Page 67 of Echoes of a Southern Song

The judge adjusts his glasses. “Let me review this.”

The silence in the courtroom is electric. Sam is twitchy now, his mouth opening and closing like he’s trying to form words and failing spectacularly.

I stare at him. Six months before me? That would’ve been just before he started love-bombing me. Just before the flowers and the gifts and the sudden push for a Vegas wedding.

“Oh, my goodness,” I whisper.

Then, as if this circus needed more clowns, the door at the back of the courtroom opens and my lawyer’s clerk hurries down the aisle with a manila envelope in his hand.

He passes it to my lawyer, who opens it, scans it, and looks back at the judge. “Your Honor, we have new evidence that deepens the concern.”

The judge sighs. “Let’s hear it.”

My lawyer walks back toward the front, holding up a few pages. “According to Nevada state records, not only was Mr. Crawford married prior to the ceremony with Ms. Parker, but there is no record of divorce or annulment for that marriage. Which means he was still legally married at the time of the ceremony with my client. The marriage in question—between Sam Crawford and Jinnie Parker—was never valid under law.”

I feel like I’ve been dropped into an episode of some wild courtroom reality show. I’m half expecting the bailiff to shout, “You are NOT the legal spouse!”

The judge blinks once. Twice. “Mr. Crawford, do you have any explanation for this?”

Sam stands abruptly. “This is ridiculous! She—she’s just bitter! She’s making this up! That’s... false. Doctored photos. Lies!”

“I’d advise you to sit down,” the judge warns.

Sam doesn’t. “She’s twisting things! That marriage to Regina didn’t mean anything! It was a mistake!”

The judge’s voice sharpens. “Mr. Crawford, I will hold you in contempt if you don’t control yourself.”

“I loved Jinnie! I was trying to start over! They’re attacking me because they know I’m right!”

The judge pounds his gavel. “Mr. Crawford, you are in contempt of court. And a bigamist, apparently. Bailiff—remove him.”

Two bailiffs step forward. Sam starts yelling. “This isn’t over! You’re all blind! She used me! This is all about the property, admit it, Jinnie! You wanted your parents’ land for yourself!”

Jack bolts upright beside me. “You shut your damn mouth—!”

“Jack,” Aggies hisses, grabbing his arm. “Let the man dig his own hole. He’s clearly good at it.”

The judge shoots Jack a warning glare, but before anything else can explode, the bailiffs start dragging Sam out. He’s still hollering, trying to shake them off like a toddler being carried out of a grocery store tantrum.

“I want a new lawyer! This one’s useless!” Sam yells, gesturing wildly toward his shell-shocked attorney. “You’re fired!”

He’s still screaming when the door slams shut behind them.

The courtroom exhales all at once. A wave of whispered conversation follows, like everyone’s been holding their breath and now it’s safe to gossip.

The judge removes his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose. “Well. That was... eventful.”

A soft ripple of laughter rolls through the room.

“I’m prepared to make a ruling,” the judge continues. “In light of the new evidence, I declare that the union between Jinnie Parker and Sam Crawford was never legally binding. Therefore, no annulment is required. There was never a marriage. There is nothing to annul. Furthermore, Mr. Crawford’s request for financial compensation is denied in full.”