21. Chapter 21
June 28, 2011
6:52 pm
Sara studied Gavin as they all sat around Genevieve’s table playing UNO. Hailey was losing while Gavin and Carter cheated their way to each only having two cards. Sara held a single card, causing the tension in the room to heighten.
Genevieve was in the kitchen baking cookies while her husband, Carl, watched football in the living room. Every time the four of them shouted in triumph or defeat, Carl would tell them to keep it down and then would laugh at their groans.
Trinity and Cecilia had eaten and darted back up the stairs to Cecilia’s room, snickering as they gossiped and told secrets. Sara ached to be young again, to redo her life.
She hadn’t yet gotten into drugs when she was Trinity's age. She had been boy crazy, but she was still innocent. She hoped her niece didn't give into peer pressure like Sara had.
Pulling her from her thoughts, Gavin laid down his card and called out, “Uno!”
Then, Sara slammed hers down with a sly smile, winning the game. “Sucks to suck.”
“I thought we were working together?” Gavin exclaimed.
Sara laughed. “No, you and Carter were cheating together.”
He gasped and placed a hand over his heart. “I would never do such a thing.”
“You totally would,” Hailey said as she pointed at Gavin.
“Don’t throw me under the bus,” Gavin said.
Sara hadn’t laughed this much in a long time.
When Gavin had called, she had found herself pleasantly surprised to hear his voice. Sara hadn’t expected him to actually go out of his way to get her number, something she secretly found endearing. And her twin clearly wanted to play matchmaker since she was the one who had given Gavin her number. Hailey claimed Sara needed to live a little. Maybe she was right.
Sara was so focused on the past that she hadn’t given herself permission to live in the present. She was allowing her need for revenge to consume her, and she was uneasy with the person she found herself becoming. Though she wasn’t ready to lay down the torch completely, she would let the fire dwindle a bit and she would try to have fun while it lasted. Something she used to do often as a teenager.
Maybe she would find a piece of herself she’d long since lost.
At first, she had been nervous to be around Gavin again. And, sensing her pause, he had offered a night of card games with Hailey and Carter; even Trey if he’d actually show up. She just wasn’t sure what to make of his flirting and boldness. It confused her how he could be so straightforward yet gentle.
Despite her reservations about the man, she couldn’t deny how much she liked the attention he gave her. It made her feel like herself again, the Sara she had been before her life was flipped upside down.
There was a light tap on the back door and Trey poked his head in. “Gen, can I come in?”
Genevieve came out of the kitchen. “You know you never have to knock, Honey. Just let yourself in. And you’re just in time for cookies, too.” She winked.
Trey came through the door and scanned the room, his gaze falling on Hailey. Jealousy colored his eyes as he spied Gavin.
Sara inwardly rolled her eyes. Men were so predictable.
Sensing the tension, Gavin stood and greeted Trey with a handshake while Carter pulled up an empty chair and sat it next to Hailey. Trey paused for a split second and Sara thought he might sit down and pout. But instead, he shook Gavin and Carter’s hands. A silent peace offering.
Before he sat down, he leaned in to give Hailey a kiss on her head. Then, he sat next to her, and she took his hand.
“Who won?” he asked.
Gavin eyed Sara. “The traitor.”
She lifted a brow. “I’m no such thing.” She smiled widely. “But I am a winner.”
Genevieve called for Trinity and Cecilia, “Girls, come get some cookies!”
Seconds later, thumping filled the staircase as they trotted down. The two giggled uncontrollably, sharing a knowing glance between them. It reminded Sara of all the inside jokes she and Hailey had growing up. How they could share one glance and know what the other was thinking.
That had changed when Sara got into trouble, though. Her drug use had only worsened the more she hung out with Thomas and his group of friends. Then she had started lying and manipulating everyone, mostly just for fun.
Just like her father. That thought turned her stomach.
Eventually, Hailey would become distant, putting up her own walls to keep Sara’s chaos out. Unfortunately for Hailey, Sara had still somehow managed to seep into the cracks and break them down piece by piece.
As much as Sara wanted to blame David or Thomas for her misfortune, she was really the one at fault. She chose drugs and alcohol and a rebellious lifestyle to retaliate against her father and it completely backfired, disastrously so.
