Ch. 46 The Trap
The corridor of Scotland Yard that Celeste and I are walking through reeks—like stale sweat, blood, vomit and drugs all mixed together.
Celeste steps closer to me as we follow Chris's friend, Detective Asha 'Ash' Winters inside.
She turns to glance at me. "I've heard a lot about you from Chris. He tells me all you need is 20 minutes to get into Boon's phone?"
"That's right. I also need to borrow that phone to send a message."
She raises an eyebrow at me. "Why?"
"To hook a fish. A shark, actually." I already have a plan forming.
"Does he always talk like this?" She turns to Celeste.
She smirks and shrugs. "You get used to it."
"Hey!" I'm about to protest some more when Ash brings us to a room with a single phone on the table.
"Is that—" Celeste starts.
"—the phone in question. Yes. Take your time." Ash finishes for Celeste, before doing something that surprises both of us. She leaves.
I set up my laptop and stretch my wrist and fingers.
It's time to get cracking.
—-------------------
Celeste, Ash and I stare at the contents of the cracked phone. Dozens of photographs of despicable people doing despicable things.
Extortion messages to and from many.
Instructions to let criminals go. Instructions to frame the innocent.
This phone is a goldmine. No doubt it was so heavily encrypted.
It was Boon's leverage.
We comb through all of the data, but there's barely anything against Coleman. Except a photograph with a woman, seated at a restaurant.
"Wait—" Ash calls. I scroll back to the photo while Ash pulls something else up.
"—That's Hazel Wollinger. Check the metadata. When was this photograph taken?"
I start digging into the metadata while Celeste studies the photograph closely. "She's concealing a bruise on her face and neck. Look—"
She points to certain sections of her face, where purple seems to be bleeding through.
"And look at her expression. She looks terrified."
"It's three days after she lost her BAFTA." Ash frowns.
Celeste and I exchange a glance.
Boon knows what happened with Ms. Wollinger.
"Well, we have enough here to take Boon down, for sure."
Just then, my phone buzzes. It's a text from an unknown number.
"You'll have to wait here. I can't let you walk out with such a crucial piece of evidence."
"Okay."
We wait for the clock to strike 7 while I start setting up the trap.
—---------------------------
Celeste
Unease settles in my gut. This reminds me of the time I was waiting for that asshat Boon in a sweltering interrogation room—hoping against hope that he would be on my side. My limbs feel heavy.
I glance nervously at Marcus—who's typing furiously.
It's 7:30 pm, and he still hasn't sent the text. Ash is twitching beside me, impatience rife on her face.
This is our last gambit. If we can't find any actionable evidence on Coleman, we're done for.
Time inches forward. 7:32 pm.
Come on, Marcus.
"Yes! Done!" Marcus jumps up suddenly, expression triumphant.
He powers off Boon's device and hands it to Ash.
"Thank you, for all your help. Chris'll be in touch."
She nods and looks away.
Oh. Oh my. Chris and Ash were a thing. Wow. Okay.
Marcus seems to have figured it out at the same time, if his wide eyes and raised eyebrows are anything to go by.
Marcus opens his mouth, like he wants to confirm it. I grab his hand and drag him out before his foot in mouth disease takes over.
"Honey," I whisper to him as we make our exit, "It's not our business."
"But I—" I quell him with a look and we head out.
Marissa came through.
There is so much to do. The war is only just beginning.
—---------------------
The sweet scent of pancakes hits me, and for a moment, I forget everything else.
Only now am I starting to realize how bad of a cook Marcus is.
Is this how those pancakes were supposed to smell? Like sparkles and sunshine?
"Come on, you guys. You need to eat. Coleman can wait for a few minutes."
Ella waves the tantalizing breakfast under my nose and I immediately agree. Before Marcus can utter a sound of protest, I shove a crepe into both our mouths, forcing him to chew if he doesn't wish to choke.
Honestly, I need a minute.
Our trip to London was a revelation. I'm not sure how I feel about Marissa—but I no longer hate her. When push came to shove...she helped.
Detective Boon and Harry Coleman...they still leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
I always wanted to pay them all back, but I wasn't sure I could.
Now, justice is only a few steps away.
Keith, Kenneth, Kyle, Marcus and Christopher are discussing strategy. Legend and Ella are fussing over me.
I finally told them everything, and they believed me too. Only Frany is conspicuous in her absence.
"Where's Frany?" Legend looks curious while Ella looks troubled. She glances towards Kyle before turning to me.
"I'm not sure."
I study Kyle. His face does look unnaturally drawn.
"Something's happened?" I ask Ella.
She nods. "I think so. Has Kyle mentioned anything to Marcus?"
I shake my head. We both shrug helplessly. I want to ask her some more questions... although, it might not be my place. I drop it.
We discuss our strategy for a few more hours before every detail feels sufficiently hammered into place.
Finally, Chris gets up.
"I'm going to set the ball rolling. They're arresting Abernathy as we speak. Ash is ready in the UK. Marcus?"
Marcus stares at his laptop, a grimace etched deep into his features.
"I'm ready too," Marcus responds, "To nail that bastard into the ground."
—----------------------------
I sit on the floor, because the lumps in my couch are legitimately giving me a backache now.
My phone is on the kitchen counter, and I'm determined to complete the movie I'm watching.
