Guilty

Everyone was giving Norah the death glare. She glared right back. Fools, she thought darkly. They always blamed her. They were always whispering. “She was born without a heart. Heartless. Guilty...” Was all they ever said. They had no evidence. No proof. And yet, foolish and selfish people always have to put the blame on someone else. 

Her husband first, and then her son. She walked quicker, and the people parted. Did they think she was contagious? What did she do wrong? Nothing. But that’s not what they believed. And the trial would take place the next day. She’d be found guilty by idiots. 

They’d place her in a cell. She’d be there for life. For what? The supposed murder of her very own husband and son. She guessed it was for the best. She wouldn’t be found guilty for any of the other murders in this small town. There was no escape. No escape for the guilty. 

Two Weeks Earlier…

Isaac chased his mother around, giggling. Norah was out of breath within minutes, but he could move for what seemed like forever. They ran around in circles, the verdant green grass beneath their feet. Norah was laughing, truly trying to outrun her son. Instantaneously, his laughs stopped. He started to cry. She abruptly stopped, red faced from running, and rushed to him. “Isaac? What’s wrong baby?” He continued to wail. She examined him from head to toe. He was clutching his stomach. “Isaac?” She vocalized anxiously, picking him up. 

Rushing inside, the phone was in her hands within seconds. The buttons she clicked barely registered and then there was a voice. “911 what’s your emergency?” A cheery woman's voice said. How could she be happy at a time like this? Norah tried catching her breath. “Ma’am, are you alright?” The woman asked, leadership hinting at her voice now. Explaining what had happened hurriedly, she asked herself a simple question. Was her son dying?

The ambulance arrived several minutes later, the paramedics running into the abode. Isaac was put on a stretcher, still weeping from the pain. Norah was feeling consternation, pacing, tears streaming down her face.

First Henry, now Isaac. When would it end? Little did she know, someone had been watching. The same woman who had been watching since the day Henry and Norah said "I do."

People had gathered on the sidewalks, watching the commotion. Norah climbed into the ambulance, and they sped away. She tried to calm her nerves, but nothing could. It was almost as if deep down, she knew her son would die.

Grace

Glaring at the ambulance as it drove away, grace found some satisfaction in the fact that Isaac would not survive. She hated Norah. Loathed her, despised her. Now she would have revenge. It was cruel to kidnap someone, but it had been right. She was making that woman suffer. Henry's screams and thrashes were muffled by her gag and the ropes holding him to the wooden chair. Grace turned to glare at him.

"It's your fault Henry. I never would have had to do this if you would have just married me, not her." The words he said were muffled, but she caught a few syllables. He was cursing at her. She merely shrugged and stepped closer. "Your little boy is going to die, and there is nothing you can do about it." Then he was crying.

A grown man was crying. It was expected, though. He was losing his son, and his wife would be sent to prison for the murder of both the people she loved. Grace raised a hand to her mouth to hide the giggles threatening to escape. But she couldn't stop them. She was a twisted, dark woman.

Norah

The trial was slow. The judge spoke in a voice that commanded respect. Her in-laws glared at her the entire time. Fools, she thought as they listened to what the judge had to say. "There were no witnesses, but the evidence all points to you, Miss Lorence." She sighed, standing. "Permission to speak?" She questioned in a low voice. "Permission granted, go on." She drew in a large breath, then let out what she believed.

"I plead innocent, your courtship. The claims made against me are false, and I am willing to prove it." This caught the judge, and jury's attention. "I would like to take a polygraph, to prove my innocence." Her heart had begun to race. If they let her take it, she'd be proven innocent. The handcuffs her wrists were being squeezed by seemed to loosen.

The judge nodded. "Very well. We will have the machine set up." An hour passed before they let her into the room with stark white walls. She sat down, but she was not nervous. She was going to prove them wrong.

The machine purred to life, and the woman sitting in front of Norah nodded. "Just answer with a simple yes or no." Norah tilted her head. "What if I have to explain?" The woman shrugged. "You can explain afterwards. So, first question, did you have anything to do with the murder of your son or husband?"

"No."

"Do you know where your husband's body is?" Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"No."

The woman's eyebrows rose with each question. "Were you at home when your husband was killed, and/or went missing?"

"No." She spoke in a hard tone at the question. Her heart rate was steady, and nothing twitched. She was not nervous. She was proving them wrong.

"Last question...Do you suspect anyone of the murder?" She could not lie. It may not have been true, but she had to answer.

"Yes."

The woman nodded, and the machine sputtered back to sleep. She sighed, then gave Norah a tight smile. "You passed the test, every question. You did not lie. You did not murder your family." Norah couldn't help it, she let out a sob. When the news hit, there were protests from Henry's family. Except, her mother-in-law smiled and nodded. "I knew you were innocent." The realization hit her. They were both gone, but she would find out who did it. She would.

Whoever had committed the terrible crime would be charged. The guilty would be found. And they would be punished.