But somehow, she’d gotten a second chance to rebuild the life she’d so utterly destroyed, and she wouldn’t take that for granted. She didn’t want to be selfish and self-centered anymore. Living like that had caused so much heartache. She wanted to love herself enough to say no to things that could hurt her, even if she desperately wanted them. Even now, she knew Gavin was too good for her and she’d be damned if she tainted yet another person with her destruction. She liked Gavin, but she would say no to his advances if she thought it would end in chaos and heartache.
And though she wanted to be a better person, she wasn’t so sure that person could even exist right now. Not until David got what he deserved. Not until she made everyone pay for what they did to her.
Coming into the room, Trinity said, “Hey, Dad,” She walked over and wrapped Trey in a hug.
“What’s up, Kid?”
“I’m not a kid,” she said matter-of-factly.
Trey put his hands up and she giggled as she ran off with Cecilia.
“So how did your talk with Ryan go?” Hailey asked Trey.
Trey eyed Gavin and Carter and then looked at Sara.
“They know what’s going on,” Sara said. She didn’t share every detail, but they knew the basics. She needed people in her corner and her instincts told her both of the men could be trusted.
Trey took a cookie from the dish that Genevieve put in the middle of the table. “He said he blackmailed your parents for money and wanted David to bail him out of trouble whenever he needed the help.”
“Like father, like son,” Sara said.
Trey nodded. “He told them he would go public with a paternity test, but I think him having proof that David and Nicole were seeing each other again was probably the driving factor behind David complying.”
Grabbing a cookie himself, Carter said, “Whoa, back up. Why would he care about a paternity test?’
“My father had a long-term affair with Ryan’s mother,” Sara explained. “Ryan was the very unfortunate result of that affair, and my mother told my father she would leave him if he didn't break things off.”
“Sounds like a bad soap opera,” Carter said.
“You have no idea,” Sara said as she recalled the terror of that house.
It truly had gotten worse the older she got. As a child, she saw very little of David. But when she became a teenager, his expectations were more than Sara cared to achieve, so she stopped trying. And when she didn’t bend to his rules and commands…well, she was hated by her own father. She was his constant reminder that he didn’t have complete control and he loathed her for it.
“So was he still seeing Nicole when my mother was killed?” Hailey asked.
Trey shrugged. “He wasn’t sure...or just didn’t want to say. Again, I’m taking everything he said with a grain of salt until I can confirm what he told me. But at least it’s a starting point.”
“Did he say anything else?” Sara asked.
“Not really. I could tell he hates your whole family which could make him a suspect.”
“ Could ?” Gavin said.
Trey sighed and eyed Hailey. “He kind of has an alibi.”
Her eyes rounded. “Me?”
Gavin and Carter looked at Hailey curiously. Though Sara wanted to clue them in, it wasn’t her story to tell. She had learned her lesson earlier. Her sister was clearly traumatized from the incident and Sara understood that feeling more than anyone. She wouldn’t betray her again like she had with Trey, even if it had been for Hailey’s own good.
Trey nodded. “He said he was with you when your mother was killed.”
“I thought he hated you?” Carter said. “Why would he be with you?”
Hailey looked at the table and inhaled. “Long story short, the night my mother died, my car broke down and Ryan saw I was alone. He attacked me and nearly beat me to death.”
Trey clenched a fist instinctively.
Gavin’s eyes round. “I had no idea.”
Hailey shrugged. “I’ve tried my best to keep it a secret.”
“That’s rough shit. I’m sorry,” Carter said. Hailey simply nodded.
Sara wanted to kill Ryan, but she didn’t think that would be a good idea seeing as how she was trying to prove she wasn’t a murderer, though the night was still young. However, it looked like Trey might have beaten her to it. She didn’t notice the blood on his knuckles until now, which hadn’t been there earlier. She hoped Trey got Ryan good.
“But he wasn’t with me when my mother died,” Hailey said quickly. “Her time of death was 10:42 pm and Ryan found me around 9:45 pm. I remember the time because I was planning to walk home, and it was almost past curfew.”
“How did no one see you being attacked?” Carter asked.
“I ran into the orange groves across the street to hide. If anyone drove past, they probably would have assumed it was just two broken-down cars parked on the side of the road.”
