Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Denise
NOW
All four kids are sick, and I’m going slowly crazy from tending to them on my own while Kane is in DC for three days. Thank God he’s due home tonight because I think I’ve got a fever, too. I wouldn’t blame him if he ran for his life from our germs rather than coming home, but he’d never do that.
The phone rings, and I jump on it, so it won’t wake the twins, who’ve been cranky and miserable for days now.
“Hello,” I whisper.
“Is this Denise?”
“It is.”
“This is Josh Spurling from the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office.”
I get up and take the phone into the kitchen. The twins crashed on the sofa while watching Baby Shark , which is another reason I’m losing what’s left of my sanity.
“What can I do for you?” I ask him. My heart is in my throat as I wait to hear what he has to say. With my life so busy and chaotic, it’s easy to forget for a minute or two what’s going on in Rhode Island.
“Mr. Elliott has expressed an interest in pleading guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence.”
I have an immediate, visceral and negative reaction to the words “lesser sentence.”
“Denise?”
“I’m here. What would his sentence be?”
“We’d propose five years in prison with three years of probation after he’s released. It’s likely he’d do fewer than five years if he behaves himself in prison. He’d be a convicted felon and required to be on the state’s sexual offender registry for life. The deal is contingent upon approval by the judge overseeing the case.”
“Doesn’t it have to be approved by me as well?”
“We’d prefer to have your support when we take it before the judge.”
“What if that outcome isn’t enough for me?”
“It would spare you from having to relive the attack in open court.”
Until he says that, I hadn’t realized how much I’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to testify, to make him understand the full extent of what he put me through.
“What would be enough?” Spurling asks.
Without hesitation, I say, “I want him to sit in a courtroom, with his many supporters behind him, and hear that not only did he rape me, but he stole my virginity and left me pregnant. I want him to hear about my horrendous miscarriage and how I needed transfusions because I lost so much blood. I want him and all the people who supported him without question to listen to Blaise testify that she was there , and she saw what he did. I want all the men who lied about me being promiscuous to be scared senseless of what’s going to happen to them. I want vindication for what they did to me.”
I’m shaking from the surge of emotion, but resolute in my determination to see this through. Charlotte walks into the kitchen and gives me a concerned look. She’s not used to hearing me speak that way to anyone. I hold out my hand to her and wrap my arm around her. The heat of her body against mine has an immediate calming effect.
“I’ll speak to the AG and be back in touch.”
“Thank you.”
“What’s wrong, Mama?”
“Nothing, honey. Everything’s fine. How’re you feeling?”
“Better.”
“That’s great news. Daddy will be home in a few hours. Why don’t we snuggle on the sofa with the boys and watch a movie?”
“It’s my turn to pick.”
“Anything but Frozen . I’m having dreams about snow because I’ve seen it so many times this week.”
She giggles. “How about Cinderella ?”
“The boys will love that.”
“Not Levi.”
“We’ll watch Cars after for him. Go get it ready. I’ll be right in.”
After she scoots off toward the family room, I lean back against the counter and close my eyes, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. Am I crazy for demanding my day in court when I could’ve made the whole thing go away by agreeing to the plea?
No, I’m not crazy.
The last time I faced off against these people in court, I was a broken seventeen-year-old with no idea how to fight back against the evil that was done to me by him and everyone who supported him.
I’m not a girl anymore. I’m not afraid of them like I once was. I want them to pay for what they did to me, not just criminally, but in the court of public opinion, where they’ve reigned far too long as kings.
I will be their downfall.
Blaise
NOW
I receive the text Houston told me to expect from Ramona Travers Silvia, asking if we can get together to talk. I’ve given my sworn statement to the AG, and they said it would be okay if I reached out to you.
I’d like that, but it can’t be in public.
Can you come to my house in Bristol? I’m free any time after 5 pm on weekdays.
Would tomorrow around 5:30 work?
Perfect. I’ll see you then.
She includes her address, which is about thirty minutes from Jack’s place, over two bridges.
I put down my phone and return to what I was doing in Jack’s studio, trying to create a filing system for his work that makes sense to someone other than him. That’s turning out to be a far more complicated proposition than I first thought, but I love a good challenge.
Every time I glance up from what I’m doing, I catch him looking at me.
“I’m not an artist, but it seems to me that you need to put your eyes on what you’re doing and not on me.”
“You’re much more fun to look at. Come visit me.”
“I’m right here.”
“You’re all the way over there.”
Rolling my eyes at his sad pout, I get up and go over to him. “Is this better?”
“It is, but this would be even better.” He brings me onto his lap and wraps his arms around me. “There we go.”
Fenway sees us snuggling and lets out a perturbed grunt that makes us laugh. She’s so put out by us, but thankfully she’s not holding it against me that she’s gotten less attention from her favorite guy since I came along. I still get plenty of wet, sloppy kisses from her.
“It’s hard to get anything done with you and your pouting distracting me.”
