Chapter 21 #2
“I’m sorry, Cam. You were right. I never should’ve run for Congress.”
“No, you really shouldn’t have. You know what your problem has always been?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Everyone said you were the shit, and you believed it.” I poke his chest when I’d much rather punch him.
“You believed you could attack Neisy and get away with it. That you could run for Congress and none of this shit would come back to bite you—and the rest of us—in the ass. You’re arrogant and entitled, and you deserve all of this. ”
“I’m sorry! If I could go back and change everything, don’t you think I would?”
I have nothing to say to that. You can’t change the past, no matter how much he might wish he could.
“So what now?”
“You’ll be arraigned and hopefully released pending trial. And this time, there’ll be a trial.”
“Not if Arlo can talk his sister out of testifying.”
“Do you honestly think she would’ve done this in the first place if she wasn’t determined to see it through to the finish?”
“So you think I’m fucked?”
“Totally fucked.”
“You’re pissed.”
“You’re goddamned right I am! Everything was fine the way it was, but you just had to want more. I hope you’re not going to take me and all the guys who lied for you the first time around down with you.”
“I never asked you guys to lie for me!”
“But we did it anyway and saved your ass!”
“I’m so sorry, Cam.” His voice breaks. “I know that’s meaningless right now, but I really am.”
“I’m sure you are, but you’re right. That doesn’t mean much to me right now.”
“So you won’t represent me?”
“I’m not a defense attorney. You need someone who knows what they’re doing. I’ll ask around and get someone here for the arraignment.”
“What about Caroline and the kids? What do I tell them?”
I stare at him, incredulous. “How about the truth?”
He shakes his head. “I can’t. She’ll leave me and take my kids. I can’t lose my family.”
“What do you think she’ll do when you’re convicted?”
“Maybe I won’t be.”
“Ryder… They have an eyewitness who saw you rape her. There’s no statute of limitations on sexual assault in this state. The fact that she took fourteen years to come forward won’t mean anything to a jury when they hear her testimony in support of Neisy.”
“We have to do something. We can’t just let this ruin everything.”
“It’s far too late to do anything. This is why I begged you not to run. I was afraid of something just like this.”
“Okay, you were right! Are you happy now?”
“No, Ryder. I’m not at all happy. What do you want me to tell Caroline? She’s frantic and blindsided.”
“Tell her…tell her I’ll explain everything when I get out of here.”
“And you’ll tell her the truth?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“You owe her the truth at this point.”
“I…uh…”
“Ryder! You’ve turned her life upside down! She deserves to know.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“You do that.” I slap my hand against the door to call for a Trooper to let me out.
“Cam…”
I turn back to him.
“I’m scared.”
I want to tell him he should be, but I say nothing, exiting the room after a cop lets me out. On the way home, I call Caroline.
She grabs the call on the first ring. “Cam. Did you see him?”
“I did.”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s upset, but otherwise, he’s fine.”
“What is happening?”
“He’s been indicted on rape charges from fourteen years ago.”
She gasps. “No. That’s not possible. He said he didn’t do it.”
What can I say to that? She’ll need to come around to understanding he lied to her in her own time.
“What do I do?”
“Sit tight until he’s arraigned. He should be released on personal recognizance sometime tomorrow.”
“He has to spend the night there?”
“Yes.”
“How is he being charged with this if he didn’t do it?”
“You’ll have to talk to him about that.”
“What do you know, Cam?”
“I’ll text you when I hear what time the arraignment will be in Newport County Superior Court. He’ll need clothes for that.”
“That’s it? I just have to sit here and wait?”
“I don’t know what else to say.”
“You could tell me this is a big mistake!”
I wish I could. “Just hang in there, Caroline. You’ll see him tomorrow. I’ll be in touch.”
I’ve never been more thankful to end a call in my life.
I adore her and always have. She came along at a time when I feared Ryder might never recover from the events of that summer.
In addition to committing a horrendous crime—and getting away with it—he’d withstood the devastating loss of Louisa, her funeral and deep, unrelenting grief.
All before he’d started his senior year of high school.
He met Caroline during his sophomore year at URI, and they’ve been together ever since. In addition to facing charges, he’ll also have to confront the fallout from the lie he’s told his wife for all these years. Whether she’ll stay with him is anyone’s guess.
When I arrive home, Sienna mutes the TV. “How’d it go?”
“As you might expect. He’s terrified and worried about Caro and the kids.”
“Does she know the truth?”
I shake my head.
“Wow. I always figured he’d probably told her the truth at some point.”
“He didn’t.” I fix myself a glass of bourbon straight out of the bottle and sit next to her on the sofa.
“What happens now?”
“He’ll be arraigned tomorrow and hopefully let out on personal recognizance. That’s the usual routine for first-time offenders.”
“He’s still a first-time offender even though he was charged with this before?”
“He wasn’t convicted, so yes, he’s a first-time offender.”
“What about the campaign?”
“I assume that’ll be suspended after the arraignment. There’s no way he can run now.”
“Even if he’s acquitted?”
“If that happens, and it’s a very big if, it’ll take months. The election will be long over by then.”
“I feel so bad for Caroline and their kids.”
“I know.”
“I should talk to Blaise.”
“No, you shouldn’t.”
“Why not? What can it hurt at this point?”
“We don’t need to add to his troubles with charges of witness tampering.”
“He wouldn’t be going anywhere near her. I could go to her and plead with her to have mercy on Ryder’s wife and kids.”
“Why would she care about them? She doesn’t even know them.”
“She knows me, and I’d be the one asking.”
“It’s too risky.”
“What do we have to lose at this point?”
“I don’t like it, and I don’t think you should do it.”
“So noted.”
If there’s one thing I know about Sienna after eight years of marriage and nearly sixteen years together it’s that she does what she wants when she wants. I can’t stop her from seeking out Blaise.
All I can do is discourage it.