Sara scrunched her brow. “So, Ryan wasn’t with you when Mom died?”
Hailey shook her head. “No. My car broke down around 9:35 pm and Ryan got to me around 9:45 pm. The whole thing wasn’t long, maybe ten minutes, so he would have left around 10:15 pm at the latest. Mom died around 10:40 pm.”
Sara hadn’t even considered Ryan as a suspect. But he definitely had motive and opportunity since, according to their father, no one was home with Morgan when she was killed. Except Sara, he claimed. She always thought it was peculiar that he had that knowledge since he said he wasn’t home either.
“What do you think, Trey?” Gavin asked.
Trey didn’t answer immediately. When he did, he said, “I think we have reason to suspect him, but I’m not completely sure. He's really erratic and that makes it hard for me to know what’s true and what’s a lie.”
No surprise there.
“What if he had help?” Carter asked.
The room fell silent as everyone turned to Carter. He said, “What if David helped him? Or maybe even his mother? It could explain another link between the two cases.”
Trey tilted his head, thinking, and then said, “It’s worth looking into.”
Sara rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Gavin reached out and took her hand. Her internal alarm shrieked, and she quickly pulled away, embarrassed. Again, Gavin wasn’t bothered by her reservations.
“What now?” Gavin asked.
Trey looked at Sara. “I called your friends that were with you that night but could only get a hold of Thomas. I want to see if they saw anything when they dropped you off and why none of them came forward when you were arrested.”
She picked at a spot on the table. “What did he say?”
“He agreed to talk with us tomorrow afternoon.”
Sara wanted to vomit. She wasn’t sure she could even look at Thomas again. Though she had been sober for the last thirteen years, she didn’t know if she could keep her demons at bay if she saw him again.
But she would go.
Because there was a killer lurking in the shadows.
And she needed to find him before he found her.
Sara was tense as they headed to Thomas Smith’s house. All of them were eager to talk to the man who may hold the answers they were looking for.
“Do you think Thomas has anything that could help?” Sara said from the back seat.
“I think he’s a good start. Donna moved out of state and I couldn’t get Jake to return my phone calls so Thomas is who we’re talking to first.” Trey paused as he switched lanes on the highway. “I also want to know why he was never a witness at the trial.”
“I’ll be surprised if he remembers anything from that night. He was far worse an addict than I was.”
Carter said, “Since he’s gone to rehab and is sober, maybe he wants to get something off his chest. You know, the twelve steps or whatever.”
Sara didn’t say anything else. Her mother taught her what every mother taught their children: if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Problem was, Sara never listened to that advice. This would be a rare occasion when she did.
She just didn’t believe Thomas was actually sober, despite what he had told Trey when Trey spoke to him last night. Apparently he was married with a kid, which was even more bizarre. He always seemed too much of a free spirit to settle down. Not to mention he didn’t know how to be faithful to save his life.
She began tapping her foot the closer they got to his house, a nervous gesture she’d gotten from her addiction. Would she be pulled back into that life when she saw Thomas again? Would he be able to help her?
Sara heard the sirens before she saw the flashing lights coming behind them. She silently gasped for air and steadied herself against the window. She took deep breaths in and out. Though logically she knew the sirens weren’t for her, her body recalled the distress she’d been in as the police hauled her away, screaming for her father to help her, only for him to ignore her pleas.
Trey directed his truck into the other lane, making space for the police cruiser to pass them. Traffic was slow and now she knew why. There was likely an accident up ahead, making their hour drive just a little longer.
Once at Thomas’ house, the five of them walked up the driveway and knocked. A ‘welcome’ wreath hung on the door, a nod to Mrs. Thomas Smith. A little pink tricycle was parked in the yard.
According to Trey, Thomas had gotten clean when his parents sent him to rehab. Sara was curious how that happened because his family hardly had two nickels to rub together. After getting clean, he started working at that same facility for some time, which is where he met his wife.
By all accounts, Thomas seemed to be thriving.
And Sara wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. She should be the one thriving but instead, she jumps at the sound of police sirens and can never seem to relax because she’s too paranoid.
Thomas opened the door and greeted them and Sara took in a sharp breath. He looked the same, but healthier now. Older too. He had gained a little weight and was clean shaven, wearing a button down and trousers with a tie. If you didn’t know about his past, you would never guess he used to be into the drug scene.
