“Really?” I cover my mouth as he pulls me close. “It’s over?”
“It is. It’s really over now.”
Since the day he was set free, I have been worried the decision could be overturned, that they would find some new evidence to pin on him. Most times I closed my eyes to sleep, I was plagued by nightmares of him behind bars again.
Now we can move on and bring our baby into the world without a dark cloud over our lives.
I pull back and look into his eyes. “So, who’s the new suspect?”
A dark cloud crosses Alex’s features. He buries both hands into his hair. “I’m so sorry, baby. You won’t like what I have to say.”
I try to speak, but nothing comes out. After a few seconds of silence, I find the courage to ask. “Is it someone we know?”
Alex picks up the remote and switches on the TV. After flipping through a few channels, we find one that gives me the answers I’m seeking.
As soon as I watch the breaking news, my world starts to spin.
The man who supposedly killed Brittney is Jeffrey Holder, Lavinia’s husband and Alex’s friend.
“No way. There has to be some mistake.” I search Alex’s eyes, hoping he has answers, an explanation that the news cannot give me.
They’re saying that enough evidence has been found that led to Jeffrey’s arrest, but they’re not revealing what it is. They’re also not showing him in handcuffs as they did with Alex, but he’s definitely in custody. He’s probably being questioned by the police as we speak.
Even after what Jeffrey did to us, I’m saddened by the news. He’s still Lavinia’s husband, and Lavinia is like a sister to me.
I remember the pain I felt when Alex was arrested. Now my friend will be sharing that very same pain. It’s killing me inside. How could I possibly move on knowing she’s going through hell?
But it all makes sense now. The reason Jeffrey didn’t want me staying with them could be because he was guilty. My husband was behind bars paying for his crimes.
I don’t want to believe it. But he did notify the protesters that I was staying with them so they could come and chase me away.
“I can’t believe this.” Alex rubs the back of his neck roughly. “I went to jail and he didn’t even come forward. He committed a crime and he wanted me to pay the price. That’s why he didn’t come to see me.”
“I’m sorry.” I rub his back for a while, then pick up my phone. “I need to speak to Lavinia. She must be devastated.”
She must feel the same way I did not too long ago, ashamed and scared. They have a small baby girl that needs them both. How would she ever be able to tell Jenna that her father is in prison for murder?
“Yeah.” Alex lets out a deep sigh. “You should call your friend. I need some air.”
He walks out of the room. I get out of bed as well and stand by the window with my phone. Five minutes later, I’m still trying to find the courage to dial, when I spot Alex outside, holding a flashlight. I watch him unlock the little white guest cabin by the lake, switch on the light and enter. He shuts the door behind him.
I dial Lavinia’s number only to hang up again after the first ring.
“Don’t be stupid, Viola,” I mutter. “She needs you.”
I push aside my own discomfort and dial again. I almost hope she won’t pick up. I don’t know what I’ll say to her, how I can comfort her.
As the phone rings, I tell myself it’s a mistake. The police arrested the wrong man before, what would stop them from making that mistake again? I need to remind her that it is a possibility.
She finally picks up.
“I’m sorry, Lavinia.” I sigh. “I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s not true,” she says. She’s trying to be brave, but the tremor in her voice is unmistakable. “Jeffrey could never have done something like that.”
The same words I had used about Alex. No one ever believes that someone they love, someone they share a bed with, is capable of such horrors.
I’m on her side. I believe he didn’t do it and I’ll continue to believe it until the truth is revealed. I hated Jeffrey for what he did to me, but now I understand that he did it out of fear.
