𝚆𝙰𝙸𝙳𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙽𝚂 𝙷𝙴𝙸𝙻 ,, magnus nielsen

chapter seven|happy judgment day

so i may have a first chapter for my social media fic?? de we want to see it now or wait until this story is over?

Chapter Seven

happy judgment day

After a very uncomfortable conversation with Magnus' grandparents, I managed to slip away for ten minutes and call Franziska. Her cousin had some very bad news. The murder weapon used to strangle Heidi was Bartosz's plaid scarf, which was covered in his D.N.A because it was his damn scarf. It had Heidi's D.N.A on it is as well, but she loved to borrow that scarf. She wore it all the time. The fact that Bartosz didn't have an alibi didn't help either. Long story short, Moritz Doppler is good, but he isn't this good. Bartosz was screwed.

I backed out of the bathroom where I had taken the call and bumped into Magnus on my way back downstairs.

"Have you figured out why your grandparents are here yet?" I asked

"I think my dad called them when he realized Bartosz was the prime suspect, but they haven't told me anything yet." Magnus said sadly "Anything from Franziska?"

I shook my head before speaking up "You aren't going to like it." I proceeded to fill Magnus in on the scarf, lack of alibi and even Moritz Doppler's doubt about his client.

"That's not good." Magnus said, cursing before slamming his fist into the wall

"Magnus calm down! Punching walls isn't going to get Bartosz out on bail!" I shouted

Truth be told, I felt like punching something as well. If Moritz and the Tiedemann's couldn't get Bartosz out on bail tomorrow, it was game over. And I couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen through my camera lens. Magnus said it was just a blur, and that I was imagining things. I wasn't too sure.

"Magnus, something weird is going on in Winden and I will be damned if I can't figure it out. I want to go into the woods." I said quietly, sitting down on the stairs.

"What? Why?"

"Because I need to know what actually happened. It couldn't have been Bartosz."

"But what if it was? Are we ready to accept that?"

"No." I frowned. Magnus sunk down to the step and put his arm around my shoulders. "No I'm not."

____

I woke up to an empty bed the next morning. Magnus wasn't beside me. I sat up with a yawn, realising that the boy wasn't even in his room. Some part of me wondered if he was avoiding me after our awkward snog in the kitchen before his grandparents arrived. That was definitely making things weird.

"Magnus?" I called out

"He's in the shower." Jana Nielsen's voice wafted in from the doorway, almost giving me a heart attack. "I brought you some of Katharina's clothes. You have to look nice for the hearing if you want to support your friend properly."

I groggily got to my feet and took the fuzzy sweater from Jana, murmuring a 'thank you' before checking my phone for texts from my parents. My dad was wondering if I was going to be home for dinner, and I honestly had no idea how to answer. I didn't feel like going home, but I needed to talk to Magnus about the kiss before things got unbearable.

"Magnus is worried about you, you know that?" Jana said, "He called me every night after what happened to your friend asking for advice."

"I'm worried about me too." I laughed grimly before turning around to change out of yesterday's baggy band shirt and into Katharina's sweater.

I was in the middle of braiding my hair to the side when Magnus came back, dressed in jeans and an untucked black dress shirt. His damp hair hung in front of his forehead, and for a moment, I was breathless.

"You look great." I said quietly

"So do you." The blonde boy smiled. "I think we should talk about what happened yesterday. In the kitchen."

"You mean when I kissed you."

"Yeah, when you kissed me." The smile on Magnus' face offset the blush creeping up his neck. "I don't regret it."

"Good. I don't either. But there are some things we need to get out of the way first. Like your fascination with Franziska Doppler."

Magnus sighed, scratching the back of his neck "Yeah, about that-"

"Guys get something to eat. Oma and Opa are driving us to the courthouse." Martha interrupted from the doorway. "Couple's Therapy is going to have to wait."

"Talk about this later? Over a spliff and a bag of Doritos?" I asked, reaching for Magnus' hand

"Yeah. We should."

___

Aleksander and Regina Tiedemann were waiting in the entryway of the courthouse. The classic architecture and charm normally would have intrigued me, but today it depressed me. Jonas was pacing back and forth, his face red with worry. Franziska was sitting alone on a bench, sipping coffee from an unmarked white cup. When Charlotte and Ulrich arrived with Bartosz and Moritz, all hell broke loose and it took four of us to hold Aleksander back.

"You rotten good for nothing bastard!" The man roared, Magnus and I struggling to hold our grip on his left arm while Jonas, Martha and Franziska clung to the man's left in a desperate attempt to stop him from beating Ulrich to a pulp.

"Aleksander, we're all angry at Ulrich and Charlotte, but beating them to a pulp isn't going to help our son!" Regina shouted, face red from crying

"Regina is right." Martha said "We need to be strong. For Bartosz."

"For Bartosz." Aleksander agreed.

There was only one judge in Winden: Claudette Gabor, a tall dark-skinned woman with frizzy hair whose only son Adrian was a year younger than us. Claudette terrified people, but she was one of the kindest women in the town. Adrian and Bartosz used to play baseball together in grade school. That's part of what I meant about most of the town being connected in one way or another. Adrian sat in the back, dressed in a white t-shirt and blazer, eyes boring into the back of Bartosz's skull.

The only prosecutor was a thirty-something year old loner from Frankfurt who had moved out her after a bad divorce, her college-age daughter occasionally visiting. She was tight lipped, brown hair pulled into a bun too tight to allow air to circulate in her skull. Janice Tauber. She didn't really get along with anybody, rarely leaving her house.

"All rise for the Honourable Judge Gabor."

We all stood up until told otherwise. When we sat back down, Magnus nervously gripped my thigh.

"Today's case: The Commonwealth versus Bartosz Tiedemann, one count of murder in the second degree."

Prosecutor Tauber stood up "The Commonwealth recommends remand, your honour."

"On what grounds?" Judge Gabor questioned, her stormy blue eyes surveying the room

"The severity and brutality of the murder of Heidi Vogel, your honor. This was a crime of passion executed with vigor and aggression. The defendant, young Mr. Tiedemann is a flight risk."

"Objection, your honour." Moritz Doppler interrupted "The defendant is but a child, with an education and friends, and wealthy parents. Bartosz Tiedemann has no history of violence or disciplinary problems. I propose he be released on his own recognizance."

Tauber interjected. "His father, Aleksander Kohler was involved with an unsolved murder in Marburg thirty-three years ago!"

"Objection!" Moritz hollered "If the murders where unsolved, how do we know Aleksander Tiedemann, a well-known, wealthy member of our community is even involved in such a crime. Why, Alexander Kohler is a popular name, and as my opposition stated, the murder is unsolved."

"I will disregard that statement." Judge Gabor said while the rest of the courtroom murmured amongst themselves, no doubt over the truth about Aleksander Tiedemann, a man who had never been anything but nice to my family. There was no way her could be involved in something as devious as murder.

"Bail is set at half a million Euros." Judge Gabor clapped the gavel, indicating that the hearing was over.