Chapter 128

• The courtroom felt too big, too cold. I sat stiffly beside Catherine, palms pressed against the polished wood of the table, my heartbeat quick in my throat. Every creak of a chair, every shuffle of papers had me on alert. The smell of old varnish and ink weighed down on me.
• There was a faint smell of dust, and the low murmur of reporters seated toward the back. Cameras weren’t allowed inside, but their pens and eyes were sharp enough.
• I underestimated how nervous the first hearing would make me.