“You’ve gotten so much done in just a couple of days. That whole side of the room is actually useable again.”
“I’ve made the smallest of dents.”
“You can see why I needed you, right?”
“It took about two seconds of really digging in to see you need a full-time keeper.”
“Are you volunteering for the position? It comes with amazing benefits.” To make his point, he kisses my neck and makes me shiver. “I’d love nothing more than to be kept by you full time.”
He’s made me breathless and brainless with his words, lips and hands, which never stop moving.
A huge boom sends me flying from his lap.
I land hard on the floor.
“What the fuck?” He spins to look out the window. “Holy shit! Are you all right?”
I take the hand he offers to help me up as Fenway barks frantically. “What was that?”
“The cabins are on fire. Call 911.”
He takes off running down the stairs as I follow on shaky legs while trying to press the numbers with fingers that won’t cooperate.
“Nine-one-one. Please state your emergency.”
“There’s a fire.” I struggle to remember the address and eventually manage to convey it to her.
“Fire department is on the way. Is anyone inside the structure?”
I stand at the back door in shocked disbelief at the size of the inferno consuming the cottage where I’d been staying until a week ago. “Not that we know of.”
“Stay on the line until they arrive.”
Jack has pulled a hose across the yard and has it trained on the building, but that’s not making a dent on the flames.
Barking frantically, Fenway pushes at me, trying to get out to “help” Jack.
“No, girl. You stay here. It’s not safe.”
What if the fire was intended to draw Jack away from me so someone could harm him? Fear overtakes me in a wild wave of panic. I grab Fenway’s collar as I open the door and yell for him.
He drops the hose and comes running to me.
When I see the terrified look on his face, it occurs to me, right then and there, with the fire blazing behind him, that I love him.
Before I have a second to process that development, he comes storming up the stairs.
I open the door for him.
“What happened? What’s wrong?”
I let go of Fenway and hug him. “Nothing. I was afraid it was a ruse to get you out in the open.”
He smells of smoke and sweat. I love him. “I’m sorry if I scared you. My brain is running away with me.”
His arms are tight bands around me. “I get it. No worries.”
“I’m sorry about the cottage.”
“Fuck the cottage. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”
“As long as we’re all okay.” I include our beloved Fenway. “That’s what matters.” I want to tell him I love him. Now that I know, the urge to share it with him is huge.
But the fire department comes in hot, no pun intended, and the next hour is occupied by dealing with them.
After Jack tells them I’m a witness in the criminal case against Ryder Elliott, they call in an arson inspector. We’re told the investigation will take a while and we should go about our business in the meantime. How am I supposed to do that after someone might’ve torched his property because of me?
“I…I should go.” My heart aches at the thought of leaving him after what we’ve shared, especially now that I’m certain I love him, but I can’t put him, Fenway or his property at risk.
“No, you shouldn’t.”
“They did this because of me. What’ll they do next?”
He puts his hands on my shoulders and looks into my eyes. “I want you here with me where I can help keep you safe.”
I’m so torn between what I should do and what I want to do. Where else could I go that they wouldn’t find me? I’d be in the same situation if I stayed with my mother.
“It doesn’t feel right to stay here. They burned your property.”
“The arson inspector?”
“What about him?”
“He was a close friend of my dad’s. They went through the firefighting academy together. He’s excellent at what he does. He’ll figure out who did this and make them sorry they were ever born.”
“Your dad was a firefighter.”
“That’s right. He was medically retired as a captain after his diagnosis. Probably would’ve been chief if he hadn’t gotten sick.”
Jack puts his arms around me.
Snuggled into his embrace, breathing in the earthy, woodsy scent of him that’s become so familiar, I almost can’t recall why I thought it was a good idea to go. But then I remember the feeling that came over me when I saw him standing in the yard, fully exposed to anyone who’d want to do him harm to hurt me. “It’s not fair to you. I brought this madness to your peaceful home.”
He tips my chin up to kiss me. “That’s not all you’ve brought. Do you know how lonely I was before you showed up? I didn’t even realize how bad it had gotten until you were here to make it all better. And don’t go thinking any random guest could’ve done that for me. I’ve had tons of people stay in the cottages since I opened them last year. It was you who changed everything for me.”
“You’ve done the same for me. I had no idea how lonely I’ve been, either, until I met you.”
“So then why in the world would we ever let them drive us apart when we’ve waited so long to find each other?”
“I don’t want you or Fenway to get hurt or your property attacked again.”
“The only thing Fenway and I truly care about is keeping you safe. If you want to leave here, we’ll go together, but there’s no way we’re letting you leave alone, unless you want to.”
“Of course I don’t.”
“Then let’s pack up and take off somewhere together until this is over.”
“But your work is here and—”
“I can work anywhere. Let’s get in the truck and just go.”
“I have one thing I have to do tomorrow.”
“Then we’ll go after that. The place is crawling with cops and firefighters. No one will come near us tonight.”
