Chapter 71. That Phone Call

She tried to ignore it but as easy as it was to do that, it also was the hardest when things around her would go quiet. But she only brushed it off as the remnants of the paranoia from before the Marinos were sent off to prison.

They walked down the courthouse steps, surrounded by the supportive murmur of their friends and allies. Reporters crowded around, eager for statements, but Detective Willie and Mr. Preston managed to shield the family from the worst of the media frenzy.

The detective had told them before they had stepped out of the courthouse that they should not speak with any press, at least for now.

They quickly got into their car and drove away, heading home to a long-awaited sense of normalcy.

In the back seat, Anna stared out the window, her thoughts a whirlwind. The trial had ended, but the fight had left scars that would take time to heal. She wondered about Carlos, about what would happen to him now that he had turned on his family.

She