Chapter 34
Gus and Sam waited for me after I gathered my things and walked out into the hallway.
George Luke and Hayden left during jury instructions.
As I closed the courtroom door behind me, Erin Simmons and Claudia Luke emerged from a side hallway.
It was unexpected. No one was with them.
They had turned away any help from the victim advocacy groups.
I practically ran straight into Erin. She took a step back. She’d been crying. Her eyes were puffy, the left one almost swollen shut.
“Excuse me,” I said. I took a step back, wanting to give her room to pass me.
“Mom?”
Hayden Simmons came out of the bathroom. Time seemed to freeze. Claudia put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and tried to pull her back.
George Luke emerged from the men’s room. His face dropped when he saw his wife and daughter in range of his granddaughter.
“How could you do this?” Erin shouted to Hayden. “How could you do this?”
Erin broke free of Claudia’s grasp and lunged at Hayden. I reacted. Dropping the files, I clutched to my chest. I stepped in between Erin and Hayden.
“Stop,” I said. “Just stop. Just turn around and take the stairs.”
Gus and Sam were there.
“She’s a liar!” Erin screamed. “She has no idea what she’s done!”
“Mom,” Hayden calmly said. “I’m not a liar. Dad’s the liar. He’s made you believe things about me that aren’t true. He killed Aunt Ellie. Someday you’re going to have to accept that.”
“Claudia,” George said, his tone sharp and loud. “This needs to end. The two of you need to wake up. We’ve caused enough damage. What we’ve done … what we’ve put Hayden through …”
Erin let out a guttural scream. She drew her arm back and tried to claw at Hayden through me.
Sam moved with the speed of a freight train. He grabbed Erin’s wrist and pulled her out of range. Two deputies stepped forward to help disperse the melee. Gus had his hand on my shoulder. He pulled me away from Hayden.
“She’s ruined our lives!” Claudia yelled. “And you’re all part of this. Every one of you. You should be ashamed of yourself!” She pointed at Gus.
From the corner of my eye, I saw two local news reporters. They’d pulled out their phones and were recording everything.
“I’m going to let you go,” Sam said to Erin through gritted teeth. “But I need you to go down those stairs and get yourself home. My deputies will escort you.”
“Mrs. Luke,” one of the reporters said. “Do you still believe your son-in-law is innocent? How can you explain the box of things he collected from your daughter’s gravesite?”
“No,” Claudia shouted. “No. To hell with all you!”
My heart shredded. The hurt look on Hayden’s face cut through me. This was her mother. Her grandmother. Jamie still had them believing she was responsible for all of this.
“Come on,” George said, putting his arm around his granddaughter. “Let’s get you out of here.”
“No,” Hayden said, shrugging him off. “No. Answer her question, Grandma? I want to hear you say it. Tell them what you think happened. Say it!”
Tears rolled down Claudia’s face. She shook her head. Sam let go of Erin. She ran to her mother.
“Go home,” Sam told them. He nodded to his two deputies. One of them quietly directed Claudia Luke toward the stairs. Mercifully, she didn’t put up a fight. Erin followed her and the two of them disappeared through the stairwell door. Sam blocked one of the reporter’s way when she tried to follow.
Four more courthouse deputies appeared.
“Listen up!” Sam said to the reporters. “You’re going to let this family go home. I can’t stop you from doing your jobs, but I can stop you from harassing these people in this building. Show some common decency, please.”
“This is news!” I recognized the young reporter as Chanelle West. She was new to the northwest Ohio area. God, she barely looked older than Will.
“Maybe it is,” Sam said. “But I meant what I said.”
“Come on,” I said to Hayden. “You can come with me. Both of you.”
Reluctantly, Hayden followed me to the elevator. George came with her. The three of us were able to ride downstairs alone. Gus kept anyone else from jumping on after us.
When we got to the first floor, I took Hayden and George out through an employee exit. We got lucky. No other reporters were lying in wait.
“This is going to get worse,” George said.
“Maybe,” I said. “We can go back to my office if you’d like. If you have questions …”
“No,” Hayden said. “I just want to get out of here. I don’t want to see this building any longer than I have to.”
“How long do you think it will take?” George asked. “Before they decide.”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “I won’t even guess. But are you going to be all right? Are you still in the house with Mrs. Luke?”
“No,” he said. “She wanted me to leave. I’m staying with an old friend until we can all figure out what to do.”
“What about you?” I asked Hayden.
“I’ve still got the apartment the Silver Angels helped me find,” she said. “But when this is over, I’m not staying in Waynetown. A friend of mine from high school moved to Pasadena a year ago. She’s offered to let me come stay with her for a while.”
“Oh honey,” George said. “That’s so far away.”
“That’s the point,” Hayden said, her tone flat.
“Is there anything I can do for either one of you?” I asked.
Hayden shook her head. “No. You’ve done enough. Will you let me know the minute you hear anything from the judge?”
“Of course. That goes for you too, Mr. Luke. All of it.”
He nodded. But he looked so broken. It had to feel to him like he’d lost everything.
Both of his daughters. His wife. Now Hayden’s news that might have seemed like abandonment to him.
But they were right. There was really nothing else I could do for this family.
As long as Jamie Simmons still had a hold on them, things would never be all right for them.
I went to my car and watched the two of them go their separate ways. I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how many more victims Jamie Simmons would claim. No matter what the jury decided.