Lauren kept her head down as she cut through the crowd surrounding the courthouse. Although it was only a preliminary hearing, reporters, spectators, cameramen, and photographers had been waiting for hours. By now, most people had heard about the bizarre case and were eager to watch it play out in court. It had been high-profile from the beginning, but once the truth came to light a media circus was unleashed. Lauren was constantly being pursued by hungry reporters. She sometimes caught glimpses of herself on the nightly news where the anchor would refer to her as “one of the key players in the case,” or “the lawyer who cracked the case wide open.” She’d been invited to appear on Charlie Rose, 20/20, Fox News, and a long list of other shows. For a while, she had basked in the glory, but now all she wanted was for her life to return to normal. I’m glad this is finally coming to an end, she thought as she quickened her pace.
Journalists had come not only from around the province, but across Canada and the States. As she neared the courthouse, Lauren looked around at the excited faces: a reporter from CNN was interviewing a local couple. Another from CBC stood on the sidewalk talking into a microphone. “The unexpected twist in this case is so incredible you couldn’t make it up,” she heard him say as she strode past.
Lauren shook her head. Three months ago, most people had never heard of Paddy’s Arm, Newfoundland. Now, it was in the news daily, the story splashed across every major newspaper in the country. Zealous reporters in pursuit of details interviewed anyone who would talk to them. They stalked university students, even schoolchildren.
Lauren had almost made it to the courthouse steps when someone shouted: “There’s Ms. LaVallee now.” As TV cameras swung in her direction, she involuntary took a step backward.
“Ms. LaVallee,” a reporter from CBC called, “what do you think about this crime being compared to the Caylee Anthony case?”
Before Lauren had a chance to respond, another reporter thrust a microphone in her face: “What would you like to see happen now?”
“I want justice to prevail,” Lauren answered, truthfully. “Two people are dead, one of them an innocent child.”