The jet lag is real. After spending all of last night dead to the world, I'm better today—but I decided to take an additional day off.
I'm really not feeling up to facing my colleagues, especially Nolan. I know he's been blowing up Marcus's phone since yesterday, and I do not have the energy to deal with it.
The old Celeste would have shown up as a matter of principle. But this new Celeste—she's learning to put herself and her peace first.
She doesn't have to fight for every scrap of acknowledgement. She's no longer alone.
The door bell rings.
Strange, I wasn't expecting someone.
I open the door a sliver to find Marcus frowning at me.
"Are you alright?" He looks—worried.
I step back and open the door wider. "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"
He exhales deeply and steps closer, enveloping me in a hug.
"You've not answered your cell for over an hour. All of us were panicking. You're lucky I talked Chris out of breaking down your door."
I hug him back before rushing to the kitchen counter. 36 missed calls combined from Chris, Marcus, Ella and Legend. 23 texts.
What in the world?!
"Did something happen?!"
"In a way. Before that... here..." He hands me a package. It's wrapped, but not very neatly.
He waits patiently while I gently unwrap it.
Inside are—photo frames.
I look at Marcus in surprise. The topmost one is my photograph he clicked in his kitchen.
There are a few from Ella and Keith's wedding. One with all of us in a single frame.
Then there is one from—wait, is that... prom?
"Hey, who clicked this one?"
"The prom photographer. I kept all the photos from prom... I thought you might appreciate this one."
I look... beautiful.
There's one with Christopher. And the last one... "Where is this one from?"
"From the night we hung out in Radcliffe. A snowflake landed on your nose. I couldn't help capturing it."
Warmth spreads through my chest. I always refrained from taking photographs because most of them came with painful memories attached.
But these... "Why?"
He turns me around and shows me my apartment. "Look..." He gestures at the walls—my bare walls.
My vision blurs as I turn around and hug him once again.
He's right. I have beautiful memories now. Memories worth remembering. A home...maybe even a family.
I place them by the TV and hang a couple on the wall. Finally, I turn to him.
"Why were you guys looking for me?"
He switches on the TV and puts on the news channel, takes my hand and pulls me to the couch.
The ADA steps onto the podium and starts addressing the cameras.
"Investigations into Mr. Abernathy for fraud and cheating have brought some very significant things to light.
"Investigations revealed that Mr. Abernathy helped Ms. Madison Kent cheat throughout medical school in exchange for financial aid.
"When we looked into Ms. Madison Kent's academics, it was discovered that it was she who cheated throughout her high school years at WPA. Not only that, during the course of our investigations, it was revealed that it was Ms. Madison Kent who tried to frame Mr. Marcus Holden in a cheating scandal.
"Ms. Madison has requested the opportunity to address the press to share her side of the story."
Madison steps forward, eyes red rimmed, hair disheveled.
"I met Marcus Holden in high school and was instantly captivated. Over time, we became friends and began dating."
Her expression turns bitter. "But I always knew he liked Celeste more. And then, I found that he might have cheated on me."
Marcus's arms tighten around me, and his eyes look pained. "I decided to teach them both a lesson. I framed Marcus and pinned it on Celeste. I had hoped to drive some sense into them both.
"Things escalated, and Celeste took the fall to save Marcus. And that clueless idiot actually believed that—woman—set him up.
"Well, I'd been cheating for years at that point, and had it down to science. I knew I wouldn't be caught. And I wouldn't have been if Dr. Abernathy had been more circumspect."
She looks at the floor before glancing up again. "I'm sorry, dad." Police officers swarm up on stage and take her away in cuffs.
Reporters shout questions, but the ADA steps up again. "Former doctors Abernathy and Kent willingly defrauded and endangered others in their pursuits of money and success. They will be prosecuted to the highest extent of the law.
"Ms. Shaw is innocent. Please refrain from making false statements that might negatively affect the investigation.
"All details of the investigation will soon be made public along with the indictments. Thank you."
The ADA walks off stage. I catch Chris standing in the back.
I sit mutely—robbed of words—the silence in my apartment deafening.
Ms. Shaw is innocent.
Nearly fifteen years.
For nearly fifteen years, I've carried the label of 'cheat' like it was branded on my soul.
An exhale slips out as I wrestle with the weight of what this confession means.
They have proof. Actual evidence pointing to my innocence.
Marcus pulls me into a hug. "Everyone knows the truth now."
My throat tightens as the lightness settles in my chest. I lick my lips. Is this what...freedom tastes like?
We sit like that for a long time, Marcus rubbing circles on my wrist with his thumb.
"Why didn't Chris take the stage? It's his case, isn't it?"
Marcus shakes his head. "He handed it over when he realized the familial connection could be used to push for a lesser sentence. They might claim that he's trying to avenge his sister."
I snort. Chris avenge me? Yeah right. But then, I stop myself from being derisive.
He didn't just take revenge...He got me justice. Cleared my name.
Maybe... It's time to forgive him.
I pull out my phone, admiring the recently repaired screen and text him back.
I can't help the smile that lifts my lips.
Somehow, Chris bitching about paperwork makes everything feel better.
I turn to find Marcus still staring at the screen, where reporters are now haranguing Coleman for making unverified statements.
He takes my hand in his and squeezes.
Harry Coleman...your number's up now.
Tick. Tock.