CHAPTER 16

The trip to the courthouse in the morning was completely nerve wracking as Monica tried to cling to the feelings she'd had last night as she had been falling asleep. Abby had hugged her at breakfast and told her that she would be praying and then Monica had spent the entire ride to the city doing just that as well.

Being led into the courtroom in handcuffs was still every bit as humiliating as it had been before, though this time, the little angel immediately sought out Andrew's green eyes and locked her gaze with his as a wealth of information passed between them.

The blond angel could sense Monica's fear immediately and his arms ached to hold her close. He had spent the morning talking to the Father, pleading with Him to show him a way to prove both Monica's and Abby's innocence. He could only hope that now, that way would reveal itself.

The little angel took the seat beside of him and again met his eyes, begging for reassurance which Andrew tried to give her in his smile. He was trying to appear more confident than he felt, but what he did have confidence in was that whatever happened today, God would make something good out of it.

However, an hour into the trial, things were not looking good. After swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, Gwen Matthews stood in front of the jury and told lie after lie about Monica's "relationship" with Edward Nowels. Gwen stated how she had seen Edward's car near the alley and had been concerned, so after parking her car, she arrived just in time to see the "hateful Irish woman" shoot him. Though never uttering a word, Andrew could see Monica tearfully shaking her head throughout the entire testimony and unable to help himself, he reached beneath the table and laid a reassuring hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze.

Andrew cross examined Gwen, but the woman never faltered from her story, even though he knew it was ridiculous. He finally ceased questioning her and waited as the prosecution called Tina Nowels to the stand.

Wayne Gibbs kept his questions minimal with victim's wife, but once it was Andrew's turn, he questioned her so that the information she had told him before came out for the jury; Tina did not believe for one second that her husband was having an affair. Gibbs then cross examined her, asking her if she had any proof at all that Edward had not been cheating on her, but all Tina could say was that her "intuition" told her Edward was faithful.

By the time Monica was called to the stand, Andrew could clearly see how fragile she was. It had been a long, tedious morning and now she was faced with the hardest part. He questioned her carefully and patiently, allowing her to explain how she had come to be in the alley and what she had witnessed. She was on the verge of tears when she spoke of the masked man forcing the weapon into her hands and how she had pleaded with him to get help for Edward Nowels.

Andrew wished he could have continued to question her for the rest of the trial, but he knew he had to turn it over to Wayne Gibbs. Of course, Monica's testimony, though the truth, was also weak in light of the murder and Gibbs preyed on that immediately.

"So, you just expect us all to believe that you willingly ran into an alley where a man was being shot?"

"Did it ever occur to you that you could wind up dead as well? I don't think any other women would have been willing to risk their lives like that!"

His questions were rapid-fire, and he barely gave the little angel time to respond before asking the next one. Much of his case was built around Gwen Matthews but Monica continued to insist she didn't know the woman, nor had she known the victim.

"So you just expect us all to believe that a woman alone, walking down the street after dark, becomes the scapegoat for a murder? Women don't walk down the streets of the city at night without protection, but then you had a gun, didn't you? And you used it to kill Edward Nowels!"

"No! I didn't!" Exhaustion, frustration and fear all flew to the surface as Monica cried out her answer, "No one is telling the truth!"

Turning to face the jury, Edward Nowels suppressed a smile, "Hmmm...it seems she does have a bit of a temper. Imagine how she would react to having her boyfriend tell her it was over between them. No further questions, Your Honor."

Andrew's heart sank as he watched Monica bury her face in her cuffed hands, her entire body trembling and his arms ached to hold her close and soothe away all that was hurting her. Thankfully, the judge adjourned court until after lunch and Andrew quickly followed Monica's guards to her holding room. Once they were both closed inside, with the guards outside at the door, Andrew knelt down in front of her, trying to read her expression.

"Baby?"

"Why are they doing this?" Monica whispered brokenly, "They're going to find me guilty Andrew, because there is no one out there to say I'm innocent!"

"Angel, I know you are innocent and so does the Father. Don't give up!"

"Andrew, I need a miracle to not have to go back to that place!" Though she was trying desperately not to cry, two huge tears welled up in her dark eyes.

He had no idea what else to tell her. She needed to keep her faith that God was in control, but her fear of going back to the prison was stronger right now than anything else. Taking her trembling hands into his own, he closed his eyes tightly, "Father please, we need your help."

As soon as the words were said, knowledge filled Andrew's heart and he opened his eyes. Tenderly, bringing Monica's cuffed hands, wrists slightly red, to his lips, he kissed each one lovingly, "I'll be back, sweetheart."

"What? Where are you going?" Her fear was written all over her pale face as she searched his eyes for an answer.

"To get your miracle."