Chapter Eleven #2
“The boys need a dog. Daisy will teach them responsibility, compassion, and love. She will be great for them to confide in. She will also help them with routine and use up some of their energy. The dog is like therapy without the therapy fees,” wisely said Henry, still rubbing Daisy’s head.
“Plus, Daisy needed a home and you have a perfectly good one to offer her.”
Cora came forward, sitting beside Henry and letting the dog sniff her hand. She slowly began petting it. “What am I supposed to do with you, Henry?”
Henry shrugged. “Adopt a dog?”
Cora rolled her eyes. “No more important purchases for my family without my consent.”
“Deal,” Henry easily agreed.
“I’m disappointed. I thought you would yell at him,” mentioned a frowning Noah.
Michael gave Noah’s arm a nudge and rolled his eyes.
Noah looked at his watch. “Well, we need to get going. Cora, I give you full permission to yell at Henry in private.”
“Thanks,” dryly said Cora. “I will keep that in mind.”
Waiting for Noah and Michael to leave, Cora locked up after them before joining Henry on the couch again. “Seriously, no more major purchases without talking to me first.”
“I did drop a few hints,” mentioned Henry as Daisy looked up at him adoringly.
“Yes, but I didn’t think you were serious,” replied Cora. “She’s very calm.”
“Daisy is mostly trained too. Although, I still think it might be good for Nick and Oliver to take her to doggy training school so they can learn how to care for her and how to properly handle her,” suggested Henry.
“That’s a good idea,” agreed Cora as she petted Daisy.
Anything Henry might have said was interrupted as his cellphone rang. Answering the call, he put the phone to his ear. ‘Henry here.”
Henry listened as Cora was silent beside him, intently watching. He realized that she might have thought he was answering the phone the hospital had given him. That phone was specifically for him to have just in case he got a call about the possibility of a heart being available for him.
Instead it was Temple who was setting up a time to visit him to discuss what he had learned about Gerrit’s plea deal.
“Okay, thanks. I will see you then,” said Henry before he hung up the phone. “Temple will be here this morning. He found out the terms of Gerri’s plea for me.”
Cora bit her lip. “Gerrit and I have never been friends. I think he was jealous of me in some ways. In other ways, I think he sometimes blamed me for Nate’s behavior. However, I hope whatever deal he made isn’t too bad. I don’t want it to be upsetting for you.”
“It’s going to be upsetting no matter what. My brother is going to prison,” quietly replied Henry.
“I’m sorry,” Cora told him, leaning against him as she petted Daisy. They both sat in silence for a while. “We are keeping her, I suppose. What’s her name again?”
“Daisy,” answered Henry with a small smile. “Her name is Daisy.”
“The boys are going to love her,” remarked Cora.
“That’s the plan,” he responded, as they both petted Daisy who seemed quite happy with the situation.
The doorbell rang, breaking the silence. Daisy let out a single bark.
“That should be Temple ,” said Henry.
Cora quickly got up so Henry wouldn’t have to. “I’ll get the door.”
She let the lawyer in. Henry invited Temple to sit down in the living room. Cora busied herself making coffee so she wouldn’t seem like she was eavesdropping, even though she really was, yet Henry found he didn’t mind.
Temple was grave as he leaned forward in his armchair, loosely clasping his hands together.
“I managed to talk to Gerrit’s lawyer Phelps this morning.
He’s a reasonable fellow and we have been friends for some time.
That’s the only reason he is doing this favor.
He is risking a lot to break confidentiality with Gerrit by speaking with me.
Anything I say to you cannot go any further without potentially damaging his career. ”
Henry caught Temple’s look of concern as he glanced at Cora with significance. “Both Cora and I won’t say anything to anyone.”
“He could be disbarred or blacklisted,” warned Temple. “The details will come out at the sentencing hearing so you cannot repeat anything I say about this matter until after then.”
“I promise, I won’t say anything,” spoke Cora as she set the tray of coffee mugs, cream, and sugar on the coffee table. She sat down on the sofa beside Henry. “I hope you don’t mind decaf. It’s all we have in the house.”
“My fault for that. I’m not allowed any caffeine,” explained Henry. “You have my word that nothing you say about Gerrit goes further than this room.”
“Just let me preface that Gerrit did this for Michael, Noah, Jake, and Dillion. If he hadn’t done the plea deal, they would all be still facing a lengthy trial with likely going to prison unless they chose to make a plea deal of their own,” cautioned Temple.
“He sacrificed himself for them,” Henry grimly stated.
Temple nodded. “We know that Gerrit pled guilty for his part in money laundering through Ramesly Hotels. Against the advice of his lawyers, he also pled guilty to the murder of David Ramesly, the murder of Nate Ramesly, the murder of James Ramesly, the attempted murder of Henry Ramesly, the attempted bombing and attempted murders a little over two months ago at the Ramelsy hotel, plus drug smuggling, drug trafficking, possessing illegal substances, and a few other minor drug charges relating to his personal addition.”
“That’s crazy,” Henry barely managed to say. “Gerrit didn’t murder anyone. No one attempted to murder me. I accidently created my own condition. It wasn’t anyone else.”
“There was a person charged in Asia for the misuse and overmedication of the herbal tea you were taking,” revealed Temple. “The herbalist was found guilty.”
“What? Why did no one tell me that?” questioned Henry in disbelief.
“They didn’t know if the herbalist was acting on behalf of another person to slowly poison you,” replied Temple. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “The FBI indicated that they never got a clear answer on that.”
“The FBI thinks that Gerrit colluded with someone half a world away to poison me over the course of several years to make it look like a natural death?” Henry shook his head.
“That’s reaching. Why would Gerrit kill Nate?
He defended Nate. He and Nate were the best of friends.
Why would he kill Uncle David? There is no reason whatsoever that Gerrit would kill our uncle.
He doesn’t gain anything from doing that. What possible proof do the FBI have?”
“They don’t need proof when they have a signed confession,” responded Temple with sympathy. “It’s simply a matter of sentencing now.”
“He can’t do this. Most of what Gerrit has admitted to doing is a lie,” Henry’s voice was muffled as he put his head in his hands. “How long? How long is he going to prison for?”
Temple hesitated. “I’m sorry. Gerrit will likely be sentenced to life in prison. He’s not going to come out. The only good thing is this state doesn’t have the death penalty.”
Henry could feel Cora put a hand on his shoulder. He sat in his thoughts, wondering why his brother had done something so drastic. He looked up at Temple . “How do we undo what Gerrit has done?”
“The only thing I can suggest is proving beyond a reasonable doubt that someone else committed these crimes. Then the case may be reopened, the court would have to reassess the sentencing,” answered Temple.
“Currently, the FBI is closing their investigation.
As far as they are concerned, they have done their due diligence.
The governor will be happy that someone is taking the fall and making him look good for the election year.
It will be splashed all over the papers and everyone will be convinced your brother is at fault.
“You might make some enemies with the FBI and the governor if you choose to go down this path to clear your brother of the murder and attempted murder charges. Remember, he is guilty of the drug charges,” warned Temple.
“Someone is killing people in the Ramesly family. That’s not going to stop just because Gerrit confessed to things he didn’t do,” grimly stated Henry. “We have to find out who is behind the murders and bombing on our own, no matter the consequences. Otherwise more people may be hurt.”