‘I hope you’re right,’ she said, her voice so low it was barely audible.
***
They sat next to each other in the public gallery, there were various other people there but it felt to her as if they were the only people in the room. Greg gave her an encouraging smile. Her eyes were drawn to Katrina when she sat down the other side of her with her partner. She watched as he squeezed her hand gently and gave her a tender kiss on her cheek. If only Greg and she could have that kind of closeness. The women shared an unspoken look with each other – united by their experiences at the hands of Steve.
They listened to several witnesses, including the private investigator, police officers and then came the woman who had found her on the cliff top.
‘And when you found Miss Masterson on the ground what condition was she in?’
‘She was extremely distressed and in a vast amount of pain. I’m surprised she is still alive after such a brutal attack. There was blood all over her skirt… I’ll never forget it.’
‘And is the man who inflicted those injuries upon her in court today?’ The prosecutor asked her.
‘Yes, that’s him. That’s a face I will never forget,’ said the woman, indicating to where Steve stood in the dock.
Amberley shuddered at the memory. Last called to witness was the doctor who had attended to her in hospital.
‘In your opinion, how did the baby die?’
‘The severe kicks Miss Masterson received to the stomach detached the placenta. This caused the death of her baby.’
Amberley’s hands shook in her lap. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to block out the pain. She felt a hand take hold of hers and squeezed it reassuringly. It was Greg; she found comfort in his warm touch. She smiled gratefully at him. She grasped it tighter, not letting go until the court broke for lunch.
After lunch, it would be time to hear Steve’s side of the story.
***
Looking at Steve in the witness box, she wondered how she had ever fallen for him. Even his designer suit now looked dishevelled, and his behaviour was of a man completely crazed. He must have sensed her watching. He stared at her with more hatred than he ever had before. She drew in a deep breath and looked away. While the prosecutor asked his questions, she watched as Steve became more agitated. A recording of one of the answerphone messages that he left was played to the court.
‘Where are you, Amberley? If you don’t reply within the next fifteen minutes I will hunt you down and kill you!’
‘Mr Jackson,’ said the prosecutor. ‘Do you think it is reasonable behaviour to send this kind of message to someone you supposedly love?’
‘I never knew where she was. She was mine and she started showing me disrespect.’ Steve almost growled the words.
The look on the face of Steve’s counsel said it all.
‘Is that also the reason you brought on her miscarriage? Did you think she had shown you more disrespect?’
‘Yes,’ he shouted, ‘how dare she even think about doing that to me? The baby deserved to die and so did she,’ he bellowed the words as he pointed a finger at her.
Amberley bit down hard on her lip as he spoke, drawing blood.
‘No further questions, your Honour.’
The defence asked questions but by this time, Steve’s speech had become unintelligible, making him sound insane.
‘Would I be correct in assuming that you still love Miss Masterson?’
‘No I hate her and I wish she was dead. She’s nothing more than a whore.’
‘Would you say that Miss Masterson drove you to this course of action by her selfish behaviour?’
‘Of course she did, you stupid man! And she needed to be taught a lesson in respect!’ replied Steve, through gritted teeth.
‘No more questions,’ said his lawyer, in an exasperated tone. His lawyer had not expected this response from him.
Court was closed for the day. The Judge would be summing up the case in the morning.
‘It’ll soon be over,’ said Greg as they walked back to her car.
‘I hope so. I don’t think I can take much more of this. I feel like my head is going to explode.’
‘I’m sure it won’t take the jury long to find him guilty. I’m certain it will all be over by tomorrow afternoon.’
‘I sincerely hope so,’ she said, massaging her forehead, wishing the thudding in her head would disappear.
‘Instead of going home, why don’t you go and stay at the cottage. You can spend some time with Isobel. That will take your mind off things.’ Greg suggested.
‘That’s a great idea, I think I will.’
Simon and Sarah were more than happy to have her. Amberley bathed her niece and wrapped her up in a towel, holding her close. She loved Isobel unconditionally and it gave her something to focus on in her otherwise chaotic life.
After drying her, she sat in the living room to feed her. Simon and Sarah were in the kitchen preparing dinner together. There was a knock at the door, Amberley put the bottle down and holding Isobel close to her, she answered the door. It was Greg.
Each time Greg saw Amberley holding Isobel, it made his heart melt. She looked so natural in that pose. He wondered if she would allow him to paint them together. Thoughts turned to the baby they had lost and it brought a lump to his throat.
‘Sorry to intrude. I was just coming back from Keith’s and I thought I’d pop in to see my favourite girl,’ he said, indicating to Isobel.
Amberley ushered him in and retook her seat. At the sound of his voice, Isobel looked round towards him. Greg broke into a big smile.
‘Hey, beautiful, it’s you uncle Greg come to visit.’ He grinned at her.
‘Hey, stop it. You’re putting her off her feed.’
‘Oops, Sorry. I guess Uncle Greg is in trouble now, Isobel, what do you think?’
‘Have you eaten, Greg?’ Sarah called from the kitchen door.
‘No I haven’t had a chance.’
‘That’s okay; we have plenty if you want to join us.’
‘Thanks, that’s great,’ he replied.
