Chapter Fourteen #2
‘I know you would, Caleb.’ Biting back deep sobs, she nodded.
‘It hurts so badly, knowing that Robin Keller will never be brought to justice, given that she was the one who pushed Skye down the back steps in a fit of rage.’ She met his kind-hearted gaze.
‘Hopefully, at the very least, Nate and William are going to be charged with being accessories to her murder, and concealing evidence.’
‘Yes, they better get the longest sentence possible.’ The past few days had taken a toll, and he heaved a weighty sigh.
‘Nate, for being the one who buried Skye’s body, after his mother shoved her down the steps to her death.
As for William, he’s guilty of covering it up, even if he didn’t play a part in the actual events as they unfolded, and that, in my mind, makes him just as liable. ’
Anger simmered in Nyah, directed at the retired schoolteacher who’d lived just a stone’s throw away throughout her childhood and up until this moment, but now seemed worlds apart in his guilt-ridden silence.
‘I don’t know how he could live with himself, day in, day out, knowing what his evil mother and brother did to my poor sister.
’ Her heart throbbed painfully—each beat a reminder of Skye’s absence.
‘The fact that Robin lashed out at a twelve-year-old girl, because she couldn’t stand the sight of the child that she believed born in sin to her beloved son… ’ She stopped, unable to say any more.
‘I know, it’s all so inconceivable.’ Caleb rested his hand on her leg. ‘At least we’ve got William and Nate, Nyah, along with both their admissions of guilt in one way or another,’ he said firmly, his voice low but resolute. ‘They won’t get away with what they’ve done.’
The sudden vibration of a phone on the wooden table interrupted their solemn moment. Nyah hesitated before answering it, meeting Caleb’s gaze briefly before picking up. ‘Hey, Dad,’ she said, greeting him sadly.
‘Hi, darling, I wish you’d agree to me coming to Wildstone,’ came her father’s strained voice. ‘I can be there by morning at the latest.’
‘No, Dad. There’s nothing you can do here that you can’t do at home,’ Nyah replied calmly, trying to steady her voice. ‘Skye wouldn’t want you to put your health at risk, and neither do I. You need time to heal that new knee of yours…and to grieve. We all do.’
At the other end of the line, Nyah could hear her stepmother quietly sobbing, a sound that twisted the knife already lodged in her heart.
Rae was a woman she wanted to refer to as Mum from now on.
And so she went ahead and did just that, knowing how much it would quietly mean to her dad.
‘You and Mum need to take care of each other right now. Staying there will be the best place to do that, and I have Caleb and Hope here to take care of me.’ She sniffed and closed her eyes.
‘Besides, Ragnar needs you both there.’ She closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath. ‘I miss the rascal so much.’
‘Okay, as long as you’re absolutely sure.’ Robert Love’s usual big, strong voice was weakened by heartbreak. ‘And thank you for calling Rae your mum. It’s made her cry even harder, but in a good way.’
‘She is, and always has been, from the second she stepped into our lives.’ Nyah smiled into the phone. ‘Please tell her I love her, and I love you, too, Dad, so much,’ she said from her heart, and she listened to him say the same thing before ending the call.
Hope stepped into the room, the warm embrace of her presence enveloping Nyah like a protective shield—she and Caleb were one and the same. ‘How’s your dad doing, sweetie?’ She sat down and passed over a warm cup of Milo.
‘He’s coping, but hurting, like we all are, I suppose.’ Hugging her mug, Nyah took a sip.
Hope’s expression pinched as she nodded. ‘How about you, big brother, how’s the case going?’
‘I spoke to the local prosecutor a couple of hours ago.’ Caleb’s tone shifted towards a more tactical mindset. ‘She said we have enough evidence to make sure both the Kellers face the toughest of consequences.’
Hope smiled sadly. ‘That’s good news.’
Nyah wiped away a stray tear. ‘It sure is.’ Her determination was bolstered by the unwavering support of her forever friends.
She had no doubt that the justice system would weave a net tight enough to ensnare the monstrous pair, finally bringing closure to those who had loved Skye.
***
Three days later, Nyah’s fingers curled tightly around the worn leather strap of her handbag, the familiar texture grounding her as she took deliberate steps towards the prosecutor’s office.
