Jessalyn
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?”
This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. My soul felt disconnected from my body as I watched a police officer force Justin’s hands behind his back and snap handcuffs onto his wrists.
“I understand, but I haven’t done anything.”
Dawson squeezed my shoulder. “We’ll get this straightened out.”
Everyone else had made themselves scarce, but he’d stayed to support me, even as vloggers yelled from the front gates. At that moment, I hated social media. I hated what it had turned people into—ghouls streaming others’ misery for likes. Murder meant ratings, and ratings meant affiliate income.
“Trust the process,” Dawson murmured in my ear. “We suspected this might happen.”
“I thought the police were meant to protect us?”
Special Agent Rimer must have overheard me because she stopped. “We’re doing this to protect you.”
“Oh, really? By dismissing the fact that I was with Justin for the whole of Wednesday evening? By suggesting I’m a liar?”
“You don’t have all the information.”
“I have enough to know you’re a terrible detective.”
She huffed and walked off, but what did she expect me to say? I knew how Justin treated a woman. With kindness and respect, not as a piece of trash.
This afternoon, the others would meet with Serafina Hennessy, and I was glad I wouldn’t be there because I couldn’t bear to see the smug look on her face.
She was probably sitting in her office, popping open the champagne right now.
Justin had planned to go there, to face her, to tell her in person that he hadn’t harmed Amie, but now he’d be in jail.
Locked up like an animal because a murderer couldn’t take his punishment like a man.
Trust the process.
They wouldn’t even tell me what the process was. The door slammed behind the officers, and now what was I supposed to do? This wasn’t even my house.
“Should I just…stay here?” I asked Dawson. “Justin and I didn’t talk much about what would happen if…if…”
The tears came. I couldn’t stop them. I’d always thought leaving Ridge would be the hardest thing, but I’d been utterly wrong.
“Stay here. We’ll make sure you’re okay. Violet will come and sit with you while we’re out this afternoon.”
“Violet? Really? But what about all those people outside?”
“We’ll sneak her in the back way.”
Violet arrived at midday, laden with boxes of candy, bottles of wine, and a “make your own voodoo doll” kit. She wrapped me up in a hug.
“We can have a craft afternoon. I’m not sure how well the pins work, but I thought it was worth a try.”
“I don’t need pins; I need a jackhammer.”
“A jackhammer? I’m not sure that’ll go so well with the wine.”
“I wish they’d live-stream this meeting.”
“Me too. How about we watch a movie instead? Just not one of mine.”
I managed a half-laugh, half-sob. “Okay.”