* * *
The clerk calls in the day’s first witness and the door opens.
Amina walks straight to the witness’s seat and sits down without raising her eyes even once. She is pale and without makeup; her cheeks have become slightly sunken over the past few weeks.
Michael glances anxiously in my direction.
“Do you understand what it means to act as a witness?” G?ran Leijon asks.
Amina nods and whispers, “Yes.”
Then she repeats after Leijon.
“I, Amina Be?i?, swear and affirm on my honor and conscience that I will tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
I put a hand to my chest and concentrate on breathing. Unease is eating its way through my body. A horrific sense of looming catastrophe forces me up against the back of my seat.
“We’ll begin with questions from the defense attorney,” says G?ran Leijon.
This is it.
Michael speaks slowly and gently. Next to him, Stella has raised her chin and is looking straight at Amina. It’s been several weeks since they last saw each other.
“Can you start by telling us how you and Stella know one another?” Michael asks.
Amina looks down at the table.
“We’ve been best friends since preschool. We were in the same class from first through ninth grades and we were on the same handball team.”
There’s a burning sensation in my chest. In my mind, I picture the two girls.
“How would you describe your relationship today?” Michael asks.
Amina continues to stare at the table. Time passes, and I can sense Michael’s growing doubt.
“She’s still my best friend.”
Michael nods. In the ensuing silence, I glimpse a cautious light in Stella’s eyes. What has she been thinking? What did she assume was going on? If it had been up to Amina, we never would have left Stella alone in that prison of thought and anguish. It was my decision, what we did, and I’m the one whom Stella will have to hold accountable—whatever happens.
“How would you describe Stella’s personality?” Michael asks.
“Well, she … she’s just the way she is. She’s Stella, there’s no one else like her.”
I can’t help but smile. In the midst of all of this, I’m actually sitting there with a smile on my face.
“She’s really brave. She always says what she thinks and does what she wants to do. Peer pressure—it’s like she’s never even heard of it.”
The two best friends look at each other. The bonds that link Stella and Amina are stronger than anyone in this courtroom could imagine.
“And she’s really smart, too,” Amina says. “Not everyone gets that until they truly get to know her. And she’s easily the most stubborn person I know. Very impulsive and forward. A go-getter. Some people think she’s too much. I think Stella’s the kind of person you either love or hate.”
Michael is just about to ask the next question when Amina interrupts him.
“And I love her.”
Her voice cracks and she buries her face in her hands. Giant tears run down her cheeks. There’s a lump in my throat. Even Michael seems moved.
“Can you tell us a little about Christopher Olsen?” he says. “How did the two of you get to know him?”
Amina looks at Stella. My heart is pounding at my chest; sweat makes my underarms sticky. It feels horrible, no longer being able to influence what’s happening. Now I have to trust in Amina. Now everything is in her hands.
95
“Tell us about Christopher Olsen,” Michael says. “How did you two get to know him?”
He pushes a box of tissues across the table and Amina dries her cheeks.
“We met Chris at Tegnérs one night.”
I sneak a look at Adam, who appears deep in concentration. I’m terrified about what’s coming.
Amina tells the same story Stella did yesterday. The girls saw Christopher Olsen a few times, both out and about and at Olsen’s residence, but that was it.
“Would you say that Stella and Christopher Olsen were a couple?” Michael asks.
“Definitely not. Stella and Chris messed around a little, that’s all.”
Michael nods.
“Would you like to elaborate? Did they have a sexual relationship?”
“They had sex, but it wasn’t a relationship.”
Amina sounds confident and convincing.
“Yesterday we heard allegations that Stella sometimes acted violently. Is that true? Have you ever felt that she has been violent?”
Amina draws up her shoulders. My heart leaps.