Caleb walked stoically beside her, his presence a silent promise of solidarity as they entered the courthouse.
They left behind them air that was heavy with the scent of rain that had crashed down upon the bitumen only ten minutes earlier.
The storm, now disappearing into the distance, mirrored the turmoil within her chest.
After following a secretary down a clinical-feeling hallway, she heard the door to the prosecutor’s office click shut behind them as they stepped in, sealing them in a space where justice would be served and futures decided.
The walls, adorned with law books and framed accolades, stood tall as silent sentinels to the weight of the law.
The prosecutor, a stern-faced woman with sharp eyes that seemed to penetrate through their very souls, gestured to the chairs before her desk.
‘Ms Love, Officer Hart,’ she began, her voice firm yet not unkind, ‘please, take a seat.’
The fluorescent lights cast an almost surgical glow over the documents spread out on the desk, and the room seemed to hum with a sense of urgency and determination. Clutching her handbag, Nyah perched on the edge of her chair like a bird ready to take flight, her heart thrashing wildly.
The prosecutor leant forward, briefly regarding them with her astute gaze.
‘You’ve done well with the evidence gathered at the crime scene and both the Keller residences, along with the affidavits you’ve been able to acquire, Officer Hart, especially Mr Davies’, and your own written statements,’ she said, glancing at the paperwork beneath her drumming fingertips.
‘Now, we must proceed with precision. Any misstep could unravel our case in court and send two guilty men walking way earlier than they should be allowed to.’
Nyah nodded, feeling the gravity of the prosecutor’s words seep deep into her bones.
Having sat through a few of the legal meetings the past two days, she understood the delicate balance between law and justice, and how easily the scales could tip, no matter how unfair it seemed.
Each procedural detail they’d adhered to had been a crucial stitch in the fabric of their case—one that needed to hold against the fierce winds of legal defence.
Having worked in underground mining for most of his life, Nate had money, and money talked, but so did hard-hitting evidence, and they had a bucketload of that—especially after they’d received confirmation that DNA found on the buried blanket was linked to William, Nate and Robin Keller.
‘Remember,’ she said, the weight of responsibility evident in her voice, ‘we’re not just building a case, we’re crafting a story that the jury will understand.
Keep it concise, keep it compelling. And make no mistake,’ the prosecutor continued, tapping a pen against the notepad in front of her, ‘the defence will search for cracks, for any way to exploit our case. We cannot give them that chance.’
‘Understood,’ Caleb replied, his voice steady and resolute.
Nyah’s breath hitched in her throat, a rush of relief mingling with the fear that had gripped her since Skye’s remains had been discovered. Their fate now rested in the hands of the legal system, but she knew she was prepared to fight with every fibre of her being to ensure justice for her sister.
‘Are you good, Nyah?’ The prosecutor caught her eye, and for a flicker of a moment she felt woman-to-woman kindness.
‘Yes, thank you.’ Roiling with emotions, she dared not glance at Caleb, afraid that any shift might break the spell, might retract the words they so desperately needed to hear.
‘Good, because we need you put together, as hard as that is.’ The impressive woman sat back.
‘And don’t you worry, Ms Love, Nate and William Keller won’t see the outside of a prison for many, many years, if ever at all, once I’m finished with them,’ the prosecutor declared, her words falling like a gavel and echoing in the quiet room.
Caleb’s hand quickly found Nyah’s beneath the desk, a grounding force amid the maelstrom of emotions. ‘We’ve got them, Ny. We’ve got them,’ he said, his voice filled with determination and reassurance.
Nyah couldn’t help but admire this wonderful man’s unwavering commitment, and the way he shouldered the burden with a resilience that bolstered her own. ‘Thank you,’ she managed to say, her voice thick with unshed tears.
‘Everything you do from here on out must be done by the book. There will be no mention of what you did the day you both popped in to visit Mr Keller off the record, okay?’ the prosecutor instructed, her words painting a roadmap of the challenging journey ahead.
‘Do not, under any circumstance, admit to anything other than a friendly visit that led to a conversation about the finding of bones in the yard bordering the Kellers’ place. ’
‘Understood,’ Nyah replied.
‘Completely,’ Caleb added.