The confession came quietly at the precinct. No theatrics, no denials—just exhaustion. Jacob Wells was exonerated. The city’s outrage softened into relief. For Merritt, the outcome was neither victory nor spectacle, only balance restored.
When the verdict was read, he glanced at the girl and her dog. “Case dismissed,” he said softly. Scout lay down beside her chair, tail brushing the marble floor, a small, steady rhythm in a courtroom finally returned to peace.