‘Why don’t you take over feeding her, I’m getting cramp.’ Amberley suggested to him, handing him the bottle.
When she gave Isobel to him, their skin connected, the feeling of electricity went all over her body. Her heart beat in double time, if only she could pluck up the courage to tell him she wanted him. How did she even try and sort out this mess between them?
***
The final day of the trial dawned. Amberley felt nauseated; she hadn’t slept much the previous night. Her thoughts ran round inside her brain in a confused flurry. The outcome of the trial, her future and Greg, all of this had left her feeling exhausted. Even Isobel was strangely quiet that morning, as if she sensed something was wrong.
Sitting in the public gallery, she watched as Steve was brought back into the courtroom. He looked completely unhinged; a shadow of his former self. The judge began his summing up. Amberley tried hard to listen, but she was in pieces.
‘And so, members of the jury, you must ask yourselves, was Miss Masterson to blame for Mr Jackson’s behaviour. Did she lead him on by starting another relationship, whilst as Mr Jackson states she was still with him? On the other hand, was Mr Jackson a vicious, jealous bully who could not – or would not – believe their relationship was over. I will now ask you to go away and deliberate your verdict.
Amberley went to talk with the prosecution team. ‘Which way do you think the verdict will go?’ she enquired nervously.
‘He’s shown himself in his true light in the courtroom, Amberley. No sane juror will think he’s innocent. Even his Counsel believes he’s a lost cause.’
She walked back to Simon who offered her a cup of coffee. Thanks,’ she said holding the cup tightly between her hands. She saw Greg who was deep in conversation with Keith. They glanced in her direction once and then the court was called back in.
She watched with foreboding as the foreman of the jury stood u
p.
The clerk of the court addressed the foreman, ‘Madam foreman, have you reached a verdict on count one, Section 20 Grievous Bodily Harm…’
Amberley could feel a buzzing in her ears as the first charge was read out, she hardly heard all the clerk was saying.
‘…did assault Amberley Masterson by kicking her repeatedly, causing her to miscarry?’
‘Yes,’ said the foreman.
‘How do you find the charged?’
‘Guilty.’
Everything around Amberley appeared to be happening in slow motion. There were six counts in all ranging from GBH to Harassment. Steve was found guilty on them all.
‘Steven Joseph Jackson, I am remanding you in custody. This is because of the seriousness of the crimes, including your assaults on Miss Vernon. I will require a full assessment including psychiatric reports and risk assessments for public protection,’ returned the judge.
Steve’s family appeared devastated. Kate threw Amberley an accusing glare. She felt sorry for his family; it was as much a prison sentence for them as it was for him. Nevertheless, she knew she had done the right thing and could never regret giving evidence
A collective cheer went up from Amberley and Katrina’s friends and family. The sense of relief almost made Amberley collapse. Looking at Steve, she was horrified to see he was attempting to escape from the confines of the dock. The security guards grasped frantically at him. There were startled gasps from the members of the jury.
‘Order in the court,’ said the Judge in a deep, booming voice.
‘And you,’ Steve pointed angrily at the Judge. ‘I am not a lunatic; I don’t want any Psychiatric evaluations!’
‘In that case, Mr Jackson, I will reconvene tomorrow for sentencing.’
‘As for you, bitch,’ Steve indicated towards Amberley. ‘I should have killed you when I had the chance. If I ever get released, I swear I’ll come looking for you and finish the job!’ he spat the words out in a menacing tone.
Finally, he managed to break lose and ran towards the exit. The guards caught up with him. They dragged him back but he screamed and shouted, desperately trying to prise himself free of their hands.
‘I will have my revenge on you. I am going to kill you!’
Even as they took him down the stairs, she could still hear him continuing with his tirade.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Amberley stood up and her head began to spin. She gripped the back of the chair, and prayed she wouldn’t faint. Sitting back down, she put her head between her knees and breathed in and out deeply.
‘Can you hear me, Amberley?’
It was Simon, his tone one of concern. Slowly she sat upright, noting there were several people with worried faces watching her.
‘It’s okay, I just got up too quickly and felt dizzy. It will soon pass,’ she said, a wan smile on her face.
‘Well, it’s all over now. You’re safe at last. You never have to feel scared again,’ said Simon.
‘I can’t believe it’s ended at last. I feel like I’ve been living in a nightmare for so long now.’
Amberley went over to Katrina; they embraced each other – victims united in victory.
‘I’m so pleased you gave evidence, Katrina, thank you for helping put that swine away.’
‘It’s thanks to you that it came to court, or I might never have had the courage to testify against him. I wonder,’ said Katrina. ‘Could you and I have a coffee somewhere on our own? I know you probably want to be with your family and friends right now, but it is important.’
‘That would be good, I’d like that. I want to go and have a chat with the prosecution first, to see what happens next. Why don’t you come with me?’
‘Of course I will,’ Katrina agreed.
Simon took Katrina’s partner, along with Keith and Greg, for a drink elsewhere.
***
‘What’s the next step?’ Amberley enquired to the prosecution team.
‘The judge will pass sentence and your Victim Personal Statement will be read out by myself. You can attend if you want to, but it’s not compulsory.’
