My Sister Faked the Fall. This Time, I Filmed It. novel · Chapter 20 of 24

Chapter 20: Gisela Takes the Stand

My mother wore a navy suit to the stand, with her silver bob freshly set and her nails painted pale pink.

She had been in county for two months, and her lawyer had made sure she looked rested.

"Mrs. Hungerford," her lawyer began gently, "tell the jury about your family."

"I raised two daughters." Her voice caught exactly once. "One of them I bore, and one I took in, a frightened little girl from a county home. I gave her everything."

"And how did she repay you?"

"She lied to me for years." My mother lowered her eyes. "I found out about the stairs from the police. I was heartbroken. Kylie has always been an unstable child, and I fear Palmer took advantage of her."

Beside me, Kylie did not flinch.

She had stopped flinching somewhere around the second week.

"Did you plan any harm to Willa?"

"Never. She's my daughter."

"Did you owe money, Mrs. Hungerford?"

"A small private loan, as many widows have."

"No further questions."

The prosecutor stood slowly and buttoned her jacket.

"Mrs. Hungerford, you said you found out about the stairs from the police."

"Yes."

"You were in the living room when your daughter's video played."

"I was shocked."

"You were seen on the same video, a minute and a half earlier, asking your older daughter to go upstairs and bring down a quilt."

"It was a gift from my mother-in-law. Everyone should see it."

"At three-forty, exactly when Kylie was in position."

"A coincidence."

The prosecutor took a blue notebook from the table.

"This is your handwriting?"

My mother's eyes fell on it, and the pink on her cheeks went out.

"I don't recognize that."

"Page ninety lists a man who threatened to harm your daughters in the week after your husband's funeral. Did you tell either daughter?"

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