“I was able to copy everything that was on Junior’s computer, shaking the whole time, but I was determined. I knew I couldn’t let some other unsuspecting child into this filthy, evil-ridden household without doing my best to stop it.
“After I had everything copied, I snuck back to bed, but I didn’t sleep all night. My nerves were almost shot. Still, I was able to meet with that god-send of a teacher before school the next morning, and I told her everything. About the abuse. About the cover-ups. About the pseudo-drownings and the fact that Mr. Bothwin was going to do it all again, with a new victim if I didn’t speak out. I handed her the memory stick, and made herpromise that once I was out of that house, she’d get that evidence into the right hands. And now I know that she did.”
“So you were the reason the FBI knew to look into the family.”
“I guess,” Petula managed, but she felt vindicated that she’d saved another child from her horrendous fate.
Julian’s jaw was ticking a mile a minute, and Petula knew she had to finish before he lost it.
“I don’t know what she said, or how she did it, but she found me as school was ending that day, and drove me back to the Bothwin’s. She had words with Mr. Bothwin, out of earshot of me, but he looked…scared for the first time. Whatever she told him, it did the job. He never laid a hand on me again, and neither did Jr. Today was the first I heard that Jr. was arrested. My teacher’s warning, whatever it was, probably had Sr. scrubbing any evidence that could be held against him, so he couldn’t be implicated. The rest you know. Statler got out of the Army, we moved in together, and we’ve since forged a good life for ourselves ever since.”
Julian didn’t let go of Petula, but peeled her off his chest and propped her up to look her right in the eyes. “I understand from Tex that Junior took the heat for all of that, since it was his laptop that held all the pictures. I also know from the records that the older Bothwin’s got off on technicalities and personal recognizance.” He growled at the injustice of that. “But what kept Bradly Sr. from coming after you for the retribution he might have sought, after the fact?”
That had been a concern at the time, but she and Stat had no longer been helpless children.
“Statler,” Petula was able to tell him, giving a small smile for the first time in over an hour. “He went to the Bothwin’s house in the middle of the night. He broke into the elder Bothwin’sbedroom, and…may or may not have held a pillow over Senior’s face to grab his attention.”
Petula remembered the conversation she’d had with her brother the next day, very well. To hear Statler tell it, he’d done the pillow thing to scare the man, but Petula knew Stat’s need for some kind of retribution had fomented the action.
“I don’t know how he didn’t fucking kill him,” Julian snarled. “I would have been tempted.”
Statler had told her it took everything he had within him not to do just that.
“He used restraint, he said, because he wanted to be around to take care of me without being in prison. It was theonlyreason he resisted.”
“And the threat worked?” Julian questioned.
“It did. You’ve seen the size of Statler, right?”
“Yup. He’s a big dude.”
“Exactly. And Mr. Bothwin was a soft, pudgy asshole. There was no contest. Statler made two demands that night. That Bradly Sr. never darken my door again, and that the Bothwin’s give up their quest for another adoption.
“Of course, now we know that Junior went to jail, so the last bit was moot. The state wasn’t going to trust that household, ever again. And as for not seeking me out for revenge, well, Mrs. Bothwin also must have stepped up in a very minor way to make sure Mr. Bothwin never bothered me again. She must have held evidence of some kind against him, because he didn’t…pursue me,” Petula ended.
“And now he’s dead,” she added with satisfaction that felt bone deep. “It might make me a bad person, but I’ve never been happier in my entire life, hearing about someone going to hell.”
CHAPTER 16
Julian was nearly speechless.He’d listened to everything Petula had said, and at points in her saga, he’d had a hard time not getting up and punching a wall.
How in the world had she been able to overcome all that she’d endured? Julian knew it had a lot to do with the love and support she’d had from Statler, and Julian was now anxious to work with the man and his crew to take either Bradly Jr. or Jefferson down.
He was primed.
Bring it on.
Petula snuggled close to his body and tugged sharply on his sleeve to get his attention again.
“Yes?” He blinked and got out of his own head.
“I need to tell you a little more. But this part is…just for you.” She struggled. “Statler doesn’t know about any of what I’m going to impart, or if he does, he’s been very good at keeping that to himself.”
“Okay,” Julian agreed, not sure his roiling stomach could take any more.
Still, being here with Petula actually lying against his chest was going a long way toward mitigating his discomfort. “Beforeyou do, though, I want to ask if it’s okay that I share the salient points of what you’ve already told me, with my brothers. As we mentioned, we should enlist their help, in the way that Statler is right now mobilizing his crew. The way I’m feeling is, the more eyes on you and this situation, the better. There needs to be someone tailing you at all times when you are away from home, and spreading that duty out amongst a lot of bodies, will be much easier.”
Petula gave a huge sigh. “I know. I hate all of it, but you’re right.” She snuggled deeper. “The answer is yes. I’ll need people with eyes on me, so whoever is potentially stalking me won’t have a chance of doing…whatever they’re thinking of doing.”
