Noah must have told him what happened between us. Jamal's usual sunniness was not going to shine on me.

I chanced a glance over each shoulder. At the very back of the courtroom, I spotted Noah. He was staring at me, and he looked miserable. He swiped a tear off his cheek and then looked away.

"All stand for the honourable Judge McCain."

I rose to my feet as the judge walked into the courtroom. Once he was settled, everyone in the courtroom retook their seats. "Can I have some opening statements, please?"

I walked around to the front of the table.

"Brody Carlisle. Crown Counsel."

"Keep it short," the judge said.

"This is a clear-cut case. The defendant broke into the Rainbow LGBTQ Youth Centre and stole all their computers and printers, and the defendant was found to be in possession of them."

"Do you have a list of what was stolen?"

I retrieved the list and handed it to him. He perused it and then looked at the defence.

"What do you have to say?"

I went back to my seat and the defence attorney took the floor.

"The Crown has no proof that my client stole the computers. It could have been anyone. My client was in possession of the computers but only after someone sold them to him."

I sighed. This trial was going to be short but tedious.

"Mr. Carlisle. Your first witness, please."

I took the floor again. "I'd like to call our first witness Jamal Kumar to the stand." Because Jamal was in a wheelchair, he placed himself at the foot of the stand.

"In your own words," I started. "Tell us what you discovered at the scene of the robbery."

"Well …." Jamal clutched the arms of his wheelchair. "I came into work, same as usual. Early. Around 7 am. The first thing I do is wheel myself through the entire facility, making sure everything is in order for when the kids show up. We have programs all day long."

Jamal frowned. "When I reached the library, I knew something was wrong. It was freezing cold in there. When I came around the corner of one of the shelving units, I saw that all the computers and printers were missing, and the big window at the back was smashed."

"Do you have any reason to believe it was one of the youths who frequent the centre?"

"No. Those kids rely on those computers. Plus, they're not worth much. I can't imagine anyone fencing them. Most of the computers were found but they were damaged beyond repair. Like someone had destroyed them on purpose. I'm positive this was a hate crime."

The defence attorney stood. "Objection. Speculation by the witness."

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