Kessler's face darkened. "Watch yourself, Miss Johnson! One more unfounded accusation, and I'll have you removed as counsel. Is that clear?"
"Crystal clear, Your Honor." Simone met his gaze steadily. "Will that be all?"
Back in the hallway, she briefed her parents in whispers. Sarah's face crumpled with worry, but Marcus looked thoughtful.
"They're scared," he said quietly. "All this maneuvering... they wouldn't bother if they weren't worried about something."
Simone nodded slowly. "The timeline of the fire... they keep trying to establish where everyone was when everything happened, but why? The fire marshal's report already established the timing."
She pulled out her copy of the report, scanning it again. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wait. Look at this: the fire started in multiple locations simultaneously. But the security footage only shows one person. Even if it really was Dad, he couldn't have been in three places at once."
"Can you prove it?" Sarah asked.
"Maybe." Simone checked her watch: 8:45 a.m. "But I'll have to do it in open court. They're not giving us any other options."
As they walked to the courtroom, Simone spotted Richard Bancroft talking with a group of city officials near the water fountain. He caught her looking and smiled, cold and confident.
Let him smile, she thought. Her grandfather had taught her that the truth had a way of coming out, no matter how hard people tried to bury it. The prosecution's frantic evidence manipulation proved they were hiding something; now she just had to figure out what it was.
The courtroom was already filling up as they entered. Victoria Hale sat at the prosecution table, examining documents with her team; she looked fresh and composed, while Simone felt like she'd aged years in one sleepless night. But exhaustion would have to wait. Somewhere in all this manufactured evidence and manipulated footage was the key to proving her family's innocence.
Bancroft and his allies thought they could overwhelm a teenage girl with legal maneuvers and fake documents. They were about to learn that sometimes the most dangerous opponent is the one you've underestimated. As Judge Kessler took the bench, Simone straightened her shoulders and opened her grandfather's briefcase.
Time to show them what a Johnson was really capable of.
The courtroom hummed with tension as Victoria Hale called her next witness. "The prosecution calls Thomas Franklin, head of security camera operations for Bancroft Developments."
Simone watched the witness take the stand, her mind racing despite her exhaustion. Franklin was new; his name hadn't appeared in any previous witness lists. She scribbled a note to her father: Another last-minute surprise. Marcus nodded grimly, his expression matching her suspicion. After the morning's rushed evidence hearing, they were prepared for more manipulation.