“Do you mind if we talk out here?” Thomas asked.
Trey nodded and Thomas closed the door behind him. Hailey and Sara stood behind Trey, and Gavin and Carter stood behind them.
He took in the five of them, uneasy. Then his eyes met Sara’s. “Hi, Sara.”
“Hi,” she said, shifting a bit. Her legs felt unsteady, but Gavin put an arm around her waist. She wanted to protest, to pull away from him, but she found she couldn’t. She wasn’t certain she could stand without him, something she wasn’t sure if she loved or hated.
“Thanks for talking to us,” Trey said. “There’s a lot that doesn’t make sense and people either don’t know anything or aren’t willing to tell us what they do know.”
Thomas ran a hand through his hair as he picked at his arm. Like Sara, it was a tick from his drug use, no doubt. He said, “I figured it’s the least I can do.”
He looked back to Sara and gave a soft smile. It was clear he felt guilty about what had happened that night. Not that Sara cared about his feelings. She hoped the guilt ate him alive.
“Why don’t you start by telling me what you remember,” Trey said.
Thomas shook his head. “Not much. I was pretty drunk and high. I definitely shouldn’t have been driving. I remember Sara coming to my house with Donna earlier.” He looked at Sara. “You were really upset about Chase. We all started drinking and doing coke and other drugs.”
Thomas looked around to make sure no one was around to hear him. “At some point we went to the corner store and then I took Sara home. I don’t remember a lot of details, just flashes of memories. Like when Donna was videotaping or when the clerk came out and said something to us.”
“What happened next?”
Thomas thought for a moment. “We, uh…we ended up taking Sara home, but I don't remember why because we were going to go back to my house again.”
“I was pretty hysterical while we were at the store. I wouldn’t stop crying so I’m assuming you just didn’t want to deal with it,” Sara said, her cheeks flush.
Thomas nodded but didn’t say anything, not wanting to further embarrass her.
This time, she was thankful for his silence.
Gavin had tightened his grip on her waist slightly, signaling he was there to protect her, though she wasn’t sure what he thought she needed protection from. Sara simply wanted to crawl in a hole, so she pulled away from his grasp.
“When did you leave the corner store?” Trey asked. “The video tape cut off at 10:45 pm, about the time Morgan was killed.”
Thomas closed his eyes and thought for a moment, “I think…” He sighed heavily. “I don’t know, man. I wish I could tell you. I don’t think we were at the store that much longer after the clerk came out and told us to leave.
“I took Sara home and was being a jerk to her.” He eyed Sara who looked at the ground. “I kept telling her to get out, but she was too incapacitated. I parked near the side of the house and got out to open the door for her because she was fumbling with the door handle.
“She literally fell out of the car. She tried to get up but kept falling…she was in really bad shape. Then she threw up all over herself and passed out in the grass. I was over it at that point so I left. Donna and Jake were pissed, but we were all too inebriated to think straight.”
Hearing Thomas’ recollection brought back flashes of memories for Sara. She remembered the drive home and fumbling for the door handle. She thought she remembered someone dragging her into the house but wasn’t sure.
This time Hailey spoke up, “Did you see anyone at the house when you dropped her off? See anything suspicious?”
“No, but I was too messed up to pay much attention. I dropped her off and left. I didn’t hear about Mrs. Gallagher until a few days later. After that, I got out of town and my family put me in rehab and I’ve been clean ever since.”
No one said anything for a few moments. Trey was trying to piece together the information and Hailey’s eyes were daggers as she glared at Thomas. Even Carter seemed to straighten a bit after hearing what Thomas had done.
Sara couldn’t help but be angry with her friends for not coming to her aid. But, if Sara was honest with herself, it was no one’s fault but her own. If she hadn’t been an alcoholic and drug addict, if she hadn’t been so selfish and self-centered, if she hadn’t felt the need to rebel against her father, then maybe she wouldn’t be in this mess.
But here she was, and nothing could change it.
“Just one last question and then we’ll be out of your way,” Trey said. “Why weren’t you a witness at the trial? Why weren’t any of you witnesses?”
Thomas started looking around and fidgeting with his tie. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. “I, uh…I don’t know.”