‘Would I be able to go?’ Katrina asked him.
‘Yes indeed. The victim and any of the witnesses may attend.’
Amberley smiled grimly at him. ‘I will definitely attend; I need to hear for myself what sentence he will get.’
‘Me too,’ agreed Katrina.
‘He will spend the rest of his natural life in prison, Amberley. His irrational behaviour in court today is testament enough. He will come up for parole but the Board will never agree to his release.’ Her lawyer assured her.
‘Thank goodness, that’s a relief,’ said Amberley. ‘Thank you,’ she shook his hand. ‘You’ve been very helpful.’
***
‘So,’ said Amberley, as they seated themselves in a nearby café. ‘Tell me what’s on your mind.’
Katrina stared hard at her drink, playing with the saucer. Her face had a frown upon it. ‘I’d like it if we could remain in touch after this is all over. I feel I know you so well and don’t want to lose that contact.’
‘I would love to. What was the urgent thing you wanted to talk about?’ Amberley asked her, placing her cup back down.
‘I know we haven’t had much time to get acquainted but I am a very perceptive person,’ she paused.
‘And what is your perception of me, Katrina?’
‘Look,’ she replied, placing the cup back on its saucer, ‘please don’t take this the wrong way. The first time I met you I should have made you listen to me but I didn’t try hard enough.’
They regarded each other silent contemplation.
Katrina was hesitant at first but then continued, ‘Greg loves you very much you know. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I am certain you love him too.’
‘Go on,’ said Amberley warily.
‘Don’t lose him, Amberley. You two are definitely meant for each other. You have both suffered so much but the bond you have is strong.’
Amberley toyed with her napkin, tearing it into tiny pieces.
‘You’re right, we do love each other. It’s just the guilt I feel at all the trauma he’s suffered seems to get in the way. I hurt every time I look at him.’
‘But does he blame you?’
She shook her head slowly. ‘No, he loves me unconditionally. He’s backed off to give me space. I am totally confused about the whole thing.’
Katrina grasped Amberley’s hand. ‘That’s to be expected after what you’ve been through. I was the same for a while but I am so grateful that I have Paul in my life now,’ she said smiling.
‘All I’m asking is that you give it a chance. Don’t let a genuine guy like Greg slip through your fingers.’
Katrina had certainly given her a lot to consider. ‘Katrina, before you go, I want you to know that I’ve offered my services freely to a local domestic violence campaign. If I need to, may I call on you?’
‘Of course you can. I want to do all that I can to help other people who’ve had to deal with this.’
They walked back to the car park together; Paul and Simon were waiting for them. She watched as Katrina opened her car door. She turned to look back at her.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow in for the sentencing, then we can chat some more about the campaign.’
Amberley nodded as she waved her off.
‘That was very mysterious, what’s it all about?’ asked Simon, as they drove back to the cottage.
‘Just some things I need to think about, that’s all.’
***
There were tears of joy and relief from Sarah when she met them at the door.
‘We have some more good news,’ said Sarah smiling at Simon.
‘What’s that?’ asked Amberley.
‘We had put an offer in on a beautiful house on the other side of the village, which has been accepted.’
‘That’s fantastic, Sarah. Actually this news couldn’t have come at a better time
,’ said Amberley, a secretive smile playing on her lips.
‘Come on, Sis, what are you up to?’
‘Well,’ she said, taking Isobel from Sarah and holding her close in her arms. She kissed her head, smiling lovingly at her niece.
‘I’ve decided to relocate to Cornwall… on a permanent basis.’
‘Excellent, you can move straight back into the cottage then,’ said Simon, kissing her soundly on the cheek.
***
‘Are you ready for this?’ Simon asked her as they drove to court the next day.
‘I’m not sure. I know he’ll get a long term in jail… but it’s still worrying that he might get out again.’
Inside the building, she spotted Katrina.
‘It will be good to see Steve sentenced today,’ said Amberley to Katrina. ‘If he hadn’t kicked off like he did yesterday, we would’ve had to wait for another six weeks.’
Katrina smiled tightly. ‘For once in his life he’s done something positive then!’
‘I couldn’t agree more.’
Sitting in the public gallery, she noted Greg was there along with Keith. Every time she saw him, she felt a warm glow. He made her feel like no other man ever could.
She watched as Steve came into the dock he was a frightening sight and looked completely deranged. He definitely needed to be locked away for the rest of his life. She clasped her hands nervously in her lap when she remembered his outburst from the previous day.
‘I would like to read out Miss Masterson’s Victim Personal Statement,’ said the prosecution lawyer.
Amberley knew this was going to be done, but now it came to it she didn’t know if she could bear it.
‘Continue,’ said the Judge.
‘Steve Jackson’s impact on my life has been profound. I had loved him and thought we had a great future ahead of us. However, his bullying tactics, jealousy and violence drove me away.
On staying in Cornwall, I thought I could escape him and rebuild my life. I met someone whose love was unconditional. Someone I had hoped to have a permanent relationship with.’ He paused.
Amberley could feel Greg’s gaze boring into her. Her head felt as if it was going to explode.
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