Page 21 of He Had It Coming

Even I had to admit Jerek had a point. Maeve seemed perfectly fine, or as fine as a member of the Hayes family could be.

“The office, my job, is compensation for being forced to walk into that courthouse eight years ago as part of a united front, supporting you. For talking to the press, pretending you weren’t a piece of shit.” Maeve was yelling by the end of her spiel.

I appreciated the feistiness. It wouldn’t save Jerek from what was to come, but still.

Jerek frowned. “Why did you even bother to track me down today?”

“Because I can’t trust you to not screw up.” Maeve threw her hands up in the air. “Looks like I was right.”

I whistled, enjoying the show. “Shots fired.”

Jerek turned his glare on me. “Don’t you get it, Sabrina? I don’t need you to ruin my life. Maeve’s been doing a great job without your help.”

Maeve let out a strangled sound. “And you wonder why she hit you.”

Jerek went still. His gaze roamed over Maeve as his mouth twisted in something that resembled a snarl. “Sabrina hit me.”

Maeve nodded. “Yes, obviously. Your hair is matted with blood.”

His gaze narrowed. “Let’s go back to that. I asked you before about getting on the boat and didn’t really get your answer. Where exactly did Sabrina hit you?”

Maeve blinked a few times before answering. “What?”

“Sabrina hit me hard enough to break skin. To knock me out. I’m so dizzy sitting here, barely moving, that I could throw up.” His eyes widened as he looked at the knife sticking out of his leg. “And this. But you’re fine. You walked down those steps as if you expected me to be in this bedroom.”

Maeve shrugged. “Sabrina doesn’t hate me as much as she hates you.”

Not a convincing sell. I didn’t point that out. I waited instead to see what Maeve would do and say to get out of this snag.

She didn’t even try.

After a few beats of silence, Maeve let out a long exhale and glanced at me. “I’m actually surprised he figured it out.”

“You’re giving him too much credit. He’s still floundering.” I felt pretty comfortable pointing out the overstatement. I was also relieved the farce inched closer to an ending. We had a timeline to follow, after all.

Jerek’s head didn’t move but his gaze shifted from Maeve to me and back again. “What are you two talking about?”

Maeve sighed before answering. Let him stew a few extra beats.

“I don’t have any injuries because Sabrina didn’t actually hit me.” Maeve morphed from combative and hovering on the edge to savvy corporate boss. “I got on the boat of my own free will. Before you did. With Sabrina.”

I couldn’t help but smile at Jerek’s stunned expression. “Surprise.”

Chapter Twenty-One

The Truth About Jerek Hayes

From the start, the prosecutor questioned whether criminal charges were appropriate in the case. As the public retreated to separate corners online to wage their battles, weighing facts they made up and ignoring ones that did exist, the prosecutor was smart enough not to venture into discussions about Ruby’s sex life except to say it wasn’t relevant. As if the unfair characterization didn’t exist or influence his thinking.

Two months after Ruby’s murder, following what was said to be an “extensive” investigation, the same prosecutor stood at a press conference and talked about a simple fight during a date gone wrong. He referenced the heightened emotions of young people, especially when fueled by underage drinking. He summed up his thinking with: “Sometimes bad things happen and no one is at fault.”

There were things he didn’t say because Jerek’s father, Conrad Hayes, said them instead. He talked about how ruining Jerek’s life would be a travesty and disproportionate. Totally unfair to poor Jerek who deserved to have a life.

No one connected to the case talked about justice for Ruby. One commentator claimed Ruby wouldn’t want Jerek’s future destroyed. Because even in death it was her job to shoulder the burden of his violent actions.

Jerek pled to criminally negligent homicide. A felony that carried a penalty of up to four years in prison. The agreement called for time served—all three days of it before his bail hearing had set him free—community service, and a hefty fine.

The Forde family pleaded for common sense and fairness. Ruby’s mother cried. Her father remained stoic. Her sister punched Jerek at the courthouse.