Sara closed the space between them and jutted up her chin at him. “You dumped me in my yard and never checked on me again. I’m tired of being called a murderer when you know damn well I didn’t kill my mother. So, whatever you’re hiding, spill it. I’m done suffering because you’re a coward. I lost thirteen years of my life because of your secrecy.”
Thomas paled slightly and stilled. He didn’t speak at first, just searched Sara’s eyes. Then, he hung his head. “I was paid not to say anything and to disappear. So was everyone else. I had been wanting to get clean for a long time, but never had the resources. That deal made it possible for me.”
“Who paid you off?” Sara asked.
He hesitated before saying, “Your father.”
Sara felt dizzy and her lungs constricted. She started pacing as she gasped for air and clawed at her throat, wondering if she might die right in Thomas’ yard.
“Get her some water!” Carter yelled to Thomas.
Hailey was quickly by her side. “Sara, breathe.”
Gavin took her by the hand and had her sit down in a lawn chair that was in the yard. “Put your head between your knees and breathe with me.”
Once she calmed herself, she squared her shoulders as if nothing happened. Thomas came out of the house holding a glass of water. He offered it to her, and she accepted the drink.
Sara always believed she had been set up, but because she lacked proof, she never told anyone. Plus, the first year of her sentence was filled with tremors, cold sweats, fevers, and hallucinations as she detoxed from the drugs and alcohol. At the time, she wasn’t sure if she could even trust herself to know the truth.
But she had been right. And it was her father who had done it.
It grieved her to think David could be so vindictive, but to have confirmation of his hatred…that brought on wounds she’d never felt before. Wounds that cut deeper than the physical ones he’d left on her body as a teenager.
Sara’s head was swimming as she tried to make sense of it all. Hailey hadn’t left her side, clutching Sara’s hand.
“What did David say to you?” Gavin asked as he took a step toward Thomas. Sara could see the vein that bulged at his temple.
Thomas’ eyes rounded. “He said if I didn’t leave town and accept his demands, then he would have Chief Washington arrest me for drunk driving, drugs, serving alcohol to minors…I’d be put away for life! So, I could keep my mouth shut and have freedom, or I could tell what I knew and spend the rest of my life in prison.”
He shrugged and looked away. “I didn’t actually think it would go to trial, so I took the money and got clean. I’ve never had any reason to go back or to open my mouth.”
The idea that his hands were somehow clean of this mess was infuriating. Sara hurled the glass cup at Thomas. It shattered at his feet and his eyes darted between Sara and Trey, begging the Chief to step in. Gavin stood in front of her and put an arm around her waist, a wall between her and Thomas. Hailey walked toward Thomas, but Carter gently put a hand on her shoulder as Trey tried to defuse the situation, “Let’s all take a break-”
“Me being convicted of murder wasn’t enough to convince you to come forward?” Sara sneered as she fought Gavin off of her.
Thomas put his hands up in defense and took a step back, almost tripping over a toy that lay on the porch. “You pleaded guilty. I didn't want to mess up my life.”
“Right, you were just okay destroying mine.” She shook her head and started to walk toward the car but then turned around. “You know what? I'm only in this mess because of you. Drugs and alcohol weren’t even on my radar until you introduced me to them. You might be able to run from your past and act like nothing happened, but I’m still paying for your sins. So, during your next session with your little recovering addicts, why don’t you tell them about the girl whose life you completely ruined because you’re a selfish prick.”
She couldn’t stand to look at him after knowing what he had done to her. Despite him being an ass, she never thought he would stoop so low as to do something that would send her away to prison. His betrayal stung and added to the growing number of lashes she’d gotten from those who claimed to care for her.
It was clear no one could be trusted. They were all hiding something, trying to keep their secrets buried. All while she paid the price for their silence.
So, she would make it her life’s work to unveil those secrets, and she would burn down the whole damn world if she had to in order to do it.
Trey, Gavin, Hailey, and Carter followed Sara to the car, Sara seething with every step. Just before they closed the doors, Thomas called out, “Sara, I’m really sorry. If I could take it back, I would.”
Sara let out a throaty laugh. “Well, it’s a little late for that now. Don’t you think?”
With that, she slammed the door.