Devotion - Chapter 22
Thursday
"She has an alibi."
I looked up. I hadn't even noticed Mason come in.
No one but immediate family had been allowed to visit him yet.
I wasn't sure if he had sneaked in or if they had let him back.
I was supposed to be taking care of everything like I had told Tyler, but I hadn't left James' side.
It felt like I was frozen in time. I couldn't do anything.
It was like time was standing still until he came back to me.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean, someone vouched for Isabella being in another state on the night of your wedding."
"That's impossible. I know it was her."
"I have some guys looking into it."
I didn't need to ask any questions about that. I knew Mason would hire the best of the best. "Who vouched for her?"
"Her boyfriend I think."
I took a deep breath. Austin? Was Austin her boyfriend?
I shook away the thought. I couldn't put any more blame on myself.
I was already drowning. "Why would they believe someone close to her?
" Austin and I hadn't ended on good terms but that was on him.
Why was he trying to ruin my life? Why would he do this?
"We'll get her. In the meantime, you need to go talk to the police."
"I'm not talking to them."
"You have to."
I squeezed James' hand. "They already had a chance to listen to us. They chose not to."
"Penny, they just arrested Melissa."
"What?" I immediately stood up. "For what?" I imagined her yelling and screaming in the halls of the hospital demanding answers. I had been held up in here for days. I should have been out there keeping everyone updated.
"Conspiracy to commit murder."
"What are you talking about?"
"They're saying it was her. Because of the speech she gave. Because of her relationship with Tyler."
Fuck. "Stay with him." I walked past Mason.
"Hey," Mason said and caught my arm. "We both know it was Isabella. I'm going to prove it." He handed me an envelope that was already opened. It was a manila envelope. The same kind Isabella had been sending me. It was addressed to me.
My hand shook as I pulled out the note inside. It was written in the same font as all the rest.
"I was aiming for you."
I couldn't seem to stop shaking. "Where did this come from?"
"Melissa went to pick up your mail. This was in with everything else. That was the last evidence the police needed. They think she put it in with the rest of your mail. I opened it because James had told me about everything that was going on. I thought you needed to see it."
"She's trying to kill me."
"And I'm not going to let that happen. Go talk to the police. And then I'll work on getting Melissa out of jail. Penny, you have my word. I'm going to take care of this." He put his hand reassuringly on my shoulder.
"Don't leave him."
"I'm not going to leave his side until you're back."
I glanced once more at James and then ran out the door. Isabella had been trying to kill me. The guilt I had already felt weighed even heavier. My best friend was not going to go down for this. Tyler wasn't going to go down for this. Isabella was going to pay. Even if I had to kill her myself.
I recognized the detective that had tried to talk to me a few days ago in the hospital waiting room. And standing right next to him was Officer Daugherty, the detective that wouldn't take us seriously at the precinct. They were both talking to James' father.
"Penny." James' dad put his hand on my shoulder when I reached them. "Penny, we're taking care of this. Go back to him."
No. Everyone was "taking care of this." Yet, Isabella was still out there. And my best friend was in jail.
"You said you had a few questions for me," I said to the detective that had tried to question me before.
He glanced nervously at James' father and then nodded his head. "Yes. We wanted to talk to you about your friend, Melissa Monroe."
I dug my nails into the palm of my hand to distract me from my anger. I was going to lose it. I tried to take a deep breath, but it just made me even more upset. "You mean the fact that you're here to apologize for arresting the wrong person?"
"Besides for Tyler Stevens, she's our lead suspect in the threats and shooting..."
"Suspect? Isabella is the lead suspect. Why isn't anyone listening to me?"
"Is it true that Miss Monroe threatened to kill James during her speech at your reception?"
"What? No."
"And I quote, 'I will literally kill you if you hurt her. So stop doing it. I'm serious this time.' " The detective stared at me.
"She was joking." I thought about what Melissa had said during the rehearsal dinner.
How I should be enjoying it while I could because it could disappear in an instant.
I knew she didn't do it. But she had been saying weird stuff.
What if Tyler had been in on it? What if he had told Melissa?
What if she had known this was about to happen?
No. They were just twisting my thoughts.
"Given the circumstances, we have to take her threat seriously."
"And what about Isabella? Why don't you take my concerns seriously given the circumstances?"
"We talked to Isabella this morning," Officer Daugherty said. "She's on vacation in Maine. She wasn't even in the state this weekend."
"And the only person who verified that was the person she's currently having sex with? Check your sources."
"Mrs. Hunter..."
"Don't you dare. Don't you dare show me the respect you should have when we came to you with this problem in the first place. My husband is dying in the next room because of you. And your incompetence."
"You gave us a dead end. We're trying to determine who was actually behind the threats and the shooting, but you keep putting up road blocks."
"Just because Isabella wasn't here doesn't mean she didn't hire someone else to do it. Of course I don't think she was actually behind the gun."
"We're still trying to get a hold of Tyler Stevens. And we already have Melissa Monroe in custody. The investigation is going well. Go be with your husband. We'll continue our discussion with the victim's father."
Fuck you. "Officer Daugherty, Tyler didn't do this. And neither did Melissa. If you don't investigate Isabella further and it turns out to be her, which it definitely is, I will...sue you."
Officer Daugherty laughed. He was staring at me like I was insane.
No, I didn't know if I could sue the police.
I didn't know if that was even possible.
But how dare he laugh at me. At my grief.
At my pain. I would end him and the stupid detective next to him that was trying to hold back a laugh too.
My hand was already in a fist. I tightened it even more and was about to pull my hand back when James' father grabbed my arm.
"Penny, go be with James. Let me take care of this while you go take care of my boy. He needs you."
But I'm not strong enough. I tried to take a deep breath. "She'll never stop." I handed Officer Daugherty the manila envelope. I had never felt so defeated. She's never going to stop.