For the first time in hours, I release the deep breath that’s been stuck in my chest from the second I understood what was happening outside.
“Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay. None of this is okay.”
“Keep reminding yourself it’s temporary. Once you testify, it’ll be over.”
“Not if they somehow get to you or Fenway. It would never be over if that happened.”
“We’ll be fine, and so will you. We’ll make sure of it, right Fenway?”
The dog barks and then sits with a smile on her goofy face and her tongue hanging out as usual.
“See? It’s unanimous.”
I want so badly to tell him how I feel, but not right after his property was damaged because of me. I’ve never come close to telling a man I love him, so I’m not at all sure of the proper timing for such a thing. But I know this isn’t it. I want it to be special and not done out of duress.
He makes dinner for us—delicious pasta with chicken and broccoli—that he serves with crusty bread and the crisp rosé he introduced me to.
“This is delicious. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” Taking his wine glass off the table, he sits back in his seat. “Where should we go to escape this nonsense?”
“I don’t know. What do you suggest?”
“A friend of mine from RISD runs a seasonal place on the Cape that goes dormant this time of year. You want to check that out?”
“That sounds amazing. I’d love to.”
He puts down the glass, reaches for his phone and sends a text.
My phone rings with a call from Providence, which gives me a pit in my stomach. “Hello?”
“Hi, Blaise, this is Josh Spurling from the AG’s office.”
“Hi, Josh.”
“I wanted to give you a couple of updates. First, Ryder Elliott was interested in a plea agreement that would’ve had him pleading guilty and serving five years with three years of probation and lifetime registry as a sex offender. However, Denise expressed her displeasure with the deal, so we’re going forward with a trial.”
My first thought on hearing that is wow, good for her .
“A preliminary hearing will be held next Friday at Superior Court in Newport. I’m not sure of the time yet, but I’ll need you to testify.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Excellent. Thank you.”
“I should let you know what’s happened here.”
“What’s up?”
I tell him about Sienna’s text, the dead animal on the stoop, Mary Elliott’s visit and the apparent firebombing of Jack’s property.
“Houston has informed me of the earlier incidents, and they’re completely unacceptable. We’ve made clear to Mr. Elliott and his family.”
“What if it’s not them doing it?”
“Who else would it be?”
“A number of men are implicated in the cover-up that was part of the original case. They might think getting rid of me would simplify things for them.”
“We’re investigating that aspect of the case and will put them on notice as well. If anything else happens, I want you to call me immediately. In the meantime, I’m asking the State Police to keep an eye on the place where you’re staying.”
“My friend and I are planning to leave tomorrow for the Cape for a few days.”
“Please text me the address where you’ll be, and I’ll ask Mass State Police to increase patrols in the area.”
“You really think that’s necessary?”
“I don’t want to take any chances with your safety.”
“Okay, well… Thank you.”
“Thank you for putting yourself through this.”
“It’s no problem.” That’s not true, but I’m not interested in discussing the psychology of this situation with him. “Are the men who signed the original affidavit in trouble?”
“We’ll require each of them to issue a public statement that what they said then about Denise was false. Because they were minors at the time, they won’t be charged.”
“That seems ridiculously unfair to me, even though one of them is my own brother.”
“I understand and I agree, but our hands are tied by the law. There’s nothing stopping her from suing them in civil court.”
“I hope she does.”
“I guess we’ll see what happens. I’ll be in touch next week to confirm the time.”
After we say our goodbyes, I’m left with unsettled feelings. I update Jack on what Josh had to say. “I should feel bad for hoping Denise sues my brother and the other guys who made up outrageous lies about her to protect Ryder, but I don’t feel bad at all. They deserve it. They might’ve been minors, but they were old enough to know better. We all were.”
“They certainly knew exactly what they were doing when they lied about her, and I don’t think you should feel bad for hoping they get their comeuppance. Their lies probably influenced the judge.”
“No doubt they did. Ryder might’ve already served his time by now, and all of this would be a bad memory for the people involved. But they risked everything to protect him because they thought there was no way he could’ve done such a thing.”
“Small towns are like that. They close ranks around people they’ve known all their lives and make assumptions based on what they think they know.”
“I remember something my mom said that summer, after Ryder was charged. Arlo was furious about it and wanted us to be as well. He said we knew Ryder because he’d practically grown up in our house, which was true. But my mom said we would have no idea how he behaved when the parents weren’t looking. Arlo didn’t appreciate that. He expected blind loyalty from us, because he thought he knew how Ryder would behave in any situation.”
“No one knows how someone is one-on-one except for the other person they’re with.”
“Exactly.”
“It must’ve been so hard for you to hear him defending Ryder when you knew what’d happened.”
“It was torturous. I felt sick twenty-four hours a day for months. I couldn’t eat or sleep or think about anything other than what I saw and what I’d failed to do.”
He reaches for my hand across the table.
I link my fingers with his.
“It’s almost over,” he says.
“Sometimes I wonder if it’ll ever be over.”