Chapter 10
She was over it! She couldn’t believe he would do such a thing. Her blood pressure was raised, and she was pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what she could do. She only knew one thing: confront him. She’d always been raised to confront the people who bother her. And Richy had just crossed a serious line. He had no boundaries and it was clear he didn’t understand them at all.
“Care to explain this note you left on my door?!” She charged over to the beach where he always was, and found him sitting on the sand.
“Hey. Slow down! Whoa, whoa! I didn’t leave a note.”
“Your DNA says otherwise. Did you think I wouldn’t have it checked? What do you want from me, Richy? Why are you so adamant about this?”
“I didn’t do this! That’s not even my handwriting. I promise you this isn’t me.”
“Why are you even here? What do you want, Richy?” She was pissed and rightfully so. She didn’t know who did it but she knew it wasn’t okay. She wasn’t okay. She hadn’t even realized that he had found out where she lived. How did he find her place?
“Look, I know you’re upset and you have every single right to be but just hear me out. I found some things out. Things I know you’re gonna wanna hear and I just need you to trust that when you hear them, they are the truth. I wouldn’t lie to you. I haven’t lied to you since this started. I think I’m the one person who can help you figure all of this out like I keep saying… but you have to trust me. Okay? I’m not here to hurt you. I sincerely want to help you figure this out.”
Willow felt proud of Richy for some reason. Richy spoke so well and knew how to conduct him accordingly for only being in high school. Deep down inside it made her wonder if he’d gone through something traumatic that made him grow up so soon.
“Why is this so important to you?”
“Because one of his victims is my aunt!,” he blurted out.
“What?”
“Look, I understand that you can do whatever you choose. But I really want to put this guy away for a long time. If you still love him and have feelings for him and want to protect him, I understand that, but he’s hurt a lot of people. I happen to care deeply about one of them. She didn’t deserve that. At all. You didn’t either. None of these ladies do. So, are you gonna listen to what I have to say or not?”
She couldn’t believe her ears. She had thought maybe he was just passionate but the rabbit hole went deeper and deeper. The more she thought it was over, the more she uncovered. When does it end? It didn’t seem like it would end any time soon.
She couldn’t even think past what he just divulged. His aunt. That was why he was so involved. So adamant. So passionate. She had him all wrong; she thought he was just a true crime nerd who wanted to solve his first big case. The whole time he was a true crime nerd who needed to avenge his aunt.
They talked for a while about Charlie and his aunt’s relationship. Claire, Richy’s aunt, was someone he wanted to run away with when his father became a drunk. She was the fun aunt. Her house was always clean and warm. She cooked amazing food, and let him watch whatever he wanted on TV; and she was RICH.
After getting the story of Claire and all she endured, Willow was sick to her stomach again and decided to head back to the cottage.
“So, do you want to come in?” She invited him into the cottage. He obliged. He had a lot to talk about and wasn’t trying to waste any more time with the small fry shit.
“Listen, I know you’re still probably reeling from the realization that this is way bigger than you. But your husband is a whole creep. He’s also a liar. As I suspected, his name really isn’t Charlie. In fact, they don’t even know his real name. They thought maybe it was Greg but it’s not. I ran a check on Gary as well, that’s incorrect as well. The man has so many aliases just for him to run through women’s pockets. I hate that he can do this to you. I hate that you have no idea who you got involved with.”
Richy paused for a breath, searching Willow’s eyes.
“When he was here, living in Sanibel, he went by Owen,” Richy continued. “At least, that’s who my aunt married. Owen Michael Jamison. Owen worked for a tech company not 3 blocks away from where your friend Brandi works. He knew how to do EVERYTHING. So it only makes sense that he could get into these girls” minds and hearts as well. The man has charisma. Not to mention he’s smart and pretty good looking. He made a name for himself in this town. Well, hell. Names for himself. Owen was well liked and respected by just about anybody that he came in contact with.”
“Sounds like Charlie. When I met him, he was such a genuine soul. He’d take me out dancing. He swept me off my feet. Made me feel like I was living the dream. And now, it’s just a nightmare. None of it was real. None of it.”
“To be fair, he’s been with you the longest. Maybe it was a little real. Maybe he tried to change his way when it came to you but he just couldn’t.”
“I just don’t understand how a person can lay next to you for years and not even be who they say they are. I know that it happens. I just didn’t think it would ever happen to me of all people. I always thought I was smarter than that. I guess I’m not.”
“You’re smart. He’s just a mastermind. A scammer. And it’s not your fault. These things happen all the time. You fell in love with who he presented. I mean, this is normal behavior, especially if the person is emotionally available to you. Please, don’t beat yourself up over this.”
“What happened to your aunt anyway? Where is she?”
“Mount Olivet.”
“But, that doesn’t make sense. That’s a cemetery.”
“So, apparently, you can die of a broken heart. The doctors called it a freak accident. But, too much stress on the heart causes a heart attack. She was depressed and he just moved on. Look, whatever you decide to do, can you please make sure it involves him behind bars?”
It was a lot to take in. Richy had just poured his heart out to her. And she felt every word. It was time to figure out how to take this bastard down. Not just for herself but for all the girls he hurt. For all the girls he misled. For all the girls he lied to and stole from. For all the girls he was probably planning on hurting.
“I’m so sorry, Richy. I don’t even know what to say. In my heart of hearts I know he needs to pay for what he did. I know that. I just wish I knew where I could find him so that this would all be over. I wish I knew how to help other than to just keep trying to figure out where he is. But it’s clear that Tallahassee isn’t looking for him like they say. They’re covering it up. I hate that I can’t just call him and ask him to meet up with me. I wish I knew how to lure him this way.”
“When you left, did you tell him you were coming here?”
“Unfortunately.”
“He knows that you know. He’s probably going to stay in hiding at this point. I know it sucks but something or someone has to have the power to lure him out.”
“How can we do that though? If he knows I’m here.”
“The only thing I can think of, is you have to go back.”
“BACK WHERE?”
“Tallahassee.”
“Listen, if he’s as dangerous as they say he is, why on God’s green Earth would I even consider going back there? I could end up dead.”
“I’d go with you.”
“No offense, Richy. But he’s like three times your size. He’d kill you too.”
“Big things come in small packages. Besides, he has to pay for what he did to Claire. I’m not even joking about this. He doesn’t want to get in my sight. I’d rip him apart with my bare hands over my aunt.”
Richy was serious. Willow had some thinking to do. Go back to Tallahassee and be a target? As soon as she landed, Mrs. Shorts would arrest her. Willow was 100% sure of that. She knew it was risky but when she saw the look in Richy’s eyes, she recognized it right away. It was desperation.
“Okay, say we do this… I mean, we really do this…. How could we do it without me getting hurt?”
“Hurt?” Richy laughed like a boy who thought he was tough. “Don’t worry about that. Tommy”s only a phone call away.”
She thought about it. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t going to be in danger either way. He could come back to Sanibel if he wanted to. And then what choice would she have?
“Fine. I’ll do it,” she said.
Willow meant what she said and there was absolutely no turning back. She was going to do it. She was going to figure out a plan to lure Charlie out. If he was going to be missing in action, she was going to be live and in living color. It was important to her to catch him. He’d done enough damage. Him and his mother were on her take down list. She didn’t care which one she got first, as long as she got them.
“Good. Now, let’s figure this out.”